"This story ends with loss," said your mother. "I'm only on the first chapter, but I can tell."
Not only are those the first two lines of this novel, they are also prophetic about what you'll read within its pages. I will go ahead and tell you that this review will likely contain spoilers (although I'll try to keep them at a minimum) so if you don't want to know what's going to happen, you may want to stop reading right now and stick with the Goodreads' description (click on cover to go to the Goodreads page).
Alright - are you ready?
Here we go ...
James and Rob were best friends growing up. When James lost his mother, Rob was there for him. James spent more time with Rob's family than he did his own. They were more than best friends; they were brothers. James was used to seeing Rob with flakes and bimbos as girlfriends so when he walked in on Lou reading on Rob's couch, he was thrown for a loop. Lou was not the typical girl Rob dated. She was smart, she liked to read, and she seemed down-to-earth. James was instantly attracted and drawn to Lou, but he pushed aside the feelings because Lou was Rob's.
As time passed, Rob and Lou got married with James being the best man at their wedding. It was difficult for James but he was determined to find love elsewhere to help get his mind, and heart, off of Lou - who seemed the ideally perfect woman for James.
After their marriage, Rob quickly climbed the corporate ladder causing more and more late nights at the office. The arguing between Rob and Lou became more pronounced, as is normal between a couple who married young and is not used to the idea of compromise. James, being the best friend, heard about some of the issues from both Rob and Lou. He knew it was wrong to get involved but he couldn't resist, which did not help his feelings for Lou.
When it was revealed that Rob and Lou's marriage was crumbling, James immediately took Lou's side in his head and heart. A little time passes, one thing leads to another, and James gets his wish. We all know that when we get what we think we want it's not always as bright and shiny as we imagined. That's what happened here.
There's more that happens but I want to stop here so I don't reveal everything. The overall tone of this novel is inherently sad. From the lack of closeness in relationships, to ruined friendships, to death and loss - it is a novel that will take you to varying depths of sadness while bringing you little joy.
Does that mean I didn't like it? Not at all!
I think sometimes we need to read such a novel to remind us how important the relationships we've formed are to us. They may not be perfect, or ideal, or you may wish you had someone else, but we're with who we're with for a reason. Let us be content and strive to improve what we already have. Let us not waste a day, an hour, a minute, pining for something we may never get a chance to grasp. Life is short and it is what you make of it. Make it great. Make it count.
~ 4 out of 5 stars ~
Oh, and for those who love it when the book title is explained in the novel, here you go:
I don't care if lovers swear it to each other and the devout sling it around as a future reward for their faithfulness. As far as I'm concerned, forever is the worst long time. At least with adversity and illness, there's a general idea of what to expect. We don't know a damn thing about the uncharted horrors of eternity.
*An ARC was received from Goldberg McDuffie Communications, Inc. in exchange for an honest review.