Audiobook Review: The Wonder of Now by Jaime Beck

What will you do when you are faced with your own mortality and then given a new lease on life? Peyton Prescott, the romantic heroine of “The Wonder of Now” wrote a book relating her fight against breast cancer.

It was her brother Logan’s idea. A photographer by trade and profession, Logan was Peyton’s rock from the time she was diagnosed till she was pronounced cancer free a year ago. It took Peyton a year to write the memoir and now, it was being released as major work for a debut author.

Enter PR guru Mitch Mathis whose job is to make sure that the book goes into the New York Times Bestsellers list and create enough buzz to achieve that. First step, a European book tour before the glitterati-filled US launch.

Easy peasy, right?

Well… it would have been except that from the moment they laid eyes on each other, a mutual attraction simmered between Peyton and Mitch. For professional reasons, Mitch could not; for health and psychological reasons, Peyton could not either.

But, both Peyton and Mitch are adults and it was going to be very easy for them to add the word “consenting” before “adult.”

The Wonder of Now (Sanctuary Sound Book 3)

“The Wonder of Now” is not just a love story. It is also a woman’s fight to recover her self esteem after undergoing chemo and mastectomy. Still, the way Peyton was written, she was not a victim, she was a survivor.

But, Peyton is not a romantic heroine either. In fact, from the beginning to the end of the book, I had a hard time liking Peyton. I could see her struggles. Someone very close to me died from breast cancer and I was at the front seat row to see it happen.

Peyton was written as a diva before her cancer diagnosis. She was selfish and self-centered. Though cancer made her see things from a different perspective, the old Peyton kept on rearing her ugly head throughout the story.

And that is the genius of the storytelling for “The Wonder of Now.” It would have been easy to make Peyton a tragic character to be pitied. Thankfully, Jaime Beck is a master of her craft that as readers we see Peyton in 360 degrees. Cancer did not define Peyton. Jaime Beck wrote her to be three-dimensional.

Mitch was given the same treatment. He has baggage of his own; yet instead of being a victim, we see Mitch as a true romantic hero who would fight for the people he loves.

A great book to read and a very good listen on audiobook. Narrated by Dara Rosenberg, the female voice, i.e. Peyton was very good. And though I enjoyed listening to the book very much, I would have preferred if it was a dual narration. There was enough POV from Mitch to warrant a male voice. Sometimes, I got lost who was speaking and had to rewind to figure out who was it.

“The Wonder of Now” is Rated T for Teens. Parental guidance strongly advised due to the discussion about cancer and its treatment. There are some sex scenes but they are not graphic.