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May 15, 2017s390325 rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I guess this is classic "chick lit" or a beach read; interesting enough characters that make you want to finish the book to find out how it all ends up, not too complicated plot, and happy endings for everyone. I enjoyed reading it, but similar to how I felt after reading Erica James' "The Queen of New Beginnings", I felt like I'd been shorted somehow... I think I was hoping for some more substance, or something that would make you think after you were done with the novel. For that reason I doubt I will be seeking out any Erica James books in the future. In this novel, the situations and characters are interesting. What bothered me is that it is easy to read this novel and walk away with the conclusion that all three individuals found happiness because they left their current partner and got together with a new, more interesting and compassionate person. As we all (should) know, expecting that changing your spouse will make you happy will just lead to another divorce. I wish the author had emphasized what had changed in the minds of the characters to allow them to be able to make healthy change in their lives. Maggie finds happiness because she realizes she has had enough with her husband expecting her to do all the household tasks, taking her for granted, and taking his mother's side against her, and she finally decides to stand up for herself. That is the happy ending; the hot guy and great new job are just icing on the cake. Ethan and Ella are happier because they both realize that they need to get out of the manipulative relationships they are currently in. Ella also has to realize that she is in a manipulative relationship, that her widower boyfriend will always allow his children to call the shots, and that the years of distrust will never be healed, no matter how many hoops she jumps through. Ethan seems pretty screwed up but at least he finally realizes that no amount of money is worth the misery from his wife, daughter, and father in law. Having the courage to leave those relationships is the important character change for Ella and Ethan; their new relationship and house in Italy is new and uncertain, but makes for a nice "tie everything up" ending.