A good work of historical fiction for me is one in which the author perfectly sets the stage of what is happening around the characters not just with what is specifically happening with them.

I'm normally not a historical fiction type of girl. I hesitated when I picked up this book, because I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not, simply based on the genre. While I don't love how this romance between Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn came to be, I was intrigued by Martha herself. She was a strong and brave woman who served as a war correspondant, and her story captivated me. I also really enjoyed Paula McClain's writing style in this book.

Even though I was interested by the subject matter, I wasn't able to finish this book. I think this is one of those that is better read slowly and in paper format.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love and Ruin is the story of Martha Gellhorn, the third wife of Ernest Hemingway, who was a famous author and war correspondent in her own right. Their relationship begins when they met randomly in Key West, wile Martha is on vacation for the holidays with her brother and mother and Ernest is living with his second wife, Pauline and their two sons. It starts off innocently at first, Ernest is more of a mentor to Martha than a lover, but soon develops into a romance. As her friends and family continue to warn her away from Ernest, Martha ignores them all and pursues a life with Ernest anyway.

I've had this one sitting on my TBR list too long, so I picked it up and am so mad I didn't read it sooner. I loved the beautiful writing that took me to Madrid, Paris, London, Havana, New York and Idaho. The story grabbed me from the first pages and kept me captive until the end. If you are a historical fiction fan, you should read and enjoy this one. You won't be disappointed!

Didn't read the book. When I realized it is a sequel I read the first book before this one and while I finished that one, I didn't like it enough to read this one as well.

I'm not sure why my feedback didn't appear at the time I finished reading this one (5/3/18). While I didn't enjoy this as much as her previous novel The Paris Wife, I did like this one a lot.

LOVE AND RUIN ..review


As a fan of this author, I was once again caught up into the lives of the historical characters. I had know little about Martha Gellhorn and Hemingway. She was a truly amazing woman, and the author did a wonderful job of describing her exciting life and affair with a married Hemingway.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thank Netgalley for an ARC.

Love and Ruin by Paula McLain is a book I enjoyed so much more than I was expecting. It is a fictional story about Martha Gellhorn and her travels around the world as a journalist and her relationship and marriage to Ernest Hemingway.

I was interested in the story but also a bit leery. Often fictional books about real people come off as fake and trying to hard and I often find myself really not liking this person who really did live. But Love and Ruin was luckily not at all like that. I was sucked into the writing and the character of Martha pretty quickly.

Martha had depth and I found myself over and over not necessarily agreeing with her decisions but feeling like I understood her enough to understand why she made those decisions. I loved her development as a person throughout the story and that growth felt very true to real life. The story is told with Martha being the narrator and it really did feel like she wrote the book. I loved the descriptive details of what she was feeling and thinking and seeing. Martha is sent to cover many war zones and I found the information about the various wars and countries she covered fascinating and I learned a lot. The descriptions of her experiences in war zones seemed so realistic I could easily picture what she was seeing and living through.

I think the story was so successful for me because it wasn’t just about her and Hemingway. It was the story of Martha Gellhorn, who also happened to be married to Ernest Hemingway but her marriage to him wasn’t the whole part of her. She lived an adventurous life and was definitely her own person who was trying to discover who she was. She was constantly searching for her place and for who she was. Many of the choices she makes is because of that search. Really it was the story of the struggle of finding yourself and what it means for relationships and those you love when what you love to do takes you away from those who need you. How do you choose which to cultivate?

I enjoyed Paula McClain’s book The Paris Wife and was excited for the opportunity to read this newest work. Love and Ruin tells the love story of Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn. McClains writing is easy to relate to, and tells this story beautifully. I am so thankful that she shared this piece of history with us.

Hemingway was one of the first classic writers I can remember reading and enjoying. I was thrilled last year to be approved for this book. Quickly disappointment set in. I tried several times to read it and could not get interested. This year I opted to listen to the audiobook. I did finish it but again a disappointment.

The story base is very interesting but details seemed to overshadow and drag the story on longer than needed. The most interesting fact for me came towards the end when learning Martha was the only female at Normandy. I would have loved to have learned more about her experiences there.

I am happy I stuck with this book but do not think I will read again.

I received a complimentary copy from Random House Publishing House- Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own. The audiobook I received from my local library.

I really enjoyed this book. It is so well written and I will read anything by this author. I really felt like I was there and invested in the characters. Would definitely recommend.

Great book. So many people are excited about this book and everything it means to literary geniouses. It was interesting.

Love and Ruin was an I testing read, particularly for writers or fans of Ernest Hemingway. Paula Mclain does an excellent job depicting Hemingway and his relationship with Martha (Marty), and the historical elements were also interesting and educational. Overall, a solid read.

Fabulous, masterful and beautiful. I love how McClain captures this young journalist and her travels (third wife of Hemingway) and shows us a great look into her life around the world. A wonderful piece of historical fiction that will have you wanting to know more about this courageous woman who experiences war, talks to POW's and so much more. I found an instant admiration for her and I will certainly be reading Paula McClain again! Highly recommended read. 5 stars

This historical fiction novel is about the relationship between Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway. This book was a bit too slow for me. I really wanted to like it, but it fell a little flat on its storyline execution. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book.

Love and Ruin
by Paula McLain

I don’t think Paula McLain can stop herself from writing about Hemingway. Seriously, when she spoke at our library author lunch, I’m pretty sure she admitted to being a teensy bit obsessed with him. Thankfully, this time around Hemingway’s mystique is completely eclipsed by the powerhouse journalist Martha Gelhorn, who unfortunately gets mixed up with the hard driving author on the cusp of stardom. The book’s summary uses words like “unexpectedly” and “uncontrollably”, which makes Gelhorn seem a helpless debutante, which she is decidedly not. But what was it with Hemingway and all these women who gave up their lives, homes, and careers for him? That is some amazing charisma…or something. Anyway, this is a woman worthy of her own story, and I was mildly disappointed that McLain chose to tie her life forever to Hemingway’s, especially when such a small part of her success came when they were together. Nevertheless, McLain can craft a compelling story, and I will keep reading her books as long as she continues to find intriguing historical subjects like this that inspire, enlighten, and entertain.

For Goodreads:

Why I picked it — Because Paula McLain wrote it.
Reminded me of… another story of McLain’s, also about another wife of Hemingway, The Paris Wife. How could it not?
For my full review — click here

An interesting look at the 3rd wife of Ernest Hemmingway. Martha "Marty" Gellhorn was an amazing journalist and writer. Her work as a war correspondent was amoung the best. Her travels took her all over and she met some really amazing people. Ernest really brought out the best in her even though their relationship wasnt always healthy.

Many thanks to Paula McLain, Ballantine, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. The tumultuous marriage of Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway probably should have never happened, and it probably wouldn't have e copy for circumstances. Both hired journalists to cover the war in Spain they had an affair, but Ernest sucked the life out of her, and she couldn't stop traveling for her own career. Needless to say, they didn't last long. I loved this book. I own every McLain novel. I find her quite impressive. She does her research and doesn't exaggerate. I find that quite refreshing. I can't wait for her next book.

A beautiful story of a trail-blazing war correspondent who tackles everything in her life with vigor.

I love Paula McLain's writing, but this book just didn't captivate me as much as The Paris Wife did.