Grade BEmbraced by Love (awful name that has nothing to do with the book, really) is a surprisingly good story. The premise sounded interesting so I picked it up at a used book store some time back and put it on my shelf. The more I thought about reading it, the more I feared it would be maudlin or melodramatic. Instead, it was a believable and moving story.Josie and Cooper are a young married couple who have a solid relationship. Some tension develops, however, about the many hours Josie puts into her software company. Just about the time the tension between Cooper and Josie is starting to cause some problems, they find themselves the guardians of her niece (4) and nephew (6 mo). The rest of the book is about how they come to terms with their new responsibilities, and how to balance work and personal time. Josie's near pathological fear of being poor drive a wedge between her and Cooper and threatens to tear the newly-formed little family apart.Some readers may find Josie's fears unrealistic, but they are quite realistically portrayed. Josie has a true psychological problem. Phobias like this don't go away simply because they aren't logical. Her fears and Cooper's reactions are believable.I don't generally care of children in books, but Lucy and Ben were very well done and age appropriate. Lucy's struggles to feel safe again after losing her parents was especially poignant.
A young couple on the New York City fast track, Josie Taylor and Cooper McBride seem to have everything going for them, including great jobs and a love that just seems to grow stronger. Then the sudden death of Josie's brother and his wife leave them with responsibility for two small children. There are tough choices to make, and nothing in their lives will ever be the same. The strain on their relationship seems unbearable, and both of them begin to wonder if they will ever find their way back to the way they used to feel.This was definitely something a bit untraditional for a romance, since it covers the relationship through many more stages and upsets than is typical. I loved it. The characters were real, their love was real,and so were their problems. I was impressed by the way in which the perhaps less-symapthetic character of the workaholic Josie is treated; it's easy to understand why she is the way she is and love her anyway,while at the same time seeing the looming disaster if something doesn't change.
What do You think about Embraced By Love (2004)?
Spoiler alert - they were completely incompatible and Cooper shoulda left her ass a long time ago. Also there's no HEA. Cause Josie is a selfish liar.
—J. Ostrowski
I think I would have liked this book more if the main characters hadn't been so over the top. She was sooo work devoted and he was sooo committed to having fun and enjoying life, made me a little crazy. Especially since they knew that about each other from the beginning. Unfortunately plot development is a little slow resulting in the same things getting rehashed over and over. While the story eventually moves forward towards the middle it's a bit too late and you'd rather just smack them for being idiots than finish the book.
—Coffcat
