::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::: 4.5 stars ::: HOLY WOW!!!! What a beautiful story!!! This book OWNED my heart!! I loved every single word of this deeply emotional and powerful love story. It was raw and honest, but passionate and heart-felt. I cried, I hoped, I swooned. I was rooting for this couple SO hard.I connected to this story from the first few lines. The writing was absolutely gorgeous. I have endless quotes highlighted in my book. This author’s writing style flows so smoothly that I found myself unable to stop reading. And I especially loved that she showed a very rarely-seen side of contemporary romance by tackling both the subjects of marriage and divorce… Many romances end in marriage and a happily-ever-after. But this is a story about a couple who has been together for almost ten years. They love each other deeply but their marriage is undeniably broken, and so they reach a painful decision to separate. However, their separation makes them reconsider everything they’re about to lose in a different light and realize that they aren’t willing to truly let go or stop fighting for each other… My gosh, you guys. If you’ve ever been in a serious relationship, regardless of whether or not you’ve experienced a similar situation to this couple, I can almost promise you that something within this book will hit home or resonate in some way.One of the things I loved most about this story was that there was no ‘good guy’ and ‘bad guy’. No black and white way to lay blame. No cheating, no abuse, no actual horrific catalyst for their separation. There was no grand mistake that drove them apart. Instead, it was just little things, daily things, things taken for granted, efforts that weren’t made, feelings or perspectives that wasn’t considered… “He wouldn’t even look at me.I thought back and tried to remember the last time he looked at me, really looked at me, and couldn’t remember. When was the last time he saw me? When was the last time we hadn’t been fighting long enough for his clear blue eyes to look into mind and make a real connection?It had been years.Maybe he had never seen me.” My heart went out to both Kate and Nick. The tension in their marriage had gotten to the point where they fought more than they got along. Somewhere over the years, the connection that kept them functional as a unit has been lost. She reached a breaking point. Their marriage was toxic. Every time they tried to fix it, they fell further apart, bringing out the worst in each other and leaving them both miserable. They still loved each other, but they couldn’t stand each other, and she especially needed to get away. “Had I just made the most colossal mistake of my life?No. This was right.But then why did it feel so… wrong?” But they both actually meant well, even if they’d made wrong choices, and the one thing that I could always just tell was that there was never a single moment when they stopped loving each other. It was just a painful situation, and a justifiably broken marriage, and the hope that maybe somehow their love could be strong enough to heal the damage.My God.IT. FELT. SO. REAL.The thought processes, internal dialogue, the emotional turmoil, the uncertainty, the fights, all just felt so believable. It doesn’t matter whether or not you can relate on a personal level to what happens in this story, I just think anyone will be able to appreciate how believable the situation and emotions were. It wasn’t that easy. I couldn’t shake our relationship or the hold he had over my heart. Not everything about him was bad. In fact, most of him was good and beautiful and right. But with me, he wan’t those things and I wasn’t either. But how was I supposed to let go of him? I loved him. I loved him for ten years and knew nothing but loving him.How could I walk away from him? They didn’t immediately decide to divorce, they started with a separation. But a few months later, they began to run into each other in random places — like the grocery store — and I swear, every time they crossed paths again, my heart just yearned for them to work things out. God, I could feel the potential there for them to fix things. Their separation gave them the time and distance to reevaluate themselves and their relationship, to realize what they were losing, to see the best in each other in ways that their married lives had unfortunately made them forget. It gave them both room to realize what they wanted from life and each other, to come to terms with the mistakes they’d make, and to see what they could do to fix things… and more importantly to decide if they wanted to. I think that everyone makes mistakes in life, but it’s how we handle them that defines us. “There are all kinds of reasons people get divorced.No reason is right or wrong, just different.”But mine felt all wrong. All of my reasons felt wrong. ****** For those of you worried