Honestly, I picked this book up because the film is due to be released in a week or two and I’m dying to see it (Scott Eastwood as a bull rider… no brainer). I’m glad I did. I very much enjoyed both of these parallel love stories.

"Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart."

Ira and Ruth’s story starts in the 30’s/40’s. It’s a time of war. Ira is a 91 year old man who is stranded in a car accident waiting for help. Through his part of the story, you hear of his epic love for his wife, his reason for living, Ruth.

Then we have Sophia. Sophia is a college senior who is out with some girlfriends after a break up. There, she meets a cowboy named Luke. Luke is different from any man she’s ever met and she is drawn to him. They develop a relationship and Sophia starts spending all her free time with Luke at his family’s ranch. Luke is holding on to a secret. With his bull riding, comes risk. But for him, even more than the normal.

It was a beautiful and emotional love story of past and present. It’s one of those books that will stick with you after reading. I really enjoyed both love stories and the way in which each were told, how one showed a lifetime of love and the other the beginning of love. It did feel like two completely different stories and I had no idea how their stories would intertwine although I had my predictions but loved how they eventually came together. It's such a beautiful story. 5 Stars.