Holly Shumas

Is an emotional affair really an "affair?" I had never thought about it, but after reading this book, I have to agree that in some ways it is more intimate than a physical one.

Eve, 8 months pregnant, mother to a toddler, and enjoying a family Thanksgiving finds her husband whispering on the phone to a "friend." The rest of the book (a little too long) is what ensues with this couple,the birth of their daughter, her two best friends: one about to get married, the other a free spirit that finds her brother attractive, and a lot of therapy.… (mais)

This book was a quick read. I found myself really wanting this couple to stay together, and in the end, was really disappointed with how the book ended. I realize that this topic hits close to home for a lot of people, but some resolution would have been good to see, rather than the build up of everything. I could have done without the mother and brother characters in this book. I thought that the writing was very well done, but felt that there was still an element missing, which left me wanting more.… (mais)

This is my first Early Reviewer review, I'm a bit nervous!

This book deals with the fallout of an emotional affair carried out via phone and e-mail. To me it seemed a little bit like the thought behind the book was "Hey, emotional affairs are a hot new topic just ripe for having a novel written about them!" While that probably wasn't the case, I really got that vibe and it put me off a bit.

I agree with the reviewer who thought they were in for a "man-bashing" novel at first - it really seemed like it was going to be a typical woman-gets-revenge-on-cheating spouse novel, which I've had enough of. But as the story unfolded, we see both Jon and Eve's perspectives. Unfortunately, I didn't particularly like either character. While I think it's probably quite a realistic portrayal of the ugliness of such a situation, neither character behaved particularly well or was particularly likeable, in my opinion. Jon did come off the worst, - first as a liar, then as a whiner, and then very angry.

My favourite character was Charlie, Eve's younger brother who comes to live with her as a nanny. He turns out to be wonderful with the kids and turns his formerly layabout ways around.

As other reviewers have mentioned, it is thought-provoking, as neither Jon nor Eve are "right." It's also a journey of self-discovery for them both. Overall, I found that the author put perhaps a bit too much of her counselor roots into the book and, as another reviewer mentioned, it's rather depressing. But the book does end on a cautiously hopeful note, which is at least something and it's better than having everything solved neatly, which would not have been realistic.… (mais)