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Defining Me
What would you do if your spirit, your ambition, and your heart broke all at once? When it happens to Isabelle Connelley, she runs away from her troubles as fast as she can… right into the arms of her first love.
Alex Hastings was cute and fun when they were kids, but as an adult, he is charming, impossibly handsome, and a little bit mysterious. Even though they broke up for the last and final time many years ago she never really got over him. When she decided to spend the summer in her hometown, she envisioned reconnecting with her mom and relaxing with her childhood best friends. Getting to see Alex all day every day was just pure luck.
So, when Isabelle’s summer of fun ends she has an all new set of troubles waiting for her back home. Will she be able to rebuild her life and repair her marriage? Or, will she take a chance and give an old love a new start?
Alex Hastings was cute and fun when they were kids, but as an adult, he is charming, impossibly handsome, and a little bit mysterious. Even though they broke up for the last and final time many years ago she never really got over him. When she decided to spend the summer in her hometown, she envisioned reconnecting with her mom and relaxing with her childhood best friends. Getting to see Alex all day every day was just pure luck.
So, when Isabelle’s summer of fun ends she has an all new set of troubles waiting for her back home. Will she be able to rebuild her life and repair her marriage? Or, will she take a chance and give an old love a new start?
388 pages, Paperback
Published June 27, 2023
5 people are currently reading
1084 people want to read
About the author
L.M. Berthiaume
1 book8 followersLM Berthiaume published her debut novel, Defining Me, with New Degree Press. Since its release in June 2023, she has received the sought-after designation of being an Amazon and Kindle Top 20 Best Selling Author. She is also a winner in the 2023 Beach Book Festival and the 2023 Fall Bookfest.
Defining Me has garnered many 5-star reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble with readers across the globe, including North America, Europe, and Australia.
In addition to the writing process, one of LM Berthiaume's cherished aspects of being an author is the opportunity to connect with both new and loyal readers of her novel. She relishes the experience of engaging with her audience, whether it's at book festivals across the country where she sells and signs her books, through online forums and social media, or in person through casual conversation.
Ms. Berthiaume’s hobbies include reading, eating Tex-Mex, singing along to turn-of-the-century hip hop, and being a #coolmom, obviously. Despite growing up in Texas, she has never owned a pair of cowboy boots OR a cowboy hat.
She is a boy mom, cat mom, sister, daughter, and friend.
Defining Me has garnered many 5-star reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble with readers across the globe, including North America, Europe, and Australia.
In addition to the writing process, one of LM Berthiaume's cherished aspects of being an author is the opportunity to connect with both new and loyal readers of her novel. She relishes the experience of engaging with her audience, whether it's at book festivals across the country where she sells and signs her books, through online forums and social media, or in person through casual conversation.
Ms. Berthiaume’s hobbies include reading, eating Tex-Mex, singing along to turn-of-the-century hip hop, and being a #coolmom, obviously. Despite growing up in Texas, she has never owned a pair of cowboy boots OR a cowboy hat.
She is a boy mom, cat mom, sister, daughter, and friend.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 6, 2023
Engaging read
Isabelle is happily married to the love of her life, Chris, and they have two wonderful children. But before Chris there was another love of her life, the horrible Alex. Isabelle’s life starts to unravel when she is stuck inside during lockdown, home-schooling her two children while her travel business falters; Chris, who gets to leave the house for work, is far from sympathetic. Isabelle returns to her childhood home, where, you’ve guessed it, Alex is trying to rekindle what they once had. Isabelle has to choose between the lovely Chris and the awful Alex.
This isn’t the type of book I would normally read, but I found it mostly engaging, although the middle was a little slow. All the characters felt realistic and relatable. Maybe too relatable; I disliked Alex so much it made the story painful in places, then I started disliking Isabelle (although not as much as Alex,) and Chris (just a bit.) I’m sure lots of people will find Alex endearing though, and it’s easy to forgive Isabelle’s wayward thoughts. The story develops into something different at the end; I’m not sure I liked the shift, but I’m sure others will.
