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Dear Thing
Claire and Ben are the perfect couple. But behind the glossy façade, they’ve been desperately trying – and failing – to have a baby for years. Now, the stress and feelings of loss are taking their toll on their marriage. Claire’s ready to give up hope and get on with her life, but Ben is not. And then Ben’s best friend, Romily, offers to conceive via artificial insemination and carry the baby for them.
Romily acts in good faith, believing it will be easy to be a surrogate. She’s already a single mother, and has no desire for any more children. Except that being pregnant with Ben’s child stirs up all sorts of emotions in her, including one she’s kept hidden for a very long time: Ben’s the only man she’s ever loved.
Two mothers—and one baby who belongs to both of them, and which only one of them can keep.
Romily acts in good faith, believing it will be easy to be a surrogate. She’s already a single mother, and has no desire for any more children. Except that being pregnant with Ben’s child stirs up all sorts of emotions in her, including one she’s kept hidden for a very long time: Ben’s the only man she’s ever loved.
Two mothers—and one baby who belongs to both of them, and which only one of them can keep.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 11, 2013
46 people are currently reading
3830 people want to read
About the author
Julie Cohen
61 books571 followersJulie Cohen (also writing as Julie Mae Cohen) is an award-winning, bestselling author and a popular teacher of creative writing. She was born in Maine in the USA, and currently lives in the UK with her family and a terrier of dubious origin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
December 11, 2022
Claire und Ben sind seit vielen Jahren ein Paar, und zu ihrem Glück fehlt ihnen eigentlich nur noch ein eigenes Kind. Seit Jahren versucht Claire, schwanger zu werden und auch zu bleiben, doch als sie wieder eine Fehlgeburt erleidet, hat sie genug. Diese Achterbahn der Gefühle möchte sie nicht noch einmal durchmachen müssen. Ben hingegen wünscht sich immer noch von Herzen ein Kind, und da macht ihnen Bens beste Freundin Romily einen außergewöhnlichen Vorschlag.
*
Mein Leseeindruck:
Es ist ein wunderschönes und sehr gefühlvolles Buch, das auf jeden Fall von möglichst vielen Leserinnen gelesen werden sollte. Die Geschichte von Claire, Ben und Romily hat mich sehr berührt, dabei habe ich das Buch niemals als kitschig empfunden.
Besonders gut hat mir gefallen, dass die drei Hauptcharaktere so detailliert beschrieben wurden. Ich konnte mich sowohl in Claire, als auch in Ben und Romily sehr gut hineinversetzen. Jede dieser drei Figuren empfindet anders, und das hat die Autorin sehr schön rüberbringen können.
Meine Lieblingsfigur ist die 7-jährige Mariposa, die Tochter von Romily. Sie ist für ihr Alter unglaublich intelligent und vorlaut, hat eine blühende Fantasie und ist einfach nur goldig.
"All unsere Träume" ist ein wunderschöner Roman rund um die Liebe, um Kinderwunsch und Schwangerschaft. Aber auch Leserinnen, die mit dem Thema "Baby" und/oder "Familie" (noch) nicht so viel anfangen können, werden sicher ihre Freude an diesem Roman haben! Mir hat er sehr gefallen!
*
Mein Leseeindruck:
Es ist ein wunderschönes und sehr gefühlvolles Buch, das auf jeden Fall von möglichst vielen Leserinnen gelesen werden sollte. Die Geschichte von Claire, Ben und Romily hat mich sehr berührt, dabei habe ich das Buch niemals als kitschig empfunden.
Besonders gut hat mir gefallen, dass die drei Hauptcharaktere so detailliert beschrieben wurden. Ich konnte mich sowohl in Claire, als auch in Ben und Romily sehr gut hineinversetzen. Jede dieser drei Figuren empfindet anders, und das hat die Autorin sehr schön rüberbringen können.
Meine Lieblingsfigur ist die 7-jährige Mariposa, die Tochter von Romily. Sie ist für ihr Alter unglaublich intelligent und vorlaut, hat eine blühende Fantasie und ist einfach nur goldig.
"All unsere Träume" ist ein wunderschöner Roman rund um die Liebe, um Kinderwunsch und Schwangerschaft. Aber auch Leserinnen, die mit dem Thema "Baby" und/oder "Familie" (noch) nicht so viel anfangen können, werden sicher ihre Freude an diesem Roman haben! Mir hat er sehr gefallen!
May 16, 2016
If I’m completely honest, I chose this book because I fell in love with the front cover (clearly I have a thing for blankets and cuddly toys). When it came to reading it, I put it off for a few weeks, as I really wasn’t sure if it was for me. As I don’t have children, a part of me wondered how I would manage to connect with this book.
Dear Thing is a beautiful, emotional and intense read. At one point I couldn’t read the words through my own tears.
This book was almost impossible to put down. I was about half way through, when I decided to continue it first thing the following morning, with the intention of reading a few pages while I drunk my cup of tea in bed. My intended quick morning read, turned into me crawling out of bed two hours later, having finished the entire book.
I would like to thank the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin (St. Martin’s Press) for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dear Thing is a beautiful, emotional and intense read. At one point I couldn’t read the words through my own tears.
This book was almost impossible to put down. I was about half way through, when I decided to continue it first thing the following morning, with the intention of reading a few pages while I drunk my cup of tea in bed. My intended quick morning read, turned into me crawling out of bed two hours later, having finished the entire book.
I would like to thank the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin (St. Martin’s Press) for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2014
Cheryl Rae Tiegs, an American model, actress, designer, author, and entrepreneur, has once said,
"But when I would see the surrogate, my first instinct, my first reaction would be jealousy, because she was doing what I wanted to do."
Dear Thing by Julie Cohen, is a tale about a mother who no longer wants to be a mother and another mother who is desperately trying to be a 'mother' for the first time. Their paths cross when one becomes the surrogate of the other, owing to the fact that, they both loved the same man.
An enticing tale about love, trust, motherhood, and the very less discussed topics of these times- surrogacy! When couples, who are trying to be parents for the first time, fail in IVF methods and they don't want to go through all those hectic and long procedures of adoption, then they opt the surrogacy option, i.e. taking the help of another women's womb to reproduce your own flesh and blood and with the help of artificial insemination, the sperms and eggs of the wanna-be parents couples, are planted on that other woman's womb.
Julie Cohen, the author, has given us a thorough insight into the world of surrogate mothers, and how they try to not to get attached with the baby and in order of not getting way too attached with the baby, they sometimes start addressing the baby as 'Thing' and how strongly they balance their own emotions with that of the baby's parents.
Thanks to Tessa Henderson, of Transworld Publishers, for providing me with a copy of this book.
Romily, a biologist doctorate, who offered to be a surrogate mother to her long time university best-friend, Ben and his wife Claire. Romily's seven year old daughter, Poise, is a bright and very intelligent girl, who loved weaving tales about her imaginary worlds and knew each and every secrets of the grown-up worlds. And Poise love Ben and Claire like her own parents.
Claire, a primary-school, music teacher, has been trying to become a mother for a very long time. But due to her faulty eggs, even IVF is also not working on her body, thereby making her more and more miserable and lonely. Claire had been married to her one true love, Ben, and they were the epitome of a perfect loving couple, but unfortunately, they failed to become parents.
Romily was in love with Ben for eleven long years and she never breathed an air about it to any soul. When Ben and Claire, failed to become pregnant, she offered to become their baby's surrogate mother, thereby opening her floodgates of feelings about Ben and the baby that she conceived. Claire, on the other hand, has devoted her almost whole life to become a mother and when she sees Romily becoming the surrogate, her emotions are haunted by jealously and loneliness. Natural, all through these 9 months, Romily and Claire, couldn't stand each other, whereas, as suggested by Claire, Romily stared to write letters to the baby, a.k.a, 'The Thing'. Things get complicated and Claire and Ben's marriage gets threatened when Claire gets holds of Romily's letters and gets aware of her feelings.
