The Physics of Relationships: A Novel (70)

by Chas Halpern

A highly readable, intimate story about loss, aging, female friendship, family, and renewal…told with grit and humor.

Lexi is a sixty-year-old widow whose solitary life is thrown into turmoil when a desperate young woman moves in with her, soon followed by the unexpected arrival of her best friend, who has separated from her husband of forty years. The mix of these three very different personalities – a powerful omnivore seeking to live life to the fullest; a sweet, self-denying vegan; and Lexi, a thoughtful, still grieving widow – leads to some surprising (sometimes humorous) situations that force Lexi to re-examine her life. In the physics of relationships, Lexi observes that nature abhors a vacuum. She begins to wonder if she herself has somehow manipulated her circumstances to fill that vacuum…simply to imitate the life she had before the death of her husband. 

“ [ The Physics of Relationships] was a joy to read. I loved the flow of the writing, the profundity of the observations, and the humor. You have truly sketched a very accurate, forgiving, and endearing picture of a woman at this stage of life. Thank you for writing this book.” -Kaiya Cade Smith Blackburn

“You did an amazing job writing so truly in the voice of an older woman…. I found Lexi’s character appealing from the first page, and her consistent voice made her a very sympathetic, fully realized character. I particularly enjoyed her reflections on all she observed about human nature and the realities and absurdities of aging. She is kind, funny, curious, thoughtful, eager to puzzle out relationships. …. I enjoyed the twists and turns and tensions of the plot, three women living together, and the extra complication of Tasha [her daughter], and romantic partners, and the suspense of whether a myriad of small/large issues will get resolved.”   - Rosalyn Art

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Coming Of Age

223 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2023

Reviews

[Teresa Brock]

Being 48 years old myself, the blurb caught my attention. I actually been noticing how different my friend dynamics are and how/who I spend my time with versus 10 - 20 years ago. Full disclosure - I always find it interesting when a man writes things from a women’s perspective. In this case I often found myself forgetting that this was written by a man.

Complicated and twisty relationships push the story line along. Lexie, the 63 year old recently widowed woman carefully orchestrates who she lets in and out of her social circle. I enjoyed the way she is navigating this new stage in her life and how she is adjusting to her kiddos not needing her the same way any longer.

The comparison of physics to relationships was interesting and to be honest I quite enjoyed the analogy. These characters are real, flawed, lost, relatable and a little funny.

[Julie Fischer]

This book was a beautiful, reflective story about loss, friendship, growing older, adult family relationships and openness to new experiences.
The characters were very likable and easy to relate to. It’s rare to find a book that captures an older woman during this stage of life in her early sixties. Her wisdom, kindness and acceptance of others while navigating life was lovely to read. I enjoyed the honesty and deep conversations that took place with women of different ages and personalities. The writing style flowed with subtle humor and made me reflect long after I finished reading it. I highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Guernica Editions for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Yesha- Books Teacup and Reviews]

review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2024/0...

I started The Physics of Relationships in the beginning of the year but somehow I couldn’t continue it. Finally when I started the book again last week, I could see what made me put the book aside were the characters – Lexi, her daughter, Tasha, and Tasha’s friend, Danielle.

I enjoyed the beginning learning about Lexi’s life after her husband, Lawrence’s death her divorce with her first husband, how she formed deep relationship with Lawrence and her relationship with her children but her daughter was more discussed than her son whom we don’t know until after 60%.

It was interesting to read her somewhat philosophical monologues. It was touching to read the way she was processing loss and grief and adjusting life being alone and just when the idea of being along in house started to settle in her mind, Tasha ask Lexi to help her friend Danielle.

Danielle doesn’t have relatives, she is new to city and is struggling with her business. It was impossible for her to pay for rent. Lexi thinking it would be a temporary situation agrees to help Danielle but soon realizes this isn’t temporary. But when she gets to know Danielle, she starts to like her company and soon the loneliness she started feeling after Lawrence death disappears and even when Danielle could save and pay for stay, she refuses to accept it.

Just as things started to normalize, Amy, Lexi’s best friend nearing retirement started seeing issues with her husband, Phil, and decided to move in with Lexi. Amy is free spirit, assertive and straightforward in nature and like Tasha she also doesn’t like Danielle freeloading in Lexi’s house but she too takes liking to Danielle after some point.

Thing were pretty simple and we see three women of different nature started accommodating happily in one house filling up the emptiness in Lexi’s house, life and heart but it all has to end at some point. But Lexi’s full of insight, wisdom, and patience navigates through the new phase in life after Lawrence death pretty well.

