Category Archives: Julie Cohen

May 1, 2017 · 11:57 pm

Review: After the Fall by Julie Cohen

Title: After the Fall by Julie Cohen
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 396 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From the author who brought you Dear Thing, Julie Cohen, comes After the Fall–a poignant, beautifully heartbreaking novel about what it means to be family, the ties that bind us, and the secrets that threaten to tear us apart.

When an unfortunate accident forces Honor back into the lives of her widowed daughter-in-law, Jo, and her only granddaughter, Lydia, she cannot wait to be well enough to get back to her own home. However, the longer she stays with Jo and Lydia, the more they start to feel like a real family. But each of the three women is keeping secrets from the others that threaten to destroy the lives they’ve come to know.

Honor’s secret threatens to rob her of the independence she’s guarded ferociously for eighty years.

Jo’s secret could destroy the “normal” family life she’s fought so hard to build and maintain.

Lydia’s secret could bring her love—or the loss of everything that matters most to her.

One summer’s day, grandmother, mother and daughter’s secrets will be forced out in the open in a single dramatic moment that leaves them all asking: is there such a thing as second chances?

Review:

After the Fall by Julie Cohen is a multi-generational novel that is quite poignant and heartwarming.

Honor Levinson is a fiercely independent woman who never lets the effects of aging slow her down. However, with one missed step, she takes a tumble down the staircase that results in a broken hip and an unexpected stay with her former daughter-in-law Jo Merrifield, her sixteen year granddaughter Lydia and Jo’s two young children from her second marriage, Oscar and Iris.  Honor never warmed up to Jo during her marriage to her son Stephen and following his tragic death nearly ten years earlier, they have barely spent any time in one another’s company. Despite her trepidation about staying with Jo, Honor is pleasantly surprised by her new perspective of her former daughter-in-law and she is delighted by the opportunity to forge a closer relationship with her granddaughter and Jo’s other two kids.

Jo is extremely frazzled as she takes care of her children on her own after her second marriage ends in divorce. Oscar and Iris are rambunctious young kids while Lydia is a fairly typical teen who wants as little do with her mum as possible. Despite her hectic life, Jo is always upbeat and optimistic as she tries to find the positive in even the worst situation.

Lydia is dealing with the typical teen angst but she is also carrying a heavy burden as she tries to keep anyone from discovering her secret. She tries to fly under the radar and avoid becoming a target of her rather mean-spirited classmates who love nothing more than pick on anyone different from them. Lydia and her best friend Avril Toller have been inseparable for years but their once tight friendship is soon put to the test by Avril’s new relationship. As she and Honor grow close, Lydia entrusts her grandmother with the truth she has carefully concealed from everyone in her life.

Despite the less than ideal circumstances that bring the three generations together, this enforced time in one another’s company has a positive impact on their lives. Honor finds an unexpected measure of peace as she finally comes to terms with her son’s tragic death and she gains a newfound appreciation and unexpected admiration for her daughter-in-law. Jo is rather shocked when Honor provides her the chance to occasionally escape her everyday life. After  Lydia’s worst fear comes true, she makes a decision that will have unexpected consequences for all three women as the secrets they have tried to keep hidden are forced into the open.  In the aftermath, will their newfound closeness endure?

After the Fall is a riveting novel of healing for Honor, Jo and Lydia.  The storyline has plenty of depth and the women’s struggles are realistically depicted in a sensitive but forthright manner. The characters are multi-faceted and although it is sometimes not easy to like them, it is impossible not to become fully invested in the final outcome of the issues they are facing. This latest release by Julie Cohen is a heartfelt journey of reconciliation that I absolutely loved and highly recommend.

1 Comment

Filed under After the Fall, Contemporary, Julie Cohen, Rated B+, Review

August 7, 2016 · 11:57 pm

Review: Where Love Lies by Julie Cohen

Title: Where Love Lies by Julie Cohen
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Summary:

When Felicity steps off the train on the way to meet her husband, she is so sure of everything in her life. Where she is headed, what she will order at the restaurant, the first words her husband will say to her when she arrives, their happy future together.

But then she catches a scent of perfume in the air, and suddenly she is overcome by forgotten emotions-passionate memories of another man she loved many years ago.

As the feelings continue to surface again and again, Felicity begins to question the life she thought she knew so well. She doesn’t doubt that she loves her husband, but does she owe it to herself to explore these overwhelming emotions that have taken hold of her? Or is her mind simply playing tricks on her heart?

How can she know where love truly lies? And when she finds out, will it be too late?

Julie Cohen’s Where Love Lies is a novel that will capture both your heart and mind.

Review:

With a unique and engrossing storyline, Where Love Lies by Julie Cohen is a thought-provoking novel that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction.

Just as she is about to celebrate her one year anniversary with her husband, Quinn, Felicity is struggling to complete her long overdue children’s book.  While on her way to meet Quinn for a meal, she smells a fragrance that brings bittersweet thoughts of her mum.  When these odd occurrences continue, the scent is also accompanied by a strong emotional reaction that Felicity realizes are centered around her ex-boyfriend, Ewan, whom she has not seen since their relationship ended ten years earlier.  An unexpected trip brings her face to face with unsettling issues from her past and Felicity is overcome with intense feelings of love for Ewan that she feels she must explore.  Will this decision cause irreparable damage to her relationship with Quinn?

