Two By Two by Nicholas Sparks

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

If You Like: Rekindling romance, daddy daughter stories

Similar to: ?

Ages: 16-100

Nicholas Sparks has really changed the type of story that he writes.  This book wasn't awful, but it was by far my least favorite. This isn't your typical Nicholas Sparks romance, but it is a love story of a different kind.  

Russell has a seemingly wonderful life with his wife, Vivian, and his daughter, London. Russell works for an advertising agency, but has always dreamed of starting his own advertising business. When finally decides to go after his dream, Vivian is anything but supportive, ultimately taking a job with someone Russell used to work with and never liked.  Vivian and Russell's relationship begins to crumble, but the final nail in the coffin is when Vivian announces that she is leaving Russell for another man.  Russell is devastated, but knows that his biggest priority is getting custody of his six year old daughter, London.  He has loving and supportive parents, a sister, Marge, and her wife, Liz, and a great friend, Emily. Emily and Russell were in a very serious relationship when they were in college, but Russell made a mistake by cheating on her. Emily has recently gone through a divorce and can relate to Russell and what he is going through. Plus, her son Boady is London's best friend.  Russell finds that the more time he spends with Emily, the more he regrets ever letting her go.

This book was so long and slow that it was a little agonizing to get through. I pressed on, and I'm glad I did, but I have been becoming increasingly disappointed with an author I once considered a favorite.  I can only hope that the only place from here to go is up.

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

**May contain spoilers**

Rating: 3 out of 5
If You Like: Affairs, Love Triangles
Similar to: Other Emily Giffin novels
Ages: 18-100

Let me just start out by saying that I'm not sure why Emily Giffin is so obsessed with infidelity.  This (like Something Borrowed and Love the One You're With) is about an affair.  I guess I used to love a good love triangle, but now that I'm happily married and a Christian, affairs aren't romantic like they used to be for me.

Tess and her husband, Nick, have just celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary, and after seven years, their marriage is seemingly perfect.  Tess has recently quit her job to focus on being a stay at home mom to her two children, but is finding every day life mundane.  Everything seems perfect from the outside, but then Nick is really struggling with his feelings too. When he meets the mom (Valerie) of one of his burn patients, Charlie.  Valerie has never really been in a committed relationship, and the only "father figure" Charlie has had in his life is his Uncle (Valerie's brother).  Nick quickly falls in love with Valerie because he can see that although she is a strong woman, she is lonely.  He eventually feels guilty after the affair continues for some time and he tells his wife about the affair.  Tess is hurt, but she ultimately makes the surprising decision to stay with her  husband and try to make it work despite the mistakes he has made.  Valerie has to try to move on from the quick but passionate and all consuming love affair she had with Nick.

This book was an ok book, and I love Emily Giffin's style of writing, but I'm getting sick of the types of stories she writes about.  Thankfully I'm writing this review quite a while after I finished this book, and I'm reading another Emily Giffin that is much better and doesn't seem to be going the route of an affair.