I enjoyed this interesting story of a thirty something couple whose long term relationship experiences a life altering event. As the story opens, we find aspiring rock musician Simon and feet -on- the- ground registered nurse, Stella discussing whether or not she is going to join him on a brief west coast gig that could finally be his chance at fame and fortune. She had long ago stopped following the band and settled in to a career she loved and was ready for a house and baby. He's not ready to give up his dream even though he's nearing forty and still hasn't had much success. An argument ensues, but they make up, celebrate and tragedy hits. Stella is hospitalized and Simon becomes the grown up and is devoted to helping Stella get well. They emerge from the experience changed and thus their relationship is forever changed and challenged. This is much more than a typical romance novel. What happens to them while she is recuperating adds an O'Henry type twist to the story. Regarding Simon, I almost felt like I was reading a coming-of-age story that starts at 40! The medical account in the story seems impossible, yet we've all heard that such a thing has happened. The setting is New York City, one of my favorite settings in a novel. The characters were believable and I read it in a day. Caroline Leavitt is a great story teller and I always enjoy her books.
Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the Advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#AlgonquinBooks
#Caroline Leavitt
#WithorWithoutYou

With or Without You is a beautifully written book about a trio of slightly broken people facing crisis points in their lives.

Simon and Stella have been a couple for 20 years. She wants to get married and have a baby, but Simon is still pursuing his dreams of rockstarsdom. The night before he’s supposed to leave for a tour that could jumpstart his band’s career, Stella slips into a coma. Simon abandons the trip and stays by Stella’s side. As he navigates his life with Stella’s precarious condition, he finds himself growing close to Stella’s best friend, a doctor named Libby. When Stella emerges from her coma, her personality has changed and she is now a talented artist who can see into people’s souls when she draws them.

This was such a gripping book. I really felt for Stella. She comes out of the coma sort of lost. She was a dedicated nurse before, but now art is the only thing that brings her comfort. She tries to find her way back to Simon, but she’s just not the same person anymore. And Simon, who’s a bit of a manchild, is forced to pull himself together. His band moves on without him, and he gets a job. And then there’s Libby, who’s great at her job, but not so great at life. She’s Stella’s best friend, and although she initially doesn’t like Simon, they grow close as they bond over their shared love for Stella.

This is a raw portrait of midlife crises. Stella was coming to a turning point before the coma, and she comes out of the coma deeply changed. I liked reading about her finding her passion for art and how it brings her peace. Simon’s passion is music, but he’s having to face the fact that stardom may have passed him by, and he has to figure out what his life will look like without that dream.

With or Without You is a really lovely book about love and change. While it’s a bit sad, it also shows that there’s hope in embracing change. I highly recommend it.

This book was just okay for me. I requested it because I loved other books by Caroline Leavitt, so I was looking forward to reading it.
Unfortunately, for me, it was not my favorite. Maybe it was a little too slow or the timing of reading it right now just wasn’t right. I will chalk this one up to “ it was me not the book” and would recommend others to give it a try.

Review // With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt
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The Facts: Literary Fiction, Romance
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The Feel: Character-Driven, Complex, Thoughtful, Frustrating
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The Focus: Simon and Stella have been together forever. Simon is a bombastic washed-up rock star with big dreams and the chance for a comeback. Stella, a nurse, is much more reserved and is ready to settle down. Their lives are moving in different directions when Stella suddenly falls into a coma, and Simon is left to pick up the pieces while deciding where his future lies.
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Things To Know:
🎶 Okay... this was a rough start. The first few chapters are incredibly frustrating. Simon and Stella are both in their 40s, and you find out right away that Simon is responsible for Stella's coma. He then has to decide whether he should stay in New York and aid in her recovery, or go on tour with his band. Uh... WHAT?! Not only is your girlfriend of 20 years in a coma, but YOU put her there, and now you're going to leave on tour with your little rock band?!! I almost threw the book across the room. I'm glad I didn't. I've finally come to terms with the fact that a good book can be about terrible characters. Sometimes that's the point.
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🎶 This is a slow-burn story, but stick with it! There's lots of ruminating and spiraling thoughts, but they do all go somewhere eventually. The payoff is worth it. This is a fascinating study in self-awareness, growth, and the changing nature of relationships. It's dark and dramatic and still somehow romantic. I loved it.
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🎶 I'm a horrible hypochondriac and thought that I would be freaked out by the coma aspects of the book, but I found them absolutely fascinating. You're in Stella's head during the coma for a portion of the story, and that feeling of discombobulation and claustrophobia... whew. It was very well done!
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Read If You Like:
🎶 Normal People by Sally Rooney
🎶 Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould
🎶 While You Were Sleeping
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Thank you so much to @algonquinbooks and @carolineleavitt for the advanced copy! This one is out on Tuesday, August 7. It's basically Normal People meets Perfect Tunes. Highly recommended!

