chloelj27's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
lindsayvale's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Death of parent
emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Medical content
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Title: Forever, Interrupted
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: July 9, 2013
T H R E E • W O R D S
Touching • Authentic • Distinctive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Elsie and Ben are average twenty-somethings, but this is not your average love story. It begins bright and promising: the newlywed couple is head over heels in love, having eloped six months after they met. But it all shatters in an instant; Ben out riding his bike, is hit by a truck—and dies on impact.
Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, his body has already been taken to the hospital. When she arrives, Elsie is greeted by an unexpected visitor—her mother-in-law, Susan, whom she has never met and who doesn’t even know she exists.
Both are seared with grief; Susan is still mourning the death of her own husband several years earlier, and the loss of her only son is almost too much to bear. The two women immediately sour on one another, fighting over what to do with Ben’s belongings and how to fulfill his wishes. But as time goes by, Susan and Elsie both realize that despite the terrible accident that brought them together, they are now the only family they have left.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Having read, and loved, several of Taylor Jenkins Reid's newer releases in 2022, I immediately knew I wanted to tackle her entire backlist. Forever, Interrupted (her debut) was the backlist title that piqued my interest the most given Elsie and I's shared experience of having a partner die suddenly. For that reason, I knew this book would likely destroy me emotionally, and of course, it did.
In this novel, TJR approaches love in such an unconventional manner, while also exploring grief and healing with gentleness and subtlety. Done seamlessly, the dual timelines help guide the story at the perfect pace. The characters are real, and I came to love them as the flawed humans they are. And I can certainly vouch to the fact that the evolution of Elsie and Susan's relationship felt like an accurate representation of the messiness that is grief. The bonds one forms when going through the most awful of situations can come from the most unlikely of places. It is no secret that the people you expect to show up are often the ones who disappear, and the people who show up can be the least expected.
One small thing I also loved was the fact Elsie was a librarian. This simple little tidbit brought the book even closer to my heart given my own love of books and libraries. They say sometimes books come into your life at the right time, and I think this was a beautiful reminder of that for me.
Despite this being an incredibly emotional book on a personal level for me, the writing itself lacked the emotional depth and rawness I've come to expect from TJR. Of course, it's important to keep in mind this is her debut novel, and she her craft has likely evolved since.
A genuine portrayal of love in all its forms, Forever, Interrupted really gets to the heart of human relationships. While ultimately a tragic story, the message of happiness coming in all kinds of different shapes and sizes breathes an air of hope. This is a story I will never forget, and a reminder that the people who come into our lives, end up shaping our journeys no matter the length of time their physically present.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• TJR devotees
• anyone looking for atypical romance
• readers who enjoyed Come Away With Me
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Listen to me; it means nothing. You think that some ten minutes you spent with ben in a room defines what you meant to each other? It doesn't. You define that. What you feel defines that. You loved him. He loved you. You believed in each other. That is what you lost. It doesn't matter whether it's labelled a husband or a boyfriend. You lost the person you love. You lost the future you thought you had.'"
"Love is love is love. When you lose it, it feels like the shittiest disaster in the world. Just like dog shit."
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: July 9, 2013
T H R E E • W O R D S
Touching • Authentic • Distinctive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Elsie and Ben are average twenty-somethings, but this is not your average love story. It begins bright and promising: the newlywed couple is head over heels in love, having eloped six months after they met. But it all shatters in an instant; Ben out riding his bike, is hit by a truck—and dies on impact.
Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, his body has already been taken to the hospital. When she arrives, Elsie is greeted by an unexpected visitor—her mother-in-law, Susan, whom she has never met and who doesn’t even know she exists.
Both are seared with grief; Susan is still mourning the death of her own husband several years earlier, and the loss of her only son is almost too much to bear. The two women immediately sour on one another, fighting over what to do with Ben’s belongings and how to fulfill his wishes. But as time goes by, Susan and Elsie both realize that despite the terrible accident that brought them together, they are now the only family they have left.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Having read, and loved, several of Taylor Jenkins Reid's newer releases in 2022, I immediately knew I wanted to tackle her entire backlist. Forever, Interrupted (her debut) was the backlist title that piqued my interest the most given Elsie and I's shared experience of having a partner die suddenly. For that reason, I knew this book would likely destroy me emotionally, and of course, it did.
