When Jake tells Lyssa it's not working, she knows he's not talking about the toaster. Her immediate reaction is to sob into her pillow and wait for Jake to come to his senses. But slowly Lyssa begins to understand that's not an option. In a bid to escape, she embarks on a trekking holiday in Nepal. Lyssa needs to get away - it never occurred to her that she might fall in love . . .
When it's time to go home - back to reality and a very sheepish Jake - Lyssa is faced with the hardest choice of her life.
Carole Matthews is an international bestselling author of hugely successful romantic comedy novels. Her unique sense of humour has won her legions of fans and critical acclaim all over the world.
A Minor Indiscretion and A Compromising Position both reached the Top 5 in the Sunday Times bestseller chart in the UK. You Drive Me Crazy reached number 8 in the original fiction charts. The novel Welcome To The Real World was shortlisted for RNA romantic novel of the year 2007.
In 2006 Carole co-edited - with writer Sarah Mlynowski - two new editions of the hugely popular Girls' Night In charity series called Girls' Night Out - one for the USA and one for Canada. All proceeds go to War Child.
Carole has presented on television and is a regular radio guest. When she’s not writing novels, television or film scripts she manages to find time to trek in the Himalayas, rollerblade in Central Park, take tea in China and snooze in her garden shed in Milton Keynes which is near London, England.
I love carols books always well written and this one didn't disappoint at all. You will be laughing one minute then crying the next as great characters and the story plot is so good. It's a warm read and a simple read so worth reading and worth more than five stars for sure. Shows how you can change your life in a short time and what rally it is that makes you happy. Shows how you can start over again and you just love the story from the first page. Jake and Lysaa have been trying to have a baby for a long time and not been successful and when Jake turns to her one day and says it's not working she stops to hear what he's really saying. He's been having an affair with someone from work and leaves her and although she wants to cry and be upset she realises she needs to do something and she decides to trek in Nepal. Everyone can't understand it as know she likes her creature comforts. She soon changes and lives her time there especially when she meets a man will she fall in love and change how she want to live her life. Problem is when it's time to go home she doesn't want to go but will she be able to sort it out with Jake and have the family she's always wanted or will she realise that's not want she wants she has a hard decision to make and which one will she make.
It was okay, but I didn't like how the author portrayed abortion. Especially in light of the Stupak amendment that just passed, I'm sure it was just a sore spot for me. She portrayed the main character as being unable to have children because of an abortion she had as a young woman. Because of this she feels like it's her fault for having an abortion. I felt like this was misleading about the facts of abortions and needlessly heaped on guilt to the character. Then the bitch character has an abortion and is so very cavalier about it..it was in keeping with the character, but again I just didn't like seeing that subject matter used in that way. As you can tell I'm pro-choice and I feel it's too important a subject to just brand about.
The storyline is extremely fun and there was not a dull moment! I couldn't put it down.
Lyssa has tried for 4 years to have a baby with her live-in boyfriend. Unfortunately he drops a bomb on her that forces her into thinking she needs time away from her busy life in London.
She decide to venture the Himalays for 1 month all by herself on a tour thru the mountains.
Something wonderful happens to her and you must read what it is!
Fun, easy read that will put a smile on your face!
There are some swear words, but I would still rate it pg13!
March really is the month for chick lit as this is my 6th chick lit book of the month! Really enjoyable read (I swear I say this about all books!) Makes me want to go to Nepal and trek all over the Himalayas. Okay maybe I'd never be brave enough to do that as I hate tents with a passion but I've just googled treks in Nepal and it looks nice......
This book did not grab me in the way that I hoped. Rather than encountering a book about fresh starts in life, I found the story to be quite stale with unlikeable characters.
I do read cheating if only h didn't take the cheater back in the book (just like this) or h's husband/bf cheat then h moved on with H, leaving the husband/bf still in love and regretting he cheated on h. (but cheater husband moved on too, NOOO))
H cheated on h, cuz h wants to make H baby sperm donor. for H side, they have to have sex to get a baby cuz that will make the h complete or something. H told the h it's not working anymore, but really, he has been shagging his colleague for months. h asked if there is a third party and H lied. Heated arguments followed and voila, he left the h to be with colleague (i think h asked H to see reasons and try to save relationship). H and OW live together at OW apt.
h found out H is cheating and they have an argument which the H asked the h to "look at yourself and loot at her". yup OW is very beautiful.
Devastated h travel in Nepal and meet gorgeous OM and had travel affair. While H life going down. found out that OW is just sleeping with Him to get an info/account or something and she is Cheating on him with a married boss. H found out because OW and Boss travel together and stay in one room, which the OW confirmed and kicked H out of her apt. Married boss fired H with great reference bcuz H threatens Boss married life. OW got pregnant with H but she abort it.
H, as always in cheating books think favors are always in them, asked he h a second chance. h in this part became stupid IMO. they live again together, separate bedroom(h did not slept with H again). H showers h with attention though h was not happy to receive it. h treat H like a stranger. H told the h he wanted to have a baby with h and He can father a baby confessing about OW got preggy, which end their conversation as h was not happy about that.
h received an unexpected call form Dean (OM) making her decide to go back to nepal and be with OM..leaving the H alone.
