In Heidi Dischler’s You Were Always There, Addalyn Marie Taylor dies from an unknown illness, leaving her best friend, Jessie, heartbroken. Addy was the family that Jessie never had. And now she is gone, leaving Jessie with something far more than anything she could have expected. Addy had planned an adventure for her best friend and her secret boyfriend, Andrew, before dying, an adventure that is unveiled through emails and video recordings. Jessie is first summoned to their favorite café in a mysterious letter, and there, she meets Andrew. Jessie discovers riddles she must solve with Andrew, along with secrets about Addy she never knew. As they move from one adventure to another, Jessie begins to question what she knew about her best friend and herself; at the same time, she develops a growing affection for Andrew. Can Jessie open her heart this time?

You Were Always There was a fun read for me. I was intrigued by the author’s clever plotting, introducing unexpected twists. The first letter that Jessie received from her friend was a compelling emotional moment for me, and I loved how she conveyed the excitement of her planned adventures. Heidi Dischler’s characters are memorable and relatable. I was particularly enticed by Jessie’s journey, from grief to incredulity to eventually finding the courage to embrace her own path and follow her heart. The author’s use of letters is clever, and through them, she built tension and suspense in the story, beefed up the plot, and expanded on the themes. I loved the fully-drawn relationships in this story, the suspense, and the evolving connection between Andrew and Jessie.

Despite the uncanny similarities in their names, Jessalyn Marie Hill’s life could not have been more different than Addalyn Marie Taylor’s. Following a harrowing upbringing in a trailer, Jessie moves in with Addy, being loved like a second daughter by the latter’s parents. Yet, their story comes to an abrupt halt when Addy passes away from an illness. Jessie loses more than a best friend; she loses a sister. The letters Addy left for her send Jessie and Addy’s boyfriend, Drew, on a treasure hunt of sorts. They must work together to discover pieces of Addy’s life previously unknown to them. Troubled by Addy’s secrets and hesitant to get close to her boyfriend, how can Jessie keep honoring her dead friend’s wishes? Find out in You Were Always There by Heidi Dischler.

In this novel, Dischler portrays nuanced characters with absolute ease. Jessie’s childhood, featuring an absentee father, an increasingly distant mother, and an abusive stepfather, shaped her into an overly cautious and insecure person. Despite the Taylors’ love for her, she considered herself a burden to them. Feeling perpetually overshadowed by Addy, she strove to build an independent identity. Heidi Dischler tenderly sketched Jessie’s struggles with her dysfunctional family, her grief over Addy, confusion about Drew, and her anguish at being lonely. As she tries to find a balance between accepting grace and relying on her quiet strength, Dischler presents us with memorable characters, redefined relationships, and a wholesome story arc. I recommend You Were Always There to anyone who wants to read a heartachingly emotional story.