Somebody Like You

By Andrea Renee Cox

Is it possible for a widow to fall in love with her husband’s reflection?

Newly released!

Haley Ames struggles against that question in Beth K. Vogt’s newest release, Somebody Like You. The young widow grieves her late husband, Sam, even as she prepares to give birth to their child. Her heartache multiplies when Stephen Ames, Sam’s mirror twin, shows up on her doorstep. Will Haley be able to look beyond the image of her husband to the fluttering feelings the only living Ames brother stirs within her? Or will she push him away for fear of desecrating her vows to the brother in the grave?

Ever since I heard Beth was working on a story about a young widow, I’ve wanted to get my hands on this book. She wowed me with her first two novels, so I knew this one would deliver what I’ve come to expect from her. But she still managed to surprise me many times over. That’s the signature of a great author.

“Getting lost hadn’t been part of the plan.” That line from the brief prologue seems to be a common theme of Vogt’s books. Life very often doesn’t go as we plan. Beth allows her experience of going with the flow to shine through in her fiction. The journeys her characters go through reveal ways in which we can adapt when life doesn’t go as planned. Sometimes you find solutions to the problems that pop up. Other times you don’t, but other opportunities arise. In every moment, if we seek God, He will guide us in the ways He’s prepared for us. I like how Beth weaves that bit of truth into her stories.

I’ve never been married, let alone widowed, but Beth captured the theme of widowhood so well, my heart ached for Haley Ames and her baby. Not long into the book, it dawned on me just how gut-wrenching it would be to lose a husband, only to be faced with his identical twin months later. I’m not sure how I would have handled it besides crying my brains out all over again. I’d be just as shocked as Haley was, for certain.

Somebody Like You swept into my heart and left me thinking about the relationships in my life. Each one is important for unique reasons, and I cherish every one. Only God knows how long each person will be in my life, so I’ll treasure every moment I’m given.

On another note, a sweet surprise awaits Marvel fans (comics or movies) in this one. The first glimpse is in chapter three, but there are a few other places along the way, as well. Of course I can’t tell you what they are because that would spoil it for you. I’d be interested to know, though, what you thought about them. They made me smile and laugh out loud at times. I love the Marvel movies, and the extra tidbits in Somebody Like You were great tributes to them and the comics.

Thank you to Beth Vogt and her publisher, Howard Books, for a complimentary copy of Somebody Like You in exchange for my honest review. Beth, it’s a pleasure to be included in your group of influencers. This sweet story very nearly pushed Wish You Were Here out of its coveted favorite-Beth-Vogt-book spot. It’s a virtual tie, which makes my job as an influencer that much easier. Thanks for writing such beautiful prose.

Readers, the themes of widowhood and estrangement are prevalent in this book. Have you been touched by either? How did you cope with it? What advice would you give to someone facing it for the first time?

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