Review: Beautifully Done!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 2, 2013
I have to applaud Ms. Roberts for going where a lot of authors won't touch, love, infidelity, and forgiveness. I understand some of the other reviewers dislike for the focus but I think they missed the big picture. It wasn't all about Eli. This was a very thorough and complete telling of a very complicated love story that expanded beyond Faith, Eli and Nathan. This story completely encompassed the truth of love and marriage. It includes friends, families and yes those people that are the other part of an affair. This book covered it all and did it beautifully.Infidelity is wrong! It does happen and the forgiveness needs to happen whether a couple stays together or divorces. Forgiveness allows each to go on and have a more open heart. Like so many couples do, Faith and Eli let stuff get in the way of their relationship and allowed the possibility of infidelity to enter because they didn't really take their vows completely to heart. They both broke the vows before the affairs started. Faith by denying Eli into their marital bed when she was angry with him as well as shutting him out when she had the obligation to openly communicate her feelings. She shut down when she should have opened up and had a real conversation about things. Eli had unfinished business with Simone because their relationship ended because of others choices and never really had closure. Eli should have talked to Faith and let her know that Simone was back in his life in a business capacity because then she could have become more focused. All of those "breaks" before they got married were issues that should have been discussed and a plan thought out to not have these come to a head. Sometimes a marriage has to hit a rock that is nasty before the people involved really discover what they really want and stop taking it for granted. They both hurt other people. They both broke the vows of fidelity. I liked that Faith's father was so forth right with both of them and called his daughter on her crap. I also give props for Eli owning his stuff and facing it. Marriage is hard work, divorce is even harder because that means the heart closes and the communication stops or becomes so clouded and disruptive that the truth of the love and caring gets buried. I liked how it ended for now.Simone new what she was doing but never owned that she was indeed becoming the other woman. She can say all she wants that they didn't start until the separation but that's not true. The first seed of lust and desire was the beginning. Infidelity starts long before the physical happens. The mind and heart tread down that road first and then the body follows. I honestly can't feel sorry for any of them except Nate because he is truly and innocent party to this mess. Simone is wrong for keeping a big secret from Eli. But that is for another story which I know is in the works.This is not an unfamiliar real life theme. It's sometimes harder to swallow when you read in fiction because of Ms. Roberts amazing ability to tie a truly believable story into an erotic romance that goes beyond the physical, to the heart and mind of the human imperfection. You don't have to like the theme of the story to love the characters and their connections. I personally don't agree with infidelity but I also can see both sides of stay or leave. This was a great story and I don't think the subject matter or the characters are bad in this situation. It is what it is. Human beings in love losing focus and finding their way back. True love doesn't die, it gets beat up, crushed and buried because its easier to hold a grudge than to be vulnerable and let all hang out. Love and marriage is the hardest joy to journey through but it is so worth it with the right person faults and all. I highly recommend reading all of the stories about the brothers even though they can each stand alone. This one ties a lot together and the two stories before this help give it clarity and dynamic. Besides, Ms. Roberts does a phenomenal job writing IR stories that go beyond great sex, they involve the heart and soul to a depth that those who are deeply and truly in love can comprehend. It's hard to put it down so plan a time that you can really sit and enjoy a great story with a hard subject to confront.