This is a brilliantly woven tale of love and motherhood with sharpness and eloquence. The characters developed by the authors are at its best, everyone from Ben to Poise, goes through an emotional turmoil on the arrival of a new human being amongst them. But my favorite character was Poise, who lights up whole book like a firework, her dialogues and comments were like having a sundae on a gloomy day. I fell in love with her almost immediately. Poise remains so nonchalant to the fact when her father, Jarvis comes to meet her after 7 long years; I loved her confidence and intelligence. Romily, on the other hand, was a shy woman, who always felt timid about her own feelings. Claire was a brave teacher and one incident with her favorite student, Max, will make you idolize her as a teacher- losing her job, to make Max pursue his dreams of becoming a pianist.
The plot is very well-developed and skillfully penned down by the author. At times it feels your heart with hatred against Romily for breaking Claire and Ben's marriage, next moment your eyes will well up reading about how Romily never held the baby when the baby was taken out of her womb. The emotions are rich and deep and are told strikingly.
So, wrap yourself up in this enthralling tale about being a mother for the first time and mostly being a mother to the baby who can never be yours!
"But when I would see the surrogate, my first instinct, my first reaction would be jealousy, because she was doing what I wanted to do."
Dear Thing by Julie Cohen, is a tale about a mother who no longer wants to be a mother and another mother who is desperately trying to be a 'mother' for the first time. Their paths cross when one becomes the surrogate of the other, owing to the fact that, they both loved the same man.
An enticing tale about love, trust, motherhood, and the very less discussed topics of these times- surrogacy! When couples, who are trying to be parents for the first time, fail in IVF methods and they don't want to go through all those hectic and long procedures of adoption, then they opt the surrogacy option, i.e. taking the help of another women's womb to reproduce your own flesh and blood and with the help of artificial insemination, the sperms and eggs of the wanna-be parents couples, are planted on that other woman's womb.
Julie Cohen, the author, has given us a thorough insight into the world of surrogate mothers, and how they try to not to get attached with the baby and in order of not getting way too attached with the baby, they sometimes start addressing the baby as 'Thing' and how strongly they balance their own emotions with that of the baby's parents.
Thanks to Tessa Henderson, of Transworld Publishers, for providing me with a copy of this book.
Romily, a biologist doctorate, who offered to be a surrogate mother to her long time university best-friend, Ben and his wife Claire. Romily's seven year old daughter, Poise, is a bright and very intelligent girl, who loved weaving tales about her imaginary worlds and knew each and every secrets of the grown-up worlds. And Poise love Ben and Claire like her own parents.
Claire, a primary-school, music teacher, has been trying to become a mother for a very long time. But due to her faulty eggs, even IVF is also not working on her body, thereby making her more and more miserable and lonely. Claire had been married to her one true love, Ben, and they were the epitome of a perfect loving couple, but unfortunately, they failed to become parents.
Romily was in love with Ben for eleven long years and she never breathed an air about it to any soul. When Ben and Claire, failed to become pregnant, she offered to become their baby's surrogate mother, thereby opening her floodgates of feelings about Ben and the baby that she conceived. Claire, on the other hand, has devoted her almost whole life to become a mother and when she sees Romily becoming the surrogate, her emotions are haunted by jealously and loneliness. Natural, all through these 9 months, Romily and Claire, couldn't stand each other, whereas, as suggested by Claire, Romily stared to write letters to the baby, a.k.a, 'The Thing'. Things get complicated and Claire and Ben's marriage gets threatened when Claire gets holds of Romily's letters and gets aware of her feelings.
This is a brilliantly woven tale of love and motherhood with sharpness and eloquence. The characters developed by the authors are at its best, everyone from Ben to Poise, goes through an emotional turmoil on the arrival of a new human being amongst them. But my favorite character was Poise, who lights up whole book like a firework, her dialogues and comments were like having a sundae on a gloomy day. I fell in love with her almost immediately. Poise remains so nonchalant to the fact when her father, Jarvis comes to meet her after 7 long years; I loved her confidence and intelligence. Romily, on the other hand, was a shy woman, who always felt timid about her own feelings. Claire was a brave teacher and one incident with her favorite student, Max, will make you idolize her as a teacher- losing her job, to make Max pursue his dreams of becoming a pianist.
The plot is very well-developed and skillfully penned down by the author. At times it feels your heart with hatred against Romily for breaking Claire and Ben's marriage, next moment your eyes will well up reading about how Romily never held the baby when the baby was taken out of her womb. The emotions are rich and deep and are told strikingly.
So, wrap yourself up in this enthralling tale about being a mother for the first time and mostly being a mother to the baby who can never be yours!
October 9, 2019
I ended up listening to this on audio within a day and part of the early hours trying to disguise my tears.
There’s not many books that make me ugly weep, but this one did.
One mother is a mother and doesn’t want to be.
The other wants to be a mother so desperately.
It’s a heartbreaking read that the author has done such research on that you “feel” their emotions through the pages.
You want a good cry?
Here it is.
There’s not many books that make me ugly weep, but this one did.
One mother is a mother and doesn’t want to be.
The other wants to be a mother so desperately.
It’s a heartbreaking read that the author has done such research on that you “feel” their emotions through the pages.
You want a good cry?
Here it is.
June 20, 2013
It is such a sweet story between a couple wanting for a baby! This story is so touching! A perfect weekend read!
Julie Cohen does her magic again!!
Julie Cohen does her magic again!!
March 19, 2015
This book is BEAUTIFUL and is brilliantly written.
A must read if you are looking for something innocent and cute~
A must read if you are looking for something innocent and cute~
September 11, 2013
Although I struggled to understand how a woman could agree to be a surrogate, carry and child and then give it up, this story hooked me emotionally. Romily, single mother to Posie, has been best friends with Ben since university days. Even his marriage to Claire has not changed that. Ben and Claire thought they knew how the story went, fall in love, get married and have kids. But then Claire could not carry a baby to term. They try everything including IVF all to no avail. Claire wants to give up. Ben doesn’t, so when Romily impulsively and drunkenly volunteers to act as surrogate for Ben and Claire, Ben jumps at the chance. Claire has her reservations, but eventually agrees.
The characters: Romily and Claire are about as different as it is possible to be. Romily is laid back and lackadaisical about parenting and life. Claire likes everything neatly planned, done properly and does her best to be in control of any situation. You sense these opposites will strike trouble along the way. Ben I thought was a selfish twit who neve empathised with the feelings of his wife and never attempted to understand where she was coming from. I failed to see what either Romily or Claire found loveable about him. Posie, real name Mariposa, is a precocious but lovable character, old beyond her years.
This is a book that brought smiles, tears, disappointment and moments of anger. I did tell you I was emotionally involved from the start. It’s more a study of characters than a face paced plot and yet I found it worked, especially with the odd curve ball thrown in. I read it in a couple of sittings. If you like books about relationships you should enjoy this one.
The characters: Romily and Claire are about as different as it is possible to be. Romily is laid back and lackadaisical about parenting and life. Claire likes everything neatly planned, done properly and does her best to be in control of any situation. You sense these opposites will strike trouble along the way. Ben I thought was a selfish twit who neve empathised with the feelings of his wife and never attempted to understand where she was coming from. I failed to see what either Romily or Claire found loveable about him. Posie, real name Mariposa, is a precocious but lovable character, old beyond her years.