In this novel, TJR approaches love in such an unconventional manner, while also exploring grief and healing with gentleness and subtlety. Done seamlessly, the dual timelines help guide the story at the perfect pace. The characters are real, and I came to love them as the flawed humans they are. And I can certainly vouch to the fact that the evolution of Elsie and Susan's relationship felt like an accurate representation of the messiness that is grief. The bonds one forms when going through the most awful of situations can come from the most unlikely of places. It is no secret that the people you expect to show up are often the ones who disappear, and the people who show up can be the least expected.
One small thing I also loved was the fact Elsie was a librarian. This simple little tidbit brought the book even closer to my heart given my own love of books and libraries. They say sometimes books come into your life at the right time, and I think this was a beautiful reminder of that for me.
Despite this being an incredibly emotional book on a personal level for me, the writing itself lacked the emotional depth and rawness I've come to expect from TJR. Of course, it's important to keep in mind this is her debut novel, and she her craft has likely evolved since.
A genuine portrayal of love in all its forms, Forever, Interrupted really gets to the heart of human relationships. While ultimately a tragic story, the message of happiness coming in all kinds of different shapes and sizes breathes an air of hope. This is a story I will never forget, and a reminder that the people who come into our lives, end up shaping our journeys no matter the length of time their physically present.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• TJR devotees
• anyone looking for atypical romance
• readers who enjoyed Come Away With Me
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Listen to me; it means nothing. You think that some ten minutes you spent with ben in a room defines what you meant to each other? It doesn't. You define that. What you feel defines that. You loved him. He loved you. You believed in each other. That is what you lost. It doesn't matter whether it's labelled a husband or a boyfriend. You lost the person you love. You lost the future you thought you had.'"
"Love is love is love. When you lose it, it feels like the shittiest disaster in the world. Just like dog shit."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Death of parent, Cursing, and Car accident
Minor: Medical content, Vomit, and Sexual content
death of partnerjjoreill's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
bookbird's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
A really beautiful take on grief, moving on, and loving one another.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, Death of parent, and Grief
laurataylor's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Alcohol, Child death, Cursing, Car accident, and Medical content
lsmith725's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I've read Taylor Jenkins Reid before, but I believe this is the first of her books. It does not read like a debut novel. It is fabulously written and made me feel everything. Our main character Elsie has lost her husband only 10 days after getting married. She has never met her mother in law; in fact, Ben never even told his mother that they were married. To make matters even tougher for Elsie, she and Ben only knew each other for 6 months. This is the story of navigating a quick, whirlwind relationship that ended just as quickly as it began. Their love doesn't seem to have any proof, no lasting legacy.
If you are looking for a lovey-dovey, sweet romance read, this will not fill your desire. This story focuses as much or more on the forced relationship between Elsie and her mother in law as it does on the relationship between her and Ben. I love Susan. Her emotion is so raw but she steps up and deals with it in the right way. Honestly, raw is the main word I would use to describe this story. The only place it was lacking for me was in the Ben/Elsie relationship development. I needed more emotion there. There was plenty of cuteness and flirting, but not enough actual deep emotional connection. Maybe that's because the relationship was supposed to develop in only a few months. Just felt a touch insta-lovey.
If you are looking for a lovey-dovey, sweet romance read, this will not fill your desire. This story focuses as much or more on the forced relationship between Elsie and her mother in law as it does on the relationship between her and Ben. I love Susan. Her emotion is so raw but she steps up and deals with it in the right way. Honestly, raw is the main word I would use to describe this story. The only place it was lacking for me was in the Ben/Elsie relationship development. I needed more emotion there. There was plenty of cuteness and flirting, but not enough actual deep emotional connection. Maybe that's because the relationship was supposed to develop in only a few months. Just felt a touch insta-lovey.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
bealittlebrave's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
allisonmaier's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death