4/5 Review
By The Kindle Book Review on August 18, 2015
Format:
Kindle Edition
“For
better, for worse,” words repeated at most weddings form the theme of the book.
Intertwined stories of four English women − neighbors, friends and confidantes − trace the rise and fall of romance in their lives. One woman is recovering from a relationship and falling in love, again. A second falls for her old boyfriend, leaving her husband. The third reconnects with her former husband. The fourth falls in love with her current and only husband, once again.
While each woman’s story is easy and fun to read, it is the fourth that I found to be the most interesting and to me most believable. Annie and her husband Patrick are in the throes of mid-life crises. Annie is unhappy as a stay-at-home mom and wants more out of her life. Patrick is attracted to Rachel, who works in his law practice and who definitely wants Patrick. When Annie discovers his affair, she orders him out.
Their attempts to re-establish their relationship are both humorous and tender. Sometimes you laugh; other times you feel angry. You come to know them both, their wants, their goals, their fears, and you want them to be happy, together.
The other situations, too, are plausible and all of them are entertaining.
Be warned, you will find both “better and “worse,” and not everything turns out well in the end. The book is an interesting commentary on modern marriage and a very enjoyable read.
David Burnett for the Kindle Book Review
I received a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Intertwined stories of four English women − neighbors, friends and confidantes − trace the rise and fall of romance in their lives. One woman is recovering from a relationship and falling in love, again. A second falls for her old boyfriend, leaving her husband. The third reconnects with her former husband. The fourth falls in love with her current and only husband, once again.
While each woman’s story is easy and fun to read, it is the fourth that I found to be the most interesting and to me most believable. Annie and her husband Patrick are in the throes of mid-life crises. Annie is unhappy as a stay-at-home mom and wants more out of her life. Patrick is attracted to Rachel, who works in his law practice and who definitely wants Patrick. When Annie discovers his affair, she orders him out.
Their attempts to re-establish their relationship are both humorous and tender. Sometimes you laugh; other times you feel angry. You come to know them both, their wants, their goals, their fears, and you want them to be happy, together.
The other situations, too, are plausible and all of them are entertaining.
Be warned, you will find both “better and “worse,” and not everything turns out well in the end. The book is an interesting commentary on modern marriage and a very enjoyable read.
David Burnett for the Kindle Book Review
I received a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Description
Take a trip to the steamy side of English suburbia. To the
envying eyes of the locals, three ordinary women in their forties seem to have
wonderful families and excellent careers. Or do they?
Annie Fitzgerald’s perfect marriage to the debonair Patrick falls apart when she discovers him having an affair. Struggling with a failed marriage, her world turns upside down. Suddenly being at home is not the ideal life she thought it would be. Annie finds solace in her salsa teacher. Patrick ends his affair, but with near fatal consequences.
Lorna Davies, mother of four children, is in a loveless marriage to Robin. Unexpectedly she literally runs into Ben Adams, an old flame from her teens. Secrets about her past that she has kept hidden for years are revealed, dramatically affecting her family, changing all their lives.
Celina Peel’s ex-husband, Ethan, arrives at her office after being gone twelve years. She truly believes him when he says he has changed. As Celina makes plans for the future with Ethan, she can not help wondering, has he changed or not? She encounters another problem, her son’s girlfriend. Unable to cut the apron strings, Celina has to accept Sam’s girlfriend or lose him forever.
Annie Fitzgerald’s perfect marriage to the debonair Patrick falls apart when she discovers him having an affair. Struggling with a failed marriage, her world turns upside down. Suddenly being at home is not the ideal life she thought it would be. Annie finds solace in her salsa teacher. Patrick ends his affair, but with near fatal consequences.
Lorna Davies, mother of four children, is in a loveless marriage to Robin. Unexpectedly she literally runs into Ben Adams, an old flame from her teens. Secrets about her past that she has kept hidden for years are revealed, dramatically affecting her family, changing all their lives.
Celina Peel’s ex-husband, Ethan, arrives at her office after being gone twelve years. She truly believes him when he says he has changed. As Celina makes plans for the future with Ethan, she can not help wondering, has he changed or not? She encounters another problem, her son’s girlfriend. Unable to cut the apron strings, Celina has to accept Sam’s girlfriend or lose him forever.
Excerpt:
Chapter One
As she opened her eyes, a four-wheel truck loomed up on her, stationary at the traffic lights. Standing on the breaks, the impact as she went into the back of the silver tank vibrated through her body, the sound of crushing metal sounded more expensive than the bribe for her sons’ misdemeanours.
“Shi... shine a light.” She unhooked her seatbelt, grabbed her bag then jumped out of the car.
Already the driver was out, slammed his door then gestured a finger of discontent to a passing vehicle sounding its horn.
“You stupid woman. What in the name...”
“Sorry, it was totally my fault. There has been an emergency, and I need to get to my children’s school.” Lorna started rummaging through her bag. “I’m sure we can sort this out amicably, without insurance. The last thing I need is an issue with my husband. Damn, where are my cards?”
* * * *
Ben Adams assessed the damage to his precious truck, not at all interested in a dumb housewife’s domestic issues. Happy that there was more damage to her vehicle than his, he looked for the first time at the panic-stricken woman. Were his eyes deceiving him? After all these years of hoping, that on the off chance he would see her again? Maybe not quite like this. Ben had imagined he would see Lorna walking around a supermarket, perhaps seeing her from across the street, definitely not having her crash into him. Yet here she was, Lorna Miles, as she had been all those years ago when she left him broken hearted. The crash had just made his day.
“Not much damage. Just a scratch on the bumper and a crack in the brake light.”
“Oh,” was all she could say, amazed by his calmness, hoping that Robin would take the news of her crushed bonnet with the same composure, which was highly unlikely seeing as Robin had zero tolerance with any women drivers. “Here’s my card. Whatever it costs, just send me the bill.”
Lorna passed the card over, suddenly aware how her heartbeat had become rapid and strong, beating inside her chest. Without being too obvious, she moved forward to take a better look at him. If she were not so vain and wore her glasses, she would have recognized him right away. Her body began to shake inside, finding it hard to breathe, desperate to fill her lungs with fresh air. He was older. The once slender body now had muscles in all the right places. Was it really him? Most of all did he know it was her?