10 Word Review: What if you awakened from a coma and everything’s different?

Spoiler Free Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!

I don’t read many contemporary books, but I’ve been trying to change that this year. This is definitely one of my favorites I’ve read! The characters are all wonderfully flawed and complicated, while trying to figure out their place in the world. This book really proves that no matter how old you are, there’s always time to change and grow.

I really enjoyed the plot and thought that the whole concept of waking from a coma was a great way to address one’s feelings as they approach middle age. If you’re looking for a well crafted, mature, and compelling book, then definitely check this one out!

Emoji Review: 👨 👩 🍷 💊 😴 👩‍⚕️ 😯💔❤️

Engrossing, Intimate Story About Life’s Unexpected Events

You’ve probably seen those 20/20 or Dateline stories about people who wake from a coma with a new talent – like speaking fluent French, playing the trombone or able to masterfully juggle oranges – things they’d never done pre-coma. That “wake up”, both literal and figurative, is the set up for With Or Without You, Caroline Leavitt’s captivating new novel (out August 4) about two characters whose lives are upended following a coma.

Life taking an unwanted 180 degree turn, sounds kinda familiar right about now, huh?

The book begins by jumping into the living room of longtime couple Stella and Simon, in the midst of a late night argument. Stella’s a responsible nurse, Simon’s a languid rock musician whose star has dimmed considerably since they’ve been together. It’s the eve of Simon’s departure for a possible comeback tour, and they’re revisiting a recurring subject - after 20 years she’s ready to settle down and have kids; he wants to stay untethered to keep chasing his music dreams. They fight, they drink, then some pills are introduced… and Stella’s in a coma by morning.

The rest of the story unfolds from the vantage of Simon (in the role reversal of taking care of her), Stella’s estranged mother (not Simon’s biggest fan), Stella’s doctor/best friend (also not a Simon fan) and Stella herself. As Stella remains comatose, life still moves forward and her “absence” and subsequent awakening (hope that’s not too big a spoiler, feel important to mention) brings major changes – a domino effect that weaves into all of her relationship. It’s all so very absorbing, it felt like I was right there in the middle of their little circle, both cheering for and jeering against the decisions characters make along the way
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I love a book that’s so engrossing you feel a part of it, and With or Without You did just that for me. It’s about major life changes that are forced upon you, and we can all relate to that in 2020. Gorgeously constructed, fully formed characters, unwavering honesty. I loved Caroline Leavitt’s last novel Cruel Beautiful World, and this book is right up there with it – your summer reading list should not be without this one.

*I was invited to participate in With Or Without You’s blog tour by Algonquin Books.

It’s so true that someone’s life can change in one single moment. On one such fateful night, Stella and her long-term boyfriend, Simon, are trying to decide whether they should stay together. Simon’s a pseudo-rock star who dreams of stardom with his band and has an amazing opportunity to head to LA for a gig the next morning. Stella, a dedicated nurse, wants to finally settle down and start a family. They spend most of the night arguing, drinking wine, and then they each take a pill that one of Simon’s bandmates gave him (even though they’re not sure exactly what it is). That decision changes the course of both of their lives dramatically.

I didn’t really know much about the plot of this novel before I started reading, and I definitely preferred it that way. With that said, I won’t go anymore into what happens in the story – the struggles that Simon and Stella face might feel more intriguing if any potential readers are left in the dark initially. But I will say that Leavitt did a wonderful job creating these main characters. They’re believable, genuine, and while at times their decisions may seem aggravating to the reader, the characters are nothing if not wholly human.

