This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope you enjoy these reviews (and books)!
The sixth book on our schedule is After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
This is a momentous occasion. I am about to write a review that doesn't have anything negative to say about the book. Considering my last review was not very complimentary, I think this is worth celebrating!
About the
book:
When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.
Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?
This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.
After I Do tells the story of Lauren and Ryan, a young married couple who have been drifting apart. The novel begins with flashbacks: how Lauren and Ryan met, their first date, their engagement, and then gives readers a glimpse of the conflicts that they begin having and how they escalate. These glimpses allow readers to see what is happening in their marriage, and it is a much more effective tool than a description or summary of their fights would have been. It made everything seem more realistic and definitely made me want to keep reading to see how they would save – or end – things. Ultimately, they decide to take a year off from being married with the rule that they can’t contact one another.
There aren't really any huge twists in this novel, but it still kept my attention and made me want to finish it as quickly as possible. I found it intriguing to read about how their relationship deteriorated and the solutions that others offered during their year apart. Those who are married or in a long term relationship may enjoy this more than single folks because of the focus on romantic relationships and how partners change over time.
After I Do will be available for checkout in the Vise Library soon!
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About the author:
Taylor Jenkins Reid
is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She graduated from Emerson
College with a degree in Media Studies. Her first novel, Forever,
Interrupted, was named one of the “11 Debuts We Love” by Kirkus Reviews.
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. Her
forthcoming novel, After I Do, will
be published July 1, 2014.
Connect
with the author:
| To find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge, click the link above! |
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