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shibaunited's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I'm so torn on this book because I wanted to DNF if for at least the first half, but I also wanted to see how it ended.
Spoilers*
This MC is the most narcissistic abusive MC I may have ever read. She spends the first 4 chapters talking about how great her husband is and how she knows she mistreats him yet she doesnt change her behavior then wonders why her daughter hates her and husband falls out of love with her.
She abandons her entire family and social circle because she imagined an affair that probably didnt happen without so much as a conversation with her beloved husband on 20+ years who she claims she trusts. Then we find out she did way worse than that to him in the past. Has an affair the first night she leaves, and has a full relationship and many more fantasy "affairs" as she tries to "reinvent herself" in another city. This woman is delusional and spontaneous at worst, or abusive and narcissistic at best. She judges everyone she meets so harshly without an ounce of empathy or understanding but then for some reason backpedals every time as if the reader is judging her for being horrible, which we should be!
The amount of reviews treating this book as if the MC is just sad and lost dont seem to ever consider how her actions impact those she claims to "love" .
Part of me wishes I did dnf it, maybe I'd have avoided this slump. But the writing is engaging, the author does have talent but the story is frustrating and the ending proves my point. The MC never had to be vulnerable to get her family back, she always sees herself as the victim and this BS "we can start a new life together and ride off into the sunset" ending proves it.
1.5 stars for good writing and the ability to keep me somewhat hooked even when I hated everything about the story.
Spoilers*
This MC is the most narcissistic abusive MC I may have ever read. She spends the first 4 chapters talking about how great her husband is and how she knows she mistreats him yet she doesnt change her behavior then wonders why her daughter hates her and husband falls out of love with her.
She abandons her entire family and social circle because she imagined an affair that probably didnt happen without so much as a conversation with her beloved husband on 20+ years who she claims she trusts. Then we find out she did way worse than that to him in the past. Has an affair the first night she leaves, and has a full relationship and many more fantasy "affairs" as she tries to "reinvent herself" in another city. This woman is delusional and spontaneous at worst, or abusive and narcissistic at best. She judges everyone she meets so harshly without an ounce of empathy or understanding but then for some reason backpedals every time as if the reader is judging her for being horrible, which we should be!
The amount of reviews treating this book as if the MC is just sad and lost dont seem to ever consider how her actions impact those she claims to "love" .
Part of me wishes I did dnf it, maybe I'd have avoided this slump. But the writing is engaging, the author does have talent but the story is frustrating and the ending proves my point. The MC never had to be vulnerable to get her family back, she always sees herself as the victim and this BS "we can start a new life together and ride off into the sunset" ending proves it.
1.5 stars for good writing and the ability to keep me somewhat hooked even when I hated everything about the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Ableism, Alcohol, Bullying, Body shaming, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Sexual violence
mschrock8's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure I could really run away like that, even though, at times, it seemed like a good idea. Hope to read more by this author.
lizzina's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad, just a bit of the usual cliché of the middle-aged woman with a 20ish daughter who hates her who finds out the husband is cheating on her. The subject is interesting being the discover of who we really are, especially if our entire life is based on something we just made up and we are not acting like we really are just because we think that being someone else will make our perfect life continue. What I didn't like of the book is that, after departing from home, Mira seems obsessed from sex, and it sounded a bit annoying that she was thinking having sex with almost every male character appeared in the book...
Apart from this, it was a light reading for a lazy Saturday afternoon ;)
Apart from this, it was a light reading for a lazy Saturday afternoon ;)
lexadoddle's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
melissakuzma's review against another edition
3.0
I really want to rate this one 2 1/2 stars, but I'm rounding up. I really liked an earlier book by this author and was happily suprrised to find this other novel by her. I saved it for vacation as a mindless treat and it worked, more or less. I thought the premise was pretty ridiculous (middle aged woman married 20+ years leaves her husband after finding out he is almost-cheating on her, without even a 10 minute discussion with him, and runs off to Seattle). Despire tthat, it was kind of interesting to see what she decided to do with herself after suddenly picking up and leaving her whole life behind. The one part of the book I wish had been edited out (in addition to the kind of gross love scenes) was the nasty daughter character. She was unbelievable and added nothing to the story. Every time she appeared, it made me want to stop reading.
erinvonbaron's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh. Hallmark movie of a book. Not my jam. Definitely for some people. Not for me. Couldn't make it past chapter 4.
literaryfeline's review against another edition
4.0
http://www.literaryfeline.com/2008/11/review-love-and-biology-at-center-of.html
booknrrd's review against another edition
2.0
When a high school science teacher finds out that her husband has been seeing another woman, she (understandably) flips out and skips town. She settles in Seattle where she finds a job at a small coffee shop (called The Center of the Universe). Eventually she must confront her marital situation, but she's content to ignore it for as long as she can.
This book was okay. I don't know why I read "women's fiction" because I usually feel dissatisfied at the end, and this wasn't any different. Thankfully there were no conveniently-timed illnesses or lost friendship subplots, so it did have that going for it. I was somewhat annoyed that the dust jacket description didn't really match up with the book. It makes it sound like Mira goes on some kind of crazy spree, and while her actions are rash, they are not the actions the blurb suggests.
This book was okay. I don't know why I read "women's fiction" because I usually feel dissatisfied at the end, and this wasn't any different. Thankfully there were no conveniently-timed illnesses or lost friendship subplots, so it did have that going for it. I was somewhat annoyed that the dust jacket description didn't really match up with the book. It makes it sound like Mira goes on some kind of crazy spree, and while her actions are rash, they are not the actions the blurb suggests.
mjcourchesne's review against another edition
4.0
To be completely honest, I didn't want to like this book. The main character, Mira, was a stranger to me at the beginning -- someone whose motives I couldn't relate to in the least.
It wasn't until I was 3/4 of the way through that I realized I was thoroughly sucked in to Mira's story, and her heart-wrenching decision to leave her family, then revisit her past and unravel just what it was that she wanted from her life.
In the end, my personal realization was that what she is striving for--a true and meaningful connection with her family, her partners, her world--is something essential to us all. With that thought, I cried with Mira and applauded her for moving through the really tough process of stepping out of herself in order to regain her true being.
It wasn't until I was 3/4 of the way through that I realized I was thoroughly sucked in to Mira's story, and her heart-wrenching decision to leave her family, then revisit her past and unravel just what it was that she wanted from her life.
In the end, my personal realization was that what she is striving for--a true and meaningful connection with her family, her partners, her world--is something essential to us all. With that thought, I cried with Mira and applauded her for moving through the really tough process of stepping out of herself in order to regain her true being.
robertalucy's review
4.0
I adore Jennie Shortridge's books, but this is not my favorite. Found the main characters actions a stretch, which made her less likeable. But i will continue to read everything she writes:)