This novel is really out of my comfort zone. It’s a novel that is all about infidelity and family and sexual pleasure. It’s not something I have ever been comfortable reading about but I like to give new things a try and I wanted to broaden my reading range. So thank you to the First to Read program for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Once a year, Rich Fischer goes away from his family to a week-long summer arts conference where he teaches a class on cartooning. A year ago, Rich met a student named Amy O’Donnell, a mother of 3 who is married to a Wall Street titan. That year was filled with passion and bonding on how their lives have turned out. Since then, they have exchanged hot texts and emails. And now they’re back at the arts conference. On the very first day, at the annual softball game, Amy breaks her wrist. Feeling guilty and wanting to comfort her, Rich makes an impulsive decision and buys a bracelet from a jewelry store, wiping out his family’s checking account. He then follows Amy through a near-death country-doctoring all for the sake of their intense chemistry.
This book … well, it was definitely not a favorite for me. I don’t think there was a single thing I liked about this novel. I went for it because I thought it would be an interesting perspective on adultery and lust. Instead, I was stuck with a novel that had terrible characters and self-indulgent narratives. I hated Rich for being so whiny and selfish and horrible. I hated all of the other characters for the same reason. I liked the writing style but the story itself was seriously not great and I am struggling to think of even one good thing to say about it. This book was just not for me but maybe someone else will enjoy it more.
Happy reading ~