The Way We Rise

6 out of 5 I-HOPE-IT-NEVER-ENDS stars!!! “Real life is messy. People hurt each other, even when they love each other. All you can do is deal with it.” *cue standing ovation* WOW! Just wow!!! Cassia, I’m in awe! The Way We Rise (Book #3 of The Story of Us series) is the perfect conclusion to such a phenomenal trilogy! What a beautiful ending with an epic, mother of all epilogues! You never cease to amaze me time after time! Secrets will be revealed and then some! Can Rory and Houston’s relationship handle the truth and its repercussions? This heartfelt and emotional read is about impermanence, acceptance, friendship, hope, love and happy beginnings. I cried, laughed, swooned, cried even more and my heart skipped a beat at a particular scene which nearly killed me! (Side note: Cassia, how could you?! Some of us have weak hearts! LOL!) “You see, in real life, there are no happy endings, because real life, real love, has no ending.” Fret not! We will find out what happens to all of our favorite characters (and Tessa…) that we have grown so attached to over the last two books. That’s the magic of Cassia’s masterful storytelling — she keeps it real by creating well-developed characters, realistic plots, and most importantly, the life lessons imparted will resonate with every reader. She is truly an amazing author and I love this book and series tremendously! The Story of Us series will stay with me for a very long time to come and I’ll always hold these quotes close to my heart. “You can’t erase love.” “No friendship, no love.” Thank you, Cassia, for yet another unforgettable love story! ♥

"you can't erase love" That there sums up the entire series. Love is not always easy but it is always there. Nothing proved that more than this series. Cassia can paint a picture like no other with her books. You feel the emotions and take the journey with the characters. Houston and Rory's journey may have had some bumps and forks in the road but they managed to make it through. My favorite part of this book was the epic epilogue. It was probably her best one yet. Thank goodness "you can't erase love."

What a great end to an amazing series. In this last book, everything comes together. The questions you may have, will definitely be answered. When I think back over the previous two books in this series and now this final book, I have seen these characters grow. They’ve tackled things in their lives that would have broken most families. And yet, I think they became stronger for it. All the characters from the previous books are back, and you learn so much more about them. I am sure those opinions you had of them will definitely change throughout this book. I have simply loved the journey Cassia has taken us on in this series. And once again, she has bought the characters to life in her amazing storytelling. I have shed quite a lot of tears throughout this series, but I have also laughed so hard I had tears rolling down my face. There is so much I want to say about this book, but I don’t want to give anything away. All I can say is that this was the perfect ending, and it will definitely be a series that I will read again.