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Measure of Love
Rachel has made a new life from scratch with her ex-husband, but can they survive the wedding plans?
It may be her second time getting married, but Rachel Goldman is definitely navigating a sticky relationship with her former—and soon-to-be-again—mother-in-law. Plus she’s in a tug of war with the editor of her upcoming book on divorce who is begging her to keep her happy new relationship with her ex, Adam, on the down low. How can Rachel do that when her society-obsessed mother-in-law is eager to get a featured story in the wedding section of The New York Times? Throw in a sister-in-law-to-be who’s navigating her own upcoming nuptials as well as a friend who not only doesn’t want to get married, but is possibly having an affair. Rachel finds herself with too many pots simmering on a very familiar stove.
It may be her second time getting married, but Rachel Goldman is definitely navigating a sticky relationship with her former—and soon-to-be-again—mother-in-law. Plus she’s in a tug of war with the editor of her upcoming book on divorce who is begging her to keep her happy new relationship with her ex, Adam, on the down low. How can Rachel do that when her society-obsessed mother-in-law is eager to get a featured story in the wedding section of The New York Times? Throw in a sister-in-law-to-be who’s navigating her own upcoming nuptials as well as a friend who not only doesn’t want to get married, but is possibly having an affair. Rachel finds herself with too many pots simmering on a very familiar stove.
254 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2013
15 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Ford
7 books81 followersI never know what to put into one of these things. I mean, do I talk about my penchant for making up Yiddish words and trying to convince others that they’re real? My love of the penny whistle? My fears of white foods? Or do I tell you a tale about how I applied to my MFA program because I didn’t know what one did after college except remain in school indefinitely?
Long before I published my first book, I was a blogger, and I’m still a blogger to this day at the award-winning site, Stirrup Queens. Like my blogging character, Rachel Goldman, my own site was catapulted into a larger readership when the Wall Street Journal named it one of the top ten motherhood blogs. You can find me in all sorts of places around the Web including Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, Google+, and Amazon.
I completed my MFA at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. And I live outside of Washington, D.C. with my writer husband, Joshua, and our twins.
Long before I published my first book, I was a blogger, and I’m still a blogger to this day at the award-winning site, Stirrup Queens. Like my blogging character, Rachel Goldman, my own site was catapulted into a larger readership when the Wall Street Journal named it one of the top ten motherhood blogs. You can find me in all sorts of places around the Web including Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, Google+, and Amazon.
I completed my MFA at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. And I live outside of Washington, D.C. with my writer husband, Joshua, and our twins.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 13, 2013
“Love is knowing that someone puts you first at the same time as you put them first...”
I read Melissa Ford’s ‘Life From Scratch’ last year and found it to be a really pleasing, romantic read- not to mention laced with some really appealing descriptions of cookery and some yummy food; I relish food/romance fiction combinations, they’re always a winner for me! When the opportunity to review the sequel came up via Netgalley, needless to say that I jumped at the chance.
This is a welcome return to the life of cooking and relationship blogger Rachel Goldman, who chronicled the turbulent ups and downs in her love life in the last book, before eventually re-uniting with her ex-husband Adam. In Measure of Love, she and Adam are now firmly back together, even co-habiting once more and a lot has changed: Adam is now the man she fell in love again, they have both settled down in their respective careers and she really couldn’t be happier. So what’s to throw a spanner in the works this time? Try an interfering former-and-soon-to-be-again mother-in-law, an impending re-marriage and the trials and tribulations of her friends’ relationships, just for a start....
The thing I like most about Ford’s writing is that her amiable, chatty style is just like sitting down and having a gossip with some of your closest friends. You gain a real insight into their lives through this book and it all flows beautifully from one situation to the next. It could almost be a TV sitcom, actually. Characters are well-crafted and believable and some of their personality traits remind me of people I know in real life. It feels realistic and I’m sure there are a lot of scenarios that readers might be able to identify with at various points in the plot. I was also glad to catch up with Rachel's best friend, Arianna, who is definitely my favourite character.
An aspect I particularly enjoyed about this novel was the way the author handled the tricky situation of re-connecting with your ex, and the way that family and friends responded to new circumstances that cropped up within the storyline and how their relationship was perceived from the outside looking in. There was some subtle humour in there too, as well as some real emotion that was sensitively handled. Even though Rachel and Adam are happy together again, their relationship is by no means plain sailing, and I think this was well depicted.
You don’t necessarily have to read Life From Scratch prior to reading this book, though it seems a shame not to catch up on Rachel and Adam’s story from the beginning, so I would personally advise doing so, merely to get an idea of their history and what brought them to this point. I really hope there will be a sequel to this story as well, because I would love to read it; I enjoy Melissa Ford’s writing style a lot.