This is a book that brought smiles, tears, disappointment and moments of anger. I did tell you I was emotionally involved from the start. It’s more a study of characters than a face paced plot and yet I found it worked, especially with the odd curve ball thrown in. I read it in a couple of sittings. If you like books about relationships you should enjoy this one.
October 8, 2022
Dear Thing is a moving contemporary relationship drama first published in 2013, about a surrogacy arrangement between three friends to help a couple desperate to have a baby. I got it from Book Club but didn’t expect to get far with it, as I have never been nor ever desired to be pregnant so cannot relate to the overwhelming need so many people have to become parents (yeah I know, it’s biology - fortunately a wire got crossed somewhere in my DNA so I ended up needing cat-babies instead.) I was therefore surprised by how much I liked it.
Claire and Ben, a prosperous middle class couple living near London, are very much in love, and have tried everything to have a child. When the latest round of IVF fails, Claire wants to give up as neither her body nor mind can take any more. Then Ben’s best friend Romily makes an incredible offer - she will have Ben’s baby for them, since she’s a single parent who doesn’t want more children. Claire is initially sceptical, but can’t say no, and as the pregnancy progresses starts to feel like maybe their dream will come true. The only problem is that Romily has been secretly in love with Ben for years, and is now starting to have feelings for the baby too…
This was a beautifully written analysis of the complicated emotions that infertility, unrequited love, pregnancy and motherhood engender. Initially I didn’t particularly like any of the characters (apart from charming seven-year old Posie of course!) Claire is a prickly perfectionist, trapped by her illusion of the perfect family. Ben means well but is an emotional numbskull, and biologist Romily is a chaotic free spirit who can only be honest with the baby growing inside her. As the story progresses, however, and they each start to consider the needs of the other, my sympathy grew, and I wasn’t sure how this could end happily - although it does. 4.5 stars rounded up because it made me appreciate my uncomplicated furry children all the more.
Claire and Ben, a prosperous middle class couple living near London, are very much in love, and have tried everything to have a child. When the latest round of IVF fails, Claire wants to give up as neither her body nor mind can take any more. Then Ben’s best friend Romily makes an incredible offer - she will have Ben’s baby for them, since she’s a single parent who doesn’t want more children. Claire is initially sceptical, but can’t say no, and as the pregnancy progresses starts to feel like maybe their dream will come true. The only problem is that Romily has been secretly in love with Ben for years, and is now starting to have feelings for the baby too…
This was a beautifully written analysis of the complicated emotions that infertility, unrequited love, pregnancy and motherhood engender. Initially I didn’t particularly like any of the characters (apart from charming seven-year old Posie of course!) Claire is a prickly perfectionist, trapped by her illusion of the perfect family. Ben means well but is an emotional numbskull, and biologist Romily is a chaotic free spirit who can only be honest with the baby growing inside her. As the story progresses, however, and they each start to consider the needs of the other, my sympathy grew, and I wasn’t sure how this could end happily - although it does. 4.5 stars rounded up because it made me appreciate my uncomplicated furry children all the more.
May 31, 2015
Story of love and tears, incredible, must be read
March 27, 2016
I was a good reads first reads winner of this giveaway."Dear Thing" by Julie Cohen . Romily and Claire have been friends for years. Claire has been trying to have a baby for years she has gone through many painful procedures that failed. Romily offers to be a surrogate for Claire and her husband Ben. Romily has secretly loved Ben since college. She thinks this can be an easy thing to do.
Instead of going through an official procedure Romily takes a tube of Ben's sperm and inserts it herself. She becomes pregnant. Romily thinks this will be easy she already has a daughter of her own and does not wish for more children. as she carries the baby, it becomes harder for her. She knows she is carrying the baby of the man she loves. She keeps a journal while pregnant writing to the unborn baby as "Dear Thing"She slowly realizes she wants this baby as well. I will not give any spoilers. Will Romily hand the baby to Ben and Claire. Will they find out how Romily feels about Ben and the unborn baby? I found this to be a good read. I wanted to find out what becomes of all these characters. I found myself feeling sympathy for all. Glad I got the chance to read Dear Thing.
Instead of going through an official procedure Romily takes a tube of Ben's sperm and inserts it herself. She becomes pregnant. Romily thinks this will be easy she already has a daughter of her own and does not wish for more children. as she carries the baby, it becomes harder for her. She knows she is carrying the baby of the man she loves. She keeps a journal while pregnant writing to the unborn baby as "Dear Thing"She slowly realizes she wants this baby as well. I will not give any spoilers. Will Romily hand the baby to Ben and Claire. Will they find out how Romily feels about Ben and the unborn baby? I found this to be a good read. I wanted to find out what becomes of all these characters. I found myself feeling sympathy for all. Glad I got the chance to read Dear Thing.
March 14, 2016
You can read this review on my blog: https://makingdaysbetter.wordpress.co...
Well, reading the synopsis of the book I thought it would be like in the movies I'd seen about surrogates but I still wanted to read because I'd never actually read something like this ☺
Dear Thing was a really sweet and touchy read, the story for me was incredible and the way is narrated is pretty cool but the issues I had were the characters :/
The females characters Romily and Claire were nice, smart and unique in her one ways but they still felt like they were less than the other and they were always comparing with each other. However, I liked them because they low self esteem was the only problem with them, aside from that they were amazing mothers that had some mistakes, incredible womans and perfect for each other. I think they could have an amazing friendship if they just relax a little bit.
Now, the character I HATE the entire book, well no the entire book because there were time were I think nice things about him but I can count those times with one hand. Ben was SO annoying for me, it was just a man who didn't understand anything about woman. I know there are men that say "women are complicated" and for me that's not true, we're pretty simple and I couldn't understand how he didn't get what the women near him were feeling. The only thing he was worry about was himself and his "Thing" and because he worry about it is that I liked him from time to time...
The other characters were nicer for me than this three. I liked the girls, especially Claire, but the other characters were better :/, more polite and caring. I would like that we had more story with Max, I'm still curious about him, I really liked that boy ❤.
Afterall and putting Ben aside, this book was very sweet but a lot of drama.The best thing about this book is that maybe the grown ups had problems with themselves and each other but they all worried about the kids, no matter what they would all together do what was the best for the kids <3. The end was sweet, it made so much sense and it is totally worth it :D
** I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange of my honest review **
Well, reading the synopsis of the book I thought it would be like in the movies I'd seen about surrogates but I still wanted to read because I'd never actually read something like this ☺
Dear Thing was a really sweet and touchy read, the story for me was incredible and the way is narrated is pretty cool but the issues I had were the characters :/
The females characters Romily and Claire were nice, smart and unique in her one ways but they still felt like they were less than the other and they were always comparing with each other. However, I liked them because they low self esteem was the only problem with them, aside from that they were amazing mothers that had some mistakes, incredible womans and perfect for each other. I think they could have an amazing friendship if they just relax a little bit.
Now, the character I HATE the entire book, well no the entire book because there were time were I think nice things about him but I can count those times with one hand. Ben was SO annoying for me, it was just a man who didn't understand anything about woman. I know there are men that say "women are complicated" and for me that's not true, we're pretty simple and I couldn't understand how he didn't get what the women near him were feeling. The only thing he was worry about was himself and his "Thing" and because he worry about it is that I liked him from time to time...
The other characters were nicer for me than this three. I liked the girls, especially Claire, but the other characters were better :/, more polite and caring. I would like that we had more story with Max, I'm still curious about him, I really liked that boy ❤.
Afterall and putting Ben aside, this book was very sweet but a lot of drama.The best thing about this book is that maybe the grown ups had problems with themselves and each other but they all worried about the kids, no matter what they would all together do what was the best for the kids <3. The end was sweet, it made so much sense and it is totally worth it :D
July 13, 2013
Ben and Claire appear to have the perfect life – a loving relationship, a lovely house, successful careers however the one thing missing from their lives is a baby. After many rounds of failed IVF treatment, Claire makes a decision to stop trying, however Ben does not want to give up on their hopes just yet and thereafter things become complicated.