Now the book sounds simple and cozy and I would have like it but the problem was characters’ contradictory thoughts and action. It’s clear Lexi is a pushover and she care about other’s emotions than her own and it’s not something I resonate with.

My first issue was with Tasha. It was her who brought Danielle to her mother’s house, kind of insisted Lexi to help her but when she sees Danielle is staying longer she unfriends Danielle and scold Lexi for allowing Danielle freeloading in house and letting her take advantage. Lexi fails to assert her wish or thoughts about Tasha being unfair to the whole situation.

When Amy moves in her house again she fails to voice thoughts, trying to go with flow and adjustments while thinking about everyone else’s feelings but her own. What annoyed me most is Lexi being persistent efforts to push Amy back into a troubled marriage, knowing pretty well he is asshole and at one point was using her to convince Amy to come back.

Just because he didn’t cheat doesn’t make him a good husband—he blamed his wife, disregarded her feelings, and showed no remorse. As a best friend, how could Lexi send her back to a life where she’s treated merely as a trophy.

Her one reason was Amy shouldn’t let go of 40 years of long marriage and I get it she is saying that from her current lonely experience but like she found companionship with other women Amy could find it too and there was something deeper forming between them and she discarded it for morality. Why care about morality and why compromise at age of 65 is not something I can fathom. It’s not solely a woman’s responsibility to compromise everything.

Another instance was related to her first husband, Greg, who cheated on her coming back in her life. He was nice and different from the way he was before that confused Lexi and so she aske Tasha about her opinion regarding how changed he is and her exact reply was, “mom, if you’re lonely and want to date someone, I’m pretty sure you could find someone better suited to you”.

Later when Lexi spends more time and goes out with Greg as a friend once again ask Tasha’s opinion she words are “I don’t mind you and dad patching things up. I think it’s nice and kind of sweet… As far as the two of you actually having an affair or whatever… You’re a grown woman you can do what you want”.

That’s the contradictory thing I’m talking about and that happened more than often. While Lexi’s wisdom in some areas is commendable, but I think she misses something very important here.

I also felt emotional detachment in the second half. I just didn’t care about any characters. I get it women and their relationships are complex but the complexity resented here, I don’t get it.

Overall, The Physics of Relationships is slow pace, heartwarming contemporary about loss and loneliness, complexity of relationships but somehow there is feel of detachment and disconnect throughout the story.

[Davida Chazan]

I don't often accept ARCs directly from authors, but when I do, they often surprise me. If you want to know if the surprise this time was a good one or a bad one, come take a look at my #bookreview here, on my #bookblog now. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2023/12/2...

[John Boe]

My wife and I both loved reading "The Physics of Relationships." The narrator and central character is Lexi is a smart and sensitive 60 or so woman, who finds herself opening up her home to a bunch of interesting people. The result is sometimes comic, sometimes dramatic, with each chapter leading the reader on so that it is hard to put down the book. I read it in one setting and immediately handed it to my wife. I imagine it would make a great movie, with so many interesting characters of varied ages. Five Stars!

[Ana Forest]

I was honored to receive an advance review copy (aka an ARC) of Chas Halpern’s latest novel, “The Physics of Relationships' ', and I was excited to dive into a story told from the point of view of someone my age (finally). The main character, Lexi, who is 63 (just a little older than me) is a recent widow (thank goodness, that’s not me yet), with 2 adult kids (like me!), some close friendships (me!), and some new and old friends coming in and out of her life (yep, me too). Most of the characters were likable (I need that if I’m going to commit to reading a book), but not totally, and not all the time. Just like real life! The way Lexi orchestrates situations, and reacts to the world around her, letting people in and out of her circle, and how she relates to people and thinks about relationships is layered, with more depth and discovery than I’m used to reading or thinking about in the books I read. I found myself imagining and debating the same questions that Lexi faced about her best friend, her ex-husband, her kids, and the new arrivals in her life. I enjoyed the story, dialogue and connections, and the descriptions and inner thoughts that Lexi has felt real and valid. I was less drawn to the comparisons and metaphor of physics and the universal laws of attraction and repulsion that she applies toward the end. I’m not very sciency, and I don’t know much about physics, so it felt as if this layer of the story, the analysis, was imposed and less natural. Lexi isn’t a scientist, and I’m not sure why or how these kinds of thoughts about magnetism, atoms, and physics elements were brought in. I guess it did allow for a cohesion and a way to tie together the people, relationships and her inner thoughts about all of it. I really enjoyed this book, and though it is very different from the fiction I usually choose, it made me feel smart, the characters are relatable, the descriptions vivid and real, and though I finished reading it a few days ago, I’m still thinking about it! To me, that means it’s a very good book!

