Review ~ The Empty Jar ~ M. Leighton

The Empty Jar by M. Leighton
Release Date: May 8, 2016
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Gift from Naomi
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2016NewRelease
Goodreads

Synopsis
Three months touring Europe.
Romantic. Dazzling. Unforgettable.
The trip of a lifetime.

But some lifetimes are shorter...

We couldn't have known it would work out this way.
No one could. No one could've guessed that something so beautiful could be so tragic.

But it is tragic.

Yet so, so beautiful.

That's what sacrifice is--beauty and tragedy.
It's pain and suffering for something or someone you love.

And this is the ultimate sacrifice.
One stunning act of true love.

This is our story.
Our true love story.

I knew when I first started The Empty Jar it was going to be a book for which I'd need tissues. As it turned out, I read with a constant lump in my throat, my eyes always brimming with tears. I felt, even before I read Leighton's acknowledgements, that this was a deeply personal story. There was a depth of emotion that could only come from personal experience. It made Lena and Nate's story that much more moving.

The Empty Jar is a story of Lena and Nate - their journey of love and self-discovery. It's a journey of sacrifice and strength, of trust in themselves, each other, and fate and faith. Above all, it's a story of keeping your jar, both literal and metaphorical, filled with memories and love. It's gut-wrenching and heartwarming. It's a lovely story told lovingly.

My only issue with the story is that there are places where the writing could have been tighter. Although this did lend itself to the personal feel, I felt it bogged down the story at times. However, the story overall shone as brilliantly as a jar full of lightning bugs. Thank you so much, Naomi, for sharing this story with me!