A review by sarahcurl
Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

“None of them had been worried about him, and the Sullivans were a family who believed that worry could prevent catastrophe. Teddy thought this belief was somehow tied into their Catholicism and guilt, though he wasn't exactly sure how. It had been drilled into him - if you worried about a car crash, you would arrive safely. If you were extra careful about locking your doors, you would never be robbed. Always call when you get home. Update everyone on your whereabouts. The worrying would keep you safe.”

A family drama set in a restaurant? This is the sort of novel I love, and while this one had great writing and all of the elements were seemingly there, I found myself bored a lot of the time. Perhaps it would have been a different experience had I read a physical copy versus listening to it on audio, but I couldn't find the momentum of it. Character-driven novels can work for me, but these characters seemed so stuck the whole time. I couldn't stand Jane's husband and how much Jane tolerated him, and the whole time Gretchen was thinking about how she needed a different career and life plan, all I could think was, "Yes! Get one!" Worst of all, was how much Teddy tolerated his ex; I couldn't understand that relationship at all!

(listened on audio 🎧)