[Ellie Hawley]

I went into this novel with very high hopes. The summary was intriguing....I wish I could say the same about the actual story.

From another Goodreads reviewer:
"Lexi, the story's main character, is bland and very pragmatic in her train of thought despite being a MAJOR pushover! Lexi is in no way assertive and does not acclimate to change well.

Seriously, she allows her daughter, Tasha, to nearly bully her into allowing Danielle to move in temporarily just for Trisha to become absolutely pissed that Danielle "is overstaying her welcome" in Lexi's home (even though Lexi clearly states she's fine with Danielle staying with her for as long as necessary as the two grow closer).

Amy all but demands to move in after her spur-of-the-moment decision to separate from her husband. (PLOT TWIST the two reconcile and Amy moves back in with her husband).

I also have MAJOR complaints about the way the author wrote Tasha, Lexi's daughter. Early on in the book (Chapter 3, pages 23-24 to be exact), It's been made clear to Lexi that her daughter prefers to go by the name "Sage" (beautiful name, by the way) and uses they/their pronouns. However, Lexi refuses to accommodate her daughter's wishes because her daughter "doesn't understand how a sixty-three-year-old brain works." Yes, this is an actual quote from the book. It's no shocker her daughter keeps her at arm's distance."


I was expecting more from this novel. More emotions on display, more heartfelt stories. This wasn't that novel.

[Gretchen Stengel]

I was pleased to receive an advance copy of The Physics of Relationships. Lexi, a recently bereaved 60-something widow, relates her story in a quick-witted, empathic voice. She lives alone in a large house which makes her both aware of the pitfalls of solitude and yet uniquely available to respond to her friends’ and her family’s complicated needs. At one point, she revealingly conjures the second law of thermodynamics which states that “any isolated system naturally evolves toward disorder.” Fighting back self-pity with insight and an ample sense of humor, she not only tolerates the disorder that ensues, but learns deeply from it. Lexi’s saving grace, and a gift the reader benefits from in return, is her natural inclination to observe. Her willingness to view her own predicament with an unjaundiced eye as well as her acceptance of her friend’s evolving situations make this novel a particularly refreshing read.

Gretchen Stengel Schnitzer, MFA
Poet and Writer

[Jennyzielon]

Lexi, newly widowed, found herself living alone in her 60s.

At this new stage of life, she is both reviewing her past relationships and looking ahead to what she thought she wanted for her future. She struggles, coming to terms with trying to understand, more than anything, who is she now that she is not someone’s wife and now what it all means that her kids are all grown up, not needing her in the same way she is used to be needed. This complex story is beautifully told and sensitively crafted by Chas Halpern. Very Compelling.

As a reader taken along on Lexi’s journey of discovery, I couldn’t help but ask myself the same question that her journey is asking: Can people really change?

My suspicion is I will reread this novel again in the future because of my fondness for each of the characters, and my desire to uncover more of their complexities.

[Devin]

Thank you to the publisher, Guernica Editions, for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a beautiful story about a woman finding herself after the passing of her husband. The emotions in this book are raw and real and it is an excellent and authentic story that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Going on this journey with Lexi as she rediscovers who she is outside of the title of wife was a special experience that I am glad I read. While it’s not the most fast paced or exciting book, it is a rich character driven story that explores themes of friendship, relationships, and coming into a new phase of life.

[Ruby Reads]

"The Physics of Relationships" is the story of a sixty-year-old widow who cultivates a life largely by finding herself and her people. Halpern makes the connection that as gravity holds the world together by pushing and pulling, the narrator's kindness also draws the people within her orbit together. This seemingly gentle story of an older woman's life drew me in and I could not stop reading until the very last word. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. #ThePhysicsofRelationships #NetGalley

[Reader]

This book was a delight to read. I was lucky enough to receive an Advance Reader Copy. I enjoyed the complex, poignant, sometimes surprising dynamics with her children, her female friends, and, especially, her ex-husband.  The main character was entirely relatable – kind, thoughtful, but vulnerable and not always perfect.  I was rooting for her from chapter one and thoroughly enjoyed watching her meet the challenges of widowhood, friendship, and motherhood.