Romily, has been Ben’s best friend since university. He is godfather to her 7 year old daughter Posie. Romily is a single mother, a scientist whose unconventional mothering skills sometimes leave a lot to be desired.
On impulse, Romily offers to be a surrogate for Ben and Claire. She doesn’t want any more children herself and she sees this as something wonderful she can do for her friend Ben and Claire.
As the story and the pregnancy progresses, all three characters have to reassess their feelings about the surrogacy and the true reason for Romily’s well-meaning intentions.
I loved this book from the very start and was immediately drawn into the story. Initially, Claire came across as rather a prickly character, whose obsession with having a baby has now stopped her from interacting with anyone who is pregnant and withdrawing even from her family. Romily and Claire have a rather strained relationship – Romily has always been Ben’s friend rather than Claire’s and they both have to make an effort to get on, rather than it coming naturally. Ben is so overjoyed that his dream of becoming a father may now happen that he rather naively ignores the warnings from family and friends and it was obvious that he hasn’t thought the surrogacy through in any great detail. For me, Romily was the most interesting character. Her life is rather chaotic, but she muddles through with Posie and her letters to her unborn baby (the ‘Dear Thing’ of the title) add an extra dimension to the story. Posie was a delightful character with a voice older than her years.
Each character had enough depth to make the reader care about them and when a face from the past suddenly appears and complicates the arrangement, it is clear that this surrogacy is not going to be as straightforward as had been first thought. The issue of surrogacy is dealt with sensitively and the emotions of all three main characters involved clearly shine through.
This was a compelling read and one which I would highly recommend.
Romily, has been Ben’s best friend since university. He is godfather to her 7 year old daughter Posie. Romily is a single mother, a scientist whose unconventional mothering skills sometimes leave a lot to be desired.
On impulse, Romily offers to be a surrogate for Ben and Claire. She doesn’t want any more children herself and she sees this as something wonderful she can do for her friend Ben and Claire.
As the story and the pregnancy progresses, all three characters have to reassess their feelings about the surrogacy and the true reason for Romily’s well-meaning intentions.
I loved this book from the very start and was immediately drawn into the story. Initially, Claire came across as rather a prickly character, whose obsession with having a baby has now stopped her from interacting with anyone who is pregnant and withdrawing even from her family. Romily and Claire have a rather strained relationship – Romily has always been Ben’s friend rather than Claire’s and they both have to make an effort to get on, rather than it coming naturally. Ben is so overjoyed that his dream of becoming a father may now happen that he rather naively ignores the warnings from family and friends and it was obvious that he hasn’t thought the surrogacy through in any great detail. For me, Romily was the most interesting character. Her life is rather chaotic, but she muddles through with Posie and her letters to her unborn baby (the ‘Dear Thing’ of the title) add an extra dimension to the story. Posie was a delightful character with a voice older than her years.
Each character had enough depth to make the reader care about them and when a face from the past suddenly appears and complicates the arrangement, it is clear that this surrogacy is not going to be as straightforward as had been first thought. The issue of surrogacy is dealt with sensitively and the emotions of all three main characters involved clearly shine through.
This was a compelling read and one which I would highly recommend.
April 7, 2016
Dear Thing turned out exactly how I expected it to be; messy adult drama. Romily essentially offers to become a surrogate for her best friend Ben and his wife Claire. The hitch, Romily has been in love with Ben for years. So although Romily might believe she's doing this help her friends have what they so desperately want, deep down it was never going to be quite that easy. Dear Thing is a story about feelings and how they develop and change. At least that's what I took from it. Ben and Claire both so desperately want to be parents but it turns out that the "normal" way is just not in the cards for them.Claire understandably feels done. Her body is tired. But Ben sees Romily as this savior of sorts. And Romily just wants to give back to two of the most important people in her life that helped her raise Posie(her daughter(she's a single mom)). As an outsider you can see where everyone's at and feeling; understand every side to this tricky triangle; Claire's resentment, Ben's rose coloured glasses, and Romily's evolving, let's call it predicament. Hurtful things are said, actions are misinterpreted, like I said so much mess. Posie is a great kid. She's an oddball and super intuitive. And kind of helps all the adults not to completely lose their minds. I also adore Jarvis and his roll. He acted so spot on for the situation. I was scared for a few pages that things were all going completely to hell. I most definitely would have thrown the book. Luckily no books were harmed. This time. I know I'm being some what vague, but I don't want to take away from the emotions that this book doles out. I will admit to having a bit of a disconnect, but that in no way kept me from feeling for all the characters.
May 27, 2014
I’ve been waiting for this book to come out in paperback ( I don’t hold with buying hardbacks). I love Julie Cohen’s books and this one sounded particularly intriguing.
Dear Thing is about parents – single parents, reluctant parents, wannabe parents, the lot. Claire and Ben want a baby. Romily, their friend, agrees to be a surrogate parent to Claire and Ben. Of course, it’s not that simple, because Romily has been in love with Ben for years.
This is an interesting love triangle (quadrangle, if you include the baby). The subject of parental love – that bond that connects adults to the children they look after, which goes beyond the mere connection by genetic material – is seen from all kinds of angles. This is a well written, sensitive book.
I particularly liked the character of Claire, who is kind and sensitive and hurting so much from baby-envy that she comes across as prickly. I was totally absorbed in the individual distress of Claire and Romily. I liked Jarvis, but I thought Ben was an insensitive, self centred git.
I read this book until well after midnight and picked it up again first thing the next morning. It's that sort of book. It made me smile. It made me cry. As you’ve probably guessed by now – I loved it.
Disclaimer: Julie Cohen is a friend, but I bought this book independently. I consider Julie's books to be valuable teaching aids for a newer novelist!
Dear Thing is about parents – single parents, reluctant parents, wannabe parents, the lot. Claire and Ben want a baby. Romily, their friend, agrees to be a surrogate parent to Claire and Ben. Of course, it’s not that simple, because Romily has been in love with Ben for years.
This is an interesting love triangle (quadrangle, if you include the baby). The subject of parental love – that bond that connects adults to the children they look after, which goes beyond the mere connection by genetic material – is seen from all kinds of angles. This is a well written, sensitive book.
I particularly liked the character of Claire, who is kind and sensitive and hurting so much from baby-envy that she comes across as prickly. I was totally absorbed in the individual distress of Claire and Romily. I liked Jarvis, but I thought Ben was an insensitive, self centred git.
I read this book until well after midnight and picked it up again first thing the next morning. It's that sort of book. It made me smile. It made me cry. As you’ve probably guessed by now – I loved it.
Disclaimer: Julie Cohen is a friend, but I bought this book independently. I consider Julie's books to be valuable teaching aids for a newer novelist!
May 1, 2014
Utterly fantastic, I loved every minute of this book.
April 5, 2013
I have spent the last couple of days (between working of course!) with my nose firmly between the pages of Dear Thing by Julie Cohen which will be published by Bantam Press, an imprint of Transworld on 11 April 2013.
Claire and Ben are the perfect couple, they adore each other, both have great careers, they live in their dream house and to most people they appear to have everything they want. Those closest to them know that the one thing that would make their life really perfect is a baby, and that is the one thing that they can't have. They've considered adoption, they've tried IVF and Claire really doesn't think that she can try any longer, yet her heart breaks every time she sees a pregnant woman or a small baby. Romily isn't perfect - she's a Doctor, but deals with insects not people, she has a child; the wonderful Posie, but there is no father around. Romily is lucky if she finds two clean socks in the morning, and if they are an actual pair, then she's outshone herself. Despite Romily and Posie's chaotic lifestyle, they love each other. Ben has been Romily's best friend since University and he and Claire are Posie's godparents, and sometimes, just sometimes, Posie wishes that they were her real parents. Romily loves Ben and Claire, they've supported her and helped her with Posie and she can't bear their sadness any more. Romily will be their surrogate, she will have a baby for them.
