You and Me and Us: A Novel by Alison Hammer

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

“Hammer is an expert at both tugging heartstrings and keeping the reader utterly immersed in a world of hope and heartbreak. A great new voice in women’s fiction.”– Kristin Harmel, #1 international bestselling author of The Winemaker’s Wife


The heartbreaking, yet hopeful, story of a mother and daughter struggling to be a family without the one person who holds them together—a perfect summer read for fans of Jojo Moyes and Marisa de los Santos.

Alexis Gold knows how to put the “work” in working mom. It’s the “mom” part that she’s been struggling with lately. Since opening her own advertising agency three years ago, Alexis has all but given up on finding a good work/life balance. Instead, she’s handed over the household reins to her supportive, loving partner, Tommy. While he’s quick to say they divide and conquer, Alexis knows that Tommy does most of the heavy lifting—especially when it comes to their teenage daughter, CeCe.

Their world changes in an instant when Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, and Alexis realizes everything she’s worked relentlessly for doesn’t matter without him. So Alexis does what Tommy has done for her almost every day since they were twelve-year-old kids in Destin, Florida—she puts him first. And when the only thing Tommy wants is to spend one last summer together at “their” beach, she puts her career on hold to make it happen…even if it means putting her family within striking distance of Tommy’s ex, an actress CeCe idolizes.

But Alexis and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose lives have been turned inside out. In addition to dealing with the normal ups and downs that come with being a teenager, CeCe is also forced to confront her feelings about Tommy’s illness—and what will happen when the one person who’s always been there for her is gone. When the magic of first love brings a bright spot to her summer, CeCe is determined not to let her mother ruin that for her, too.

As CeCe’s behavior becomes more rebellious, Alexis realizes the only thing harder for her than losing Tommy will be convincing CeCe to give her one more chance.

You and Me and Us is a beautifully written novel that examines the unexpected ways loss teaches us how to love.

my thoughts:

Love, love, love! I absolutely LOVED Alison Hammer's debut novel, You and Me and Us.  It was such a heartwrenching read about a mother-daughter duo who needed to find themselves and each other. Such a fantastic story!

Alexis and Tommy are devoted to each other. They are deeply in love and willing to do anything for one another. They have a teenaged daughter, CeCe. Alexis has her own company.  Life is great! And then, Tommy gets some news from his doctor - terminal cancer. Their life has now turned upside down. The man that means the world to both Alexis and Cece is going to die. Life will never be the same. So, they head to the beach.  Tommy wants one last summer at "their" beach. Of course, an idyllic summer is not on the agenda for this family of three. Emotions run high, exes abound, and first love blooms. Plus, a mother-daughter duo struggles to rescue their fractured relationship.

Hammer has written an emotionally gripping story that will have you flipping pages faster and faster to find out what happens to Alexis, Tommy, and CeCe. How does their summer turn out? Will Tommy get to have a wonderful last summer with his family? Can and Alexis and CeCe make peace with each other? Hammer creates a cast of relatable, unlikeable, and familiar-ish characters that you can't help but befriend. The writing is terrific and the story is unputdownable. You and Me and Us is a gem of a book. I would happily recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read.

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: You and Me and Us

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!