I read Melissa Ford’s ‘Life From Scratch’ last year and found it to be a really pleasing, romantic read- not to mention laced with some really appealing descriptions of cookery and some yummy food; I relish food/romance fiction combinations, they’re always a winner for me! When the opportunity to review the sequel came up via Netgalley, needless to say that I jumped at the chance.
This is a welcome return to the life of cooking and relationship blogger Rachel Goldman, who chronicled the turbulent ups and downs in her love life in the last book, before eventually re-uniting with her ex-husband Adam. In Measure of Love, she and Adam are now firmly back together, even co-habiting once more and a lot has changed: Adam is now the man she fell in love again, they have both settled down in their respective careers and she really couldn’t be happier. So what’s to throw a spanner in the works this time? Try an interfering former-and-soon-to-be-again mother-in-law, an impending re-marriage and the trials and tribulations of her friends’ relationships, just for a start....
The thing I like most about Ford’s writing is that her amiable, chatty style is just like sitting down and having a gossip with some of your closest friends. You gain a real insight into their lives through this book and it all flows beautifully from one situation to the next. It could almost be a TV sitcom, actually. Characters are well-crafted and believable and some of their personality traits remind me of people I know in real life. It feels realistic and I’m sure there are a lot of scenarios that readers might be able to identify with at various points in the plot. I was also glad to catch up with Rachel's best friend, Arianna, who is definitely my favourite character.
An aspect I particularly enjoyed about this novel was the way the author handled the tricky situation of re-connecting with your ex, and the way that family and friends responded to new circumstances that cropped up within the storyline and how their relationship was perceived from the outside looking in. There was some subtle humour in there too, as well as some real emotion that was sensitively handled. Even though Rachel and Adam are happy together again, their relationship is by no means plain sailing, and I think this was well depicted.
You don’t necessarily have to read Life From Scratch prior to reading this book, though it seems a shame not to catch up on Rachel and Adam’s story from the beginning, so I would personally advise doing so, merely to get an idea of their history and what brought them to this point. I really hope there will be a sequel to this story as well, because I would love to read it; I enjoy Melissa Ford’s writing style a lot.
August 10, 2013
Once again, I would give a book another half star but can't seem to get that to work.
I read Life From Scratch and found it an enjoyable read. Rachel's marriage falls apart and she ends up learning to cook, and blogging about her experiences in the kitchen and with navigating the world of divorce. At the end of the book, Rachel goes out with her ex, who has turned his own life upside down post divorce. Rachel's support system- best friend Arianna, ex- sister in law Lisbeth, and her own brother and sister are all interesting supporting characters. I liked them all.
In this sequel, Adam proposes a second marriage, and Rachel is filled with angst for the next 100 pages. She can't decide whether re-marriage is a good idea, all the while planning her second big wedding.
Perhaps I am a bit old to relate to Rachel's complete self-absorption. Her fears turn her into a mealy mouthed whiner. All of the strength and independence she gained after the divorce seems to vanish in this book. She allows her mother in law to bulldoze her into plans, she refuses to write about her engagement in her blog, and worries incessantly what her audience is going to think, and then she just plain ignores everyone else around her as she grapples with the to marry or not to marry question.
There are some good parts in the story: Lisbeth and her partner's engagement, and the her friendship with Jared and visit to the hospital that leads to a rare departure in her navel gazing to reach out to a stranger, but overall, I was disappointed, and slightly annoyed with this character.
I just wanted to shake her and tell her to put on her big girl panties and get on with her life. That in the end, no one cares which path you chose, just embrace and be thankful for the love. Oh, and second time around should be a lot less of the first wedding hoopla and fanfare.
I read Life From Scratch and found it an enjoyable read. Rachel's marriage falls apart and she ends up learning to cook, and blogging about her experiences in the kitchen and with navigating the world of divorce. At the end of the book, Rachel goes out with her ex, who has turned his own life upside down post divorce. Rachel's support system- best friend Arianna, ex- sister in law Lisbeth, and her own brother and sister are all interesting supporting characters. I liked them all.
In this sequel, Adam proposes a second marriage, and Rachel is filled with angst for the next 100 pages. She can't decide whether re-marriage is a good idea, all the while planning her second big wedding.
Perhaps I am a bit old to relate to Rachel's complete self-absorption. Her fears turn her into a mealy mouthed whiner. All of the strength and independence she gained after the divorce seems to vanish in this book. She allows her mother in law to bulldoze her into plans, she refuses to write about her engagement in her blog, and worries incessantly what her audience is going to think, and then she just plain ignores everyone else around her as she grapples with the to marry or not to marry question.