Sounds simple? That's what Romily and Ben thought. Claire however, wasn't quite so sure, and maybe she was right to have her reservations?
Julie Cohen grabs the reader from page one, introducing the main characters straight away, giving a little bit of their background and a lot of their personalities. Ben is a kind and caring man, he loves his wife passionately and wants her to be happy, he wants them to be a proper family. Ben also cares for Romily, she's his best mate, his quiz team buddy and a girl who will watch football with him. She's also the mother of his beloved Posie who he adores and spoils. Claire is a little more distant, there is no doubt that Ben is her soul mate and the love of her life, but she is suffering inside. As far as she is concerned, she's a failure as a wife and will never be a mother. Romily is a little bit crazy, lives for the moment, is never on time, but is a loyal friend and a loving mum. Posie is the star of the story - creative, funny, honest and so bright - she is an amazing character who will win over every reader.
This is a story that is easy to read but is not always an easy subject. The 'Dear Thing' of the title relates to the letters that Romily writes to the unborn child, always referred to by the three 'parent's as 'Thing'. These letters tell the reader far more about Romily than anything that she actually does or says. The letters are moving and at times heart-breaking and are the heart of this story.
As Romily's pregnancy progresses, little cracks appear in all of the relationships - feelings are expressed, characters from the past emerge and whole worlds are turned upside down.
Dear Thing makes the reader think, this is not just a story about infertility or friendship, although those are two very central themes. This is also a story about realisation, about accepting yourself and your circumstances and about being honest with yourself and with others. Julie Cohen has cleverly woven some really important and sensitive themes into a story that is easy to read, often quite funny and full of larger than life characters.
I enjoyed this novel very much. I loved the writing style, the plot and the characters and would recommend this to fans of Jojo Moyes and Lisa Jewell.
Claire and Ben are the perfect couple, they adore each other, both have great careers, they live in their dream house and to most people they appear to have everything they want. Those closest to them know that the one thing that would make their life really perfect is a baby, and that is the one thing that they can't have. They've considered adoption, they've tried IVF and Claire really doesn't think that she can try any longer, yet her heart breaks every time she sees a pregnant woman or a small baby. Romily isn't perfect - she's a Doctor, but deals with insects not people, she has a child; the wonderful Posie, but there is no father around. Romily is lucky if she finds two clean socks in the morning, and if they are an actual pair, then she's outshone herself. Despite Romily and Posie's chaotic lifestyle, they love each other. Ben has been Romily's best friend since University and he and Claire are Posie's godparents, and sometimes, just sometimes, Posie wishes that they were her real parents. Romily loves Ben and Claire, they've supported her and helped her with Posie and she can't bear their sadness any more. Romily will be their surrogate, she will have a baby for them.
Sounds simple? That's what Romily and Ben thought. Claire however, wasn't quite so sure, and maybe she was right to have her reservations?
Julie Cohen grabs the reader from page one, introducing the main characters straight away, giving a little bit of their background and a lot of their personalities. Ben is a kind and caring man, he loves his wife passionately and wants her to be happy, he wants them to be a proper family. Ben also cares for Romily, she's his best mate, his quiz team buddy and a girl who will watch football with him. She's also the mother of his beloved Posie who he adores and spoils. Claire is a little more distant, there is no doubt that Ben is her soul mate and the love of her life, but she is suffering inside. As far as she is concerned, she's a failure as a wife and will never be a mother. Romily is a little bit crazy, lives for the moment, is never on time, but is a loyal friend and a loving mum. Posie is the star of the story - creative, funny, honest and so bright - she is an amazing character who will win over every reader.
This is a story that is easy to read but is not always an easy subject. The 'Dear Thing' of the title relates to the letters that Romily writes to the unborn child, always referred to by the three 'parent's as 'Thing'. These letters tell the reader far more about Romily than anything that she actually does or says. The letters are moving and at times heart-breaking and are the heart of this story.
As Romily's pregnancy progresses, little cracks appear in all of the relationships - feelings are expressed, characters from the past emerge and whole worlds are turned upside down.
Dear Thing makes the reader think, this is not just a story about infertility or friendship, although those are two very central themes. This is also a story about realisation, about accepting yourself and your circumstances and about being honest with yourself and with others. Julie Cohen has cleverly woven some really important and sensitive themes into a story that is easy to read, often quite funny and full of larger than life characters.
I enjoyed this novel very much. I loved the writing style, the plot and the characters and would recommend this to fans of Jojo Moyes and Lisa Jewell.
May 23, 2016
Originally posted on Le Book Chronicles
If I am going to be completely honest with you, and I am because that's just how I roll, I have absolutely no idea what to say about this book. Going into Dear Thing, I had certain expectations of what I thought would happen in the book and I'm just not sure if I'm disappointed or not. Because while the book didn't go in the direction I thought it would, it definitely ended in a much better way than I anticipated. You would think I would be happy with that outcome, but I'm just really conflicted.
Anyway, so from the blurb you can already guess what this is about. Well you won't even need to guess, you know what this is about. This honestly isn't something I would normally read. I always find these sort of stories too sad to even try to read them, but for some reason, Dear Thing piqued my interest.
Dear Thing is told in a dual perspective. One being from the perspective of Romily (The Surrogate mother), and the other being from Claire (The woman who cannot have babies). I really enjoyed getting to see the story from both perspectives, but it just made me feel even more conflicted. I'm the sort of person who likes to put themselves into other people's shoes. And when I do so I feel like I am experiencing everything they are feeling. So when I was reading this, I could feel the yearning Claire felt for wanting a baby, and the apprehension she felt about the surrogacy. but on the other hand, I could also understand Romily's point of view and I sympathised with her unrequited feelings and the confusion she felt about the "thing". But even though this book is a dual perspective, you get the feeling that it is predominately Romily's story. Although in the beginning I didn't really like Romily, yet I was mainly rooting for her throughout the whole book. I guess it's because she had the sadder story being the single mother pining after her best friend of eleven years who is married to the perfect wife etc. But even so, I thought she was a terrible mother, there was just no love in their relationship and I hate that. She even had her daughter call her by her first name because she didn't feel like "mum" suited her. The daughter would even pretend that her Godparents were her real parents and Romily was just someone she stayed with. Honestly I just don't know. Having said that, there was a lot of character development in this book and by the end, Romily finally got her act together and really started to show an interest in her daughter rather than just being an observer. So I was very happy about that.
With the plot of the book, I found it very captivating. The story was constantly changing and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. Even though it didn't really end up where I was hoping it would, I like how Cohen concluded the story (I think). I also liked the friendship in the story. It's not your conventional friendship but I still thought it was really nice.
I would definitely recommend this if you like adult women's fiction and if you like reading about some more controversial topics. Dear Thing deals with the topic of surrogacy in a respectful, yet honest way making it a very emotional and gripping read.
So this book was published in 2013, yet I received an eARC to review. So I am assuming that this book is being republished with a new cover? For those of you who have already read this, I'm not really sure if there have been any changes made to the story or not but my guess is it hasn't.
Rating: 4/5
**This book was sent to be via eARC in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected my opinion of this book.