[Olga Miret]

I received a free ARC from Reedsy Discovery and you can find my original review on their site here. Authors and readers might want to check their website, as they offer recommendations, services, blog posts, and other interesting and useful content.
Lexi, twice-married, the second time to a man 15 years her senior, with two grown-up children, Brandon and Tasha, is recently widowed —after a long illness— from the love of her life and finds it difficult to adjust to life alone. Her tendency towards kindness, generosity, and her attempts at being on friendly terms with her daughter, make her accept as a non-paying lodger one of her daughter’s school friends, Danielle. And later, the marriage of her Francophile best friend Amy goes into crisis, and she ends up moving in as well. The novel explores Lexi’s day-to-day life, her adoption of a new ersatz family, and how her existence enters a new and inspiring stage. This is an adult coming-of-older-age story, one that celebrates women’s sisterhood, and the power and endurance of creativity.
This is one of those rare novels whose protagonists are not all young, attractive, and fit, and even rarer, most readers would be quite happy to meet them in real life, as they are ‘good people’. It beautifully portrays the inner life, thoughts, reflections, and adventures, of a sixty-year-old widow whose life has changed beyond all recognition with the death of her husband. She had a career (there is hardly any work coming in now) and also volunteered to tutor students, but her main role was that of wife and mother. Although her financial situation is reasonably stable, there is a big hole in her inner life. She has accepted her children’s independent lives (this is not a standard case of empty-nest syndrome), and she is keeping herself busy but something is lacking. As a result of her difficulty in saying ‘no’ to her daughter, she ends up being surrounded by small (or big, depending on how one looks at them) dramas, and those end up teaching her a lot about life, especially hers.
The beauty of this novel, narrated in the first-person by Lexi, is the way the story flows organically, and readers are witnesses to Lexi’s thoughts, reflections, doubts, and hesitations. She is always trying to second guess the desires and motives of others and is used to always putting others’ interests before her own. She has a great sense of humour, is a deep thinker who does not easily share her opinions with others, and describes herself as an observer. Readers see the rest of the characters through her perspective, and that, in turn, makes her easier to understand. The contrast between Lexi and her best friend, Amy, lively, opinionated, direct, and who loves to experiment and try everything (she’s a fabulous character), works well; and Lexi’s relationship with Danielle, her temporary daughter, and the contrast between her and Tasha also help create a deeper picture of the life and the experiences of an older woman in today’s society.
Readers who are looking for stories with older protagonists, are fond of insightful and realistic characters articulate and witty, and are not only looking for a conventional plot full of ‘thrilling’ adventures will enjoy this book. If that wasn’t enough of a recommendation, the ending is an ode to creativity, new beginnings, and the ‘never-too-late’ philosophy of life, (and yes, the title is explained too), and the book is full of quotable sentences and memorable comments and reflections. A couple of examples:
“I don’t know what happens. We get old and something starts flapping around in there,” she explained, gesturing toward her throat. “That`'s pretty much true of our whole body, the flapping part,” I said. (This is from a dialogue between Amy and Lexi)
I had an old car, which was perfectly fine with me. I actually had a certain affinity with my car. It was old and dented, and it had lost its luster. That was a pretty fair description of me.

[Rose Auburn]

The Physics of Relationships is a lovely novel that I found a light, easy read although it explores subjects far from light or easy. Halpern examines issues including loss, relationship dynamics, and forgiveness through the reflections of Lexi, a recently widowed sixty-three-year-old.

Using the immediacy of the first-person perspective, Lexi shares her thoughts, opinions, and internal conflicts as she navigates unexpected lodgers, strange proposals, adult children, an ex-husband, and the aging process.

All these mini-dramas are set against the backdrop of Lexi’s gentle mourning, not just for her second husband, Lawrence, but also for the life they shared, leading to a feeling of existential lack.
Lexi’s contemplations are delicately woven with subtle threads of Zen wisdom, mild philosophical musings, and pithy observations for which she immediately chastises herself.

From the opening chapter, Lexi draws the reader in. Sharply intelligent but socially hesitant, she is prone to over-thinking. She has a wicked little seam of wry humor disguised as naivety and is endearingly vulnerable as she cogitates life sans Lawrence.

Halpern pitches Lexi perfectly without resorting to cliché or over-emotional embroidery. Her voice is wonderfully convincing, full of warm sensitivity and female intimacy. Notwithstanding, there are definite shards of buried autobiography from the author and these odd subjective glints add personal depth and nuance to an already beautifully observed protagonist.

