4.5 stars

Mac and Edie Swan are happily married with a 14 year old daughter and 11 year old son. When 19 year old Riley shows up at Mac’s office to let him know that she is his daughter, his whole world is flipped upside down. A summer fling 20 years prior produced a child who he knew nothing about. His happy life with Edie is rocked, causing Edie to question all she thought she knew about Mac. Can their marriage handle this? Can Riley find a family with the Swans?

This novel is set in the South and told from both Mac and Edie’s POV’s and in alternating timelines - the summer of 2000 when they were broken up and living in two separate cities, and present day with all of the drama of what has been uncovered.

I loved the charming, southern hospitality that permeates this book. And I’m such a sucker for multiple POV’s and timelines!

Thank you to UpLit Reads, Thomas Nelson Publishers, and NetGalley for an eARC and finished copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another fabulous Alabama story by Lauren K. Denton. Sometimes real life gets to be too much and I want an escape that ends on a happy note. This book gave me just that when I needed it most.

When the mistakes of the past come back to test the relationship of Edie and Mac’s lifetime love story, revelations are made and the power of forgiveness is tested. Wonderfully written! A novel which left me realizing positive things can come from messy situations.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this beautiful novel!

Mac and Edie are high school sweethearts. The summer before senior year of college, they go their separate ways before coming back together for the rest of their lives. What happened the summer they were apart was never discussed until nearly 20 years later when everything is revealed. Pouring out all the lies, Mac and Edie try to figure out how they move forward.

This was my first Lauren Denton book and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed reading about their summer apart, how they grew up and found their way back to each other. It's a story about family and the strong bond that is. Would recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: July 6

The One You're With is such a hopeful story about the challenges and rewards of marriage. I loved this book and fell for these characters. I sympathized to their struggles and was rooting for the characters throughout the whole book. I also thought the writing flowed so nicely which made the story easy to follow. This was my first Lauren K. Denton book, but it certainly won't be my last.

Thanks to the publisher, Thomas Nelson, NetGalley and Uplit Reads for my #gifted copy and this opportunity!

As I read into the first couple of chapters I found myself hooked into the easy flow of the story. It opens with Mac's point of view and then moves to Edie's one. It also goes back and forwards from one summer a number of years ago and the current day.

I really felt on Mac's side a lot of the time, I was a little impatient with Edie because I felt she should own her own stuff sooner! However I hung in there with her and liked how she eventually figured it all out.

This story explores what happens in a good marriage when something pops up that really rattles the cage. They are great parents and very good members of the community but now they are asked to stretch. To absorb and grow from what presents itself.

I found myself smiling and laughing at times especially there in the last chapter. It was a satisfying, thought provoking read. Happy to have read it.

First let's talk about how inviting this cover is. It just makes you want to open the door (cover) and discover what's inside. I thought this was an enjoyable read. I loved the way we ambled through the day to day lives of the main characters, even after the main plot point comes calling. The story centers mostly around Mac and Edie, but with some cameos from best friend Graham. We flash back and forth between present day and the summer they agreed to spend apart before their senior year of college. I much preferred the current storyline, but understand that the other needed to be written to add context to the main dilemmas the characters face as the story progresses. While I do think we were supposed to like all these protagonists, I had a hard time, particularly with Edie, who I felt was kind of a hypocrite. It's really hard to go into details more than this because of spoilers, but if you read the book I think you will get my point, although I certainly think every reader will have a different take on the characters' choices. The story is pretty predictable, especially the ending, but honestly I was okay with that.

A perfect light read that doesn't require lots of brain power, but is a much needed balm for the soul. The characters and writing are well done, and the family dynamics were refreshingly honest. This is a hard one to review without spoilers, so my thoughts and the synopsis will have to be enough. Oh, and then there is that cover........

High-school sweethearts Mac and Edie seem to be living the perfect life. They both have successful careers and two beautiful children. Sure they spent one summer apart, but they reconnected and were meant to be together. This seems to be true until someone comes into their life that rocks them.

The concept of this book intrigued me, I love family dramas. I struggled with liking Mac and Edie though. My heart broke for Riley, it wasn't an easy situation any of them were in, but I thought Edie made it harder at times than it should have been. I enjoyed the exploration of love and how to handle news that will shake you.