about or frustrated with Kate at the halfway mark, please take note of this next paragraph especially ******We’re told the entire story from Kate’s POV, so we only get to see Nick through her eyes. And I’ll be honest, in the first half of the story, I was fully behind her choices, but as the story progressed (especially around the half way mark), I began to see something in Nick that the years of hurt in her marriage were keeping her from believing — and that was his desire to fix things. I could see that everything he did was, in one way or another, an effort to mend things between them. And I even got a little frustrated that she couldn’t see it. Ok, that’s not entirely even true, I was a LOT frustrated. I wanted to shake sense into her. How could she be so blind to how hard he was trying?! It got to a point where I began to blame her. But then I stopped to think. We’re told the reasons why she wanted a separation after the fact. But she lived them. So we’re coming into her story in the middle whereas she lived through Nick’s mistakes from the beginning, so her perspective has a lot more history behind it than we’d experienced with her. We came into the story when she was at the end of her rope and at a point where Nick began trying for the first time in a long time, so I think that is something that needs to be remembered at this point in the story.Regardless, my heart ached for him, but because there are always two sides to every story, I also knew her distance wasn’t unwarranted. I guess she’d just reached her personal limit, but I just wasn’t ready for her to give up on them yet. I wanted her to keep fighting even when it wasn’t fair of me to want that. “Be in control. Be in control go your words and actions. Take control if it doesn’t come naturally to you. Do something other than throw away a perfectly good man and a perfectly good marriage because you’re tired of going through what every other married couple on the planet goes through.” The important thing about the situation in this book is that neither party was completely to blame for what happened. And I have to admit that even though there were times when it was incredibly painful to read their story, I still LOVED reading their journey back to each other. The author portrayed it so beautifully and with such clarity that I couldn’t help but fall deeply in love with this couple and their story. He squeezed me tighter. His strong arms encased me in a protective shield that promised everything would be all right. We fit so perfectly together. His body was just tall enough to tower over mine in just the right way. I could tuck my arm under his or reach up and wrap them around his neck and either way was comfortable. When we lay in bed, his body could cover my back perfectly. His leg were just long enough to entwine with mine and make me feel tiny. His arms were the perfect length to hold me against him. I had never really noticed before, at least not in this complete, awestruck way.If I left this man, would I ever find anther body so suited to mine? We were like puzzle pieces i the way we came together. And I didn’t know if I would ever fit into another puzzle. Maybe I didn’t want to. By 90% ….. I WAS SOBBING!!! In a good way, I promise, don’t be scared. But OMG, the feels!!THE FEELS!!!!!!!!!!! I loved experiencing Kate and Nick’s story alongside them, even though it completely put my heart through the wringer. And most importantly (and this is a really BIG one for me and I’m gonna come right out and say it) I loved that neither of them slept with anyone else during their separation, and neither of them dated. There is literally no unnecessary drama in this book and other than the issues they have to work through, you’re never really made to question their love for each other. You’re shown clearly that they’re both lost without each other. So the point in question isn’t whether they love each other, it’s whether or not they can make a healthy marriage work. Gah. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! His body pressed against mine with a possessiveness I had never felt from him before. It was like he was declaring that I was still his, that I was still his wife. Until every last paper was signed, I still belonged to this man. I really mean it when I say that this book owned my heart. I keep thinking about it. Little parts of the story keep playing over in my head. My mind keeps drifting back to Kate and Nick… and I just don’t want to let go of their story yet. More than anything, I think that’s the strongest mark of a well-written book.If you’re looking for a deeply emotional love story that’s raw, honest, powerful, and that will show you a very unique side of the romance genre, then I highly recommend this to you. The tagline of my blog is “reviews of books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story, and a happy ending” and this book was exactly that in every way. I loved it. Absolutely LOVED it. “You own me, Kate. You will always own me.” Rating: 4.5 stars. Standalone contemporary romance._______________________________________ For more of my reviews, book news and updates:✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog✦ Facebook Blog Page✦ Twitter ✦ Subscribe by email
