trishedmisten.com Category:  Romance Publisher: Outskirts Press Type: Fiction Pages: 214 Copyright: March 19, 2008 ISBN-13: 9781432721381 Before she can embrace the future, Brandy must face her past. Ever since her father’s death, family, work and school have been the most important things in Brandy’s life. Falling in love doesn’t figure in the picture at all. That is until she meets Will. Handsome, wealthy, funny and down to Earth, he’s everything she’s always wanted in a man and nothing she ever thought she’d have. With Will’s love, Brandy believes anything is possible. It’s at the height of their happiness that their love and her beliefs are put to the toughest test of all. Can their love triumph when the unthinkable happens, or will they be torn apart forever?

Will Appeal to Mostly Female Readers
It is one week before Brandy Miller's wedding. However, before she walks down the aisle, she goes off to confront some painful memories and to relive how her impending marriage came to be. The story begins when Brandy is nineteen-years-old. Her life has been somewhat difficult since her father's death. The family is poor and she works at a job she hates to help with the expenses while she also attends community college. One day she sees a "help wanted" ad in the newspaper for an executive assistant at a real estate office and on a whim decides to apply. Her life soon begins to improve because she is hired for the job and upon leaving the office she encounters a handsome man named Will Cooke and they experience love at first sight. As she grows closer to Will, she begins to notice some things about him that do not add up. When she finally learns Will's secret, Brandy feels betrayed and must decide if she can trust him.

"Extraordinary Will" is a sad but inspiring story. I enjoyed watching Brandy blossom from a shy and insecure person into one who found the courage to remain strong when circumstances in her life were bleak. This book reveals the true meaning of love and the importance of families standing by each other during trying times. Brandy and Will always wanted the best for each other, even if it meant he or she had to make personal sacrifices. Many people would have abandoned such a relationship because of the difficulties involved, but they chose to support each other.

One issue I did not care for was how Brandy was constantly making jokes about how she was only with Will because of his money. I know it was meant to show Brandy's insecurity about her background, but it was used too much throughout the book.

"Extraordinary Will" by Trish Edmisten will appeal mostly to female readers. They will experience an emotional roller coaster ride as Brandy and Will venture through life's ups and downs. They provide a good example of how people should treat others with dignity and respect and to always be there to lend a hand when needed.

Reviewed by Ashley Merrill of Front Street Reviews
I read this book in one day. Usually I then will turn around and review it right off while it is still fresh in my head. With this book, I had to walk away from it for awhile. I had to wait until my emotions were a little less fresh in regards to this story. This book had me crying page after page after page. This is a first for me. Sure, I sometimes get misty eyed when something terrible happens to a character or when something miraculous happens, but this was all pure, raw emotion spilling fourth.

Brandy is a nineteen year old girl who is doing normal nineteen year old things. She works at McDonalds and hates it, so she finds a new job in an office and continues to go to school. When Brandy meets Will, the son of her boss, Felicia, everything appears normal. I thought this was going to end up being a typical romance, with some twists and turns and possibly a break up or a ‘happily ever after’ type story. Boy was I wrong.

Trish Edmisten takes her words and lifts them off of the page and shoots them straight into your heart. Will and Brandy fall in love and are extremely happy. What Brandy doesn’t know is that Will has a secret. He is no ordinary, healthy young man. Brandy finds out that Will has fought and survived a brain tumor that could just as easily have killed him. They make a pact that no matter what happens, they will continue to stay together, even if the tumor comes back full force. That’s just what happens; Will’s tumor comes back and he finds himself once again fighting for his life. Brandy and Will no longer have a normal relationship where they can take things slow and just enjoy life. They now are dealing with a love that may be short lived and tear their lives apart. Instead of going to the movies on a Friday night, or ordering in pizza with the love of her life, Brandy finds herself quitting school and completely taking care of Will to help him fight for his life, and their relationship.

Trish Edmisten grabs hold of your heart and will not let go until the very last page. She forces you to come to grips with the fact that this could happen to anyone; even you. She makes you realize just how precious life is and that once you find the gift of love and happiness you should enjoy each and every precious day because you never know when it is going to be your last. Finding true love is a rare and beautiful thing, and there is nothing stopping the powers that be from tearing it away from you. For days after reading this book I looked at my relationship in a while new light and pondered what I would do if I lost the love of my life.

I would recommend this book to everyone to read. Grab a box of tissues and tuck in to read it front to back. This is a reality check for everyone and is a must have on your shelf.