Alisa's Reviews > All the Ways We Said Goodbye

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. The 2 stars is for the ending, I was completely annoyed by it. I liked Aurilie (I did audiobook, so please excuse spelling) and Daisy's story. But I found all the "reveals" not all that revealing. I had it all figured out from the beginning. That was annoying.

***spoilers***

I did not like Babs. Her character seemed pointless. And I just couldn't get behind her getting a happy ending considering she was the means of destroying a much better storyline. Her hiding the letter Daisy wrote to Kitt was horrible. And when you see the development of Kitt's and Daisy's story, it was even more heart wrenching. Because of her Kitt never knew he had a daughter, and she never knew her real Dad. Daisy spent her life alone, after all the suffering she had been through in her life. They tried to make what she did a loving thing, she was protecting him from what happened to him in the war. But I just didn't buy it. She was selfish... completely selfish. She didn't love Kitt, she loved herself. And yet we had to listen to Babs whine about not feeling like her husband really loved her.... how she felt he needed to be drunk to have sex with her. But she is praised as being so loving, and so strong, having endured so many hardships. What? It made no sense. But SHE got the happy ending, and no one else did.

Aurilie dies of influenza, leaving Daisy to live without a Mother or a Father. Her father not even knowing of her existance. Max doesn't even find out about Daisy until WWII, where he stumbles upon her. And when he finally confesses why he helps her, he is immediately murdered by the Nazis, so she doesn't get to know him.

Daisy has to endure the Nazis, her disgusting abusive husband, working for the resistance, only to be separated from Kitt, the love of her life. And never telling him she is pregnant with their baby. She lives alone, letting her creepy husband believe she is dead while she raises her 3 kids, and never finds love.

But Babs, who is the villian in my opinion, gets the happy ending, "learns to forgive herself". And then they do a plot with her that annoys me to no end. She is the frumpy country woman, who gets a makeover and is forced into clothing that she is uncomfortable with, but then she realizes she needs to be sexy to be noticed by men and be happy. Give me a break.

Bottom line, this book could have been better. I wish it was 2 separate books, one for Auralie and one for Daisy, so they could do it better, develop the story more. And not even have Babs in it at all.