Forever, Interrupted: A Novel

"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.”

I'm not going to write a review that's almost as long as the book, itself.I see that already has been done.This was a good story, and all the characters were interesting.It's a novel...not a documentary on grief.The last sentence of the book was like an arrow to the heart.

I loved the story line. I was excited for the idea of it starting out fast paced but the whole rest of the book I felt like I was just waiting for more. Kind of got bored around half way through.

This was one of my favorites of Reid’s. I liked the characters, their growth, their love, and their imperfections. This was a really good book!

Nine days of marriage is not enough but that's all Elsie gets when her husband is tragically killed. This story hops back and forth between present time and past as you learn from Elsie her story. Her love and her loss. This story is not maudlin but realistic without the spiritual contact necessary to survive such a happening. Some foul language.

No plot, more of a story. Very sad, but positive. Nicely written, just not my kind of book. Made me cry

I bought this book almost ten years ago, and don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading and listening to it (Julia Whelan's narration was, of course, phenomenal). There's no surprise happy ending; tragedy reveals itself right from the get-go, but the heart of the story entails carrying on when carrying on is unthinkable. A young woman's husband dies days after they marry, and she must deal with a mother-in-law who didn't know of her existence. There are a few lovely subplots, most notably librarian Elsie's relationship to an elderly library patron, but the story is about love: how it begins, how it changes, and how it endures. Glad I already own a copy because otherwise I'd have to rush out and buy a copy for my keeper shelf.

This was a good read by author TJR - she writes a tale that the reader can relate to, even in the most abstract ways. She is a realist and makes the reader feel like they are a part of the story - they may not have a happily ever after, but not all stories do...especially in real life.The characters are relatable, they are flawed, they seem real and they are ones that the reader wants to be friends with in real life. They want to be there with them through the good and the bad and help them to get through life. This book gives the reader all the feels - they will laugh, cry, yell, and most of all need some tissues.This was a good read that everyone needs to add to your TBR list! Don't hesitate and add this one today!

This book was surprisingly a really good read! I highly recommend!Great characters! Good storyline! And also gets ya in the feels!

Raw Emotion from the very beginning. So well written. I felt what the character was feeling.

Not as good as the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo but a goid read

parfait

This book come with great quality and its a original book