Another element I loved was the feeling of tension and frustration that Leavitt was able to infuse throughout the entire novel. Each of the characters (including the sections from the perspective of Stella’s best friend, Libby) is experiencing a feeling of being stuck in their lives. Whether it’s in their relationship or their career, the characters long for some type of change even if they don’t know exactly what would need to transpire for them to be able to move forward. This book served as such a great reminder that sometimes all we need is a tiny step forward to catapult us into a new (and often better) phase of our lives.

The only real downside to the novel was that the ending felt a tad rushed to me. I would have loved maybe an epilogue set a few years in the future to see how the characters are doing and where they are in their lives.

Otherwise, I truly enjoyed spending time with the characters in “With or Without You.” They were a perfect example of how the worst thing you can do in your life is stay in an unhappy situation simply because you’re afraid of change.

The Quick Cut: After twenty years together, a couple see their relationship falling apart when the woman ends up in a coma. Their lives get thrown into chaos as she ends up in the hospital and wakes up a different person.   
A Real Review:    Thank you to Algonquin Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 
  People falling into a coma is a common trope that is seen in TV shows and movies, but what is it really like to have this happen to someone you love? How do you cope with the sudden loss and adapt to what it is like to have them there in person (but not quite in spirit)? This is the conflict and battle that plays out in the book centered on Stella and Simon's relationship. 
 Stella and Simon have been together for twenty years, but they are hardly the same couple they were in the beginning. Stella used to love joining Simon on tour and supporting his goals of becoming a famous musician, but the years have changed her. She no longer has fun while on the road with him and finds herself wanting to settle down. Simon wants nothing to do with her change and just wants things to be the way they were. After an unfortunate incident though, Stella falls into a coma the night before he's supposed to travel for his music again. Will he stay and care for Stella while she's suddenly ill? Or will he instead leave to pursue his dreams without her? 
 This book is an interesting combination of both exploring a relationship (and the challenges they face after being together for long periods of time) while also giving a realistic view of what happens when someone goes into a coma. Not only do we as the reader get a very vivid picture of how fractured their relationship has gotten, but we also see how that sudden issue of a coma impacts both Stella and Simon. The way the author wrote the passages where Stella was trapped in her body in a coma gave a good idea of how puzzling, strange, and confusing the sensation can be for those in them. Is there any way to truly know what this is like? Absolutely not. However, what was written is absolutely believable and clearly researched to do so by the author. 
 Beyond the narrative flipping between Simon and Stella, we also get some passages where the narrative comes from Stella's friend & fellow co-worker, a doctor named Libby. She also plays a role in what transpires through the story and to see what its like for those left behind when they try and support each other in their loss. I was surprised the direction her character took in the action that happened, but it was nice to see how much each of these characters worked to get past their issues. All three main characters have put some serious pain from their past in the background without dealing with it and seeing how they try to deal after they're forced to adapt is fun to watch. While Simon starts out as absolutely unlikeable, the more that the actions play out, the more I found myself liking him and understanding his perspective. In the end, I felt about the same about all three.
 This is a quick read that I found easy to get into. I did find that the ending felt a bit rushed and possibly a bit too happy. Not to give anything away, but I can't imagine anyone getting along that well after what plays out. 
 A fun and interesting read about relationships and how they are impacted by sudden health problems. 
My rating: 4 out of 5

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Algonquin Books, and Caroline Leavitt for the opportunity to read her latest work and take part in her blog tour! 5 stars for a fabulous novel full of flawed characters, humanity, and life lessons.

Stella and Simon have been together for years, struggling to make ends meet, veering off in different directions as they age. Simon is still chasing the dream of his youth - to make it big with his band and get the fame he needs to prove his dad and himself wrong. Stella loved being a groupie and following Simon but now craves a more grown-up life. She's a nurse and dreams of marriage, babies, a home. Then a tragedy happens and Stella is left in a coma. Simon stays with her, missing his band's big chance at stardom. When Stella finally awakens, everything is different.

