The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan

 

4*

I guess I’m really old school, so I initially struggled with the open marriage premise of this book. However, I appreciate what Nicole’s friend Tessa said about the idea of monogamous marriages being the result of the Puritans’ influence and the Eisenhower administration’s focus on the “perfect American family myth.” Historically, marriages were mostly political or business alliances rather than love matches and, as long as children were produced and a wife fulfilled her other duties, fidelity was a non-issue. Of course, for the better part of history, people didn’t live long lives, so even loving couples rarely had to be concerned with boredom and monotony in a marriage.

In Nicole and Jason’s case, they decide on a 9-month marriage sabbatical after hearing of the Five Hundred Mile Rule from their neighbors. When Nicole backs out of a grueling motorcycle trip through South America following by months on a beach surfing (which Jacob had planned to take with his best friend before he tragically died) and tells Jacob she wants to go to Santa Fe to learn silversmithing and jewelry-making instead, he’s understandably upset. She is the one to suggest that they sleep with other people with a few rules and the understanding that they’ll reunite at the end and keep their dalliances to themselves. As they exchange weekly emails where she signs off with hugs and kisses and his are devoid of any affection, I couldn’t help thinking it’s a risky thing for a long-time couple who love each other. What’s the point of taking the chance of catching feelings for someone else when it’s just a 9-month separation?

So, I had to put my personal feelings about cheating aside (is it still cheating if both parties give permission?) and evaluate the book on its merits. Dolan, using flashbacks that fill the reader in on the things that initially drew Nicole and Jason together and the struggles and milestones they shared, gives readers a vivid picture of the strength of their marriage and commitment to their family. It also becomes clear that both Nicole and Jason’s plans (hers to learn to create beautiful, but difficult pieces of wearable art and his to write a mystery thriller) are better in their heads than in reality. Their time away, however, gives them the experiences and confidence to reevaluate what they want from life (with their kids due to graduate college, with her long-time job in retail a casualty of the pandemic, and with his demanding job in publishing keeping him away from his family far too much). It also gives them the opportunity to meet a varied and unique cast of characters (including an adorable mini poodle, Bardot) who enrich their experiences and helped them realize that the end of the sabbatical doesn’t have to mean going back to the same life that was no longer satisfying.

Overall, this was a very good depiction of a modern marriage in which the husband and wife love and respect each other but acknowledge that they need a break. If you’re looking for a love story featuring mature characters, this one is worth considering.

Fair warning: If you’re Covid-conscious and acknowledge that the risks of infection are still with us, it may be triggering to read about a family who goes back to “normal” even knowing that Jason’s best friend, an ER doctor, died driving home after a grueling shift in the early days of the pandemic.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from William Morrow through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline

 

5*

Legal thrillers aren’t my usual genre. In fact, I don’t think I’ve read more than a few. However, after reading The Truth About the Devlins and enjoying it immensely, I’m eager to read more of Scottoline’s books. She’s a former lawyer herself who, in her own words, hews “as close to the law when there are legal situations in the novels.”

In this story about a family of lawyers and TJ (the narrator, the youngest sibling, the college dropout, and the recovering alcoholic), the plot revolves around the mysterious death of a corporate accountant and how TJ and his older brother John are caught up in the mystery, to the point that they’ve put themselves and their entire family in the criminals’ crosshairs. However, it’s also about addiction and the lengths those afflicted will go to chase the high, the selfish actions they take that put people at risk, and the toll it takes on their loved ones.

Daughter Gabby Devlin, who is dedicated to her pro bono work, elicits TJ’s help as the family firm’s investigator on an actual civil case involving men incarcerated in Holmesburg Prison between 1951 and 1974. Without informed consent, they were subjected to legal, but unethical medical experimentation led by Dr. Albert Kligman, a dermatology professor at UPenn, that left them with horrendous scarring and often fatal illnesses as well as PTSD. Although the men in the book are fictional, the horrors the actual former inmates faced and the lengths the complicit corporations (who benefitted from the experiments), doctors, and our military and CIA went to avoid any civil or criminal liability are as appalling as what the Nazis did to concentration camp prisoners. You can read more about this in the novel Acres of Skin by eyewitness Dr. Allen Hornblum who believes these experiments violated the Nuremberg Code.