There are some good parts in the story: Lisbeth and her partner's engagement, and the her friendship with Jared and visit to the hospital that leads to a rare departure in her navel gazing to reach out to a stranger, but overall, I was disappointed, and slightly annoyed with this character.
I just wanted to shake her and tell her to put on her big girl panties and get on with her life. That in the end, no one cares which path you chose, just embrace and be thankful for the love. Oh, and second time around should be a lot less of the first wedding hoopla and fanfare.
November 7, 2013
Since this was a sequel & I enjoyed the first novel, this one, not as much. I love the characters, Rachel was just a bit much this time around with her insecurities about love, relationships & marriage. I totally got the message of the book, etc, I just found I had to struggle through it to come to the end and understand what she was really feeling! Well written, but way to lengthy and drawn out for me.
July 28, 2013
Not nearly as good as first one. Bogged down in tons of angst.
August 31, 2019
Measure of Love is a sequel to Life From Scratch, featuring the further adventures of blogger/cook Rachel Goldman, her ex-husband Adam and her best friend, Arianna. If you liked Life From Scratch, I'm sure you will also like Measure of Love. Along with the old favourite characters, there are new ones introduced to keep things interesting, and new dilemmas for Rachel to face, including weddings (plural), meddling inlaws and challenges to face in her friendship with Arianna.
If you haven't read Life From Scratch, you could still read Measure of Love on its own -- but you'll probably get more out of it if you start with the first book. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
If you haven't read Life From Scratch, you could still read Measure of Love on its own -- but you'll probably get more out of it if you start with the first book. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
May 20, 2013
Rachel Goldman should be on top of the world. Her blog is an internet success. She has a book about to published. And she's in love. Of course, there are a few snags; her book is about being successful at divorce and she's about to remarry her ex-husband. If that isn't bad enough, she thinks her best friend, Arianna, is cheating on her live-in boyfriend, Ethan, who just happens to be Rachel's brother. Almost forgot, her ex-mother in law, Anita, wants to make Rachel and Adams second wedding even more of a society event than their first.
Rachel carefully navigated the world of marriage breakup, divorce, and being single in Life From Scratch. Although she was devastated by the breakup and divorce, she found solace in writing about her problems and endeavored to achieve success at cooking. She merged these two into a blog that become a massive hit and evolved into a book contract. Rachel wasn't looking for love, but she found it - with her ex-husband, Adam. He has left his law firm and embraced his first love, literature by becoming a teacher. In Measure of Love, Adam and Rachel take their relationship to the next step, marriage (or in this case remarriage). Rachel is happy that Adam wants to commit to her, but before she knows it she's trying to plan a wedding in less than four months. What follows is a mixture of I Love Lucy and Jane Austen's Emma (the latter is actually referred to in the book); well-intentioned meddling with disastrous results (minus the comedic happy endings).
I found Measure of Love to be a fast-paced read. I almost felt as if I was meeting up with old friends as I revisited with Rachel, Arianna, and others in their new struggles and dealings. Rachel isn't as self-assured in Measure of Love...but only when it comes to her love life. Arianna is still somewhat exotic, but not nearly as extreme when compared to Adam's sister Lisbeth. Lisbeth is an artist and is planning her own wedding to her partner, Emily, a physician. (Truly an odd couple with disparate personalities, but they fit.) I felt sucked in by Rachel's internal struggle with her remarriage and her well-intended meddling. I waited patiently with Adam as he watched Rachel struggle with these issues. I suffered along with Arianna as she drifted slowly away from her best-friend. And I hoped for that happy-ending for not just Rachel and Adam but also for Lisbeth and Emily. The characters are well-developed and the situations not only realistic but relatable. Ms. Ford blends great writing and a tale about romance and love, mixed with relationship/friendship drama and touches of humor; the result is a great read about second chances for love. Measure of Love is the second installment in Ms. Ford's Life from Scratch series; I am rather anxious to read the next installment, featuring Arianna's story, Apart At the Seams.
Rachel carefully navigated the world of marriage breakup, divorce, and being single in Life From Scratch. Although she was devastated by the breakup and divorce, she found solace in writing about her problems and endeavored to achieve success at cooking. She merged these two into a blog that become a massive hit and evolved into a book contract. Rachel wasn't looking for love, but she found it - with her ex-husband, Adam. He has left his law firm and embraced his first love, literature by becoming a teacher. In Measure of Love, Adam and Rachel take their relationship to the next step, marriage (or in this case remarriage). Rachel is happy that Adam wants to commit to her, but before she knows it she's trying to plan a wedding in less than four months. What follows is a mixture of I Love Lucy and Jane Austen's Emma (the latter is actually referred to in the book); well-intentioned meddling with disastrous results (minus the comedic happy endings).
