Book: With or Without You
Author: Caroline Leavitt
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Algonquin Books, for providing me with an ARC.

The tone of this one really took me. I was surprised as to how dark, sad, and intense this was. I was honestly expecting something a little lighter, but I’m not complaining. I actually enjoyed this darker tone, because it hit me in all of the right places. I loved getting to see the heartbreak, the loneliness, and the failures of the characters. Now, this does not mean that it’s all doom and gloom. We still have a lot of love, friendships, and trust. Everything is woven together in a way that just works. By putting all of these emotions into the opening lines of the book, you will become attached and want to keep reading. You will want to know how everything is going to play out.

I really enjoyed the characters. We get a sense of them being trapped in their current lives and there is no way out. Simon wants to be a musician and has had a few successful gigs in the past. However, he hasn’t hit the big time. Stella wants a family, but feels trapped by Simon’s music career. Libby is a doctor, who looks like she has it all on the outside, but is still struggling to move on from her brother’s death. We see them get stuck in a pattern that prevents them from changing their lives-maybe for the better. The characters are afraid to take a risk. However, whenever Stella falls into a coma, we see the characters start to discover that change is going to happen, which sets us up for some amazing character development and growth.

Simon and Stella have been together for twenty years, but not married. They are living a college lifestyle as neither one of them has really grown up. Stella is clearly the more responsible of the two: she holds a steady job, pays the bills, and supports Simon. We see that she wants more, but doesn’t really want change. She also wants Simon to listen to her. Simon is the immature one, at least in my book. I will also admit that his character bothered me and I don’t get why Stella even stayed with him for as long as she did. Simon is still waiting for his big break and it happens. His band gets an offer and he has a chance to go to LA-which is asks Stella to come to, so it can be like the old days.

Stella doesn’t want to and just wants Simon to listen. He doesn’t. They fight over this and she wants things to go back to the way they used to be. So, she’s asks Simon for a pill and this sets off the course of actions that take up most of the book. She falls into a coma. Simon doesn’t go to LA, doesn’t leave Stella, and loses his chance. He waits for her to wake up, which brings Libby into the picture.

Libby is Stella’s friend. She helps Simon deal with Stella’s condition. He learns heavily on her, which allows them to form a bond. We learn that Libby is a doctor because she couldn’t save her brother and being a doctor allows her to save other people’s lives. She judges Simon for his actions, but this changes once Stella wakes up.

I really enjoyed the self-discovery that all of the characters go through in this book. I loved getting to see how they change throughout the span of this smaller book. The characters are so well done and well written that they feel real. Plus, I think most people will be able to see a little bit of themselves in the characters and will really latch onto them.

Anyway, this book comes out on August 4, 2020.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/u9F8HzV48SA

Stella and Simon have been dating for twenty years and Stella is ready to move out of their tiny New York apartment and start a family. Simon’s band is on the brink of maybe making it big and he doesn’t want to move or have kids. While arguing over what each of of them wants for their future, Simon convinces Stella to take a random pill his bandmate gave him so they can have fun like they did when they were younger. The next morning Stella won’t wake up and Simon rushes her to the hospital. After being in a coma for over a month, Simon is finally the man Stella wanted him to be before the coma, but Stella is no longer the same.

Simon’s character got on my nerves at times, but I did enjoy watching his character develop during Stella’s coma and more so towards the end. 

I enjoyed both versions of Stella, but maybe more so Stella after her coma. She’s more free and independent.

Libby, Stella’s friend and coworker, wasn’t my favorite, but plays an important role in the story.

I enjoyed reading this very much, but there were some parts I liked better others. The author does an amazing job of portraying how easily people and relationships of any kind can change. In this story, the changes were quick and tragic, but that’s not always the case.

I’m glad I got the chance to read this book and thank you Algonquin Books for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour.

I am sorry to say that I had a really hard time getting into this novel. I just couldn’t relate to Stella or Simon emotionally. It seemed to take way too long to get to the point where Stella is in 5e coma, and the secondary characters didn’t wow me either. I’ve liked the author’s other books, though and will gladly read more of her work.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: With or Without You

Author: Caroline Leavitt

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: romance, contemporary

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Genre: Contemporary

Recommended Age: 18+ (romance, drug abuse, alcohol useage)

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Pages: 288

Synopsis: After almost twenty years together, Stella and Simon are starting to run into problems. An up-and-coming rock musician when they first met, Simon has been clinging to dreams of fame even as the possibility of it has grown dimmer, and now that his band might finally be on the brink again, he wants to go on the road, leaving Stella behind. But when she falls into a coma on the eve of his departure, he has to make a choice between stardom and his wife—and when she wakes a different person, with an incredible artistic talent of her own, the two of them must examine what it is that they really want.

Review: Overall, I thought this book was pretty good. The character development was really well done and I liked the world building as well. The book has a decent plot as well and overall I liked seeing the dynamic between Stella and Simon.

However, the book is really slow and it took a bit for me to get into the book because the book shifts between past and present throughout the book.

