This one got me close to tears, and gosh, this story is realistic to a point that it gives you a sort of pain that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, if you get what I mean.

Its funny that I'm neither married, nor I have a partner at the time I'm reading this, but TJR managed to make me feel so so much whilst reading this. Its often hard to see relationships falter when they're so much in love, especially after marriage. And even if I'm single at this time, I'm such a pessimist that I knew that marriage is not just all fun and games; its about compromises and responsibilities, and how often than not, you sacrifice part of yourself willingly to be with this other person.

TJR wrote this beautifully. Whilst its not perfect, I feel that the rawness and the imperfections of the book made the story more relatable. Her stories always feel so very real. Its real to a point that you feel that the characters are people that live close to you, or a sort of friend that is going through this painful experience.

Honestly, what Lauren and Ryan is doing for their marriage (they took a one year off each other), is very brave of them. Like I said, if it were me, I'd have given up (but this is coming from someone who is in a relationship), and yet, I understood . I understood by looking at my surroundings, and my parents and the ones that their marriage can't be saved. I understood that relationships need work and no humans are perfect, and it takes US vs THE WORLD rather than YOU and I VS WORLD . I feel that marriage is a team pact, where you are your own person but at the same time you work together to be against the problem. No marriage is perfect, and TJR wrote that in a way that these problems DO exist in real life; in which makes the stories that she wrote more meaningful.

And honestly, from the few books that I've read from her, TJR knows how to write stories on families. I love a family saga, and Lauren's family are one that I just have the most heart in. Goes to show at the end of the day, when nothing is working out for you, the people that love you most will always have your back. I love that Lauren went on a journey on finding herself again through the people that she loves, and through the people that loves her as well.

This book isn't a story of a woman mourning her marriage. Its a story of a woman who is brave enough to save her marriage, to find herself amidst being broken and above all, being able to love again when its right. This story shows that, even if two people who are loyal to one another and loves each other so much, this can happen to them . It can happen to anyone. And for what's worth, fight for what you think is the right thing for you. Fight for your happiness. And most of all, be happy doing it. Because at the end of the day, that's only what matters.

4.5🌟 for this one!

Biggest thank you to @definitelybooks for this copy!