Member Reviews
This book is OK. It moves a bit slowly. The plot is a bit unrealistic. I did enjoy the characters for the most part.
This is the first book I've ever read by this author.
I totally loved the this book. The story and the characters were amazing x
I absolutely loved this book!!! I couldn't put it down, This is definitely one of those books that you can read over and over again.
Michael Brand had a terrible childhood. His Father left when he was 4 years old, while his Mother was pregnant and talking to the walls. At the time, Michael didn't understand what was going on, so he went to school in dirty clothes and walked by himself trying to blend in with the other kids. One day, his mother is screaming on the bed, bleeding with his dead baby brother next to her. Michael panics and calls an ambulance, they take his mom away and a social service worker moves Michael into his first foster care home. His mom stays in the hospital for a long time, she's diagnosed with a mental disorder. Michael gets shuffled from different foster homes in between the times his mom comes home and goes off her medicine. By the age of 16, he ages out of the system and is on his own and he goes to college for Art School. While in his last year, he meets Diane, and has a one time fling, that ends up in marriage and a baby. Things don't work out and she throws him out.
Several years later at a costume party, he meets a very special woman, Jenny, who turns into so much more. After 3 months he has her to move in with him, but he also tells her that if she wants children, she's got the wrong guy. He's happy with his son, he won't go through that again. Jenny's heartbroken, but says nothing.
When their four year anniversary approaches, Jenny feels Michael pulling away and starts to panic. She has something to tell him, but she's scared that he will walk away. Michael keeps a piece of himself closed off. Whenever she asks about his parents, he tells her that he lost contact with them and they live in New Zealand. Michael has been lying to her about where he's been going lately, he traded his car in for a motorcycle as well. She's not sure whether he's going through a midlife crisis or not.
One of her closest friends, Hannah, who is in her 70s, and is also her ex-fiancee's mom that she loves dearly, fought to be in her life after she broke up with her ex. Hannah suggests that Jenny look up Michael's ex's and find out why they broke up so she has a better insight. So Jenny does just that.
Will she like what she finds out? Or will she regret it even more??
Wonderfully written!!
Iniitally the switches in the timeline bother you but once the story catches on it makes you feel deeply for Jen.
Her emotions of insecurity,her love for michael are captured endearingly.Her relationship with Hannah and Marcia were very lovable and i thoroughly enjoyed her relationship with both these characters.
Story is simple but narrated beautifully.With fourth year anniversary of their relationship coming up Jen is scared that things might end as michael has never been in a relationship for longer than that..Being pregnant aggravates her fear and she becomes determined to find the reason why no past relationships ever lasted.As she meets up his exes she becomes more apprehensive of their relation; beginning to even suspect Michael.But the parts narrated from Michael's POV make us understand his reasons.
As Michael and Jen sort out their differences the story leaves us with feeling of satisfaction .It makes us believe that love is worth fighting for ,no matter how scared you are of the outcome..
I would sure want to read more books by this author.
Michael had told Jen he was crazy about her three months after they got together. Michael wanted them to be together but if Jen wanted kids she better find someone else. Michael had already done all that. Michael had already done all that Michael added that he loved being a dad to Kyle but that was enough for him. Michael had Jen had met at a fancy dress party over four years ago. The theme was Pop Icons of the twentieth century and Jen had dressed as Madonna. Marcia was a good friend of Jen. It had only been three months since Jen and her ex Luke. Macia and Jen had met at boarding school when they were seven. But for some reason Jen could see the real person in Marcia. Jen tagged along determined to be Jen’s friend. Jen stopped in a superstore and tested herself and she was pregnant. Jen never felt so afraid and alone. Yet she also wanted to laugh because she never felt so excited and happy. Then Jen was weighing the pros and cons of telling Michael right away. Marcia thought Jen should have got rid of Michael after a one night stand instead of trying to have a future with him. But Jen has another great friend- Hannah who was her ex- Luke’s mother. Hannah is seventy- Jen’s almost mother in law but Jen found out on her wedding day that Luke had been cheating on her. Hannah was the mom to Jen her own mom never had the chance to be dying when Jen was three years old. Jen could hide most things from everyone but Hannah. Michael doesn’t like either of Jen’s best friends. It was enough Hannah was the mother of her ex Luke. Then Hannah and Jen met for lunch and Hannah mentions it’s too bad she couldn’t talk to Michael’s exs and see what went wrong with their relationship. Then Jen remembers Michael’s son Kyle had stayed in touch with some of Michael’s exs and of course one was Kyle’s mom. Michael goes to America a lot. Michael runs a couple art galleries and imports and exports original works of art. Then Michael told Kyle he couldn’t make it to his play. Kyle had the lead role and Michael had known for months about the play. But now Michael says he can’t make it. Usually Michael tries really hard where Kyle is concerned. Michael has been acting strange and Jen thinks he is going to end their relationship. Jen is determined to keep her child but she really wants to save her and Michael’s relationship if she can. Either way Jen is keeping her unborn child.
I just couldn’t get into this book probably all the back and forth between the past and present. I don’t like that kind of thing very often and it really irritated me here and it sometimes was confusing. I’m sure someone else will love this just wasn’t for me. It just didn't didn’t keep my attention.