The pacing of this story is perfect, keeping you on the edge of your seat while trying to figure out how all the puzzle pieces fit together. TJ’s narration is charming, vulnerable, and honest, and you can’t help but hurt for him while also cheering him on. Whether or not you’re a legal thriller fan, I highly recommend you read this story.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
 

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

 

4*


This is the 2nd book by Graves I’ve read, the first being The Girl He Used to Know. That one remains one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read, and I’ve recommended it to countless people. This one is also a tender love story, but it didn’t grab me quite the same way. I found the pacing a bit slow and, as an “indoorsy” person, I couldn’t get excited about geo-caching, the activity that brought Wren and Marshall together, but also provided much of the framework for the story.

I appreciate this romance in which the couple, despite tragic circumstances that have left them grief-stricken and wary of starting a new relationship, have the maturity and personal integrity to communicate as openly as their wounded souls will allow them to while acknowledging that trust takes time to build and that healing does not follow a linear path. In The Trail of Lost Hearts, these two start as friends who quickly develop feelings but live thousands of miles apart. What should have been a brief fling turns into so much more but Wren, having been betrayed in the worst sort of way in her previous relationship, isn’t willing to accept anything less than a man who “checks all the boxes” and doesn’t hold anything back. She’s self-aware enough to recognize that and to be honest about her boundaries. The irony is that he, as a psychologist, needs to get help in coming to terms with his own loss so that he can share his feelings and his future with Wren. The question is, will the tenuous connection they made in their week together be enough to motivate them to do the emotional work they need to be together, especially when Wren drops a huge surprise?

If you’re a reader looking for romances with depth, mutual caring and consideration, a focus on relationship-building, and a small touch of spice, this is one worth checking out. If you’re a fan of the great outdoors, even better, since the scenes in Oregon sound breathtaking. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

One Moment by Becky Hunter

 

3*

I struggled to get into this story, due to the content rather than the writing style. Hunter did a good job of creating characters with depth and navigating a story from two perspectives: the ghost of Scarlett and a third-person narrator of Evie’s life post-Scarlett. I guess I’m just not in the headspace to be able to handle a story that starts with a tragic death and has a main character who is trying to come to grips with a devastating health diagnosis while still in her 20s as well as the loss of her best friend.

Usually when a ghost features heavily in a book, it’s because they have unfinished business and can somehow influence outcomes. In this case, Scarlett was simply an observer and commentator who couldn’t be seen, couldn’t move objects, and had no way of communicating with the living. So, other than her witnessing how her loved ones are coping with the grief, we don’t know until the end what conclusion she draws for her lingering presence, and it’s rather frustrating that she can’t “show herself.”

I enjoyed the romance between Evie and Nate, especially how thoughtful, supportive, and even-keeled he is (really a perfect book boyfriend). In his non-judgmental, non-pitying way, he helps Evie realize that life doesn’t end with a diagnosis; it just means she has to adapt to her new, unpredictable normal. Likewise, she helps him see that slowing down his itinerant lifestyle as a travel journalist to form a connection won’t have negative consequences.

If I could separate my own feelings from the narrative, I’d give it 4*, but since I struggled to get into it, I’ve dropped it to 3*. However, for readers who don’t mind depressing topics combined a very slow burn, closed door romance, it would be worth checking this out.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Forever through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

Tangled Up in You (Meant to Be #4) by Christina Lauren

 

5*
(release date: 6/25/24)

Contemporary, creative retelling of Disney’s Rapunzel movie, Tangled.

In Tangled Up in You, the writing duo Christina Lauren spins a backstory of how Rapunzel (Ren) ended up isolated from society for years until the fateful meeting with Flynn (Fitz). I love Ren’s wide-eyed innocence and inherent goodness and how bad boy Fitz, despite his desperate need to protect himself and trust no one, can’t help but want to be a better man for her. The use of a road trip with forced proximity in a variety of hotel rooms is a great plot device, giving the couple plenty of time to get to know each other through endless days of driving with stops at famous tourist traps along the way. (The biker bar scene is especially endearing.) Yes, Ren is seeing a world she only knew from books after her sheltered childhood, but Fitz is also viewing everything through a new lens, and it is actually Ren who is rescuing him.

I haven’t read any of the other books in the Meant to Be series, but I’m so glad Disney placed this story in Christina Lauren’s very capable hands. They have shown their readers that, although fairy tales are just make-believe, it is possible to have a happily-ever-after following heartbreak. Every great story has its roots in reality, and I love the characters and story they created to bring Rapunzel characters to life. Highly recommended clean romance for both teens and adults who need reminding that happy endings can exist.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Hyperion Avenue through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.