4.5 stars -- Another beautiful beta read!!This book is soooooo hard to review. I seriously spent a lot of time thinking about it after I finished the book, which is a sign of a book that really captured you. It had the usual beautiful prose of Ms. Higginson, so if you're a fan of her writing style, you will definitely appreciate that.In the end the book may have been just a bit too real for me. I ended up talking about it with my husband, and about the lead character Kate, and how unbelievably stubborn she could be. And some other things I can't mention in this review without ruining the story...and his answer was simply "so it was real then." And that is exactly it. This story was heartbreaking in so many ways. To watch a character go through something this traumatic and life-changing... Well, it definitely doesn't always bring out the best in us, does it? And it didn't always in Kate either. And I guess in the end I grew frustrated with her. In so many ways you could see her grow and learn from her past and her mistakes, but she would stubbornly hold on to some misconceptions that just drove me nuts. But real people do that, don't they? Sometimes it's so easy as a reader to see how all the pieces are coming together, but in real life we're clouded by our past and preconceptions. Tricky stuff....And while Ms. Higginson's usual humour and snark is in this book, I did find myself wanting a bit more (though that may change before the final version). But it's a difficult subject matter, and I guess (again) real life isn't always afforded those moments of levity.I really can't say much more, b/c I want people to go into this book with fresh eyes, not knowing what's going to happen. I can guarantee that I was kept on my toes right until the end. It had it's usual cast of secondary characters, most notably Kate's best friend Kara (who often brought forth those moments of levity). The parents were also an interesting pair -- more complicated than we usually see in stories.In some ways I almost found this story more heartbreaking than Five Stages....just b/c the heartbreak was due to the actions of people, not an outside force (such as death). And it was a slow subtle heartbreak. So I guess what I'm saying is prepare to have your heart broken, prepare to be moved, prepare to be frustrated, and prepare for a book that will make you think.
What do You think about Every Wrong Reason (2015)?
• "Our relationship was toxic. He was slowly poisoning me. I was slowly poisoning him." •Reseña:Primero viene el amor.Luego viene el matrimonio.Luego viene el divorcio... el muy desagradable divorcio.Kate Carter pensó que se había casado con su alma gemela. Pensó que había conseguido su feliz por siempre. Pero luego de siete años de matrimonio, Kate se da cuenta que su marido Nick no es lo que quería. Él es egoísta, desconsiderado y no la ama más.Tal vez ella tampoco lo sigue amando.El divorcio es la única opción si alguno de los dos quiere volver a ser feliz.Kate y Nick pensaban que sabían lo que querían, pero ninguno está preparado para el dolor que la separación les traerá. El viaje que embarcan no es la libertad que deseaban sino una mirada dolorosa de lo que se han convertido. Al final, Kate tiene que decidir si esa es realmente la vida que quiere o si tal vez hay alguna manera de salvar un corazón roto.Impresiones:Este es uno de esos casos que encontré por casualidad en Goodreads, inmediatamente me sentí atraída por la portada que necesitaba leerlo urgentemente, y para cuando me quise dar cuenta ya había pasado la mitad del libro!Escrito en primera persona, vemos a través del punto de vista de Kate su desgastado matrimonio con Nick... (Sí, lo sé, parece una sinopsis de una pareja cuarentona, pinta un tanto aburrido, pero les aseguro que nada que ver!!!!!) Es una pareja joven, aproximadamente tienen unos treinta años, se conocieron en la universidad y se casaron al año siguiente de haberse recibido. Después de diez años juntos y siete de estar casados la relación se volvió inaguantable, entonces, Kate le pide el divorcio...Kate es maestra, admito que es un personaje bastante exasperante en todo sentido, es insoportable, cerrada, he leído por ahí que algunos han dejado de leerlo por este motivo, pero... ¿Cuál es el punto de leer siempre el mismo estilo de personaje? A veces está bueno un cambio, ¿no?, particularmente se me hizo bastante verosímil que ella fuera así porque tiene sus motivos los cuales tienen que ver con que ya no es feliz y necesita rehacer su vida aunque no sabe cómo, lo