However, she can be maddeningly frustrating. Although seemingly self-aware, she either deceives herself or the reader when she considers, in chapter twenty-one, to be a “master manipulator”.
Although it could be leveled that her often passive, slightly indecisive stance tends to yield her exactly what she wants, even if it does make the reader occasionally long to shake her.

Her best friend, Amy, certainly is manipulative. In addition to being a pretentious, toxic narcissist but a brilliantly vibrant character. I loathed Amy (in a positive way) which is a credit to Halpern’s strong, realistic depiction of her.

The only element that seemed misplaced given their decades of platonic friendship was the bed-sharing between her and Lexi which had fleeting Sapphic undertones instigated by Amy. I wondered at her motivations for this and the later “proposal” she places before Lexi.

I was also undecided regarding Danielle, Lexi’s unforeseen tenant, not quite subscribing to the poor waif view that Lexi possessed, especially given a couple of flashes of Danielle’s temper. I found her intriguing and the vehemence that Tasha, Lexi’s daughter, harbors toward her for the majority of the novel was revealing.

Indeed, Lexi has two adult children, Tasha (also known as Sage) and Brandon from her first husband, Greg. Brandon is absent for most of the novel. When he appears, Halpern nails his individuality and it’s a shame he doesn’t surface earlier.

Tasha sometimes resembles a stroppy, volatile teenager, although she is in her early thirties. Nonetheless, Halpern does an excellent job of rendering the challenges and contrasts of Mother/Daughter relationships set against a contemporary backdrop of gender and sexual fluidity.

When Lexi allows her ex-husband, Greg back into her life, albeit tentatively, things could have become a little syrupy and convenient. Still, Halpern is careful to avoid this and takes a considered, ambiguous route which is the more plausible and, consequently, satisfying.

The Physics of Relationships is smart, insightful, and uplifting. Well worth a read.

[D.G. Kaye]

Lexi is a twice married, now widow in her early 60s who is re-evaluating and analyzing her current life. She divorced Greg, her first husband when her two children Tasha and Brandon were young children, and shortly after, married the love of her life, Lawrence. Lexi reaches a point of discovery with the relationships in her life. Her kids are off living their lives when daughter Tasha asks her mother if she wouldn’t mind taking in an old friend of hers, Danielle, who needs a temporary place to stay. Lexi welcomes her into her home, and eventually begins to wonder if she will ever leave. While Lexi is always trying to do the right thing to make others happy, she begins to wonder if Danielle is a good thing for her to have company in her now lonely home. Lexi wants Danielle to get her jewelry business going, and save up some money for her future move, until then Lexi won’t take any rent money, and daughter Tasha begins to feel a bit of envy that her friend has struck such a harmonious relationship with her mother.

Amy is Lexi’s best friend. She’s a bit eccentric and in my opinion, can be quite overbearing. Amy is going through a bit of wondering why she bothers staying married to her husband Phil when life has become too mundane for her liking. Amy decides she’s moving in with Lexi until she can decide what she will do with her own marriage. She is good company for Lexi, and sometimes pushes Lexi out of her comfort zone as we continue to read and wonder if Lexi will succumb to all Amy’s wishes. In this story we are taken in with how Lexi handles the various relationships of the people in her life. As Lexi is a cheerleader for everyone and always weighing the best way to handle life issues and delicate relationships, we discover the give and take of friendships, relationships, marriage, divorce, and children in this adult coming-of-age story as Lexi takes us through her thoughts in this well told ‘memoir-like’ story about life and loss and living, and the forgiveness she ultimately finds with her ex-husband Greg.

As Lexi discovers more about herself and her caring for others, she realizes she’s not looking for intimacy, rather, people in her life that fulfill her and bring her joy. Famous words of Lexi, ” The older you get, the more pain you carry with you. It’s just part of you. Your heart expands to accommodate the hurt.”

[Amorina Carlton]

This is a really interesting read. Because of the blurb, I thought it was a comedy. It was subtly funny in places, but this is not going to be a laugh-out-loud, slap-your-leg experience - so don't go into expecting that. Instead, focus on the other parts of the blurb, describing relationships, loss, friendship, and aging. This turned out to be an oddly cerebral read considering the focus. It came across more as sad than funny most of the time. As a mother, as a daughter, and as the child of an aging adult parent, so many of the experiences hit too close to home, I guess.

As a woman in the current society, watching these women navigate various injustices at the hands of men was disheartening. The resolution was hopeful but still very sad. I do wonder why the male author chose to write a story focused so intimately on women. I'm not saying he shouldn't have, just that it was an interesting choice. It was done quite well, and I forgot that the women were written by a man the majority of the time. The writing was smooth and kept the story moving at a good pace.

