After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

Before anything else, I would like to declare that Taylor Jenkins Reid (TJR) is probably one of my absolute favourite modern writers. This is my first book and I still have to discover her other works but I was just so highly impressed by her storytelling and writing skills on this one that I just knew she's just going to be one of the best in my list.

Anyway, I picked this up because this was on sale and I wanted to explore TJR's style before I dive in to the more expensive (and never goes on sale) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I found myself in awe even at the first few pages and it just kept getting better.

The Story

This book is the story of Lauren and Ryan's marriage as it crumbles years after they fell in love and tied the knot. When the spark seemed to have ceased, they found themselves irritated by each other more than they ever thought they would. They saw every crack in their relationship and each other. 

The story starts out with Lauren and Ryan arguing where they parked which is something so menial but may also be something that a lot of married couples would argue over some time in their lives. This argument led into a strange arrangement. They agreed to a "trial separation" for one year and decide what to do with their marriage after that.

"I’ve come to realize that resentment is malignant. That it starts small and festers. That it grows wild and unfettered inside of you until it’s so expansive that it has worked its way into the furthest, deepest parts of you and holds on for dear life."

 

We're also taken through the first time they met, when they started dating, starting their life together and getting married. All that, I believe, were really written so well that it did broke my heart when I had to go back to the present time when they are "trial separating". 

Ryan and Lauren tried to live their lives separately with the hopes that the time apart will fix what is broken.

What I think...

This book may not be TJR's most famous works but it sure is beautiful in its own way. It does not have much of the usual cheesy moments - this is a lot more raw and depicts a troubled marriage more realistically. Like Lauren's grandma, I don't quite agree of a trial separation because if you're going to fix something, you put your heads together and fix it together. However, TJR told the story so well that even if you don't like the idea so much, you'd still bear this happily until the end because you want Lauren and Ryan to have their happy ending whether it's together or permanently apart.

I am really looking forward to reading more of TJR especially her highly raved about works because this just blew my socks off.