I found Measure of Love to be a fast-paced read. I almost felt as if I was meeting up with old friends as I revisited with Rachel, Arianna, and others in their new struggles and dealings. Rachel isn't as self-assured in Measure of Love...but only when it comes to her love life. Arianna is still somewhat exotic, but not nearly as extreme when compared to Adam's sister Lisbeth. Lisbeth is an artist and is planning her own wedding to her partner, Emily, a physician. (Truly an odd couple with disparate personalities, but they fit.) I felt sucked in by Rachel's internal struggle with her remarriage and her well-intended meddling. I waited patiently with Adam as he watched Rachel struggle with these issues. I suffered along with Arianna as she drifted slowly away from her best-friend. And I hoped for that happy-ending for not just Rachel and Adam but also for Lisbeth and Emily. The characters are well-developed and the situations not only realistic but relatable. Ms. Ford blends great writing and a tale about romance and love, mixed with relationship/friendship drama and touches of humor; the result is a great read about second chances for love. Measure of Love is the second installment in Ms. Ford's Life from Scratch series; I am rather anxious to read the next installment, featuring Arianna's story, Apart At the Seams.
July 21, 2013
Rachel and Adam Goldman divorced and Rachel found herself navigating the misery of that split up in her earlier book Life From Scratch. In this book, Rachel and Adam have come back together, earlier issues resolved, contemplating remarrying. Rachel is now a popular blogger and book author. Her book is basically a memoir of coping with her divorce, but her publisher has painted her as a "divorce expert," so her plan to remarry her ex doesn't go over well with the publisher. Now Rachel is caught between obligations to the publisher, her fears about remarriage, her wealthy, social-climbing mother-in-law, problems with her best friend, and many other issues.
Ford managed to bring the characters in this book vividly to life, giving the feel that these were real people. It was written in first person narrative, giving the story a very personal feel. Ford also manages to raise the stakes and create a bit of tension. Of course since I'm a blogger and a writer, I related to her even more. Still, this book kept me up until 2:00 am to finish it - way past my bedtime.
This is the second book featuring Rachel and Adam Goldman, as noted above. I did not read the first book, but I still enjoyed this title immensely. You don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one. Now I'm curious and plan to read the first book.
Ford managed to bring the characters in this book vividly to life, giving the feel that these were real people. It was written in first person narrative, giving the story a very personal feel. Ford also manages to raise the stakes and create a bit of tension. Of course since I'm a blogger and a writer, I related to her even more. Still, this book kept me up until 2:00 am to finish it - way past my bedtime.
This is the second book featuring Rachel and Adam Goldman, as noted above. I did not read the first book, but I still enjoyed this title immensely. You don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one. Now I'm curious and plan to read the first book.
April 14, 2013
I was counting the days to the release of this book. Measure of Love is the sequel to Life from Scratch and, though it’s not essential to have read the earlier book, I would never miss an opportunity to recommend Life from Scratch because it was such a wonderful reading experience for me. It was a pleasure to immerse myself in Rachel’s world again in Measure of Love, and be carried along by complex, believable characters whose conversations, actions and reactions feel so authentic. I loved the way the author was able to build the tension as we moved through the story, but temper it with delightful moments of humor and romance. A couple of words about Adam: I adored him in this book (and the previous one) and would marry him twice in a heartbeat. He is my idea of a romantic hero – funny, charming, intelligent and a man of integrity. By the way, I was fascinated by the developments in Arianna’s life (Rachel’s best friend) so I am thrilled to hear more of Arianna’s story will told in an upcoming book.
June 4, 2013
Rachel Goldman is conflicted. She's dating her ex-husband and things are going so well he wants to get remarried. But does she? Where does her hesitation come from? What is in the gap between love and marriage?
Rachel's first book is about to come out and it, along with her popular blog, stakes her authority to that of a divorce expert. But how does this meld with her emerging identity as a woman contemplating remarriage? How can she simultaneously live her life and meet the expectations her readers and her publisher have of her?
And what about her best-friendship, which, despite longevity and more than enough love, seems to be falling apart? Will Rachel and Arianna be able to mend the rift that has arisen between them?
Measures of love in many forms are explored here, and in the hands of this highly capable author, you'll be wondering about the relationships in your own life. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring these universal themes, and this book kept me guessing until the last few pages. Now I'm eager to read its sequel.