I loved this book for so many reasons; I feel like it would be a perfect book club selection because there is so much here to talk about. I loved the theme of perception/reality - how we perceive others' views of us transforms our own reality without us ever realizing it. And just life - no matter how strong love is, life changes all of us and we don't always move the same way. One character in this book said it was all about staying; others made new, brighter lives by leaving. All lives have tragedies - maybe not as huge as this but tragic nonetheless - and how we cope with them and either sink or swim defines us. But this book is also about second chances and how we can come to grips with our choices and make new, better ones.

Highly recommended - a book full of flawed characters and messy lives - just like our own. Beautifully written as always by Caroline Leavitt.

I honestly don't know how to feel about this book. While I didn't enjoy it that much, it still had a strong plot and message for the readers - that of being yourself.

After she wakes up from the coma, Stella is not the same. She feels an artistic urge flowing through her veins and she soon finds herself rising up in fame. While this is all good and new, get relationship with Simon, a now struggling musician, finds itself in shambles.

With or Without You, I believe, is a soft tale about the changing relationships with others and yourself. People sometimes grow apart and that is okay. Sometimes you may find your niche or talent years later and that is okay too. What you need to do is believe in yourself and keep that believe intact.

The dialogues were very sloppy and weird, I'll have to say. They felt too forced, as if the characters were simply saying aloud lines from a script. It was mostly paragraphs of details and actions that filled the story, which to be honest, bored me a lot at times. The ending was hopeful, I suppose.

While the story didn't completely work for me, and it is more of a character driven book, I'm sure this will be a good one for many. Thanks to the publishers for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m in the minority here but I didn’t like Stella, Simon or Libby. I didn’t feel the emotional pull that other readers did. As much as I hoped, I fear I will forget these characters quickly. Stella was pretty crappy to her mom too.

This book was just okay to me. I was sucked in the first 30-40% then it just started to fall a bit flat for me. Nothing really about this book or it's characters really stood out to me and I found myself a bit bored for a lot of this one. I can see why so many would love it, it just isn't one that will stick with me as I move on in my reading.

Sometimes there are fictional characters whom I want to metaphorically shake, and shout "Wake up! CHANGE YOUR LIFE!" That's how I felt about Stella and Simon in WITH OR WITHOUT YOU. If they could just change their individual perspective, I thought.. and sure enough, Life intervened. Stella descended into a coma. Simon therefore had to change in response to the new circumstances. When Stella awoke from the coma, she was different. Only time would tell if all these changes proved for the best...

This wonderful book captured the realistic, always changing dynamic of a long committed relationship and took a hard look at the things that motivate us to change as we age. At times it tore my heart in two, then had me nodding at the honesty exposed in those painful moments. It's not a light read but I was left satisfied, like these characters went through enormous growing pains while in my hands and can now continue on without me. I didn't see this particular ending but it had a beautiful realism that you'd see in French cinema. Caroline Leavitt has a succinct voice that never lingers too long, which keeps the pages turning.

This is a quick read, perfect for poolside or in that hammock, but it has the emotional depth expected from literary fiction that examines the importance of family, friendships, useful communication, self-worth, and self-growth. It also poses questions on the importance of love, respect, second chances, forgiveness, and hope. I highly recommend this thought-provoking story.

Thank you to Algonquin Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first book by Caroline Leavitt, and I can see why readers return to her. The writing is clear, the story drew me in quickly, and the plot had plenty of drama, electricity, and emotion for all of the characters. This book is very much about relationships and internal thoughts and emotions of the main characters. If you don't want to read multiple pages of someone thinking about their relationship, this book might not be for you! But it worked for me as a page-turner. It had more emotional heft than many page-turners I've read in the past. The examination of fame and how the main characters interacted with it in such different ways was interesting. And the main plot was generally fascinating - a woman goes into a coma and when she recovers her life and personality feel very different. What does it mean for her relationship, her work, her identity? Are these changes from the coma or from something else that the coma just brought to the surface? I sped right through this story!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU is a page-turner for sure. I was sucked in from the very beginning and read it in nearly one sitting. Leavitt’s writing is real, raw and so aware. You can’t hide from it, even if you want to.

