I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. Lauren K. Denton does a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

Denton tackles some difficult topics, but she does with so well, with grace and hope. The One You’re With is a remarkable story. One that gave me lots of reminders about how to be in my own marriage. Great read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Marriage is much different oon the inside than it can appear on the outside. Mac and Edie seemingly have a perfect life with no visible "issues" from the outside. So when it comes to light that Mac has a daughter from a period when he and Edie has seperated, it calls into question everything that Edie thought was the basis of their long time together. Though the story line is not an original, Lauren Denton took this couple and gave them realistic reactions to what amounted to an earthquake in their lives. The book was a quick read, the story flowed seamlessly from both perspectives to come to a conclusion that was definitely SIGH worthy.

The One You’re With by Lauren K. Denton was my book club’s selection this month. Women’s fiction, this novel explores secrets kept and revealed over the course of a marriage. Main characters Edie and Mac have been together longer than their 17 years of marriage, having been sweethearts from an early age. What they think of as perfect comes under pressure when a young woman shows up at Mac’s office with very shocking news — she’s his daughter. The ripples of that disclosure spread wide and quickly.

It was interesting to see how each character reacted to the news of Mac’s heretofore unknown child. Mac steps in as protector while Edie views their whole marriage as based on lies. Truth telling is a big theme in the novel. But truth and its importance in being shared takes on different meanings for the characters. I liked Mac and his willingness to fulfill not only obligations, but to provide a place for Riley in his life and in the life of his family. I disliked Edie — she accused Mac of deliberately lying to her, while she kept many things secret in her own life. There’s a contrast of thinking about things versus acting on them. That part of the story created the most discussion with my group. It is interesting that out of 6 women present at our meeting, we all sided with Mac! We all felt that the reactions from Edie and Mac’s family and friends were realistic. We felt sorry for Riley, and wished her mother Kat could have had a different life. We were thankful for an epilogue that showed a hopeful future.

The One You’re With wasn’t our favorite of Denton’s books, but we liked it overall and felt it was worth reading. It sure made for a lively book club meeting! And that’s several points in its favor.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

I love a good book about marriage complications because they feel more realistic than the ones with no issues. Mac was definitely more likable than Edie, but she grew on me. I also try to put myself in characters’ shoes when judging their choices so I could see her struggles. I was hopeful for how their story would play out and felt Denton did a great job telling it. Denton’s writing flows easily and makes the novel easy to read. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Lauren K. Denton has quickly become one of my go-to southern lit authors. I love her real vibe and writing style. Even with characters that don’t really have anything in common with the reader, the reader can still relate to them. Maybe it’s because by the end of the book, you feel like you actually know who they are.

I really liked this story!

I couldn't give it 5 glowing stars because Edie really bothered me how she held onto this grudge against Mac and this summer fling he had 20 years ago. I understood her feelings once Riley was in the picture, but Edie's development felt stunted. I loved Mac's story and development and he definitely carried the story for me.

This is the story of a seemingly perfect married marred by a secret from the past. But me day that secret shows up in Mac Swan’s office. He is left to tell his wife, Edie, about a summer they spent apart and the decisions he made. Can Mac and Edie withstand such a shock? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters, setting and plot made for a wonderful read. I will definitely look forward to more books by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review...this would be my 4th book by this author, I believe, and like all of the others, I loved it. I will be honest and say that it was not my favorite book of hers so far but it is still very much worth reading, at least once. Essentially this is a book about a couple that has pretty much been a couple forever, it seems like. Except for one brief summer where everything had the potential to change...they take a break from each other and see what else is out there, knowing they would get back together when all is said and done. Well, some of those things come out into the open years later and they have to decide if they still want to be together. Are they the same people they were back then? Are they with each other by default? it is a book about growth and stability in my mind...I loved it and would highly recommend it to anyone that likes contemporary fiction. This is a book that takes place in coastal Alabama where I also happen to live...so that makes it even better for me :)

The Swan family lives a charmed life in small town Spring Hill Alabama. High school sweethearts, Mac and Edie work in their dream careers, interior design and pediatrics and have two wonderful children. All seems perfect, until a young woman knocks on Mac's office door to share that she is his daughter. Nineteen years earlier, Mac and Edie broke up and during that time, he had a summer fling. Can their marriage survive what Edie sees as a betrayal? Will both their secrets come to light?

The story is narrated by both Mac and Edie. They flash back to their separation nineteen years earlier as they figured out what they really wanted out of life, and was it each other? As they deal with the issues that come up when Riley appears in their lives. Edie is blindsided and wonders what other secrets Mac has kept from her. This is a story of family, relationships, marriage, trust and secrets. Both Mac and Edie kept secrets from one another from that time nineteen years earlier. As they come out, their vows are challenged. Not only are their lives changed, but so are those of their children. This is a quiet book, one that asks readers to think about how a mistake in the past can change everything in the future. Are you strong enough to forgive, accept and move forward?

