published: 2014
pages: 334read: 12/13 -14/2019
book: 70 in 2019
SYNOPSIS
When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.
Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?
MY THOUGHTS
wow. wow. WOW!
I love TJR! She's proven herself back to back to back (not that she needs to prove shit to anyone!). I don't know why I don't pick up the rest of her back log. why do i cause myself so much pain!!!???
....I really only read this because it was free under kindle unlimited.
(sorry TJR! i promise to be more faithful to you!)
I liked the synopsis.
but even then, I had no idea what to expect at all.
It's been a few days since I've read it and I'm not sure why I've put off writing my thoughts but maybe it's just down to the fact that wow! 70 books! In one year! It's maybe catching up to me. they may not be the perfect reviews or deepest thoughts or whatever but, phew! it catches up to you. and as far as my "reviews" go, I've been playing catch up all year! I've been reading more than writing (!!!) so maybe its just finally caught up with me. ....but oddly enough, im excited for all the new reads to come!
Anyway.
I loved the shit out of this book.
So much so that as I finished it, i bought a physical copy to have for myself.
And I'm considering doing a reread in early 2020.
I ate this one up! so I feel like I might have missed some things because I just wanted to know! I feel like I'll fall even more in love with my favorite parts.
But I think i just want to jump back into Lauren and her year journey.
I want to jump back into her relationships with her family, her friends but most importantly herself.
Without getting into personal details, this story (and these kinds of stories) will always win my heart.
I'm all about stories where love prevails.
Especially when its love between people who find a way to make their way back to each other.
Augh!
There's so much i could say about why I love this book but i don't want to make this long.
I'm doing a horrible job of laying out the words to describe my love for this read but basically, I loves the shit out of this story.
And yes, there are parts where this book broke my heart (baby spoiler: Like Ryan dating home girl whose name I forgot) but then there are parts that lift me up and made my heart burst with love.
I cannot wait to re-read this story and highlight basically the entire book.
S P O I L E R S
After years together Lauren and Ryan decide to take a year apart.
So he misses her 30th, her bday party, Christmas and things of the sort.
Of course at first it's hard and there are times where she wants to give up and call him but she doesn't.
Eventually she, I wouldn't say hacks but basically hacks into his email and she finds drafts from him to her where he's, venting.
Her friend/coworker tells her that unless shes willing to open up and let him read her like that as well, she should stop.
Eventually she starts her own emails.
In the year they are apart, she learns about herself.
Where once it was hard for her to be without him, she's now "thriving".
She's running and being there for her family and doing things that shes wanted to do without having to ask permission or ask him to join her. (Permission in the sense that well, you can do as you please without having to let someone know your daily plans all the time.....not like in a possessive way.)
She ends up meeting David (I think that's his name) after her friend from above (I forgot her name. Eeek!) sets her up.
They meet, they talk, they hook up. They become hook up buddies but they both acknowledge that it's just friends with benefits who understand each others situation.
(At one point, David was over and Ryan actually had driven to their house. He saw his car in the driveway and well, saw them together. I don't think in a sexual way (I forgot) but it took everything in him to walk away.)
They stay away from each other for the most part of the year.
Then, her grandma is in the hospital.
And she passes away.
Lauren is losing her shit. (Well. I mean that sounds intense but you know what I mean)
She breaks it.
There's a few weeks left.
But she gives up and calls him.
No answer.
She runs outside to get air and she runs into him.
and after everything, they end up together.
Theres a lot in left out but i feel like to try to recap all of it would be unfair so ill probably do a better spoiler post if i do end oup re-reading it.
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