⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. A realistic and emotional dive into the depths of a troubled marriage and the small but important steps needed to rescue it.

After twenty years, the cracks in Lauren Reed’s marriage are showing. She and her husband, Jack, feel more like roommates than a loving couple. What they have in common are two wonderful teenagers, Michael and Maddie, and the same wistful “When did it all go wrong?” Now that Lauren’s decided to get on with her life, alone, divorce is inevitable. Not to the kids. They aren’t giving up so easily. Michael and Maddie have conspired with their grandfather to bring everyone together for a vacation in the family’s favorite summer getaway, a rustic lakeside cabin in Story Brook, Ohio. Awkward? Yep. A little deceptive? Sure. But as far as traps go, Lauren and Jack agree, the meddlers couldn’t have set one that was more scenic or filled with so many bittersweet memories. This trip is going to be life-changing for the whole family. Fourteen days of hope, heartbreak, and unexpected possibilities, like maybe falling in love all over again.

MY THOUGHTS

Lauren’s despair and feelings of hopelessness started us off. Through her eyes, we experienced all her doubts, pain, and dreams with her. And then through Jack’s eyes, we saw his motivations, the love he has for his wife and his family, and his anguish of ever finding a solution that will see them back together. With understanding for their respective outlooks came plenty of frustration over their inability to just talk to each other. The forced proximity probably wasn’t the greatest idea ever, but it did give them an opportunity to start discussing their grievances without regular life interfering. There were a lot of other events happening at the same time, such as worry over Jack’s father’s health and the pitfalls of teenage relationships.

This book kept my attention quite well and I really wanted to see how these two would resolve their issues. If you like a marriage-in-trouble, second chance, spicy romance, then this is for you. See what other readers are saying on Goodreads.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: February 20, 2024
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Tropes: Second Chances, Marriage in Trouble