The story switches between 2020 and Isabelle’s youth; it’s a good idea to remember the date of the last entry in the youth section to save scrolling back. If you want to relive your first teenage crush, this book portrays it perfectly, right to the point of a high school Isabelle making a ‘surprise’ trip to visit Alex at college, what could possibly go wrong? And the 2020 sections perfectly capture the monotony and claustrophobia of lockdown. The descriptions of some cities are a little cliché, but in other places I could really picture the scene, like the old library in Isabelle’s childhood home. Other than a few anomalies, particularly with tenses, the story is well-written and very easy to read.
Isabelle’s adult infatuation with Alex drove me crazy, but fans of the genre are likely to enjoy this engaging read. 4.5 rounded up to 5.
Isabelle is happily married to the love of her life, Chris, and they have two wonderful children. But before Chris there was another love of her life, the horrible Alex. Isabelle’s life starts to unravel when she is stuck inside during lockdown, home-schooling her two children while her travel business falters; Chris, who gets to leave the house for work, is far from sympathetic. Isabelle returns to her childhood home, where, you’ve guessed it, Alex is trying to rekindle what they once had. Isabelle has to choose between the lovely Chris and the awful Alex.
This isn’t the type of book I would normally read, but I found it mostly engaging, although the middle was a little slow. All the characters felt realistic and relatable. Maybe too relatable; I disliked Alex so much it made the story painful in places, then I started disliking Isabelle (although not as much as Alex,) and Chris (just a bit.) I’m sure lots of people will find Alex endearing though, and it’s easy to forgive Isabelle’s wayward thoughts. The story develops into something different at the end; I’m not sure I liked the shift, but I’m sure others will.
The story switches between 2020 and Isabelle’s youth; it’s a good idea to remember the date of the last entry in the youth section to save scrolling back. If you want to relive your first teenage crush, this book portrays it perfectly, right to the point of a high school Isabelle making a ‘surprise’ trip to visit Alex at college, what could possibly go wrong? And the 2020 sections perfectly capture the monotony and claustrophobia of lockdown. The descriptions of some cities are a little cliché, but in other places I could really picture the scene, like the old library in Isabelle’s childhood home. Other than a few anomalies, particularly with tenses, the story is well-written and very easy to read.
Isabelle’s adult infatuation with Alex drove me crazy, but fans of the genre are likely to enjoy this engaging read. 4.5 rounded up to 5.
July 10, 2023
LOVED IT! WHAT AN ENGAGING, SMART AND HEARTFELT DEBUT NOVEL. PERFECT BOOK CLUB SELECTION.
The writing was captivating and flowed so beautifully. I simply could not put this book down. Isabelle's journey of self discovery entwined with complicated relationships was compelling. I wanted to know what would happen next with Isabelle. The unwavering support Isabelle had, particularly from her brother, is what most people only dream of having. Book clubs would have a field day discussing the intricacies and the choices each of the characters made.
I really appreciated the timeline notation on each page in the printed copy of the book. I have never seen that level of detail before and since we get to understand Isabelle's personal journey from young adulthood, it provided a great quick reference.
Strong recommendation for this book.
The writing was captivating and flowed so beautifully. I simply could not put this book down. Isabelle's journey of self discovery entwined with complicated relationships was compelling. I wanted to know what would happen next with Isabelle. The unwavering support Isabelle had, particularly from her brother, is what most people only dream of having. Book clubs would have a field day discussing the intricacies and the choices each of the characters made.
I really appreciated the timeline notation on each page in the printed copy of the book. I have never seen that level of detail before and since we get to understand Isabelle's personal journey from young adulthood, it provided a great quick reference.
Strong recommendation for this book.
