Love and Ruin tells the story of Martha Gellhorn a famous war corespondent and the third wife of Ernest Hemingway. In 1937 Martha travels to Spain to write about the atrocities during the Spanish Civil War. While there she meets Hemingway and falls quickly under his spell. The two begin an affair that will span years and thousands of miles around the world. But after Hemingway publishes his successful novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, the two find themselves on unequal ground with Martha yearning to break free of her husband’s shadow.
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I found Martha Gellhorn an incredible woman and inspiring role model. She throws herself into her stories and war reporting. However, I hate that she fell for a horrible and selfish man. It turned what would have been an amazing story of her life into a just okay read for me. I loved all of the parts about her and her experiences with conflict, but every part with Hemingway I just wanted to throw the book across the room. I did like this book a lot better than A Paris Wife. I would recommend this book to historical fiction lovers and those who like to read about inspirational women!
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Thank you to Random House Publishing and and Paula McLain for providing me a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Love and Ruin will be released on May 1st.

Having previously read both [book:The Paris Wife|8683812] and [book:Circling the Sun|23995231], I was intrigued to get through a return to Hemingway with Love and Ruin. This is by far my favorite of these three - possibly because Marty was a force to be reckoned with herself and throughout the entire novel, works to keep herself even within her marriage to Hemingway. It was heartbreaking to imagine her work throughout World War II as her marriage was falling apart but also amazing to hear about her efforts to be present even in dangerous situations so she could report back. A moving historical read from an commonly written about time but with a unique twist.

I received this ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fictional account of the real life relationship of Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway. Even though it was fiction, it was so well written that I spent a good amount of time researching their real life relationship. The detail and amazing writing made this book one that I totally immersed myself in.

I'm sorry to say this was a DNF for me. I thought the writing was good, but the subject matter was more heavy on Hemingway and not really centered on the main character Martha Gellhorn. Maybe it was my timing or my mood, but I was not able to get into this book. Thank you NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
WOW! I had to sit on this one a few days before I could review it. Very powerful, very good book! The time frame in the story is during the Spanish Civil War, ( which I had not heard of so had to look up! Love it when I learn something new! ) and WWII. Paula McLain has such a special way with writing that it's so powerful and interesting and and lyrical. Her words, at times, took away my breath! She grabs you and immerses you into the story.... and you are lost! The amount of research she had to do into Hemingway and Gellhorn had to be extensive and I appreciate her work. The characters in the book were written full of life and so interesting. If I could give this book more than a 5 star rating, I would, but for now, a very strong 5.

Paula McLain's masterful storytelling brings to life the love affair between Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway in her new biographical fiction novel Love and Ruin. She explores their love for each other and dependence on each other as well as the tensions that arise when two writers hope to accomplish the same thing: a voice in the world of literature. McLain tells a visceral story of self-discovery as Martha tries to find herself in love, war, and literature. Highly recommended.

Besides reading Hemingway's novels, I have never read any historical fiction based on his life. This was a first for me on the subject matter and a first time reading Paula McLain. She obviously knows her subject matter well and has done a ton of research about Hemingway and his life and loves.
I was first intrigued that the book took place during WWII (actually before WWII and through the war). I love books told during that time and that include a bit of history along with the story being told. But this was more than a story. It was about a woman that matched up to Hemingway and most any man in more ways than many woman did back in the 30's and 40's. Martha Hemingway, nee Martha Gellhorn was Hemingway's 3rd wife and this is her story.
Martha, aka Marty is the voice of this book. It is told from her POV along with a few small chapters of Hemingway brought in. I loved seeing a woman that paved her own way during a time that was mostly about men. She had a dream and went for it. She didn't let life or love hold her back. Which in some ways was a detriment to her relationships.
We follow the two through the starts of war in Europe, to Cuba, and many parts of the US. We get to see how life and their work affected their home lives and most important, their relationship with one another. The story left a little to be desired as far as getting to really see Martha and her written work in Europe (examples of her writing or seeing her success as opposed to the hearing about it the Author's Note would have been nice), but it at least let me see the strength of a woman and the desire to be better and equal to her counterparts. Even if I felt parts of the book were left unfulfilling, overall the feel of the book and the content of the book made up for it. The history was well researched and getting a voice from Hemingway gave the book the masculine POV that it may have been lacking otherwise.
Overall, a well researched book that will appeal to women that have a strength and need for reading about a woman that didn't care about limits. She was made to shatter those ceilings and make herself an equal. We need more of that now.

