Forever, Interrupted: A Novel

Wow. I'm worn out from power-reading this emotional book today. I went into this not knowing a thing about it. My friend Megan from Reading Books Like a Boss recommended this to me so I bought it on sale and decided to jump in. I don't want to give too much away but I think that most people will want to know that this is a story about loss. It's both tragic and beautiful and I shed quite a few tears, but lucky for me, I love a good novel-induced cry. Reid does an excellent job telling the story by switching the time frame throughout. It was a little jarring at times, only because I would be swept up in the sweet and funny romance and would forget about the sadness until I was forcibly bounced back to reality. I loved how Reid connected the stories from past and present by connecting them with similar thread. It was an effective way of further developing the characters. The characters, even the ones I disliked, stirred up a lot of feelings and the love story of the main characters was romantic and freaking ADORABLE. This story could have easily fallen into super-cheese-mode but Reid manages not to do that. There are a few New Adult authors who should take note. My only hesitation (which really isn't a big one) is that the story was told with quite simple language and was sometimes a teeny bit repetitive. I will say that I much preferred it to the current trend of glossing up the story with flowery language in hope that we won't notice the flaws. There were a couple of moments when I paused due to implausible plotlines but it wasn't enough for me to be too analytical about it and halt my reading. Overall, this was an emotional and very engaging story of true love and grieving. I highly recommend this if you're not afraid of a good cry and limited sexy times. It reminded me a lot of Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes, which I loved.

"My heart didn’t skip a beat. I had no idea he was “it”; it was “he.” He was the man I’d dreamed about as a child, wondering what my husband would look like. I was seeing this face I had wondered about my whole life and it was right here in front of me and I didn’t recognize it. All I thought was, He’ll probably get his pizza before I get mine." Elsie Porter and Ben Ross meet one night when they are both waiting to pick up a pizza. They both fall hard and fast. Within five months they’ve moved in together and eloped. However, their love story is brought to an abrupt end when Ben dies in a bicycle accident. At the hospital, Elsie meets the mother in law (Susan) who she’s never met, and who doesn’t even know she exists. The story of Elsie and Susan’s grieving process is interwoven with Elsie and Ben’s love story. Taylor Jenkins Reid is without a doubt one of my favorite authors. I only discovered her work late last year when I came across her novel “Maybe in Another Life.” I was hooked after that. “Forever, Interrupted” was the last of her novels for me to read, but ironically it was her first novel she published. Boy did it not disappoint. All of her novels have been phenomenal. As a first novel, the level of writing is just as exceptional as her most recent work. This book is a heartbreaker. I can’t exactly say I felt uplifted or even happy when the story ended. But I was satisfied. I was crying within the first couple of pages, and continued to do so throughout various parts of the book. I’m glad Elsie’s grieving process was interwoven with the love story. While it was bittersweet, it broke up the melancholy feeling of grief. Ben is charming, sweet, and so funny. There were times I laughed out loud, and I was grateful for that reprieve from the tears. "“Let’s do a little experiment,” Ben said. “What’s Anna Karenina about?” “It’s about a married aristocratic woman who falls in love with a count but she can’t —“ “I am falling asleep just listening to you. Do you know what this book is about?” he asked me, grabbing the falcon-cover book from my hand. “This book is about a group of kids who are part human, part bird.” He said it plainly, as if the facts spoke for themselves. “This is a better book.”" I was angry at Ben for not telling his mother about Elsie. They discuss his reasons for not doing so, but I don’t know if they were good enough reasons in my opinion. Especially when things got more serious with Elsie. As someone who can relate with Ben and his hesitation to share his good news with his mother, I think he made a mistake. Elsie let her fear get in the way of what I think she knew was right. Of course I was devastated that Ben died, and there wasn’t some magical resurrection, or that it wasn’t just a bad dream. I like happily ever afters. But this book was unique. I love how Jenkins Reid is able to weave two stories so seamlessly together. Whether they are concurrent timelines in different universes, or weaving the past and present, she’s a master of it. All her books are on my to-read again list. And this one is right there alongside the others. “No matter how strong you are, no matter how smart you are or tough you can be, the world will find a way to break you. And when it does, the only thing you can do is hold on.”

The first half of this really drew me in, and this was an easy read for me. But this definitely lacked the emotional depth I’m used to experiencing in Taylor’s other books. I think the themes of grief and found family were felt overall, but some parts of the grief felt disconnected, unfinished, and superficial. The anger of grief was portrayed well in my opinion, and parts of the book I wish people would read just to understand what to say and not say to someone who is griefing. Overall still a good book.

