louissecretprideflag's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
lovetlr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Car accident
annachanslor's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
bookedbyruqs's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book and I loved it!!!! She weaves a beautiful story and tears my heart out in the process!
"Things happen in your life that you can’t possibly imagine. But time goes on and time changes you and the times change and the next thing you know, you’re smack in the middle of a life you never saw coming."
When Elsie meets Ben at a pizza place one night she has no idea how significantly her life will change. The two are attracted to each other instantly but their connection goes far beyond that. They can’t get enough of each other and want to spend every waking moment in each other’s company.
Their relationship truly is a whirlwind, and unbelievably, six months later they get married. And then one night two weeks later Ben is killed in an accident, and the life they had planned is now over.
Elsie is consumed with grief. How could she have known Ben for such a short time yet felt so completely known and loved? To complicate matters, Ben never told his mother, despite their closeness, that Elsie existed, let alone became his wife. As Elsie tries to figure out how to face life without Ben, she tries to bridge the gap with his mother, to see if somehow grieving together, even with someone she doesn’t know, might help them both. You can imagine how awkward that would have been to meet your mother-in-law at the time of your husband’s death. Susan, her mother-in-law, was also in a tough position meeting her daughter-in-law for the first time in a horrible situation. As she is also grieving she puts a lot of her frustration on Elsie. Will these two women ever learn to understand each other?
This is a beautiful story. It’s emotional. The book alternates between tracing the course of Elsie and Ben's relationship and the present day, as she navigates her new reality.
"No matter how strong you are, no matter how smart you are or tough you can be, the world will find a way to break you. And when it does, the only thing you can do is hold on."
This was an emotional ride. Who are we to tell people how to grieve or if they should even be allowed to grieve? That was what I think the central message of this book was. Love cannot be measured by everyone's standards, right? Elsie and Ben weren’t together for a long time, but it didn’t make their love "less" love compared to other people who have been together for a long time. Susan, who also lost her husband, did a great job in making Elsie see this.
As Elsie is grieving there are many other characters who teach her something through this process. I like how almost every character illustrates all kinds of people whom you will be surrounded by during a tough time, and what each person will tell you about yourself and themselves.
The writing gives you this play-by-play of her thoughts and feelings and I connected. It was almost too painfully believable because I was feeling for her so strongly. Absolutely heart-wrenching, but incredibly well written. I really loved this book. If you're ever in the mood for an unconventional love story and a really emotional read, definitely give this a try. Even though the actual subject matter of losing a spouse is deeply painful, the focus of this book is on Elsie's healing and it is done exceptionally well.
I feel like it had the happiest possible ending given the situation. Ben is really dead and that doesn't change. Elsie will never stop loving him and he will always remain in her heart. This is not a story of "love after loss", meaning that we do not see Elsie move on and fall in love with anyone else within this book. But over the course of the story, she does reach a point where she can healthily keep living on. You're left in a hopeful place.
This is also more of a story of healing that has a love story within in, but it is not a romance (in the genre sense of the word). Romances almost always have happy endings, and we all know from the blurb that this book doesn't end with Ben and Elsie living out their lives together happily. Ben dies in the first few pages, but it still is a love story... and a very beautiful one at that. To quote Ben's mother, "In that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”
This book goes back and forth between the present day with Elsie living with the aftermath of Ben's death and forming an unlikely, but ultimately healing relationship with his mother... and the past in which we see the development of Elsie and Ben's relationship from the day they met until their last day together.
The feels!!! *sniff*
Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending.
This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book and I loved it!!!! She weaves a beautiful story and tears my heart out in the process!
"Things happen in your life that you can’t possibly imagine. But time goes on and time changes you and the times change and the next thing you know, you’re smack in the middle of a life you never saw coming."
When Elsie meets Ben at a pizza place one night she has no idea how significantly her life will change. The two are attracted to each other instantly but their connection goes far beyond that. They can’t get enough of each other and want to spend every waking moment in each other’s company.
Their relationship truly is a whirlwind, and unbelievably, six months later they get married. And then one night two weeks later Ben is killed in an accident, and the life they had planned is now over.
Elsie is consumed with grief. How could she have known Ben for such a short time yet felt so completely known and loved? To complicate matters, Ben never told his mother, despite their closeness, that Elsie existed, let alone became his wife. As Elsie tries to figure out how to face life without Ben, she tries to bridge the gap with his mother, to see if somehow grieving together, even with someone she doesn’t know, might help them both. You can imagine how awkward that would have been to meet your mother-in-law at the time of your husband’s death. Susan, her mother-in-law, was also in a tough position meeting her daughter-in-law for the first time in a horrible situation. As she is also grieving she puts a lot of her frustration on Elsie. Will these two women ever learn to understand each other?
This is a beautiful story. It’s emotional. The book alternates between tracing the course of Elsie and Ben's relationship and the present day, as she navigates her new reality.
"No matter how strong you are, no matter how smart you are or tough you can be, the world will find a way to break you. And when it does, the only thing you can do is hold on."
This was an emotional ride. Who are we to tell people how to grieve or if they should even be allowed to grieve? That was what I think the central message of this book was. Love cannot be measured by everyone's standards, right? Elsie and Ben weren’t together for a long time, but it didn’t make their love "less" love compared to other people who have been together for a long time. Susan, who also lost her husband, did a great job in making Elsie see this.
As Elsie is grieving there are many other characters who teach her something through this process. I like how almost every character illustrates all kinds of people whom you will be surrounded by during a tough time, and what each person will tell you about yourself and themselves.
The writing gives you this play-by-play of her thoughts and feelings and I connected. It was almost too painfully believable because I was feeling for her so strongly. Absolutely heart-wrenching, but incredibly well written. I really loved this book. If you're ever in the mood for an unconventional love story and a really emotional read, definitely give this a try. Even though the actual subject matter of losing a spouse is deeply painful, the focus of this book is on Elsie's healing and it is done exceptionally well.
I feel like it had the happiest possible ending given the situation. Ben is really dead and that doesn't change. Elsie will never stop loving him and he will always remain in her heart. This is not a story of "love after loss", meaning that we do not see Elsie move on and fall in love with anyone else within this book. But over the course of the story, she does reach a point where she can healthily keep living on. You're left in a hopeful place.
This is also more of a story of healing that has a love story within in, but it is not a romance (in the genre sense of the word). Romances almost always have happy endings, and we all know from the blurb that this book doesn't end with Ben and Elsie living out their lives together happily. Ben dies in the first few pages, but it still is a love story... and a very beautiful one at that. To quote Ben's mother, "In that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”
This book goes back and forth between the present day with Elsie living with the aftermath of Ben's death and forming an unlikely, but ultimately healing relationship with his mother... and the past in which we see the development of Elsie and Ben's relationship from the day they met until their last day together.
The feels!!! *sniff*
Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending.
saskia16's review against another edition
4.0
Ich werde dieses Buch niemals wieder lesen. So viele Tränen, wie ich vergossen habe, habe ich noch nie wegen eines Buches vergossen. Die Vorstellung, die Liebe meines Lebens so früh zu verlieren hat mich einfach fertig gemacht.
So gesehen ist es echt erwähnenswert, wie leicht man sich in den Figuren wieder finden kann. Toll geschrieben, wirklich. Aber ich wäre verrückt mir nochmal diesen Schmerz zuzufügen.
So gesehen ist es echt erwähnenswert, wie leicht man sich in den Figuren wieder finden kann. Toll geschrieben, wirklich. Aber ich wäre verrückt mir nochmal diesen Schmerz zuzufügen.
cjbreads's review against another edition
emotional
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5