I am at a loss for words, to convey how amazing Paula McLain's Love and Ruin is. While I have read Ernest Hemingway's novels, I had no idea what a troubled life he lived. Totally fascinating and so well written that I felt sure Mrs McClain was with Hem and Martha, when all this took place. Definitely 5 stars from page one to the end. Her author notes had me in tears. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction.

He was already a living legend, having established himself as an outstanding author...Ernest Hemingway. She was trying to break into the journalism business, and had written two novels, one which didn't go over well and the second that met with some measure of success...Martha Gellhorn. The year was 1936, Franco was taking over Spain and Europe would soon erupt into WWII. On a vacation with her mother and brother in Key West, quite by accident, she meets Hemingway in a dimly lit bar. So it begins.

To "Marty" Hemingway was the hero in her life, someone she worshiped. To him, she was a new face in the crowd, he was drawn to her immediately. In 1937 he left to go to Spain where Franco was flexing his muscles and civil war was raging. Another adventure, a place where he could stave off the boredom of an ordinary life. He asked Marty to join him. Several months later she did working as a stringer (part-time news correspondent) for Collier's Magazine, where she had a front row seat to the horrors of war. Yet that was not all, as Hemingway throwing caution to the wind, professed his love for her and the affair commences.

They were together for 4 years before they were married and she was already having her doubts. He played the guilt card...which he was really good at...and they married. Hemingway was riding the crest of a wave, his fame and celebrity for his novel "For Whom The Bell Tolls" overtaking their lives together. Happy for his success, Martha wasn't content or comfortable with the celebrity or the fame that was stalking them. He was moody, manipulative, never really a happy person..she was being swallowed whole, lost within herself. Was he selfish wanting only what he wanted, or was she just striking out at him, not wanting to just be Mrs. Hemingway, but an equal as a writer? Martha was becoming an "also ran." Was she selfish, wanting to claim success for herself? He was struggling with his demons, they both were. For her it was the love of travel, the thrill of the chase as a journalist, for him it was the need for companionship, the fear of being alone. After seven years together, with the end of WWII, the marriage was over. To be honest there were 3 in this marriage, Hemingway, Gellhorn and his demons.

You could google Martha Gellhorn, you could go on Wikipedia or read her memoir, but nothing beats reading historical fiction. Six years ago I read The Paris Wife, also about Hemingway and knew then I would read whatever McLain writes. To say that this author is "haunted" by Hemingway is an understatement. In as much as this novel is about Gellhorn, it is about both of them. The book is fascinating, taking you to a time when Europe was erupting, when Spain was fighting for its life, its freedom. Hitler was coming into power and it wasn't even the calm before the storm. Then, of course, there is the relationship between the couple, the push and pull...it is the love of adventure and the ruination of their lives together, neither person happy or contented. The novel is exquisite in its prose, in its descriptions and well researched. Bravo Ms. McLain whatever you're writing next, I'm in!!

If you read no other novel this year, read this one. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the Paris Wife so much. So I was really looking forward to reading this one. It did not disappoint. It was so good. Paula McClain really knows how to suck you into a world. The descriptions are so beautiful. I love all the history that is packed into this on. I had no idea Martha was such a proliferic journalist. I really loved this book.