If I am going to be completely honest with you, and I am because that's just how I roll, I have absolutely no idea what to say about this book. Going into Dear Thing, I had certain expectations of what I thought would happen in the book and I'm just not sure if I'm disappointed or not. Because while the book didn't go in the direction I thought it would, it definitely ended in a much better way than I anticipated. You would think I would be happy with that outcome, but I'm just really conflicted.
Anyway, so from the blurb you can already guess what this is about. Well you won't even need to guess, you know what this is about. This honestly isn't something I would normally read. I always find these sort of stories too sad to even try to read them, but for some reason, Dear Thing piqued my interest.
Dear Thing is told in a dual perspective. One being from the perspective of Romily (The Surrogate mother), and the other being from Claire (The woman who cannot have babies). I really enjoyed getting to see the story from both perspectives, but it just made me feel even more conflicted. I'm the sort of person who likes to put themselves into other people's shoes. And when I do so I feel like I am experiencing everything they are feeling. So when I was reading this, I could feel the yearning Claire felt for wanting a baby, and the apprehension she felt about the surrogacy. but on the other hand, I could also understand Romily's point of view and I sympathised with her unrequited feelings and the confusion she felt about the "thing". But even though this book is a dual perspective, you get the feeling that it is predominately Romily's story. Although in the beginning I didn't really like Romily, yet I was mainly rooting for her throughout the whole book. I guess it's because she had the sadder story being the single mother pining after her best friend of eleven years who is married to the perfect wife etc. But even so, I thought she was a terrible mother, there was just no love in their relationship and I hate that. She even had her daughter call her by her first name because she didn't feel like "mum" suited her. The daughter would even pretend that her Godparents were her real parents and Romily was just someone she stayed with. Honestly I just don't know. Having said that, there was a lot of character development in this book and by the end, Romily finally got her act together and really started to show an interest in her daughter rather than just being an observer. So I was very happy about that.
With the plot of the book, I found it very captivating. The story was constantly changing and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. Even though it didn't really end up where I was hoping it would, I like how Cohen concluded the story (I think). I also liked the friendship in the story. It's not your conventional friendship but I still thought it was really nice.
I would definitely recommend this if you like adult women's fiction and if you like reading about some more controversial topics. Dear Thing deals with the topic of surrogacy in a respectful, yet honest way making it a very emotional and gripping read.
So this book was published in 2013, yet I received an eARC to review. So I am assuming that this book is being republished with a new cover? For those of you who have already read this, I'm not really sure if there have been any changes made to the story or not but my guess is it hasn't.
Rating: 4/5
**This book was sent to be via eARC in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected my opinion of this book.
January 12, 2019
This book was an easy read, which I like, but I see some reviews listing that as a downside and I can totally see that line of thinking as well (I have a hard time focusing so easy reads help me finish, but the subject matter here, while I think it was handled fine, absolutely could have been a lot darker and that can definitely be seen as missed potential).
The characters in this one were interesting.
I liked Romily at the start, and she got progressively more annoying to me as the book went on,
which I think was the opposite effect that the author intended.
Now, Ben. He calls himself a wanker at one point and there's not really a more accurate word. At first, I really liked him. At first I thought he was an actual real Good Guy, but then he sinks into the category of "maybe not all men, but definitely this one." Going on and on about how he might love Romily because "look what you're doing for me" when his wife went through years of infertility treatments AND a miscarriage and they only went to Romily because she couldn't keep a pregnancy. But of course Ben then debates being with Romily because of what she is willing to go through. Of course, Ben. (This intensifies when he finds out he's having a son, making me wonder if he *really* would have cared as much if Thing was a girl.) He also comes onto Romily at one point where HIS LOGIC IS LITERALLY "I don't know if I can fix things with Claire so do you want me?" He is apparently relieved when she says no, but what if she hadn't? Was he going to be like "lol this is awkward but I actually wasn't serious." Disappointed, but not surprised.
Now there was some *really good* stuff here. Claire standing firm at her initial decision to kick Ben out, and telling him that not wanting to choose between her and someone else meant he had already chosen. Romily (without all the information) saying Claire shouldn't be mad at Ben because Romily is in love with him, because "it's not his fault." Then there was Claire's mother saying that a baby isn't a solution to a problem, not something you have with the intention of just making yourself happy. There is some really healthy mindsets in here within all the complicated layers.
Overall, there were a few issues I had with realism. A lot of "that child didn't say that," with Romily's daughter Posie. Maybe I'm just naive, but I can't think of anyone I know that talked like that when they were seven. I don't mean her knowing what sex and pregnancy is, lots of kids are very knowledgeable about those things. But her word choice, her sentence structure, her thought processes were way advanced for a seven year old and it just felt off to me. I would have thought she was at least a middle schooler, not a second grader. And I felt it wrapped up a little too neatly. But overall, not a bad read, and I got it on the bargain table at Barnes & Noble, so that makes it even better.
The characters in this one were interesting.
I liked Romily at the start, and she got progressively more annoying to me as the book went on,
which I think was the opposite effect that the author intended.
Now, Ben. He calls himself a wanker at one point and there's not really a more accurate word. At first, I really liked him. At first I thought he was an actual real Good Guy, but then he sinks into the category of "maybe not all men, but definitely this one." Going on and on about how he might love Romily because "look what you're doing for me" when his wife went through years of infertility treatments AND a miscarriage and they only went to Romily because she couldn't keep a pregnancy. But of course Ben then debates being with Romily because of what she is willing to go through. Of course, Ben. (This intensifies when he finds out he's having a son, making me wonder if he *really* would have cared as much if Thing was a girl.) He also comes onto Romily at one point where HIS LOGIC IS LITERALLY "I don't know if I can fix things with Claire so do you want me?" He is apparently relieved when she says no, but what if she hadn't? Was he going to be like "lol this is awkward but I actually wasn't serious." Disappointed, but not surprised.
Now there was some *really good* stuff here. Claire standing firm at her initial decision to kick Ben out, and telling him that not wanting to choose between her and someone else meant he had already chosen. Romily (without all the information) saying Claire shouldn't be mad at Ben because Romily is in love with him, because "it's not his fault." Then there was Claire's mother saying that a baby isn't a solution to a problem, not something you have with the intention of just making yourself happy. There is some really healthy mindsets in here within all the complicated layers.
Overall, there were a few issues I had with realism. A lot of "that child didn't say that," with Romily's daughter Posie. Maybe I'm just naive, but I can't think of anyone I know that talked like that when they were seven. I don't mean her knowing what sex and pregnancy is, lots of kids are very knowledgeable about those things. But her word choice, her sentence structure, her thought processes were way advanced for a seven year old and it just felt off to me. I would have thought she was at least a middle schooler, not a second grader. And I felt it wrapped up a little too neatly. But overall, not a bad read, and I got it on the bargain table at Barnes & Noble, so that makes it even better.
December 18, 2020
2.5 stars. I had really high hopes and expectations for this one and it really let me down. This is about a couple (Ben and Claire) who have been struggling with infertility for years so their friend Romily offers to use her eggs and be a surrogate. Sounds great, right? Well it would be if Romily hadn't been harboring feelings for Ben for years. I hated the way that Claire was painted as both unattractive and weak multiple times throughout this book. Maybe I'm being extra sensitive but Romily was treated as the hero and a super attractive individual when truthfully she was terrible. This book was very long and very slow and I just couldn't get on board.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Romily has a daughter thats in late elementary school. Her dad (a one night stand) comes back into the picture and in the very end Romily decides to give Ben and Claire the baby and maybe make it work with her daughter's dad. In the middle Ben and Claire broke up because he was attracted to Romily too and it was really sad and knocked this book down a lot for me.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Romily has a daughter thats in late elementary school. Her dad (a one night stand) comes back into the picture and in the very end Romily decides to give Ben and Claire the baby and maybe make it work with her daughter's dad. In the middle Ben and Claire broke up because he was attracted to Romily too and it was really sad and knocked this book down a lot for me.