Verdict: It’s good, just slow.

Forty-nine years into my relationship with my husband, I can attest that people change and grow and couples must learn to adapt to the changes.

Typically, personal growth evolves over time. But imagine waking up to find your partner in a coma, and when they recover they are a totally different person. Imagine that your connection is broken, your shared loves lost, that you are strangers that quickly.

With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt is the story of Simon, a one-hit-wonder still lusting after fame, and Stella, a practical nurse. They have been in love for decades even though their dreams don't mesh. Early in their relationship Stella gave up following Simon on tour and took up a career. Now in her early forties, she wants permanence and a family.

A new star in music recognizes Simon's band as his inspiration they are invited to open for him in Las Vegas. On the eve of Simon's leaving to reboot his career, Stella isn't sure she wants to give up her life to go on the road again.

Bad decisions leave Stella in a coma. Simon stays at her side while the band replaces him and moves on. Stella's work friend and doctor, Libby, had never liked Simon before, but in their mutual care for Stella, they become friends.

Stella comes out of the coma and recuperates. Foods she loved she now hates. She volunteers at the hospital and no longer enjoys being there. What does engross and calm her is drawing, demonstrating an amazing talent. For her drawings do not only show the outside of a person, they capture their inner being.

Simon, Stella, and Libby work out their ever more complex relationships, all on a journey into healing, personal growth, and an opportunity for full and productive lives.

Each character's childhood has impacted their self-image, and once confronted, they are able to become happy and healthy. This aspect of the story has universal appeal, affirming the possibility for wholeness and self-realization.

I loved the exploration of the quest for artistic success and the lure of fame against the pure love of doing art leading to success.

A thoughtful, deep novel with fully formed characters and a happy ending.

I was given a free ebook by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for an advance of this title in exchange for my honest review. I've read Caroline Leavitt's books in the past, but this is probably my favorite. I felt like everyone of the characters were so well developed that I liked them, sometimes didn't like them, and felt they seemed honest and real. The book shows how we change in our lives, and sometimes we just plod through, without stopping to make sure that everything still "fits." I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down.

Heartbreaking, relatable, and hopeful. Life rarely turns out exactly how we expect it to - and this book illustrates that.

I found the characters to be very likable. I hated each of them at some points, and then gained perspective and appreciated them as well. A very accurate representation of how people change for good and bad, and if you stay in a person’s life long enough, you will likely see them change in one way or another

A captivating story with real-feeling characters that I couldn't put down; I read the whole thing in one day.

Stella is easy to like, Simon not so much. It alternates perspectives between Stella, Simon, and Libby, and boy do things get complicated between them. But what I liked about this book was how kindly it treats all the characters. They do cruel things, and the book doesn't justify it. It just shows their situation with honesty and lets everybody have a chance to speak.

I do feel like Stella got off a little easier than Simon. <spoiler> Why is his cheating the end of the world but she never gets caught or feels much remorse for hers? </spoiler>

Stella's artistic ability is so fun to read about and it was a nice touch. As well, the friendship between her and Libby is interesting to read about. I don't want to spoil anything, so you'll have to read the book to find out exactly what happens, but it's a wild ride.

I think the thing I like most about this book is that it shows how people change, and how you can or can't continue on in a relationship.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A story that makes you look inward and ask yourself what’s really important? Stella and Simon have been together for 20 years. Simon, a musician is on the brink of making it big, he just knows it this time. Stella, a nurse is starting to question their life. Will they ever marry, what about the child she so desperately wants? Everything changes as tragedy strikes and Stella doesn’t wake up one morning. She is in a coma. Simon must now make the decision to stay by her side and care for her or chase his dreams. When Stella finally awakes, she’s not the person she was before. She no longer likes the same foods, wants the same career or really knows what she wants. Soon she discovers an artistic ability that she did not have before. Stella starts to paint portraits of people she meets, and realizes that she can read their innermost thoughts and desires. When Stella feels a sense of betrayal, she sets out on her own and that’s when the changes really happen for both Simon and herself. A story of love, jealousy, betrayal change and second chances. With a fascinating backdrop this book was definitely worth the read.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU kept my attention and it's well-written, but ultimately I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. I had a hard time getting to know Simon, Stella, and Libby. It almost seemed like the author was a puppeteer moving the characters around on a stage. The emotional investment just wasn't there, I'm sorry to say. Leavitt is extremely talented and smart and I do look forward to her next novel.

I have read Caroline Leavitt's books for over a decade now so I was excited to read this one. I know it was a loose fictionalization of the author's own coma experience so that added some depth. I loved that it was the story of two people in their early forties who have had a pleasant life together but are now wondering what was next. I felt like the writing was slightly oblique in an odd way. Even as it switched between the three main characters, I felt like we were kept at a distance which I didn't enjoy. I liked the characters and enjoyed reading about their lives and struggles but I felt somewhat removed from them versus being emotionally involved in their struggle.

