Review: Forever, Interrupted - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Synopsis

"Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year's Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn't expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they've eloped.
Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met and who doesn't even know Elsie exists.
Interweaving Elsie and Ben's charmed romance with Elsie and Susan's healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there's more than one way to find a happy ending." (Goodreads)

Blinding Myself From the Hype

TJR (I'm going to continue to refer to her like that, it's just easier) recently released her 4th book, but I only just found out about her work this year. My boss had mentioned reading her book Maybe in Another Life and recommended it. I loved the premise but had a hard time getting into it when I finally picked it up (I've since heard great things about the audiobook and am probably going to go that route). Before that, I found TJR's first book, Forever, Interrupted on Book Outlet and just had to get it. I was a little nervous because A) I had tried to read one of her books and didn't fall right into it, and B) I wanted to like her because I just keep hearing good things about her. When I finally picked up Forever, Interrupted, I really had to close my mind off from reviews from people I follow (whether they were for this book or her most recent work) in order to see how I felt about her and her work.

A Duel Narrative

Forever, Interrupted is two stories in one: A present-day portrayal of Elsie's grieving process after her husband Ben dies in an accident and her short but wonderful relationship with Ben. I really liked this method. We get to learn about the intense, whirlwind relationship that Elsie and Ben had and there are often parallels between something from their brief past and something in the present. Instead of creating a book simply focused on grieving or a book where we learn all about their relationship knowing full-well that it will end tragically, we get a little bit of both. 

Let's Be Real

Truthfully, I was occasionally annoyed by Elsie. I hate saying that considering her circumstances but, in a way, that's also what made me appreciate the story. As she falls in love with Ben, she feels confident and unstoppable. When she expressed those feelings, I often thought she sounded cocky. But the thing is, love can make you cocky. You feel wanted, beautiful, appreciated, smart, new, different. Falling in love with sometimes can lead to loving yourself, as well, and it's hard to have one without the other. As for her grieving period, there's no way to judge that. I know I would be similar, if not worse, if I were to be in the same situation (God forbid). 

Overall

3.5 stars

I really love the way this story is told. To me, it was the best way to approach this situation. In other books, the grieving is solved by meeting another person and falling in love again (hard to believe that). Another method would be telling us only their love story, despite the fact that we know it ends tragically. By telling the two stories, we get the perfect amount of realistic heartbreak and hope.