August 22, 2017
Kitap için değerlendirmem; 2/5
Ve sonunda Julie Cohen'nin kaleminden çıkmış olan kitabı bitirdim. Kitabın konusunu değinecek olursak, evli bir çiftimiz var. Uzun süredir çocuk sahibi olmak istiyor ve birçok kez deniyorlar ama başarısız oluyorlar. Pes etme noktasına geldikleri anda arkadaşları Romily, taşıyıcı anne olma teklifinde bulunuyor ve hikaye bu noktadan itibaren başlıyor.
Aslına bakarsanız konusu iyi seçilmiş ama böyle konu içeren bir kitaba göre hiç duygu hissedemedim. Bazı bölümleri okurken yoruldum denebilir. Kitabın dili kolay, hikayesi farklı ve güzel ama anlatımda çok fazla eksiklik vardı. Son sayfalara gelene kadar kitap için değerlendirmemi 1 olarak düşündüm ama son sayfalarda güzel toparladı. Ve sonunun istediğim gibi bitmesi sanırım 2 vermeme neden oldu. Her ne kadar sıkılarak okumuş olsam da, kitabın konusu farklıydı benim için. Kitabın son kısmı güzeldi ve sanırım bu da beni motive etti.
Okumalı mıyım Elif, tavsiye eder misin diye sorarsanız;
İsterseniz siz de bir şans verin derim ama ben kitabı sevmedim.
Ve sonunda Julie Cohen'nin kaleminden çıkmış olan kitabı bitirdim. Kitabın konusunu değinecek olursak, evli bir çiftimiz var. Uzun süredir çocuk sahibi olmak istiyor ve birçok kez deniyorlar ama başarısız oluyorlar. Pes etme noktasına geldikleri anda arkadaşları Romily, taşıyıcı anne olma teklifinde bulunuyor ve hikaye bu noktadan itibaren başlıyor.
Aslına bakarsanız konusu iyi seçilmiş ama böyle konu içeren bir kitaba göre hiç duygu hissedemedim. Bazı bölümleri okurken yoruldum denebilir. Kitabın dili kolay, hikayesi farklı ve güzel ama anlatımda çok fazla eksiklik vardı. Son sayfalara gelene kadar kitap için değerlendirmemi 1 olarak düşündüm ama son sayfalarda güzel toparladı. Ve sonunun istediğim gibi bitmesi sanırım 2 vermeme neden oldu. Her ne kadar sıkılarak okumuş olsam da, kitabın konusu farklıydı benim için. Kitabın son kısmı güzeldi ve sanırım bu da beni motive etti.
Okumalı mıyım Elif, tavsiye eder misin diye sorarsanız;
İsterseniz siz de bir şans verin derim ama ben kitabı sevmedim.
June 11, 2013
Full review on I Heart.. Chick Lit.
www.iheart-chicklit.blogspot.com
What I thought about it:
OK, I was wrong to neglect this book. What with more and more coming my way, I forget that I've got a copy on my bookshelf. So, while I was clearing my shelves, I found Dear Thing, nestled in my bookshelf. Since I didn't feel like reading a light, fluffy title, I picked this up and I was so happy I did!
Dear Thing follows the story of a married couple, Ben and Claire who have been trying for a baby for a very long time, but every attempt to conceive their first child always ends with disappointment and heartbreak. It's not Claire's fault that she has "faulty eggs" but her husband is desperate for a baby. When his best friend, Romily offers to act as a surrogate, it seems like the cleverest solution to their problem. But how can you carry a little person inside of you without loving it?
I've never read any of Julie's books before this, but I have a strong urge to, after reading and loving Dear Thing. Though I must point out, Dear Thing is completely different compared to her previous titles, which are lighter. In Dear Thing, surrogate pregnancy is the main theme of the book, where Romily decides to carry Ben's child, in her body. Yes, her eggs too. I think Julie made a really brilliant decision to focus on the topic of surrogacy.
I never thought this book would be so emotional and gripping. I was completely hooked from the start and I was intrigued by the plot. It's definitely a thought-provoking tale, where you'll be wondering about what happens next. The thing about Julie Cohen's plot is that, it's cleverly written, where every thing her characters do will contribute to the flow of the story. I really have to hand it to Julie, she writes and describes things beautifully, especially her description of Max's composition and expressing her characters' feelings.
In Dear Thing, readers are torn between rooting for Claire, the one who has the perfect everything - except her ability to conceive, and Romily, whose course of life is never smooth, juggling her job and raising her daughter by herself. I admit, I couldn't pick a side. Each woman had their reasons for what they did and it's up to you to discover as I would be a criminal if I were to reveal anything! The characters in the book were really wonderfully written, I particularly adored Romily's daughter, Posie as she reminds me so much of myself.
Verdict:
Dear Thing for me was incredibly moving and utterly heartwarming. You'd be a robot if this book doesn't bring tears to your eyes. I enjoyed it immensely, as I was really intrigued to read about the ending. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Jojo Moyes. Please, go get a copy, I insist. I would like to thank Bantam Press for sending me a copy of this riveting, emotional rollercoaster of a book!
Rating: 5/5
www.iheart-chicklit.blogspot.com
What I thought about it:
OK, I was wrong to neglect this book. What with more and more coming my way, I forget that I've got a copy on my bookshelf. So, while I was clearing my shelves, I found Dear Thing, nestled in my bookshelf. Since I didn't feel like reading a light, fluffy title, I picked this up and I was so happy I did!
Dear Thing follows the story of a married couple, Ben and Claire who have been trying for a baby for a very long time, but every attempt to conceive their first child always ends with disappointment and heartbreak. It's not Claire's fault that she has "faulty eggs" but her husband is desperate for a baby. When his best friend, Romily offers to act as a surrogate, it seems like the cleverest solution to their problem. But how can you carry a little person inside of you without loving it?
I've never read any of Julie's books before this, but I have a strong urge to, after reading and loving Dear Thing. Though I must point out, Dear Thing is completely different compared to her previous titles, which are lighter. In Dear Thing, surrogate pregnancy is the main theme of the book, where Romily decides to carry Ben's child, in her body. Yes, her eggs too. I think Julie made a really brilliant decision to focus on the topic of surrogacy.
I never thought this book would be so emotional and gripping. I was completely hooked from the start and I was intrigued by the plot. It's definitely a thought-provoking tale, where you'll be wondering about what happens next. The thing about Julie Cohen's plot is that, it's cleverly written, where every thing her characters do will contribute to the flow of the story. I really have to hand it to Julie, she writes and describes things beautifully, especially her description of Max's composition and expressing her characters' feelings.
In Dear Thing, readers are torn between rooting for Claire, the one who has the perfect everything - except her ability to conceive, and Romily, whose course of life is never smooth, juggling her job and raising her daughter by herself. I admit, I couldn't pick a side. Each woman had their reasons for what they did and it's up to you to discover as I would be a criminal if I were to reveal anything! The characters in the book were really wonderfully written, I particularly adored Romily's daughter, Posie as she reminds me so much of myself.
Verdict:
Dear Thing for me was incredibly moving and utterly heartwarming. You'd be a robot if this book doesn't bring tears to your eyes. I enjoyed it immensely, as I was really intrigued to read about the ending. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Jojo Moyes. Please, go get a copy, I insist. I would like to thank Bantam Press for sending me a copy of this riveting, emotional rollercoaster of a book!
Rating: 5/5
May 16, 2013
I have just finished reading Dear Thing by Julie Cohen and all I can say is wow!