It really was a coming of age novel but with adults in their forties. A fun concept and one I'd like to see more of!

This book is a rare work of genius that explores the choices we make in our lives and explores the idea that when our universe shifts, will we make a different path or will we fight to hold on to what has always been known?

This book was enjoyable right from the beginning. The story of a rocker and a nurse who were barely making it and seemed to be having some real problems. They are using alcohol and drugs to fix these problems and ends up in a coma. When she finally comes out of the coma, she is a way different person and is no longer in love with her husband. What follows is how the choices they make will impact their lives.

I found this book to be very good and should be very well received when published in Aug.

Thank you for the early copy.

With or Without You is an intense, emotional novel that explores a troubled relationship and what happens when people's dreams change due to both time and circumstances beyond their control. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more of Ms. Leavitt's books.

Opening a book by Caroline Leavitt is assurance that you will be swept into a story that is rich, satisfying, and thought provoking. What happens when a woman wakes from a coma and has a new, all-consuming passion? With or Without You weaves together the lives of Stella, Simon, and Libby as they experience their changed circumstance. This is a book about grief, love, loss, redemption, and reinvention; and how we navigate growth both together and apart.

“With or Without You” is the latest by Caroline Leavitt and a welcome treat.

Stella, a nurse, and Simon, an aging musician, have remained a couple for two decades. As a result, their relationship has become stale and a bit predictable. Simon gets an opportunity to open for a younger musician in Los Angeles, which could lead to more shows and a “second coming” for his band. He asks Stella to accompany him on the gig, but Stella is not so sure it’s such a great idea. She’s thinking mortgages and babies while Simon is still thinking fame and stardom. She believes the days of dropping everything to chase a pipe dream are long past them.

A storm delays their flight as they continue to debate whether Stella should accompany Simon, their conversation fueled by alcohol. Stella is also nursing a cold, but trying to be agreeable, accepts a pill when Simon offers it because it was something they used to do in the past. The next morning, Simon wakes up with a bad hang over, but finds Stella unconscious.

Simon has to decide whether to go on the road or stay with Stella who slips into a coma. When Stella regains consciousness, her perception of the world is different. While she experiences issues remembering many things, she has a compulsion and obsession to draw. The pictures that Stella draws and paints improve.

I found this novel to be a nice distraction from the typical summer thrillers, which is not to say nothing happens in this story, but this novel’s focus is on movement within the characters and not outside events. I finished “With or Without You” in a handful of sittings because the writing was so engaging. Neither Simon nor Stella is necessarily likable, but that did not stop me from wanting to find out what would happen to them. It was because of the characters’ flaws that this tale was so intriguing. Ms. Leavitt has superb mastery of character and voice; her prose is lively but poignant. I am in utter awe of the author’s graceful depiction of how Stella’s (and Simon’s) lives are transformed. You have to wonder—if Stella had not ingested the pill, would this couple have been arguing about gigs and getting married in their sixties?

I'd like to thank NetGalley, Algonquin Books and the authors for providing me an advanced copy of this novel. “With or Without You” will be published on August 4, 2020.

There is a lot to think about in this story of a 40-something couple who are grappling with choices made and roads not taken, trying to figure out how they want to spend the second half of their lives. I didn't love the catalyst of the story (the fact that a grown man would just feed his wife a random drug from his pocket knowing she is on tons of cold meds and wine already set me up to hate his character) I do think the themes discussed here are relevant and relatable. A good recommendation for fans of Sally Rooney,

"Did he really believe that you could shuffle the past and the present like a deck of cards, and everything would be okay again?"

For some reason, it took me forever to start this book. I had this idea that it would be really depressing and I was going to have a tough time getting through it.

But I was completely wrong.

The story takes a little bit of time to take off. Stella and Simon's "before" life wasn't that interesting to me. So by the time she falls into the coma, I still wasn't really attached to them as characters. And I wasn't sure where the story was going to go. I thought maybe it would be one of those stories where selfish man turns hero.

But this story isn''t as simple as that. It has layers and the characters make choices and there are consequences to the choices. Every one of the characters in this story is real, flawed, and grows in their own ways. This book is about relationships, about finding one's self, about recovery, lost dreams, friendship, and so much more.

This is sad, astonishing, intense and realistic story about life, death, choices we made, opportunities, paths we get to shape up our lives! This is about heartbreak, loneliness, self-discovery, insecurities, love, trust, friendship!

It has unexpected turns and I found very little of it predictable. The characters managed to surprise me and each of them grew in their own ways. By the end of the book, I was rooting for every single one.

with gratitude to netgalley, edelweiss and Algonquin Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s an interesting take on the story of a marriage. Mostly, it’s the story of a overgrown boy becoming a man, while sitting next to a wife in a coma. This is not a grim story, but it’s not light reading.

Very well written - could not stop Reading!!
Caroline examines the souls of her characters, showing their imperfections and what is likeable about each. Each characters flaws evoke so many different feelings. She shows how each one changes over time and how that is okay and the way life should be.