Growing up, Felicity lived a rather nomadic life with her artist mum so adjusting to life in a small country town has been a bit of a challenge.  With little privacy and surrounded by caring but nosy in-laws, she feels a little exposed since everyone seems to know everyone else’s business.  Her relationship with Quinn is comfortable and loving, but Felicity is not the type of person who shares her innermost thoughts.  When she begins experiencing the strange fragrances and odd emotions, she does not tell Quinn what is happening to her, so he is completely stunned when she asks for separation.  Caught between the past and present, Felicity feels guilty about hurting Quinn but she is so caught up in the exhilarating love she feels for Ewan that she cannot stop herself from finding out if this emotional reaction for her ex is real.

Steady and responsible, Quinn has strong ties to his family and he has no desire to leave them or the town where he grew up.  He is head over heels in love with Felicity and he is quite happy with the life they have carved out for themselves.  He is aware that Felicity holds part of herself back from him but after being shut out time and again, Quinn has given up trying to get her to talk to him.  He is completely devoted to her and he will do whatever it takes to make her happy even if it means letting her go.  Hoping their separation is just a temporary setback, he remains committed to their marriage but even the most patient man has his limits.  Once he discovers the truth about Felicity’s reasons the separation, will Quinn continue to wait for her to sort through her problems?

Broken into three distinct parts, Where Love Lies is a riveting novel that takes many unexpected twists and turns.  The storyline is incredibly fascinating and Julie Cohen keeps the underlying cause of Felicity’s strange phenomena and her inexplicable emotional response completely under wraps for much of the story.  By the time the reason becomes clear, Felicity’s life is such a tangled mess that it is impossible to predict how this incredible novel will end. All in all, it is captivating read that is impossible to put down and will linger in readers’ thoughts long after the last page is turned.

1 Comment

Filed under Contemporary, Julie Cohen, Rated B, Review, St Martin's Griffin, Where Love Lies, Women's Fiction

March 27, 2016 · 11:58 pm

Review: Dear Thing by Julie Cohen

Title: Dear Thing by Julie Cohen
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

After years of watching her best friends Ben and Claire try for a baby, Romily has offered to give them the one thing that they want most.

Romily expects it will be easy to be a surrogate. She’s already a single mother, and she has no desire for any more children. But Romily isn’t prepared for the overwhelming feelings that have taken hold of her and which threaten to ruin her friendship with Ben and Claire-and even destroy their marriage.

Now there are three friends, two mothers and only one baby, and an impossible decision to make…

Thought-provoking, heart-rending but ultimately uplifting, Julie Cohen’s Dear Thing is a book you won’t be able to put down, until you pass it on to your best friends.

Review:

Dear Thing by Julie Cohen is an emotional, poignant and thought-provoking novel about infertility and surrogacy.

Ben and Claire Lawrence are the perfect couple.  Happily married and successful, they have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive and after their latest IVF ends in a miscarriage, Claire is ready to give up.  Upset over Claire’s decision, a drunken Ben confides in his best gal pal and single mom Romily Summer.  Romily impetuously suggests that she be their surrogate and Ben does not have to think twice before eagerly accepting her generous offer.  Needless to say, he is stunned by Claire’s hesitation to move forward with the plan.  After careful consideration, Claire’s desire for a baby outweighs her many reservations about the arrangement and Romily is soon pregnant with their baby.  

While the plan seems simple enough, things quickly become complicated as the months pass. Claire is hesitant to believe their good fortune and although grateful for Romily’s willingness to be their surrogate, she cannot help but feel like a failure.   Despite her assertions that she will not become attached to her unborn child, Romily’s longtime love for Ben changes her feelings about the baby she is carrying. Ben becomes confused about his emotions when he begins viewing Romily as the mother of his child instead of his best friend.

Claire is a little uptight and reserved so she sometimes appears emotionless and distant.  She and Romily have never been particularly close and things are often awkward between them without Ben acting as a buffer.  Angry and a bit resentful that Romily can have a baby while she cannot, Claire refuses to become involved with the pregnancy for the first few months.  A teacher at a local school, she becomes over involved with a trouble student and even though her heart is in the right place, Claire loses her objectivity and jeopardizes her career.

Unlike über structured Claire, Romily is disorganized and a wee bit forgetful.  A scientist, she is analytical and logical so she is taken off guard by the emotional impact of her pregnancy.  Friends with Ben since college, Romily has been in love with him almost since their first meeting.  Before she could work up the nerve to confess her feelings, Ben fell in love with Claire and Romily was content to stay his friend although her love for him never waned.  After a casual fling years earlier, she gave birth to daughter Posie who is now a precocious but charming seven year old.  No one is more surprised than Romily when old flame Jarvis re-enters her life and once he discovers he is a father, he wants to get to know his daughter.

Although Ben is the catalyst that sets the surrogacy into motion, he remains on the periphery of the story.  He encourages Claire to spend time with Romily and he blithely goes on with his life without realizing the emotional firestorm he has inadvertently created.  As Ben spends more time with Romily, Claire feels more and more left out.  With Ben unable to understand Claire’s concerns, the two begin to drift apart and it is only a matter of time before their marriage reaches a crisis point.

Dear Thing thunders to an uncertain conclusion as tensions mount and emotions run high between Claire, Romily and Ben. With unexpected twists and turns, Julie Cohen skillfully keeps readers on the edge of their seats wondering how this delicate situation is going to be resolved right until the story’s heartwarming ending.  This fast paced and riveting story is a sensitive and compassionate depiction of surrogacy and infertility and I highly recommend it to fans of contemporary women’s fiction.

1 Comment

Filed under Contemporary, Dear Thing, Julie Cohen, Rated B+, Review, St Martin's Griffin, Women's Fiction