Always
Fiction
Ballantine Books
February 7, 2017
Advanced Reader Copy ebook
288
NetGalley
From the New York Times bestselling author of Blackberry Winter and The Violets of March comes a gripping, poignant novel about the kind of love that never lets go, and the heart's capacity to remember. While enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner with her fiancé, Ryan, at one of Seattle's chicest restaurants, Kailey Crane can't believe her good fortune: She has a great job as a writer for the Herald and is now engaged to a guy who is perfect in nearly every way. As they leave the restaurant, Kailey spies a thin, bearded homeless man on the sidewalk. She approaches him to offer up her bag of leftovers, and is stunned when their eyes meet, then stricken to her very core: The man is the love of her life, Cade McAllister. When Kailey met Cade ten years ago, their attraction was immediate and intense--everything connected and felt right. But it all ended suddenly, leaving Kailey devastated. Now the poor soul on the street is a faded version of her former beloved: His weathered and weary face is as handsome as Kailey remembers, but his mind has suffered in the intervening years. Over the next few weeks, Kailey helps Cade begin to piece his life together, something she initially keeps from Ryan. As she revisits her long-ago relationship, Kailey realizes that she must decide exactly what--and whom--she wants. Alternating between the past and the present, Always is a beautifully unfolding exploration of a woman faced with an impossible choice, a woman who discovers what she's willing to save and what she will sacrifice for true love.
My review:
While this was a good story with an engaging plot, I definitely had some problems with it. Classic case of having to choose between two men, I felt that the author was leading the reader to agree with the protagonist's choice in the end. I also found it interesting that circumstances worked out so that the choice was not as far fetched as implied at the beginning of the book. I'm also not a big fan of the idea that we all have a "soul mate" in life. I'm not buying it, no matter how an author sugarcoats it. I did find this to be an easy read. The characters, while a bit superficial, were interesting enough to keep the story moving. While not terribly literary, the writing flowed well and the story didn't drag for me. Probably my favorite thing about the book was the spotlight on homelessness and mental health issues. I feel that more on this topic would have made the book even better for me.
Overall a good read for when you don't want to have to think too much, although it did feel that the author was dragging the reader to the proper happily ever after ending.
I have never read a Sarah Jio book, and others have recommended her books a lot. I'm not a fan of the love triangle but at least it worked out to your liking. It sounds like a good escape from the world book (not having to think too much).
I've only read a couple others, but Goodnight June was definitely my favorite of the ones I've read. I'm also not a fan of love triangles, so maybe that is why this one was only ok for me.
Well, we can try to transform a partner into our soul mate, but if there was only "one" for each of us, then being in more than one relationship/marriage wouldn't make sense. I do think it's a common trope of authors, not always a bad idea for a plot if handled well. I like the two Sarah Jio books I've read so far, and really wanted to read this one. I still do, actually, but I will go into it with an open mind. I don't like love triangles or insta-love for that matter, and maybe a fault with the writing is that the author tries to steer the reader to choose the same person who the MC winds up with. Still, I'll read it 🙂 And thanks for your thoughts-- a good review!