Reviews with content warning for Child death - Forever, Interrupted

My first TJR book that wasn't part of the Mick Riva-verse, and I wasn't disappointed. This is a beautiful story of a mother and widow coming to terms with the loss of their husband and son. I really think you should read this book.

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wwsimon93's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Title: Forever, Interrupted
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: July 9, 2013

T H R E E • W O R D S

Touching • Authentic • Distinctive

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Elsie and Ben are average twenty-somethings, but this is not your average love story. It begins bright and promising: the newlywed couple is head over heels in love, having eloped six months after they met. But it all shatters in an instant; Ben out riding his bike, is hit by a truck—and dies on impact.

Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, his body has already been taken to the hospital. When she arrives, Elsie is greeted by an unexpected visitor—her mother-in-law, Susan, whom she has never met and who doesn’t even know she exists.

Both are seared with grief; Susan is still mourning the death of her own husband several years earlier, and the loss of her only son is almost too much to bear. The two women immediately sour on one another, fighting over what to do with Ben’s belongings and how to fulfill his wishes. But as time goes by, Susan and Elsie both realize that despite the terrible accident that brought them together, they are now the only family they have left.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Having read, and loved, several of Taylor Jenkins Reid's newer releases in 2022, I immediately knew I wanted to tackle her entire backlist. Forever, Interrupted (her debut) was the backlist title that piqued my interest the most given Elsie and I's shared experience of having a partner die suddenly. For that reason, I knew this book would likely destroy me emotionally, and of course, it did.

In this novel, TJR approaches love in such an unconventional manner, while also exploring grief and healing with gentleness and subtlety. Done seamlessly, the dual timelines help guide the story at the perfect pace. The characters are real, and I came to love them as the flawed humans they are. And I can certainly vouch to the fact that the evolution of Elsie and Susan's relationship felt like an accurate representation of the messiness that is grief. The bonds one forms when going through the most awful of situations can come from the most unlikely of places. It is no secret that the people you expect to show up are often the ones who disappear, and the people who show up can be the least expected.

One small thing I also loved was the fact Elsie was a librarian. This simple little tidbit brought the book even closer to my heart given my own love of books and libraries. They say sometimes books come into your life at the right time, and I think this was a beautiful reminder of that for me.

Despite this being an incredibly emotional book on a personal level for me, the writing itself lacked the emotional depth and rawness I've come to expect from TJR. Of course, it's important to keep in mind this is her debut novel, and she her craft has likely evolved since.

A genuine portrayal of love in all its forms, Forever, Interrupted really gets to the heart of human relationships. While ultimately a tragic story, the message of happiness coming in all kinds of different shapes and sizes breathes an air of hope. This is a story I will never forget, and a reminder that the people who come into our lives, end up shaping our journeys no matter the length of time their physically present.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• TJR devotees
• anyone looking for atypical romance
• readers who enjoyed Come Away With Me

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"'Listen to me; it means nothing. You think that some ten minutes you spent with ben in a room defines what you meant to each other? It doesn't. You define that. What you feel defines that. You loved him. He loved you. You believed in each other. That is what you lost. It doesn't matter whether it's labelled a husband or a boyfriend. You lost the person you love. You lost the future you thought you had.'"

"Love is love is love. When you lose it, it feels like the shittiest disaster in the world. Just like dog shit."

Content Warnings

meganpsick's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Content Warnings

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

Taylor Jenkins Reid has become one of my all-time favourite authors and I am working my way through all of her published works.

Forever, Interrupted was an incredibly emotional read. We follow multiple characters through their grief and it is heartbreaking at times and inspiring and insightful at others. Like Taylor's other books, we have dual timelines written here and it adds another layer and dimension to the story. This book is a very slow burn and our main character can be annoying at times but it did not away any of my enjoyment.

You can tell this was Taylor's first book but that is not necessarily a bad thing. It shows how much progress has been made with the writing in each book, despite it being clever, multi-dimensional and insightful to begin with. Taylor Jenkins Reid has such an incredible talent for writing and I cannot wait to experience more of it.

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