Review: SO real.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 12, 2014
I’m not sure how to write this review. It’s probably going to end up being jibberish, so I apologize in advance. Also, I’m crying like a little girl as I write it, so if I misspell things and I don’t catch it on a reread, oops! To put it out there for those that don’t want to read all of my review – Wrecking Ball was very well written, the characters were very well developed, and it was overwhelmingly emotional. Does it have romance, angst, steaminess, and a bit of humor? Yep, all of the above. So if you want to know what I thought of it, that’s it. I highly recommend it. I can’t say enough great things about it. If you’re looking for a simple “Did Erin enjoy it?” Yes. Yes, I enjoyed it. If you want to know MORE than that, keep reading...This book is about a married couple who are forced to rediscover the meaning of their marriage. Sophia has to decide if she can forgive her husband, Brandon, and continue living the life they had after finding him with another woman. After sending him away with their two daughters, she goes on a trip with her adventurous little sister, Tia. Brandon (and I’ll admit, even I) thought Tia was trying to push Sophia to move on. You see further in the book that it was quite the opposite. Tia helps Sophia realize what she wants and needs. Sophia is so strong but had let herself become something she wasn’t, as did Brandon. As heartbreaking as it was to feel how broken they both were with the separation, it was worth it in the end.I LOVED the writing style in this book. Toler develops these characters perfectly. It’s not too much but enough that you really feel like you know them. There were just enough flashbacks for you to see how great they once were together, and that makes seeing their current state that much more bittersweet. It was also written from both pov’s, which I think helped. You don’t ever question Brandon’s love for Sophia because you KNOW he’s hurting with her.This book shows what happens to a couple when things get comfortable. They get lazy. They stop loving as intensely as they should. After many different rude awakenings from family and friends, they have to decide for themselves if it’s worth trying to salvage their relationship. It’s intense, it’s emotional, and it’s deep.If you remember a few months ago, Katie had a serious heart to heart with y’all through her review for Something Worth Saving by Chelsea Landon. I think this is my SWS. Wrecking Ball affected me, much more than I expected it to. I’ll be honest and say, I had forgotten what it was even about when I started it last night. Had I known, I’m not sure I would have started it. But I did and now I’m so glad I picked it up.Wrecking Ball has stuck with me since the moment I finished. I just can’t let myself let go of this book, these characters, and their struggle. I think the reason I can’t seem to get over it or think of anything else is because it’s SO real. Without the cheating, their lives resemble my life and marriage. We aren’t unhappy. We don’t fight a lot, although we don’t necessarily agree on everything. But it’s all become very routine and…boring. We’re comfortable. We have three kids and full time jobs. We go to work, pick up kids from daycare, make dinner, and put the kids in bed. I go to bed and read, or do blogging duties; he stays up and does homework or plays video games. It’s our life and not a bad life, but now I’m dissecting all of it. Every look, every small detail that could hold more of a meaning than I thought. I want it to be less comfortable and more what it used to be. I want that intense love back.I’ve gone way off and no one cares about my marriage, so I’ll just say this. Wrecking Ball affected me. It changed me. It IS my life, and it feels like I learned the lessons with the characters right along with them. A book has never done this to me before, so that must mean something, right? It will forever mean something to me because it made me step back and realize what was going on right in front of my face, every single day.Overall, it’s reality for SO many of us. B.N. Toler digs deep and grabs your emotions with a grip that won’t let go. She wrote a beautiful novel that will have me reeling for months, and I love that a hobby I enjoy is able to do that for me. It’s emotional, heartbreaking, and motivating all in one. Bravo Toler, Bravo.<3 Erin