The more I read this book the more I got to know Ben and the more sad it became. At first I didn’t understand why she was so distraught over a man she had been married to for 9 days and then as I read on and as she healed I did understand. This was such a sad read but I’m glad that her and Susan did become friends and I’m glad it went back and forth with perspectives. It was similar to how I thought it would end with the memorial for Ben but the process was hard to read because it was heartbreaking. I wish we would’ve gotten more of an ending with her friend and but I LOVED the ending with Mr. Callehan.

Such an amazing story! It broke my heart, but I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book.

I'm not much of a romantic novel fan but for its genre, this book is good. It can be depressing at times and drags in some places but is well-written and has a lot of heart. It's likeable characters and story lines about family, friendship and personal growth make it more interesting than your average romance novel. It also avoids overblown, cheesy bedroom scenes (I don't want to hear about his throbbing manhood and her quivering ...), the author lets you know that there is an active 'physical relationship' without going all TMI. As mentioned above, this book had likeable characters. I especially loved Elsie's bff Ana, everyone should have an Ana in their life. I thought Ben was a believable love-of-your-life character; kind of perfect but not unbelievably perfect, a little goofy yet pretty darn loveable. I even grew to love Susan; as a mom of two boys I can understand why she was so offended by Elsie at first. Who wouldn't be? Mr. Callahan ( an elderly library regular) was great comic relief at times but also had some real words of wisdom for Elsie. My favorite scene in the book was when Elsie over- reacted when the guy at the library asked her out. Super inappropriate response but very entertaining. If you're looking for something to read on airplane or at the pool, this is a good pick. It can hold your attention without requiring serious concentration.

Love, loss and moving forward. When Ben and Elsie meet, it’s instant attraction and love comes very soon after. Their first date set the tone for the relationship. Having Ben save the day and open the locked door to her apartment showed Elsie how invested he was and what it would be like once he really got to know her, to know how taken care of she would be with this man. Ben’s death was heartbreaking but their short romance was so full of love, I felt like I was ok to turn my attention to Elsie and her wellbeing. Susan and Elsie work hard to forgive and accept, respectively. I think Susan stepping in as a mother figure and friend is exactly what Elsie needed. She had Ana, who was a rock but it’s easy to disregard a long time friendship and not find solace or thanks when the friend has always been there for you. She needed Susan to move her forward, someone who knew loss. Great read.

Elsie and Ben have a whirlwind romance. Six months together, nine days married… and then Ben dies in a sudden accident. No matter how short their time was, he was the love of her life. Elsie is completely shattered. On top of that, she meets Susan, her mother-in-law, who didn’t even know Elsie existed until after her son passed away. That dynamic alone adds such an emotional layer to the story. The book moves between past and present over the course of a year. We see Elsie and Ben falling in love, and at the same time we see Elsie trying to survive life without him. Watching both timelines unfold made everything hit harder because you’re seeing what was and what will never be again. This felt like such a real portrayal of grief. Not dramatic for the sake of it, just honest and heavy and human. I really grew attached to these characters. By the end, I felt like I knew them. I’m not usually a fan of books without a happily ever after, and I went into this one blindly. I’m actually glad I did because I probably wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise. And that would’ve been my loss. It feels underrated and quietly powerful. Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors, and I’m slowly working through her entire backlist. This was her debut, and while you can tell it’s an earlier work, it’s still just as heartfelt and beautiful. This one definitely stays with you. "No matter how strong you are, no matter how smart you are or tough you can be, the world will find a way to break you. And when it does, the only thing you can do is hold on."

La manera brutal de iniciar y la manera tan intima que va desarrollandose la historia es algo que hace que no puedas soltar el libro!

Esse livro me fez chorar desde as primeiras páginas. É uma história que te prende e muito bem escrita. Nos faz pensar na brevidade da vida e em como ainda podemos ter esperança mesmo após uma tragédia como a perda de um grande amor. Recomendado!

This was like all other books by this author a very interesting story. It was also the most emotional of her books so far for me. This book is an incredibly heartbreaking story. Yes, it made me cry several times :-( I don't know how to describe this book without spoilers. I'll just start from the end. Although this book doesn't end with a HEA, I have a sense of closure after finishing this book. Yes, I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but after reading this heartbreaking book, that was the only real positive feeling I got out of the story. The book describes all stages of grief. The never-ending sadness and helplessness after losing the love of one's life. The never-ending depression and the feeling of guilt. It's definitely not an easy book. It's an avalanche of desperation, anger and pain. Yes it is a beautifully written story in TJR style and I read it in one sitting but it broke my heart to read it. I'm still glad I read it. I think you have to read books like this from time to time to appreciate life more.

Amazing book, really good

parfait