If you loved The Paris Wife, and longed for more of Ernest Hemingway's complicated love affairs, this book will not disappoint. Paula McLain fuses real history with beautiful words and plausible scenes to share a story about the beloved storyteller himself. I couldn't stop highlighting and bookmarking pages as learned about the Spanish Civil War, what life was really like for a female writer in the 1930s, and how easily love can turn to ruin.

As I've come to expect, Paula McLain has given us another painstakingly researched and beautifully prosaic novel of a fascinating female historical figure.

After going in a slightly different direction with Circling the Sun, McLain returns here to the wives of Ernest Hemingway, this time featuring war reporter and wife #3 Martha Gellhorn.

I wish we saw more of Gellhorn in popular culture. I wish we saw more of her in history lessons, for that matter. She completely changed war reporting, and defied convention about a woman's place in the world with incredible guts and guile.

That said, her portrayal in this book is a tad problematic. While undoubtedly an admirable woman, I'm not sure the relatable, easy to sympathize with character we got here was much like the real Martha. And that's a complement to Gellhorn, who appeared just a tad desperate in the book at times, and in moments almost borderline shrill.

In reality, as Hemingway wives go, Gellhorn was by far the least victim-y, something that McLain seems to remember for most of the book, but loses track of in a few critical moments.

But the biggest issue with this book is that the Hemingway wives thing is starting to feel a little like a schtick for McLain.

While their personalities and plot lines independent of marriage are different (and that much was certainly well-rendered by McLain), Martha's "voice" reads almost exactly like Hadley's. If you gave me unlabeled bits of dialogue from both books, I'm not certain I could identify which woman was speaking.

The scenery and Gellhorn's exploits as a war reporter, however, were exquisitely done. Perhaps a book in which Gellhorn's career was the focus and her marriage to Hemingway was just a footnote would have made for better material. But I suppose I'm one of the few among McLain's audience who would prefer to have the love story component shelved.

This is a good read on the whole, worth it (as McLain's books always are) for the writing and sense of place alone. But it can't match The Paris Wife, and suffered in comparison all the more because it's a very similar book.

This was a great work of historical fiction. Coming after The Paris Wife, where we read about Hemingway's marriage to Hadley Richardson, the first of his four wives, this to me was even better!

Martha Gellhorn is a well-known name in journalism and I loved her fierce independence and the way she knew herself so well. Instead of getting lost in the shadow of the great Hemingway, Martha was the one that got away. The one that left him and made her own star shine so brightly. I have great admiration for this woman and this was a very good look at two passionate people and the ups and downs of their relationship, but this was truly Martha's story.

What a great story!

Netgalley/Ballentine Books  May 01,2018

I will be honest and tell you that prior to reading this book I knew nothing about Martha Gellhorn or any of Ernest Hemingway's wives. And what a shame that is! Love and Ruin was a wonderfully researched novel that painted Martha just as she was, a fiercely independent and intelligent woman who fought for her chance to tell the world of injustices and war. It is clear that she loved Ernest very deeply but not more than she loved herself, and what a wonderful thing that is. I yearn to know more about her. From now on when I am asked the question "If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?" my answer will be Martha Gellhorn.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book chronicles the life of Martha Gellhorn and her encounter with Ernest Hemingway. It is well written and an interesting take on Hemingway and how he chose to live his life. For me it got to a point it was just dragging, but this is just a personal preference. Overall this book will find its audience and be well received.

DNF about 25%. The book was just so dragging. so I was not able to finish reading this book.

Ernest Hemingway: Do you know a lot about him? I don't. I knew he was a famous writer -- I associated him with Cuba and cats. I knew he had married multiple times and thought he committed suicide. I remembered reading, in high school, several stories he wrote. I was fascinated by the "deep meanings" in them that our teacher pointed out.

Love and Ruin is a new historical fiction book following Hemingway's relationship with Martha Gellhorn, his third wife. Despite Hemingway being the "big name" here, the book is written from Martha(or Marty, as she's called)'s perspective, and it's her you'll get to know. I'd never heard of Marty Gellhorn, but she was a famous writer and war correspondent in her own right.

