Three months touring Europe. 

Read M. Leighton's blog post about the story here

The Empty Jar is a love story, but not typical. It has M. Leighton's style, but is completely unique. I don't want to say much to avoid spoiling the experience, so this will be short. 

This is about the life and love of Nate and Lena. They are a beautiful, mature couple. Nate is the most amazing swoon-worthy hero. He is totally devoted, loving, kind, patient, and strong. He is a protector and trying to focus on living life to the fullest with Lena. But in private he struggles with denial, fear, and anxiety.

Lena is a brave heroine facing hard truths and painful decisions. She is smart, sassy, sweet, and loving. She has sadness in her past and in her present. But she is tenacious when she needs to be and protective in her own right.

This is a poignant, emotional journey. It's about filling up with the good things such as blessings, family, traditions and love in order to deal with the hard stuff. It has themes of fate, faith, sacrifice, forgiveness, and acceptance. It encourages living life to the fullest, treasuring each moment, and making memories. Lena and Nate have a soul deep love that began when they first met and only got stronger....that long lasting, forever kind of love.

This is not an easy book to read due to the subject matter, but it is beautifully written. I understand how personal this book is to M. Leighton due to her own experiences. She did a good job making the issues understandable and relevant. It is obvious she bled onto these pages and brought out all of the emotional aspects. I adored these characters and felt everything along with them along the way. But despite the heavy topics, there are also times of joy, laughter, passion, friendship, and hope. I truly feel like I experienced a lifetime of love and devotion with Lena and Nate and their story was touching, heartfelt, and unforgettable. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.