After I Do: By Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

 

 

 

Yes it has been a long long time since our last talk .. 

But here we are again with another tiny and furious chitchat !

 

So tell me, what do you think of LOVE and how far will go to save the strong connection you had with someone?!

 

THINK ..

 

 

 

ALMOST THERE …

 

 

 

DON’T GIVE UP ..

 

 

4 letters. One definition and multiple feelings running through once’s system all at once!

 

 

L O V E              &           A M O R E

Yes those two words above are tricky, they’re in fact two inhabitants from a complete different world and universe. Sometimes it requires one to be brave enough to fight, save, and maintain it. We’re all soldiers in the battle known as LOVE.

 

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a genius when it comes to hooking up her readers in the plot twists she creates. Leaving us holding our breath with every page flip, I as a reader had to pray and have my fingers crossed not wanting the negative outcomes to happen. But they did, for the good of both lead characters which I’ll get into in a moment. This particular publication is one my favorite books authored by her, not only did it leave me shattered and emotionally unstable (in a good way), but I felt like there are many things needed and required to be saved and fixed, for me personally and the characters too. And yes this book will make you want to reach out to the characters and grab them by the hand and shirt to either smack them or lead them back together, but its ok because we will get the ending we want, but in the hard way. Through a very complicated test of separation, anxiety, and desperation.

 

Ryan and Lauren are just like any other couples who fell for each other early in their teens and got married. They have not experienced love and relationships other than themselves, together. In other words, they know love and intimacy through each other only. And as lovely as that could be, they both eventually grew out of it. leaving them empty like a jar that needs to be protected from breaking. Their feelings shifted and they both felt the emptiness and change of heart. But with all that, they kept going, until there was no more energy to keep going. Leading to a complete confusion in what they had and what’s yet to come, if there’s any .. 

 

They once had a romantic connection, a long-term bond that they thought would never end, regardless of what might happen and what life would eventually be. they will stick with each other and fight.  But life is not always generous, as it was not with them too. In order to strengthen this connection, they both had to undergo an oppressive and painful experience of living without each other.

 

 And yes what just popped in your head is true.

 

Live, as in parting ways and experience life separately, and that also means seeing other people and date if it came to be along their way. And it did. The mystery in this test-like situation was, if by the end of it they will start a new life and look forward, or will they sense a missing piece in every meal they once loved and the stupid jokes they shared.

 

One year, 12 months is all it took for both Ryan and Lauren to experience the pain and agony, which eventually led to a stronger connection of love and romance that is based on understanding and communication .

 

Throughout the plot, readers will get to know the importance of human connections, not in romantic matters only. But family, friends and those who would support you throughout it all. in this case, Lauren and Ryan had their families with them, backing them up regardless of the messed-up situation of falling out of love despite their long-term marriage and connection they had. No one judged and no one misunderstood, although it did seem a bit odd for couples to date others while still being legally married, but all was well in the end. Because if it was not for what they did and the bold connection they had, their marriage and their love would have ended before it even started.

Its not easy to be in a similar situation, just imagine yourself being head over heels for someone, and suddenly you’re both confused and feel nothing but emptiness. For others, the first thing would be to file for a divorce, but for Lauren and Ryan, hope and the light in the darkness was everything they aimed for and worked towards. Which actually ended on good terms. Leading them back to stage 1. To each other, and the imperfect lovable life they shared. 

 

I will not spill the plot, but its important to know that the storyline is so heartbreaking, it will leave you in tears of joy and pain all at once. You will get so attached to both characters and Lauren’s family in specific (I KNOW I DID), especially when the family was going through a rough time and they all had one another to get through it. 

Its warm, filled with love and also a painful love of family friends and even partners.

 

PS: don’t hate DAVID and EMILY, they’re part of the test taken to see how far will all this go and how. Remember, the sun rises as it always does, never lose hope and keep going.

 

 

 

Favourite quotes from the book !

 

-      ‘Look at the things we are capable of in the name of the people we love’.

 

-      ‘I could shine when I didn’t have to struggle to be heard’.

 

-      ‘I have forgotten how to live without him, now that he’s here’.

 

-      ‘—two people who used to be in love. What a beautiful thing to have been. What a sad thing to be’.