While at times I found this to be slow, I enjoyed it overall and was happy with how everything played out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." I want to thank Thomas Nelson Fiction for this book . I appreciate the opportunity to read and review it. I also want to thank NetGalley for this opportunity to read and review early copies of books.
The One You're With is a novel set in 2 time periods, the summer of 2000 and present time. Mac and Edie have been together since 9th grade, destined to be together always. Except for the summer of 2000. Mac and Edie were apart that summer- broken up, or in Friends Parlance, "on a break." Mac was questioning his life, his desire to become a doctor, everything. He and Edie separate and spend the summer apart. Mac stays in Alabama, gets a summer job at a marina and shares a place with his best friend Graham. Mac and Graham ( who wants to be an architect)and Edie have been long time friends. Now, he is there for Mac. Or is he? Edie goes to New York to get an internship at a design firm. She and Mac do not communicate during the summer, but Edie and Graham do. There is another spoke to the relationship -Kat. Kat works at the marina with Mac. He is intrigued, she is wary of the new addition to the staff.
All of the backstory comes in leisurely chapters throughout the book. The book moves between the past, and the present. In the present, Mac and Edie are married with 2 children. He is a doctor, she works with a local design firm. They have not seen Graham in years, although he is an architect and has recently moved back to the area.
The story opens on Mac's 40th birthday. Edie has planned a surprise party. But another surprise is waiting. A girl named Riley shows up at Mac's office, claiming she is his daughter- his and Kat's.
The book is 2 stories- the story of the summer of 2000 and the current story line, of Mac, Edie, Graham and Riley. It is complex , and compelling. We meet a lot of other characters that I wish were explored more, such as Mac's and Edie's parents .The summer of 2000 chapters are likewise a bit less illuminating as you would wan them to be. The book leaves me with questions, thoughts and suppositions- but that is not a bad thing. It is a thoughtful , well written book that will stay with me a long time.
Thanks again for the opportunity .

This is a heart-warming novel about Mac and Edie Swan. Mac and Edie appeared to have the perfect life and the perfect marriage, until one day a young girl named Riley comes into Mac's pediatrics office.

Riley shares information with Mac that shakes his and Edie's world. Their marriage is put to the test as they re-evaluate their entire relationship and everything they have known about each other.

I found this to be a very well thought out novel. I enjoyed the characters and thought this was a beautiful story about love and working together when everything isn't always perfect. If your looking for an uplifting story definitely check this one out.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson-Fiction and the author for my complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) on July 2, 2021.

While this is well written, I guessed the central problem on page one and the ending before I opened the book. I was hoping there might be a big twist and I was wrong, but every minor plot point ended exactly as I thought it would.

Mac and Edie tell their stories from when they separated for three months twenty years ago, to today. These people are ridiculously perfect. I never felt that what causes the friction would actually end their marriage. I never felt Edie’s anger. The reader is told she feels anger, but I want to really believe it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES JULY 6, 2021.

In actuality 3.75 stars out of 5, rounded up to 4 stars
A totally enjoyable and believable story, fluctuating between present day and 21 years prior (2000) when the main characters were college age.

Main characters: Mac and Edie-- lifelong friends and sweethearts & their best friend, Graham. They all grew up together, and the three were a tight trio. Mac is a pediatrician, Edie is a designer and Graham is an architect.

When a young mother-to-be walks into Mac's life and says she is his daughter from a relationship he had one summer before college, his world is rocked. He knows she's telling the truth, as she looks just like him. He has two children (pre=teens) with Edie, they are a happy family, married 17 years and rock-solid. How will they take this and how will it affect their lives? He can't turn his back on Riley, his newfound daughter who needs him.

I was a bit put out with Edie for the first part of this novel. She and Mac were "broken up" that summer. She was in NY doing her thing. He was working on a boating dock, where he met Kat, the mother of this young pregnant woman who has walked into his life. Edie just couldn't accept that at the time Mac was young, they were on a break as a couple, he didn't intend to, nor did he know Kat was pregnant the last time he saw her. His kids were more understanding than his wife was. I felt she over-reacted and made things harder for everyone, but it was understandable as some women would react this way. Edie is a woman with very few faults, and she will grow on you, one can't help admire her ethics and values, and I did enjoy the story even though it was predictable. The side characters, especially Edie's family and Riley, the new daughter, were fun to get to know. I am happy to recommend this to fans of domestic fiction.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and author for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC prior to its publication. Get your copy at your favorite retailer on July 6, 2021.

This is a nice summer beach read set in coastal Alabama. Mac and Edie have been married about 20 years and were childhood sweethearts prior to marrying. It’s safe to say they know each other very well.

But one summer, during their college years, they broke up. Things happened that they each kept to themselves. Fast forward several years and the past unexpectedly lands on their doorstep, causing Mac and Edie to reevaluate their marriage and what they mean to each other.