October 1, 2023
I do not read contemporary romance novels usually, other than for reviews as in this case. I think it is because I most often find the characters too self-indulgent, too self-absorbed, even smug and totally unaware of less privileged people in the world. So it was when I read this book and I could not wait to finish it. I found most of it trite and unsurprising – not unexpected I suppose given the book’s title.
There were no characters with whom I could identify and sympathise apart from Isabelle’s children who seemed to be more of an irritation than a loveable gift to her present day self. My thoughts throughout most of the book were usually of the type that says: ‘Oh, get over yourself!’ and ‘Why don’t you just count your blessings and get on with life!’ The level of material comfort and self-satisfaction amongst all of the characters was almost sickening to me.
The time spent in the book about Isabelle’s younger life with Alex, and all of the angst that can often accompany burgeoning love, when one’s highs and lows seem to oscillate around a particular person, was well done. However, it was not enough to make me enjoy the story. All that it did was make me feel sorry once more for Chris and their children.
The inclusion of the awful Covid 19 isolation situations, for everyone in the world, felt cynical and a deliberate device used to attract the attention of the reader. Among other problems for me as a UK reader in their seventh decade, was the frequent use of bad language (such as the f… and mother-f….. words) in the dialogue. While I understand the use of phrases and idioms in speech can help in the cause of authenticity, the inclusion of strong expletives in the conversations of privileged and educated adults seems to me to be most unfortunate. I know it is often a reality in some circles but its use in literature can perpetuate the habit as a norm. Another niggle for me was the number of USA products named in the novel that are not found in other countries. It felt like deliberate ‘product placement’ at times. I am probably wrong about that but it was irritating; for example what on earth is a ‘Gummy’ and why should non-drinkers automatically know the names of so many mixers, cocktails and martinis?
There were no characters with whom I could identify and sympathise apart from Isabelle’s children who seemed to be more of an irritation than a loveable gift to her present day self. My thoughts throughout most of the book were usually of the type that says: ‘Oh, get over yourself!’ and ‘Why don’t you just count your blessings and get on with life!’ The level of material comfort and self-satisfaction amongst all of the characters was almost sickening to me.
The time spent in the book about Isabelle’s younger life with Alex, and all of the angst that can often accompany burgeoning love, when one’s highs and lows seem to oscillate around a particular person, was well done. However, it was not enough to make me enjoy the story. All that it did was make me feel sorry once more for Chris and their children.
The inclusion of the awful Covid 19 isolation situations, for everyone in the world, felt cynical and a deliberate device used to attract the attention of the reader. Among other problems for me as a UK reader in their seventh decade, was the frequent use of bad language (such as the f… and mother-f….. words) in the dialogue. While I understand the use of phrases and idioms in speech can help in the cause of authenticity, the inclusion of strong expletives in the conversations of privileged and educated adults seems to me to be most unfortunate. I know it is often a reality in some circles but its use in literature can perpetuate the habit as a norm. Another niggle for me was the number of USA products named in the novel that are not found in other countries. It felt like deliberate ‘product placement’ at times. I am probably wrong about that but it was irritating; for example what on earth is a ‘Gummy’ and why should non-drinkers automatically know the names of so many mixers, cocktails and martinis?
August 25, 2023
Does anyone ever get over their first love? The breathless anticipation, the butterflies in the stomach, the uncertainty of youth? The author takes us on an emotional journey with Isabelle as she runs into an old flame on a vacation with a friend. Yikes. The very thought of it makes me fidget.
Comfortably settled as adults with current spouses and family, why would thoughts of someone from a whole different existence, one which should be irrevocably over, be so unnerving? Maybe we never really get over that first love. Maybe it’s a matter of understanding the difference between feelings we had way back then, given we were still in the process of finding ourselves, and feelings we have now, as mature adults who know themselves.
The author’s portrayal of Isabelle, the wife of a loving husband and mother of two children, as the emotions of youth are resurrected when she meets her first love is spot on. The old but powerful attraction, the old but powerful self-doubt, the feeling of not having gained any wisdom or maturity with age and being reduced to a blithering youngster all over again are things anyone who has daydreamed about a first love will be able to relate to.
