(68)After I Do by Talyor Jenkins Reid

Lauren and Ryan have been together for eleven years and married for six.  They know each other so well that they can finish each others sentences and they *think* that they can anticipate each others wants and needs.  But after six years of marriage they are just plain sick of each other.  Their bickering builds until there is a meltdown at a Dodgers game that Lauren didn't even want to go to in the first place.  They come to blows and decide that they are going to take a year long break.  They aren't going to legally separate and they aren't going to divorce - yet.  Instead they are going to live apart for a year and see how things are a year later.  They agree to no communication at all.  At first Lauren is completely ravaged by the decision, but then she started to adjust to her new reality and realized that she lost a big piece of herself while she was married.  So what will she do when their "break" is up?  Will her and Ryan resume their marriage or will her new life be too hard to give up?


I think anyone who has been married can agree that sometimes marriage is really hard work.  In my opinion a successful marriage is one where the couple decides to "stick it out" despite everything they go through.   After I Do delves into one couple's marriage and the drastic measures they take with the hope of saving their marriage.  The book is told from Lauren's perspective and while she felt like she was the wronged party, it becomes pretty evident that she had an equal part in the implosion of their marriage.  Through a series of emails, though, we get to see some of Ryan's thoughts on the matter and it is easy to see that he has been just as destroyed by the turn their marriage has taken, too.  It made my heart ache to see the pain that both of them were in throughout this book.  I loved how Lauren's family was there for her and supported her even when they clearly did not understand why they took this break.  It just goes to show what unconditional love can do for a person. I wasn't sure how the book would end, but I was very satisfied with the conclusion.  Things wrapped up nicely and I truly believe that both Ryan and Lauren were going to get their "happy ever after."


Bottom line, I think anyone who has been married can agree that sometimes marriage is really hard work.  After I Do is a quick and emotional read about a couple on the brink of divorce and the steps they take to try and save their marriage.  The question, though, is will it be enough?
JUST THE FACTS: 

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Pages: 352
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: July 1, 2014

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