This was a bit predictable and moved a bit slow at times, but I found it a wholesome and satisfying read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson-FICTION for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a bit of a miss for me. What I liked about it: I thought the premise of a love triangle and the exploration of what could have been had the characters made different decisions made for an interesting story. What I struggled with: I found the pacing slow but kept with the story as I did want to see what happened in the end. My favorite character, Graham, was left hanging and I found myself wanting him to find a happy ending even though he wasn’t the point of the book. I think the fact that I was more interested in the secondary characters rather than the main point of the book affected my reading of it.

I would give this book 3.5 stars.

Edie and Mac were high school sweethearts and married and have a family. Mac was a doctor, and an 18-year-old girl came to see him and told him that he was her father. He never knew about a pregnancy or a baby. He took her to a friend of his, so he could go home and tell his wife.
People have unexpected things come up in life, but this was huge and affected many. They have to figure out what they need to do, how to make it happen, and can their marriage survive something like this. It is an amazing story, that I had never thought about, but after reading the book, this could happen to many people.
There is a lot to take in, decisions to be made, and finding out if they can love this child and welcome them into their lives and home. The story will take you on their journey of finding their way with what they have to face and how they all deal with everything.
At the end of the book, the author thanks her brilliant editor Kimberly Carlton for asking so many question that she dug deeper into the characters and pushed herself to go further than she thought she could. It comes through in this book with the depth and details.

Oh Mac & Edie!!
This book completely captured my attention from the get go - the pressure to follow the path set for you by others, the struggle to figure out what you REALLY want out of life, first love, doubts, diverging paths, growth, experimenting... SURPRISES and where do we go from here?? Sometimes the past CAN come back and bite you in the rear and sometimes, that nip is exactly what you need to get your life back on track. The One Youre With is a great soupy drama with a satisfying ending - will DEF search out this author in the future!!! Special thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital copy of this fabulous book in exchange for an honest review!

Edie and Mac Swan lead an idyllic life. She works for a popular interior designer, and he has a pediatric group in their little community of Oak Hill near Mobile, Alabama. Their two children make their family complete. As Mac’s 40th birthday approaches, Eve plans the perfect surprise party for him.

On the day of the party, Mac springs a surprise of his own on Edie. A surprise not even Mac knew about until his birthday. As Edie and Mac struggle through the crisis, they must come to grips with what happened that summer almost 20 years ago when they broke up and went their separate ways.

Each of them held secrets and made decisions during the summer of separation which profoundly affected their lives. Now they must decide how to reconcile their past with their present without harming their children or ruining their relationship.

Why I Loved This Book

Denton, a new-to-me author, knows how to weave a tale filled with relatable characters. We all have regrets and secrets from our pasts, and Denton takes us on a journey of what-ifs. What if our secret came to light at an inopportune time? How do families survive seismic upheavals? How does one forgive?

Denton reminds us of this truth: “Edie was a mother, and mothers had certain codes, just like doctors. Do no harm. Put others first. Help when needed. And always love—even when it’s hard. Even when it flies in the face of everything you feel.”

Mac and Edie show us how making the daily choice to love might not be easy, but it builds something not just idyllic, but indestructible.

Mac and Edie are childhood friends, turned sweethearts and are now married. Mac is a pediatric physician and Edie works for a design firm and they have two children. Just when life is good, everything seems perfect and all in the right place, Mac gets a visit in his office from a young lady and their perfect life starts to crack. This is a love story that goes through difficult decisions and actions to come to a big decision in the end. I loved this story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you #NetGalley#ThomasNelson#TheOneYou'reWith

Try putting yourself in each of these character's shoes, not easy. A married couple who seem to have it all, one a pediatrician and the other an interior designer, two teenage children, and then their world gets rocked!

We are treated to all that leads up to the young woman arriving at Mac's office, and then what happens to them as they come to terms with this new individual in their lives.

This is quite a journey, and Mac maybe the guilty party, but what a kind loving person he is. I just hope that this family is able to weather this storm and keep their lives together!

Yes, this became a page-turner for me, and loved how the author wrapped up this read!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Published Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

Life is going on with Mac and Edie when a young women knocks on the door and changes everything. They must learn to accept the past and get on with a much enriched life. Great Read!

When a young woman appears at Mac's pediatric office one day his life will be changed forever. Mac and his wife, Edie had been 'together' since they had been pre-teens. Mac's best friend, This story rotates between Edie and Mac in 2000 and present day. I felt Edie went a little overboard about Mac's omission since the couple as broken up during that time period. I liked that Mac was truly a compassionate person and wanted to to the right thing. The ending was very satisfying. Recommended.