único que sí sabe es que está decidida a divorciarse... Por otro lado tenemos a Nick, él es el típico chico que toda una chica quiere, hermoso, con abdominales, y encima músico!!!!!! pero a lo largo de los años su personalidad y actitudes van cambiando debido a sus frustraciones personales y laborales... se vuelve frío, distante, egoísta, odioso...Los problemas no surgen por terceros en discordia, ni por abusos, ni nada por el estilo, sino por la suma de pequeñas cosas del día a día que con el tiempo se dan por sentadas, no se valoran, que molestan y no se dicen. Todo esto hizo que la relación se volviera rutinaria, aburrida, menospreciada, en pocas palabras... se volvió insostenible. Esa conexión que una vez tenían se fue perdiendo con el transcurso de los años, las peleas ya son por cosas sin sentido, lo peor es que se intensifican más cuando tratan de arreglarlas y terminan sacando lo peor de ellos provocando un mayor distanciamiento y una sensación de infelicidad mutua. Todavía se siguen amando, pero no se pueden soportar. La separación parece la solución más lógica y acertada, pero luego todas esas razones comienzan a desmoronarse cuando comienzan a tomar consciencia y a mirar los problemas desde otro punto de vista...La adultez, el matrimonio, la convivencia no es para nada sencillo.Es una lectura con una trama simple que cautiva desde la primer página, es muy emotiva, me encontré derramando varias lágrimas en muchas ocasiones, me frustré, exasperé, me deprimí, me enojé, me reí, y hasta morí de ternura y de amor. La tensión que se genera en los encuentros de ellos traspasan las hojas del libro logrando así que uno se pueda colocar en la piel de ellos y sentir lo que estaban sintiendo. Sufrí mucho!!! Por momentos odié mucho a Kate, pero me pasó todo lo contrario con Nick, a él lo amé y me dió mucha pena también, apoyé su causa en todo momento jajaja!!! La manera en la que está escrito, cómo están tratados los problemas que cualquier pareja casada transita en algún momento, el stress, la frustración y la impotencia que me generó todo el tema del divorcio fue tan creíble, real, y auténtico. Sin duda, se convirtió en uno de mis libros favoritos, vale la pena leerlo!!Puntuación: 4.5Reseña completa: http://la-abadia-literaria.blogspot.c...
—The Translation Abbey
:: 5 “I Love You Through Everything” Stars :: Woah. This book pulled me in from the very beginning. I felt like I was riding a rollercoaster filled with emotion. It was that good. So good in fact that I read the entire book in one sitting. I simply could not tear my eyes away from the pages. I really needed to know what was going to happen. Gahh, I just loved it so much. This is the first book I have read from the author and it certainly will not be my last. I am anxiously waiting for her next book to come out in 2016. Anyway, what is so great about this book is how it oozes raw emotion that a lot of married couples feel. Although not all of us will proceed directly to divorce when things get rough, I can understand and even sympathize with how Kate feels throughout the book. At some points I wanted to strangle her- she was really up and down with her feelings about her husband, Nick. At other points I was like YOU GO GIRL! Follow your heart and let everything else flow to the wayside. Another great thing about this book is how truthful it is in the way a woman feels when her relationship is beginning to dissolve. In some books (and even in real life) the woman will literally throw herself at a broken relationship just because she fears being alone. But for Kate, she is much stronger than this. Instead of fearing being alone she does what she thinks is best for her and everyone involved. Again, it takes a strong woman to walk away especially when they are so conflicted in how they feel. Finally, I loved how Nick -no matter what- still made Kate and their relationship a priority. While Kate didn’t see this, us readers did in the little things he did. Just a simple phone call or text, showing up on Halloween, and being there in her time of need really showed what a great man he is. Overall, this is a fantastically real and emotional book that pulled me in and wouldn’t let me go. I needed to know the fate of Kate and Nick and I could not put my kindle down until the story finished playing out. For fans of romance, I highly recommend this book. It is absolutely fantastic!
—Elle ✦ Pretty Little Books ✦
*4.25* Another well-written book by this author that touches on the realities of life. In this case she tackles marriage. Kate and Nick are separated and are in the process of getting a divorce. In the beginning of the book, I can totally see Kate's side about why she wanted to quit the marriage. Nick appeared to be selfish and self-centered. (view spoiler)[ Kate was shouldering all the financial burden while he pursued his dream in a band. (hide spoiler)]
—Vee Paige
