I have read a few books by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This one was good, but not my favorite. Her characters as always are complex. The story is engaging and really makes you think about your own idea of marriage. Lauren and Ryan are sweethearts from high school. They go to college together and follow the normal progression of romance with getting married at a young age. This story is told with back and forth from today to high school back to today and then college and so forth. Lauren and Ryan are fighting and ultimately decide to take a year off. Although this pains both of them, you primarily get Lauren’s point of view in her year apart from Ryan. I would have liked to see more of Ryan’s perspective during this time as well, just to understand his side of things better. There is some of his POV at the end. It is endearing to find out that both Lauren and Ryan had similar instincts in checking emails. This story shows how hard staying in love can be. Marriage is a lot of work and a true commitment. Lauren finds herself questioning all of her previous thoughts about love while she is away from Ryan. She really grows into a woman during this time. She goes through trials and in the end makes the best choice she can for herself. I was very happy with how their story ended showing love can conquer all.
This story was a roller coaster with many ups and downs throughout Ryan and Lauren’s relationship. You really get pulled into the turmoil of their relationship. Feelings can change, which is something everyone can relate to. This story can truly make you believe in true love.