Rachel's first book is about to come out and it, along with her popular blog, stakes her authority to that of a divorce expert. But how does this meld with her emerging identity as a woman contemplating remarriage? How can she simultaneously live her life and meet the expectations her readers and her publisher have of her?
And what about her best-friendship, which, despite longevity and more than enough love, seems to be falling apart? Will Rachel and Arianna be able to mend the rift that has arisen between them?
Measures of love in many forms are explored here, and in the hands of this highly capable author, you'll be wondering about the relationships in your own life. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring these universal themes, and this book kept me guessing until the last few pages. Now I'm eager to read its sequel.
June 7, 2013
When I read Life from Scratch, I was smitten with the characters and the story of a girl who couldn't boil an egg that got divorced, learned to cook and blogged about all about it. So I was eager for the sequel.
This book was wonderful, touching, painful sometimes and there are lines in it that are going to stay with me for a long time. The story is good, of course, the concept of falling in love with the same person again and all the emotions that go into that kind of lightening bolt in your life, but better were the supporting characters, the family that surrounds that relationship.
(even the supporting role of Rachel's niece Penelope is one of my favorites, her 4 yr old feisty self showing us the way to love without fear.)
Funny, heartfelt and an honest look at the hesitancy of finding and keeping love again is all there, Ford's storytelling and easy dialogue keep you turning the pages. Like a second helping of your favorite dish, this book fills you up in the best possible ways.
This book was wonderful, touching, painful sometimes and there are lines in it that are going to stay with me for a long time. The story is good, of course, the concept of falling in love with the same person again and all the emotions that go into that kind of lightening bolt in your life, but better were the supporting characters, the family that surrounds that relationship.
(even the supporting role of Rachel's niece Penelope is one of my favorites, her 4 yr old feisty self showing us the way to love without fear.)
Funny, heartfelt and an honest look at the hesitancy of finding and keeping love again is all there, Ford's storytelling and easy dialogue keep you turning the pages. Like a second helping of your favorite dish, this book fills you up in the best possible ways.
August 19, 2013
I have to preface this by saying I don't read many books of this genre, and I am probably ten years older than the intended audience. I read the first book, but I have to say I think I enjoyed this one more. Some of the characters were more interesting, and the plot was a little more interesting. Still, I find Rachel Goldman the main protagonist annoying. And this book had a lot less food in it, which was a little disappointing. Ultimately though, the author writes easily and naturally, and that translates into an easy and comfortable read, which is why I give it the third star.
June 6, 2013
I really liked this book~the sequel to Life From Scratch.
Rachel's story continues in this second book and we find her involved with her ex-husband, Adam. Before we know it she is engaged to Adam and is planning a second wedding. There are pitfalls along the way and we see her navigating around family problems as well as friendship entanglements. Not only that, Rachel is trying to sort out her own feelings about the upcoming nuptials.
An enjoyable read, with a realistic plot line.
Rachel's story continues in this second book and we find her involved with her ex-husband, Adam. Before we know it she is engaged to Adam and is planning a second wedding. There are pitfalls along the way and we see her navigating around family problems as well as friendship entanglements. Not only that, Rachel is trying to sort out her own feelings about the upcoming nuptials.
An enjoyable read, with a realistic plot line.
April 17, 2013
Rachel Goldman is re-marrying her ex . . . or is she???
This delightful second novel lets us experience Rachel's mixed emotions about getting married a second time to the same man. It's a sweet, tender, and funny novel about falling in love again. And it keeps you guessing until near the very end - will she? or won't she??
This delightful second novel lets us experience Rachel's mixed emotions about getting married a second time to the same man. It's a sweet, tender, and funny novel about falling in love again. And it keeps you guessing until near the very end - will she? or won't she??
July 31, 2015
Book two follows Life From Scratch and Rachel as she gets engaged to her former husband. She is anxious about getting married and making the same mistakes, but lets Adam's excitement carry her along as well as her former/soon-to-be-MIL's pushiness, but she gets more and more nervous as the date approaches.
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August 23, 2013completely charming, twisty, fluff-read - because sometimes that's just what you need. besides, it's fun to read books by people you know. even though i know rachel isn't melissa, i still hear melissa's voice coming out of rachel's mouth.
August 11, 2015
I loved the first book in this series, Life From Scratch; in fact I devoured it. However, I just didn't like this one as much as the first, it just didn't have the same heart and soul as Life From Scratch. It was good, but not great.
November 12, 2016
Frustrating. She spent so much time being angsty about getting married again & not talking to her husband-to-be about it. Even though she knew communication was their problem the first time. Ugh.
December 2, 2015
disappointing sequel. main character was bogged down with angst thus time around.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews