I don’t write to be heard. I write to name the feeling you couldn’t explain until now.
“I didn’t know I was holding on until I felt the weight of letting go.”
— Soft Things That Hurt
This quote is my favorite because it gave permission to stop chasing resolution. In a world obsessed with tying things up, naming every feeling, and forcing meaning out of pain, that line was a sigh of relief. It reminded me (and now my readers) that some stories end without punctuation, and that’s not failure—it’s a kind of grace.
“Some things don’t need closure. They just need a quiet place to rest.”
— What Still Lingers
This line has been underlined more times than I can count—and I understand why. It speaks to the ache of unfinished stories, the ones we carry not because they demand answers, but because they mattered. Not every ending needs resolution; some simply ask to be acknowledged and gently set down.
One of the most quietly beloved characters is Mae, from The Art of Being Almost. She isn’t loud or showy—she doesn’t chase plot—but she lingers. Mae is the kind of character who writes letters she never sends, saves voice memos she’ll never replay, and lives in the ache between decision and doubt. Readers love her because she mirrors what so many of us feel: the fear of choosing wrong, the exhaustion of almost getting it right, and the strange comfort in staying undecided just a little longer. She’s not brave in the usual ways—but her softness is survival, and that’s what makes her unforgettable.
“This book didn’t just speak to me—it sat beside me in silence until I was ready to hear it.”
Elena Price
“Ivy’s writing feels like standing outside just before a storm—tense, beautiful, and full of truth you didn’t ask for but needed.”
Jules Ainsworth
“I’ve never underlined so much in a book. Every page felt like something I was trying to say but couldn’t quite name.”
Maribel Quinn
“This is not a self-help book. It’s a mirror. A quiet one, but it doesn’t flinch.”
Cass Irving
“Ivy understands what it means to live in the space between choices. This book made me feel less alone in the almosts.”
Leigh Mercer
“Somehow gentle and devastating at the same time. Like being comforted and called out in the same sentence.”
Rowan Ellery