Stella and Simon are two decades into a loving relationship that they’ve each started to outgrow. On the verge of a split, they make the immature but all-too-realistic choice to put off the conversation for one more night. Instead of confronting their future, they indulge their past by popping a couple pills. But then Stella doesn’t wake up in the morning. She slips into a coma and Simon is left with some hard choices. Will Stella wake up? And what will their life be like if she does?

Stella, Simon, Libby are deep and engaging characters. Their motivations felt genuine and believable. I was invested in their stories. I was also fascinated by Leavitt’s vivid descriptions of a comatose mind. The editing was superb, and I appreciated how little superfluous padding there was in the story.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU is an excellent novel that forces its characters to stop hiding from their fears. I am better for having read it and, I thank Leavitt for the reminder.

It was OK. I really wanted to love this book as much as the author's previous books (I read almost all of them.) I just couldn't get into the story. I hated all the characters- Libby, Simon and Stella. maybe not hate, just didn't like any of them. It felt like Stella and Simon became each other when Stella wakes up. I'm not sure why they were still with each other, because they both wanted different things. Not sure why Stella was so mad at Simon when she sees him with someone else, especially with her escapades that he never knew about. Simon and Stella's mom spent so much time at her bedside at the hospital and Stella didn't seem like she even cared. She couldn't wait to get rid of her mother and never really warmed up to Simon. The ending was predictable. For a nurse Stella made horrible choices. Between the Sudafed and alcohol and then the mystery pill, what was she thinking?

Give the book a try, it just wasn't for me. I'm a huge fan of the author's previous books and look forward to reading more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Algonquin Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“Nothing and no one stays still or stays the same. Everything and everyone changes. We all have multitudes inside of us, each of them young with hope.”
With or Without You is a compelling, messy, and raw look at relationships and the circumstances that bring us together or tear us apart. I was completely involved in the lives of the characters of this book, as they change and grow and hurt....dealing with both things that they can’t control, as well as those they can. There is regret, betrayal, hope, resilience, forgiveness, and a lifetime of possibilities.

Stella and Simon have spent 20 years of their life together, even though they are very different. Stella is an organized nurse, Simon is a rocker whose band never quite hit the big time. She is buttoned up and professional, he is dressed down and casual. They love each other, even though the people in their life don't exactly understand it. One night during a fight, Simon suggests they take drugs like they did in their younger day, except Stella ends up in a coma for a long time. When Stella wakes up, she and Simon are markedly different people, and now must learn to live together again - even though it seems their roles have reversed,

This story was absolutely fantastic. It's told from three different perspectives: Stella, Simon, and Libby, one of Stella's doctors and her friend. Each has a rich history and backstory that is revealed, with inner turmoil and stress. Together they create and odd group, but each needs the other in different ways. I LOVED Libby as a character, and was less invested in Stella after she woke up from the coma. She was so different, but it really shows how one event in your life can really derail and change you at a fundamental level. I thought the artist savant story line of Stella post coma was very intriguing and added depth to her character. The growth in each character, regardless of the end, was fascinating to read.

I read this book all in one night. I was so invested in each character separately, and as a group. I definitely felt there was some hypocrisy in Stella during the event that caused the main conflict, because she basically did the same thing too but never owned up to it. I feel like that thread was just dropped without much thought. I would've wanted that to be explored more. And I thought the amount of page time each perspective got was a bit unequal.

If you enjoy contemporary fiction, please read this book. It's so insightful, and raw, about the experience of life and living with others. It also has theme of change, growth, and really figuring out who you are. The art plot line just adds to it. Absolutely stunning.

**Thank you to Algonquin Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

This book had alot of emotion in it. Stella was in a coma for two months and when she woke up, she found her life completely changed. She couldn't be a nurse anymore, she didn't love her boyfriend anymore, and eventually she found her best friend had betrayed her. I didn't really like Simon very much, but he did grow up throughout the book. Libby just couldn't help herself but she should have. The change in Stella's life was remarkable but she embraced the change whole heartedly once she got over being frightened of it.