I am always surprised by how much I love Southern Fiction. Growing up in the MidWest, the atmosphere can feel strangely otherworldly but so wonderful. The One You’re With is such a hidden gem of a book that I would have read in one sitting had I had the time.

The examination of the complications of long term relationships really worked for me. It was interesting to me how much I loved Mac and Edie separately, but their relationship as a married couple felt so troubled. Ghosts of their pasts who literally show up on their doorstep could have been eye roll inducing, but due to Denton’s heartfelt writing style, I was rooting for them!

This one will definitely pull at your heart strings in the best way possible. It was a really great story without falling prey to being overly dramatic. I highly recommend The One You’re With.

I enjoy reading any book Lauren Denton comes out with and this was not an exception.

Though I was able to guess what was going to happen in the story after the first few chapters, I still found this book hard to put down and wanted to see how it would finish out. A great story dealing with decisions that we make in life and how sometimes things turn out just right even though things didn't go as planned.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I got completely caught up in the storyline and as usual the author delivered a wonderful novel.

This book has been out for almost a year. I received an advance copy before the release, and it kept getting pushed to the back burner unfortunately. I'm now kicking myself because I really enjoyed this book and it has me wanting to read more by Lauren Denton. This story focuses around Mac and Edie, high school sweethearts from Alabama. Unfortunately, there was a brief time of their life when they weren't together and now, years later, the results of past actions are coming back to haunt Mac and Edie. I really enjoyed the characters in this story. It felt real, it felt raw. I could feel the hurt and confusion of the characters. I could sense the pain they felt throughout. I love how this story was told.

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

This family drama offers well-developed characters facing complex (yet believable) challenges. Unfortunately, I found myself not liking Edie most of the time. I found her a bit harsh and judgmental regarding events from a very long ago past, but when I would stew on her for a bit, she would turn around and show real empathy and caring (just not to her husband). I landed at perhaps I would have handled things differently in her situation...maybe better, maybe worse. Her situation was tough, no question. All told, I found this time well spent and would recommend to others who enjoy this genre. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

The Bottom Line: I am, overall, very consistent in what qualities will cause me to DNF a book or series. I have little patience with a tremendously slow-paced book; I understand the need to build a background and build up to a story, but slow pacing will kill a good story for me and cause me to DNF a title. I am also a very character-driven reader and if I can’t find something, literally anything to like in a set of characters, I’m going to DNF a title/series. Particularly irksome are characters that are flat and seemingly have no real personality. I have often stated that good characters can mask a mediocre plot, but bad characters can kill a potentially very good plot.

The One You’re With – This is another book that surprised me when I had to give up on it. Lauren K. Denton is an author I have historically loved and never been disappointed in. This story just doesn’t have the same quality as her other reads, and I found I couldn’t settle into the story or the characters. Usually by the 20% mark – where I gave up on this book – I am deeply committed to the story and the characters and have no interest in putting the book down until I’m done. That did not happen here, and I am sorry for it.

I was so up and down on this book. Edie and Mac are high school sweethearts who have now been married for 16 years; however, they broke up for three months one summer in college. Their happy marriage is suddenly disrupted by the arrival of an 18 year old girl who turns out to be Mac's daughter, conceived that one summer that Mac and Edie had broken up. The story goes back and forth between the events of that summer and the present day, from both Mac's and Edie's perspectives, and it was one of those dual timeline novels that worked really well. Until now, Mac had no idea of his daughter's existence, so I was really disappointed that his heartfelt summer romance was treated as blatant infidelity and something he had done wrong - by Mac, by Edie, and seemingly everyone in their town. In the famous words of Friends, they "were on a break!" I was incredibly irritated by so many of the characters, but even as I was frustrated, I found myself wanting to keep reading to see what happens. So... 3.5 stars?

Edie and Mac were high school sweethearts, college sweethearts, and are the married couple at the heart of the story. A summer indiscretion in the form of an 18-year-old daughter (Riley) shows up on Mac’s doorstep, to his great surprise. The book follows Edie and Mac as they sort through the disruption this causes their family of four as the evaluate their relationship.

I enjoyed the story, even the flashbacks to “20 years ago” to that fateful summer. I wanted to keep turning the pages to see how things might end up for Edie and Mac at this crossroads. Throw in some mid-life issues and you have a scenario where many people take stock of their choices.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
I was excited to read this latest release from Lauren K. Denton. Story is set in Alabama and focuses on the extended family dynamics of a husband and wife. Unfortunately, it was a bit predictable. I'd still recommend as a summer poolside read though.