I enjoyed the book, and I enjoyed following Marty as she went through life. Her mom was always there too; the voice of caution and reason when Martha gets involved with Hemingway initially (most moms probably would not be excited for their daughters to catch the eye of a twice-married man), and when she becomes professionally anxious too: "Beginnings are important, too, darling. You should be patient with life."

Hemingway is smitten with Marty from their first meeting. This isn't ideal, since he is still married to wife #2 at the time. But the artsy, go-with-your-passions Ernest doesn't really care about that. The two are a couple long before marrying, and honestly once they got married, their relationship was already seeming to head south. Both were quite independent, and at a certain point Marty became tired of just being seen as Ernest's wife rather than as someone with something to contribute in her own right. Hemingway comes across as someone artistic and certainly mercurial.

Marty supported Hemingway through the writing of his book "For Whom the Bell Tolls," which became hugely successful:

" I was thrilled for Ernest, I really was. But it stung to see the red carpet rolled out for a book that wasn't even published yet. I had been just as devoted to "A Stricken Field," and it had vanished into the ether almost immediately. I had poured my best self into those pages, but instead of triumph, or some sense of personal accomplishment, I'd been sucker punched. It still hurt that work I loved and had suffered for could be so easily dismissed. it enraged me as much as ever that even the few good reviews I'd received had been hijacked by the larger story of my being Ernest's new girl."

As a writer, I could commiserate with how Marty must have felt. When she began doing more of her own work, reporting war stories, Ernest became upset with what he perceived as a lack of support. "Try as I might, there was no stepping out of his shadow." He was soon on to his next wife.

I enjoyed Love and Ruin and the feel it created for the time and place. An epilogue lets us know that Marty went on to write and report for many more years before dying at 89 in 1998.

Love and Ruin tells the story of Martha Gellhorn, who became one of America's greatest war correspondents, and her doomed love affair and marriage to Ernest Hemingway. They met by chance, while he was still married to his 2nd wife. Hemingway soon asked her to come to Spain to report on the war there with him, and their love affair took off from there. Gellhorn faced that eternal female struggle of juggling her love for Hemingway and being a good wife while also being her true self, not just a sidekick "Mrs. Hemingway", and continuing with her own work, which took her away from home and to war zones throughout her life. Hemingway, of course, had his own battles to fight - alcoholism, depression, etc. and eventually the toll on their marriage was just too great. I thought this book was a fascinating look not only at two amazing people and artists, but also at the times and world events they covered. I don't usually care for first person novels, but this one was spot on. Many thanks to Ballantine Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the e-arc. Loved it!

OVE AND RUIN” BY Paula McLain

“Love and Ruin” by Paula McLain is an amazing, captivating, intriguing and intense novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction and Historical Fiction, with an essence of Romance. The timeline for this story is before and during World War Two. The story takes place in Spain, Cuba, and Europe, as well as the United States.

I appreciate the historical research that Paula McLain has done to vividly describe the destruction of war. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. Martha Gelhorn, an author and journalist and Ernest Hemingway, an author have an intense and stormy relationship.

Martha Gelhorn is portrayed as an ambitious, active, and dedicated journalist reporting atrocities of war. Ernest Hemingway is portrayed as a moody, at times ego-centric author. During the time of their relationship Ernest Hemingway writes one of his greatest novels “From Whom the Bell Tolls”. There seems to be competition and rivalry at times between the two authors.

I would recommend this novel to readers that appreciate the genre of Historical Fiction. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

I'd previously read the Paris Wife, so I was very interested when I saw this was about another of Hemingway's wives. I found Love and Ruin to be much more interesting and engaging. The story is told primarily from the perspective of Martha Gellhorn, with brief insights into Hemingway's perspective. Gellhorn had a fascinating life even aside from her marriage, and learning about the places she traveled and the stories she covered was intriguing and exciting. After reading this, I want to go on to read more about her life. I highly recommend, and I'll definitely be reading more by Paula McLain.