Thank you to Trish Collins at TLC Book Tours for inviting me to be a part of the blog tour for So Happy Together by Deborah K. Shepherd! I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Deborah K. Shepherd
Published April 20, 2021
As her stultifying marriage is unravelling, and in the midst of mourning the loss of her creative self, Caro Tanner has a nightmare about Peter, an old love whom she hasn’t seen in twenty years. She takes this as a sign he still needs her. With her three children safely off to summer camp, Caro embarks on a pre-Facebook, pre–cell phone road trip to recapture who she once was and what she thinks she once had.
Set in the sex, drugs, and rock ’n roll ’60s in Tucson, Arizona―when Caro and Peter were kooky, colorful, and inseparable drama students―and in the suburban ’80s, when Caro’s creative spark has been quenched to serve the needs of her husband and children, So Happy Together explores the conundrum of love and sexual attraction, creativity and family responsibilities, and what happens when they are out of sync. It is a story of missed opportunities, the tantalizing possibility of second chances, and what we leave behind, carry forward, and settle for when we choose. It sits in that raw, messy, confounding, beautiful place where love resides. - from Goodreads
Caro, unhappy in her long marriage to Jack, decides to take a road trip to visit the man she never forgot about, her first love and college sweetheart, Peter. Along the way, she revisits her past, which makes her reconsider her future. I'm torn on how to rate this book, because I love the premise of trying to rediscover who you once were, perhaps feeling like you've lost parts of yourself over the course of a long relationship, but I also felt like Caro was holding onto a past that didn't necessarily exist.
Some things I didn't enjoy:
- I felt like Caro's recollections of the past were sometimes viewed through rose-colored glasses. She recounts her time at college in the late 1960s, experimenting with sex and drugs, and ultimately her relationship with Peter, which seemed to define her time there. Something about the relationship felt off to me from the start, and when it was revealed why, it made sense. I felt sad for Caro that she could never have the relationship she truly desired from Peter, but also frustrated that she was so focused on getting one thing from him. Knowing what she does about Peter, it's kind of hard to understand her motivations for getting up and leaving her husband one day, thinking that everything will be different with Peter.
- I wanted more of Caro's life with Jack. We get bits and pieces of how her life changed after she met Jack (the nose job, giving up her dreams for a career), but most of the book focuses on her time with Peter, decades earlier, and I felt like I needed to know more of why she felt so dissatisfied in her marriage.
Some things I did enjoy:
- The writing. Caro was an actress and budding playwright, and I think Shepherd captured that so well in her writing. From the touches of drama to the imagined scenes in her head, you can tell that Caro is an intelligent, thoughtful woman who clearly hasn't lost her touch for the stage.
- Caro's love for her children. Despite her issues with Jack, Caro never forgets about her children and worries how this upheaval in her life will affect them.
- Even though I had issues with the Caro/Peter relationship, I loved the way Peter always accepted Caro for exactly who she was. He loved and supported her, and I think that's why she still thought about him years after their relationship ended.
3.5 stars
3 and 3.5 star reads are so tricky. Like you didn't hate it but you also didn't fully love it. I like that you wrote down what you did and didn't enjoy. Great review!
ReplyDeleteExactly! I felt like it was good to point out both in this review. Thanks, Stephanie!
DeleteI like the premise, but I wonder about a character who wants a past that is only in her imagination
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was a little frustrating at times!
DeleteI feel like I would have trouble relating to (and even liking) Caro. And instead of being invested in her journey, I would be feeling sympathetic for Jack and the kids at home. But you do mention that she's concerned how the upheaval will affect her kids, so there's that.
ReplyDeleteYes, her kids are always on her mind, so that did save it a little bit!
DeleteI think a lot of readers will find Caro's journey very relatable and I like that this still sounds very readable even with the couple of issues you pointed out.
ReplyDeleteI did really enjoy the writing, even if the story was a bit iffy for me at times.
DeleteThank you for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me!
DeleteYeah, this would be a mixed bag for me too. It doesn't sound like Jack was a bad husband, so I'd wonder why this journey would be necessary. She does sound hyper focused on the past. Rose colored glasses for sure. Glad to hear you enjoyed bits of it.
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head, Rachel!
DeleteI like stories like this too, that explore what ifs and past elements of life, and how they can sometimes be viewed through rose- colored glasses. They can be really good if done well!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely!
DeleteI feel like this would be a mixed read for me too. It does sound at the same time relatable and frustrating!
ReplyDeleteExactly!
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