Title: The View from Alameda Island by Robyn Carr
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
A poignant and powerful story about how one woman’s best intentions lead to the worst of situations, and how love helps her to heal and ultimately triumph.
From the outside looking in, Lauren Delaney has a life to envy—a successful career, a solid marriage to a prominent surgeon and two beautiful daughters who are off to good colleges. But on her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary Lauren makes a decision that will change everything.
Lauren won’t pretend things are perfect anymore. She defies the controlling husband who has privately mistreated her throughout their marriage and files for divorce. And as she starts her new life, she meets a kindred spirit—a man who is also struggling with the decision to end his unhappy marriage.
But Lauren’s husband wants his “perfect” life back and his actions are shocking. Facing an uncertain future, Lauren discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had as she fights for the love and happiness she deserves.
Review:
The View from Alameda Island by Robyn Carr is an enjoyable novel of new beginnings, healing and love.
For the past twenty-four years, Lauren Delaney has put up with abuse from her surgeon husband Brad. He is verbally, emotionally and physically abusive and she has finally mustered the courage to take back her life. Having carefully planned her escape, Lauren sets out to rebuild her life but will her daughters, Lacey and Cassie, understand why she is divorcing their father? And what will Brad do to Lauren once he learns she is divorcing him?
Lauren has tried to leave Brad before but he always managed to browbeat her into returning. She has many regrets about her choices and looking back, she clearly sees all of the warning signs she ignored. Now having left Brad, Lauren is rightfully concerned that staying with him might have sent the wrong message to her daughters. She is surprised by Lacey and Cassie’s reactions to her news and she works hard to maintain her relationship with both young women. Having believed she is safely out Brad’s reach, Lauren is stunned by his reaction once she is out of his clutches.
Beau Magellan is also in the midst of a messy divorce from his soon to be ex, Pamela. Having dealt with her mercurial moods and manipulative behavior throughout their relationship, he has been separated from her for quite some time. Although she is hopeful for a reconciliation, Beau is done with his marriage. But Pamela is not making it easy for their divorce to progress.
After a chance meeting, Beau and Lauren form a fast friendship in which they support each other through their divorces. Neither of them are ready for a relationship so both are surprised when they realize their feelings for one another are deepening. But their path to happily ever after is littered with obstacles. Their soon to be exes are making their respective divorces difficult. And both Beau and Lauren are concerned about how their adult children will react to a romance between them.
Despite a little predictability, The View from Alameda Island is a engrossing novel about starting over and finding love when it is least expected. Lauren is lovely woman who stayed in an abusive marriage for far too long. Beau is a laidback, easygoing man who has finally had enough of being taken advantage of by his soon to be ex-wife. The romance between Beau and Lauren grows organically from friendship and it is incredibly uplifting watching them fall in love. Robyn Carr deftly tackles difficult subject with a great deal of sensitivity. Despite the somewhat dark storyline, the novel is ultimately uplifting as Lauren, Beau and their families find well-deserved happiness. A must read for fans of the genre.