I really liked the MC, as well as Danielle, the jewelry-making vegan house guest. Many of the other characters - Tasha, Amy, Phil - rubbed me the wrong way. This is also the second time one of my favorite characters has already died. But, I wonder if Lawrence was experiencing that magical, uplifting dead spouses sometimes do.


Who's It For?

If you like stories with complicated, twisty relationships that drive the storyline, this is a fantastic read for you. This explores aging, friendship, love, loss, and so much more in the path of one woman's third act.

Content Warnings: Death (off-page), Infidelity (off-page), Adult Situations, Adult Language, Betrayal, Divorce, Drug Use, Alcoholism, NonCon Touching

[Cathy Ryan]

4.5*
The Physics of Relationships is told from the first person perspective of Lexi, a widow in her 60s who recently lost her second husband and soul mate after a long illness. She’s trying to navigate life alone but finding it difficult. When her daughter asks her for a favour for a friend, which involves have a non paying lodger for an unspecified length of time, she’s understandably hesitant. Weighing up the pros and cons she decides to invite Danielle, her daughter’s friend, to stay…just for week then she would have to find other accommodation. A week turned into weeks and Lexi began to enjoy Danielle’s company.

Then her best friend, Amy, who was having marital difficulties, asked if she could stay. From being on her own, Lexi found herself with two lodgers, one unassuming, the other a somewhat overbearing self-centred woman on a mission to embrace the single life.

The Physics of Relationships is an adult coming of age story with Lexi being forced by circumstances to decide how to move forward now she is no longer a wife, by evaluating her past, hoping to get an insight into how she wants her future to unfold instead of being carried along on the tide of other people’s needs and wants.

Lexi is a convincing protagonist, thoughtful and diplomatic, albeit sometimes frustrating as she falls in with others instead of asserting herself. I enjoyed the flow of the story, following Lexi’s analytical and conflicting thought processes on her past, present and relationships, new and old, how she realises through it all what it is that really makes her happy. A very perceptive and clever novel from a man writing from the perspective of female characters.

[Colleen]

I had mixed feelings about this story about a widowed woman in her sixties who ends up inviting two other women (a thirty-something and another 60-year old) to share her home for several months. The story was interesting on many levels and covered a lot of territory as it explored female friendships, family, retirement, and what it means to be a 60-something woman in today’s society. (Most of a chapter was devoted to the decision to let her hair go gray... very realistic!) So I really appreciated the themes covered, and the way they were handled.

However, and I’m not quite sure how to articulate this: there was something about the writing style that I wasn’t crazy about. It was as if we only scratched the surface of Lexi’s life, and it all seemed rather superficial. Lexi faced a problem, problem was discussed for a chapter, then boom... problem was solved and we moved on to the next issue. This isn’t a totally fair comment for me to make because some issues took longer to resolved, but I just felt like I didn’t get a deep dive into anything. On one hand, considering that the author is male, I think he did a better job than most males in presenting his female characters. On the other hand, maybe that’s why I felt he skimmed the surface of topics I’d rather have delved into deeper? The style had a slight emotional detachment to it.

I would certainly recommend this to middle-aged and older women, who I’m sure will appreciate what’s happening in Lexi’s life. It was a good read, but just not quite as good as I’d expected.

[Lindsey]

‘The Physics of Relationships’ weaves an intimate tale of loss, aging, and the complexities of female friendship. Set against the backdrop of Lexi’s later life stages, this book offers a thoughtful exploration of personal growth and renewal.

While the premise is highly relatable, particularly in its portrayal of an older woman’s voice and experiences, the execution was a mixed bag for me. The story offers profound observations on human nature and the absurdities of aging, punctuated with humor and warmth. However, at times, the narrative pace and depth lacked the engagement I was hoping for, leaving me somewhat disconnected from the characters’ journeys.

The interplay of three distinct personalities in a shared living space provides a fertile ground for both humor and tension. Lexi’s reflections on life and relationships add a layer of introspection to the narrative. Yet, despite these strengths, the book didn’t entirely resonate with me, possibly due to my expectations or personal reading preferences at the time.

Overall, ‘The Physics of Relationships’ is a commendable portrayal of the complexities of female relationships and the pursuit of fulfillment at any age. It’s a recommendable read for those who enjoy character-driven stories about life’s second acts.

