A review by _beccareads
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a beautiful honest story about love, life and relationships, and I think it’s going to one of my all time favourites.

Lauren and Ryan have been together since they were teenagers, and after a decade together they realise they’re no longer in love, in fact, they can’t stand each other. In an attempt to fix their relationship they make the difficult decision to separate for a whole year, without any contact.

We follow Lauren as she navigates the breakdown of her marriage, the loneliness that follows and her attempt at rebuilding her life without Ryan in it.

It was so refreshing to read such an honest love story. This book isn’t you’re classic lovely dovey romance, but a beautiful heart-wrenching one that delves into the harsh reality of a broken down relationship, and I think what makes this so great is that, whether you’ve been married or not, it’s wholeheartedly relatable.

In a world of instant gratification it’s so easy to discard a relationship that’s not instantly gratifying anymore, but this book goes to show that love isn’t that simple, you have to work at it.

Overall, what I loved most was that Lauren and Ryan’s story wasn’t perfect, but it was real and they worked hard for it.