Desperate for a child Claire and Ben are devastated when they fail at each and every way to conceive. Feeling beaten Claire decides she cannot put herself through the heart break any more. Ben’s best friend Romily offers them a very generous alternative, a way to have their longed for baby without Claire having to go through any more trauma. Ben is over the moon but will things be as straight forward to Claire and Romily?
This was an absolutely beautiful and delicate read that had me intrigued from the first chapter. The synopsis to this book had me hooked before I even started this book, I was excited to start this book as it sounded unlike anything I had read before. Surrogacy has always been something that I have always had a few questions about as it is a wonderful gift to be able to give but I often wonder how the surrogate feels whilst carrying a child you know you are going to give up and this book touches on everyone’s point of view from the surrogate and the new parents side. The author has clearly done a hell of a lot of research for this book not only on surrogacy but also on fertility problems and at times reading this book it I needed to remind myself that this is fiction because it all felt very real.
All of the characters in this book are unbelievably well written the characters could easily be the neighbours down the road they felt so real. Posie who is Romily’s daughter was a lovable little character who seemed to have an old head on her shoulders although I did find it very odd that she calls her mum Romily. The author manages to portray the emotions of Ben, Claire and Romily very well and equally there didn’t feel like a main character as they all were an important part to the story.
I particularly liked the Dear Thing letters that Romily wrote as these letters real showed her emotions deep down. This is the first book that I have read about this subject matter which meant the book had a wonderful fresh feel to it. You will find the book brings out so many emotions, Posie helps to bring a smile to our faces which is needed after the emotional feel to this book. The book had a couple of little twists and I for one couldn’t predict the outcome which helped to add to the enjoyment of this compelling read.
I cannot recommend this book enough it definitely has a unique feel to it so if you are looking for something fresh, exciting and compelling this has to be your next read.
Desperate for a child Claire and Ben are devastated when they fail at each and every way to conceive. Feeling beaten Claire decides she cannot put herself through the heart break any more. Ben’s best friend Romily offers them a very generous alternative, a way to have their longed for baby without Claire having to go through any more trauma. Ben is over the moon but will things be as straight forward to Claire and Romily?
This was an absolutely beautiful and delicate read that had me intrigued from the first chapter. The synopsis to this book had me hooked before I even started this book, I was excited to start this book as it sounded unlike anything I had read before. Surrogacy has always been something that I have always had a few questions about as it is a wonderful gift to be able to give but I often wonder how the surrogate feels whilst carrying a child you know you are going to give up and this book touches on everyone’s point of view from the surrogate and the new parents side. The author has clearly done a hell of a lot of research for this book not only on surrogacy but also on fertility problems and at times reading this book it I needed to remind myself that this is fiction because it all felt very real.
All of the characters in this book are unbelievably well written the characters could easily be the neighbours down the road they felt so real. Posie who is Romily’s daughter was a lovable little character who seemed to have an old head on her shoulders although I did find it very odd that she calls her mum Romily. The author manages to portray the emotions of Ben, Claire and Romily very well and equally there didn’t feel like a main character as they all were an important part to the story.
I particularly liked the Dear Thing letters that Romily wrote as these letters real showed her emotions deep down. This is the first book that I have read about this subject matter which meant the book had a wonderful fresh feel to it. You will find the book brings out so many emotions, Posie helps to bring a smile to our faces which is needed after the emotional feel to this book. The book had a couple of little twists and I for one couldn’t predict the outcome which helped to add to the enjoyment of this compelling read.
I cannot recommend this book enough it definitely has a unique feel to it so if you are looking for something fresh, exciting and compelling this has to be your next read.
March 1, 2016
4.5 Stars. I really, really liked this book a lot. I don't know why, but I kept letting it sit there on my TBR pile, passing it by for yet another book. Finally it came down to almost crunch time and it was next on the list. I could pass it up no more. What an eejit to have let this book sit there so long.
I loved the story, the characters were so believable and I found myself going back and forth. One minute I was for them, the next I wasn't. And it was all because of human emotions and how that character dealt with situations. A character can't get more real than that for me. I mean the only one I didn't want to slap at times was the seven year old!
I think it was the title that kind of through me off, but once I started reading it and realized what the title actually meant, bring on the tissues.
This was a wonderfully written story with great characters that i think if your into women's fiction and only read one book, this should be it. I just can't say enough good things about this book and how much I liked it.
Thanks St. Martin's Press for approving my request and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the story, the characters were so believable and I found myself going back and forth. One minute I was for them, the next I wasn't. And it was all because of human emotions and how that character dealt with situations. A character can't get more real than that for me. I mean the only one I didn't want to slap at times was the seven year old!
I think it was the title that kind of through me off, but once I started reading it and realized what the title actually meant, bring on the tissues.
This was a wonderfully written story with great characters that i think if your into women's fiction and only read one book, this should be it. I just can't say enough good things about this book and how much I liked it.
Thanks St. Martin's Press for approving my request and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2014
I liked this book rather than loved it. I didn't particularly like Romily at the start, but I really warmed to her character with her relationships with Posie and Jarvis. I didn't like Claire as a character at all and just did not warm to her. I found the ending to be really rushed, predictable and far fetched be honest. I have problems with characters who say or do something that in reality just wouldn't happen and I feel this way about the conclusion of this book.
I thought the subject matter of fertility and surrogacy was really interesting, which is what drew me to read it, but I feel as though this book was a bit too light and easy reading and felt that Claire's individual story of fertility problems wasn't as perhaps dark as in reality they would have been.
I thought the subject matter of fertility and surrogacy was really interesting, which is what drew me to read it, but I feel as though this book was a bit too light and easy reading and felt that Claire's individual story of fertility problems wasn't as perhaps dark as in reality they would have been.
April 21, 2017
This was a seriously amazing book.
Happily married couple Ben and Claire can't conceive. After many failed attempts and another painful miscarriage, Claire gives up. Ben, however is determined for them to have their baby and vows to find a way. One drunken evening in the pub, Ben's lifelong best friend Romily offers to have their child FOR them. But little do any of them know, Romily is in love with Ben. Always has been.
My own views on surrogacy remain the same - a selfless, wonderful act but can it really work in situations like this? My opinion? No. This story however was flawless. Weirdly realistic, honest and beautifully told. A MUST read.
Happily married couple Ben and Claire can't conceive. After many failed attempts and another painful miscarriage, Claire gives up. Ben, however is determined for them to have their baby and vows to find a way. One drunken evening in the pub, Ben's lifelong best friend Romily offers to have their child FOR them. But little do any of them know, Romily is in love with Ben. Always has been.
My own views on surrogacy remain the same - a selfless, wonderful act but can it really work in situations like this? My opinion? No. This story however was flawless. Weirdly realistic, honest and beautifully told. A MUST read.
May 1, 2013
I'm a friend of Julie's but I admit I was hesitant about reading this having been a huge fan of her previous books. I knew this was a different direction from the books of the past. But I loved it. It has the lovely humour and light touch that has been a hallmark of Julie's writing yet it tore me apart. If you are looking for a beautifully written story that will tear at your heart and make you smile- this is it....can't wait to read her next.
September 7, 2015
I picked up this book whilst on holidays, mainly because I loved the cover and the blurb on the back instantly drew me in. I wasn't disappointed. It's a page turner that required all my strength not to flick to the final chapter and see how it would all pan out.
Great read. Great characters. Loved it.
Great read. Great characters. Loved it.
June 20, 2015
Çok duygusal bir romandı..Her kadının özellikle çocuk sahibi olmak isteyenlerin okuması gereken bir kitap..
Önyargısız okuyun..
Önyargısız okuyun..
June 16, 2018
Normalde harika bir ilerleyişe sahip olmasına rağmen sonu beni hiç tatmin etmedi.
4,5
4,5
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