[L M]

I recently read, and thoroughly enjoyed, an ARC of this crisply written, entertaining and insightful novel. Its setting is a potholed street in Berkeley, California, “lined with trees and intellectuals,” their gardens “full of weeds” but their “minds fertile and well-cultivated.” Its main character is a 63-year old widow who finds herself at the center of four or five perplexing and fulfilling relationships, having hoped and feared that she’d be living alone. Though the originality of the book lies its protagonist’s observations about the confusing behavior of others, the murkiness of her own intentions, the curse of being unable to decide between conflicting world-views and the reality of existing in a mysterious universe, its plot is intriguing and impeccably paced. I raced through its short, well-structured chapters, impelled by the desire to discover not only what was going to happen but what was meant by “The Physics of Relationship”. I won’t tell you what the answers ultimately were, only that they were satisfying. By the end, this good story, full of humorous, provocative and wise reflections, becomes a portrait of a late-blooming writer and a touching testament to the need to make art for no other reason than to “renew life” by communicating with our fellow humans.

[Sue Wallace]

The Physics of Relationships by Chas Halpern.
This was a good read. I did like the cover. I liked the writing style. The story as well. I did like Tasha and her mum Lexi. I had a bad feeling about Danielle. I didn't trust her at all. I did like Amy either. I don't know why. The characters were likeable and the story was very well told. It's different as told from a 60 year old. I did like the ending.

Blurb.
Lexi is a sixty-year-old widow whose solitary life is thrown into turmoil when a desperate young woman moves in with her, soon followed by the unexpected arrival of her best friend, who has separated from her husband of forty years. The mix of these three very different personalities – a powerful omnivore seeking to live life to the fullest; a sweet, self-denying vegan; and Lexi, a thoughtful, still grieving widow – leads to some surprising (sometimes humorous) situations that force Lexi to re-examine her life. In the physics of relationships, Lexi observes that nature abhors a vacuum. She begins to wonder if she herself has somehow manipulated her circumstances to fill that vacuum…simply to imitate the life she had before the death of her husband.

@ChasHalpernAuthor
@GuernicaEditions
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[Julie B. (readingonthebrink)]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“🎵… Queue music from ~ What I Am by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians… 🎵


Leroy Jethro Gibbs may have said, “there’s no such thing as coincidence”, but I believe that some books read at the right time can affect and have a BIG effect on the reader. Chas Halpern’s The Physics of Relationships is definitely one of those books for me.

FTR, I might not be as old as Lexi, the FMC...yet so much of her story, her POV, her analysis of relationships, not to mention the constant questioning and second guessing, resonated with me.

While I loved the short (and named) chapters as well as the moments of higher level thinking (hello Proust), there were times throughout the novel I found myself having mixed emotions with regards to Lexi, and some of the choices she makes in the story. However, the poignant observations on motherhood, friendship, love, and solitude were so very relatable, I found myself turning page after page and running low on annotating tabs.

I would definitely recommend this to those entering their ‘second coming of age’ (or what older generations may have called mid-life crisis!).

Thank you to @ChasHalpernAuthor, @GuernicaEditions and @lovebookstours for my gifted physical copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Country Mama]

This is a book about three characters, named Lexi, Tasha(Lexi’s daughter), and Danielle(friends with Tasha). Lexi is our MC who has lost her husband. The author does put a lot into the writing of how Lexi is fairing after that event, which is good to know as a reader. The author talks a lot about Lexi’s daughter and it is mentioned eventually that she also has a son.

Danielle is Tasha’s friend from high school and she is moving back to the same town as Tasha and Lexi. Lexi agrees to help Danielle and realizes she really likes the woman’s company. And then Amy, who is best friends with Lexi moves in with Lexi and Danielle.

There is a lot going on with this book as a reader. I didn’t like personally some of the things that Tasha, Lexi, and Danielle did in this book. There were many problems with the characters overall and it is a bit confusing for the readers. I found myself walking away from the book and coming back to it several times.

This is a great read for those who want a long read about a loss and being lonely after that loss affects everyone.

[Lilee]

An unlikely ménage à trois

I received an advance review copy of The Physics of Relationships, picked it up and finished it on the same day.
The characters are so authentic in their doubts, joys, and their very different approaches to life. The main character, Lexi, newly widowed struggles to feel relevant and to make a meaningful life and community for herself. Her relationships with people who enter her life, by literally moving into her home, both complicate and enrich it. Danielle is a shrinking violet, a vegan, and without financial resources. She is foisted on Lexi by Lexi's daughter, Tasha. Lexi’s best friend, Amy, is having a midlife crises of her own. A big personality, and a meat eating gourmand, she decides to move out of her home and not just into Lexi’s home, but into her bed. Imagine this unlikely household.
The book was humorous and thoughtful in turn. Chas Halpern does a masterful job of storytelling.