We also have the very relevant challenges of life during the pandemic, dysfunctional relationships with family, and the importance of loving support. It’s a thoughtful exploration of issues that many would want to push away because to raise them could be unsettling. But in facing these issues, Isabelle gains a more “defined” sense of herself than before.
The story is well-written with dialogue and thoughts that lay bare what each character is feeling. I would have liked to have seen some more time spent on the settings, more descriptions of the wonderful places Isabelle went to. These felt glossed over and gave me a very fleeting sense of place. But I understand this was not a priority. Other than that, it was an emotionally engaging, quick and easy read.
Comfortably settled as adults with current spouses and family, why would thoughts of someone from a whole different existence, one which should be irrevocably over, be so unnerving? Maybe we never really get over that first love. Maybe it’s a matter of understanding the difference between feelings we had way back then, given we were still in the process of finding ourselves, and feelings we have now, as mature adults who know themselves.
The author’s portrayal of Isabelle, the wife of a loving husband and mother of two children, as the emotions of youth are resurrected when she meets her first love is spot on. The old but powerful attraction, the old but powerful self-doubt, the feeling of not having gained any wisdom or maturity with age and being reduced to a blithering youngster all over again are things anyone who has daydreamed about a first love will be able to relate to.
We also have the very relevant challenges of life during the pandemic, dysfunctional relationships with family, and the importance of loving support. It’s a thoughtful exploration of issues that many would want to push away because to raise them could be unsettling. But in facing these issues, Isabelle gains a more “defined” sense of herself than before.
The story is well-written with dialogue and thoughts that lay bare what each character is feeling. I would have liked to have seen some more time spent on the settings, more descriptions of the wonderful places Isabelle went to. These felt glossed over and gave me a very fleeting sense of place. But I understand this was not a priority. Other than that, it was an emotionally engaging, quick and easy read.
September 25, 2023
Defining Me reflects Isabelle Connelly’s journey to find herself, and beyond that, to define herself, just as the title implies. I enjoy romances and the story kept me engaged the whole way through. However, as I was winging along, I wondered about the viability of some scenarios. However, in my mind, the big question was how did Isabelle not question through her 20s or her 30s whether her relationship with Alex was wrong, and that she should consider why she remained involved with him. Through her various life experiences, Isabelle had no doubt reached a level of sophistication, worldliness, and I would suspect, some self-confidence and self-awareness? I had a hard time believing that Isabelle didn’t recognize Alex’s toxicity a lot sooner than age 40. Or, do we all have that one person where we are partly delusional? It’s possible perhaps, especially if it’s our first love. And therein lies the crux of Isabelle's problem.
But, I liked the contemporary themes and issues that Berthiaume addressed, especially the issues brought about by the pandemic and its impact on families. The pain of the pandemic was real. And, Berthiaume pinpointed many of the issues facing friendships and marriages of society today.
All in all, I would recommend to those who enjoy contemporary romances!
But, I liked the contemporary themes and issues that Berthiaume addressed, especially the issues brought about by the pandemic and its impact on families. The pain of the pandemic was real. And, Berthiaume pinpointed many of the issues facing friendships and marriages of society today.
All in all, I would recommend to those who enjoy contemporary romances!
May 24, 2023
Such an amazing book! I felt it in my bones, and related to the main character instantly. I felt seen, I cried and I celebrated with them. I thought I knew where things were headed and can usually predict a books ending pretty early, and this one really got me with a twist I wasn’t expecting. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who has experienced the pain of what-ifs and the depth of trauma that going into lock-down for COVID was like for so many women with school age children.
September 4, 2023
This was such a great book! I couldn’t put it down. I had tears and felt a close relationship to the character. I barely have time to read and this story kept be engaged. Great novel!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews