Forever, Interrupted

I had such incredibly high hopes. It's not that this book was a letdown. It was a fast read, I was interested in the story, it just didn't live up to my expectations based on the two other books I've read by the same author. If nothing else, it's a fascinating look back at an author's evolution.

If you've read this blog for awhile, you know that I am OBSESSED with Daisy Jones & The Six. The Taylor Jenkins Reid novel is everywhere this spring and it's so good, I've told my co-workers that I'll pay them $1,000 if they don't like it. I'm also obsessed with Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, a book Reid wrote a few years back. It's in my top 10 books of all time. In both books, Reid's characters and use of dialogue carry the reader through unexpected emotional journeys. Each have a unique style and a fascinating twist. Both books ended with me wishing I could read them again for the first time.

So, I went back. Back to the beginning. The library had Reid's first novel and the premise made for a good place to start. After a lightning-fast courtship and a quickie marriage, Elsie and Ben get married and start their lives together. Nine days later, Ben is dead and Elsie is faced with his family, who doesn't even know she exists. Over time, she builds a relationship with Ben's mom while the two try to get their own lives back on track. 

The characters are fine, the plot is unique and story is told back and forth between life before Ben's death and life after. What's missing here that's so present in the other books: suspense. Drama. A twist. The story, while emotional, simply carries from beginning to end. There's no major detours on the road, nothing to make you gasp as you turn a page. 

It's fine. But, it's not great. Reid comes along way between here and Daisy Jones.