[Barb]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Physics of Relationships and could easily identify with the main character, Lexi. She was very real to me as she shares her innermost thoughts, conflicts, and painful life decisions.

As a sixty-three-year-old widow with adult, independent children and a rapidly waning professional career, she is looking ahead and wondering how to live the rest of her life. When two very different guests invade her house, she finds herself dealing with unexpected issues of friendship, motherhood, and kindness versus setting boundaries.

While these issues fill her empty life, she wonders if receiving these house guests is, in the end, a way of avoiding her loneliness – a loneliness she will have to confront if she is to move on. How she navigates these issues becomes a touching, yet humorous, journey.

The Physics of Relationships is an extremely well written, engaging, thought-provoking, and entertaining read.

[Bianca Duthie]

This is a story about life beginning again. When you've been wife, mother, friend, carer, what do you do when your family grows up, and your partner passes. This story follows Lexi, exploring relationships with young people, her longstanding best friend, her children, and her ex-husband.
I enjoyed reading about when Amy and Danielle were staying with her, I thought it explored those relationships well, and I was interested in the impact on her life.
I felt that after that, there wasn't much oomph, unfortunately. It slowed right down. While it still explored relationships, it felt a little samey. I also started to dislike Amy, and I really wanted Lexi to stand up to her.
It's quite a quick read, easy to get lost in, without realising how much you've read.
I think there was definitely promise, and the author writes well. It just wasn't for me in the end, but I'm positive there's an audience for it.

[alisdiscovers]

The Physics of Relationships by Chas Halpern was a contemporary novel that immediately felt familiar as I began reading, which drew me in. I was surprised to find myself laughing in places early on, which I hadn’t expected. The way different personalities interacted throughout the story was fascinating, even though I sometimes found myself irritated by the main character, Lexi. That frustration was likely because I was invested in the story, and Lexi had such a different personality from my own.
The book explored thoughts and actions in a compelling way, and I found myself rooting for everyone to end up happy by the conclusion. The dynamics between the characters were interesting and made me reflect on the nature of relationships, choices, and their consequences.
In conclusion, The Physics of Relationships was both uplifting and thought-provoking. It offered insightful reflections on human relationships and their complexities. A great read!

[Lawrence]

I found "The Physics of Relationships" to be an entertaining story. It's social satire, but more than that, there's a profound understanding of the dynamics of interpersonal relationships that gives the story depth.

The story, narrated by the main character, Lexi, explores shifting relationships among a host of interacting characters: Lexi, her daughter Tasha, Tasha's friend Danielle, Lexi's former husband Greg, Lexi's best friend Amy, Amy's husband Phil. The way these personalities are interwoven into a story that has a beginning, middle and satisfying conclusion is ingenious, and I could completely relate to Lexi's perceptions as her thinking evolves--as she deals with the changes concomitant to late middle age, and as she eventually finds the right path to leading her life.

I highly recommend this book.

[Lynelle Clark]

Author Chas Halpern has delivered on his initial statement within the synopsis of the book, The Physics of Relationships.
"A highly readable, intimate story about loss, aging, female friendship, family, and renewal…told with grit and humor."

This is a down to earth read with so many relatable topics we experience in our daily lives.
Initially, I thought this was a non-fiction book about relationships, and the author made a mistake about the genre. However, when I read the story, I realised this was a practical story that explains the intricate role of each person's who were portrait. A well-defined plotline that gives clarity and understanding as blindfolds is removed in a quest to truly understand another person's view.

A book I would definitely recommend for women of all ages.

[Robert Mariotti]

I really enjoyed this book, and am so impressed by Chas Halpern's ability to project himself into female characters. This first-person novel tracks the life of Lexi, a 64 year old widow as she maneuvers her way through several turning points in her and her friends' and family's lives. The story moved briskly, with just enough happening to keep this thriller-loving reader happy. I found echoes of Sally Rooney, whose books I adore, in the close examination of personal choices AND the tracking of societal influences.
Written in a conversational yet also elegant style, with humor and insight, this compact and satisfying novel gave me so much to chew on, since it touched on many important themes in my life (the invisibility of older people, the tightrope a parent walks in giving advice and holding back).
Highly recommended!