The book was kinda satisfying. all i can remember about this book is dual POV of H and h. The H fight for the h, but h was none having any of H fights. not sure though about H best friend who's in love with h, who almost confessed to the H. but that said best friend almost had ONS with H married preggy sister. what is the purpose of that.
At the end, H is still hoping for the h and told the her while crying that if She ever come, he will be there waiting for her, heroine have to hug him because his waiting will be wasted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Wow!! Not what I expected. I was kept guessing about the outcome until the end. I almost DNFd this one due to the way the author treated the Cheating ex. So glad I held on! Will give Carole Matthews another chance. There were things that made me uncomfortable, the blatant infidelity of the secondary characters really made me sad, but I think that was author's intent.
I enjoyed this book..it has some laugh out loud moments and tells an interesting tale that kept me wanting to read it from cover to cover in one session ! I’m not a good sleeper and I ended up looking forward to my nightime ‘under the cover’ reads about Alyssa and her eventful life and loves !
Carole Matthews zna pisati takšne luštne zgodbe z veliko dobrimi dialogi. Tokrat me je pritegnila vsebina na zadnji strani knjige, iz katere je razvidno, da se del knjige dogaja na Nepalu. Res je. Ko Lysso zapusti partner, je obupana. Medtem, ko sta si nekaj let prizadevala, da bi imela otroka, Jake odide zaradi druge. Lyssa pa se odloči, da za mesec dni odpotuje v Nepal, tam pa jo to, kar vidi in opazuje (pa še vodnik...) spremeni. 'Ni ločitev, ni domov za ostarele, ni psihiatrov, ni klubov hujšanja in nisem prepričana, ali so Nepalci zaradi tega revnejši,' v knjigi zapiše avtorica. In prav ti opisi življenja v Nepalu, tako zelo drugačno in predvsem preprostejše od našega, dajo tej knjigi poseben čar.
In tijden van verhuizen, heb ik boeken nodig waar ik gewoon een paar minuten in kan duiken, niet hard nadenken, ontspannen voor t slapen gaan. Dan is Carole Matthews ideaal! Ik las er verschillende en allemaal hebben ze initieel niet zoveel om het lijf, maar toch blijven de karakters wel wat hangen, ondanks de vaak erg voorspelbare verhaallijn. Ontspanning dus, niks meer.
This book took me a while to get into. I felt that the real adventure didn't start till halfway through the book. When it did, I loved it. it was such a great description of walking though Nepal n the mountains seeing the sun rise. I think the relationships in this book were a bit weird. From her boyfriend who dumps her for someone "better" to her "friends" at work to even her family. Even though I will say her sister was kind of fun if not a bit overwhelmed. Overall, the best part of the book is when she is in Napal.
After four failed IVF attempts, Jake tells Lyssa it’s over. She thinks it’s just a blip but what she doesn’t know is that he has been seduced by someone else. When Lyssa does find out, she is crushed. She decides to escape London for a while & ends up going on a trekking holiday in Nepal. But what she didn’t expect to find there was love. Love for the country, the people & maybe the hot American tour guide Dean. After her month there was up, Lyssa goes back to London & she soon faces a very guilty Jake who knows he messed up big time. He tries to prove to her that they can get through it & start again. Lyssa is forced to make the hardest decision of her life. Does she give Jake another chance & start again? But what about Dean? How could they maintain a relationship with them being on opposite sides of the world? Lyssa has some serious thinking to do….but where does her heart truly lie?
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this. I loved the travel aspect to it and it’s got me thinking about going on a trekking holiday sometime. Thanks for the idea Matthews! Kudos!
The book takes you from reading about a very dull female head who is only focused on one idea which is to have a baby and be a mother, all the way to this fun female who caries a very heavy rucksack and hiking the Himalayas. Lyssa finally found herself after being dumped by her boyfriend Jake after being together for 4 years. I loved the since of humor all over the storyline also I like the very small thought that jumps in between lines, the kind of thoughts you have while you are reading the book and few lines later you easily find them written. what I liked also was that the book didn't really end they way you might be expecting while reading...it takes a whole different direction. What I didn't like was: - It was divided into many chapters...it could have been shorted and fewer. -That Almost every man in the book falls for Lyssa by the end and it is all up to her to choose. -Some chapters were stretched specially at the beginning and they go shorter by the end as if the writer gets in a hurry to wrap up the book.
Um okay I am not sure where to start writing about it. For other people this might be another YA novel but for me it was much more than that. The story started with a very complicated relationship. Lots of argument and all, I could totally relate to it. But the cheating aspect was shocking for me, and I dropped it. It was so ugly and messy, I literally hated it. But well, that was the requirement of the story. The story when starts growing, it is more optimistic and thats when I got hooked to it after picking the book again. The idea of the book is that you are so much involved in ur downs of the relationship, you forget the reason that is love, you forget how significant your partner is, you are so used to the person's comfort that you nomore want to do things for them, or together. Other problems take the better off you. No spoilers but yes I personally found the ending quite satisfying.
It was good and all, but I was more interested in what was going on with Edie and Jake than with Lyssa. So I ended up reading all the 'at home' parts first and then going back to read about Lyssa's adventure. Now that its over, I'm glad Lyssa and Dean are happy, but I'm really curious about how things go for Pip and Jake afterwards.
So normally I like to pretend my taste is very high brow and that I don't read chicklit. But this book I'm OK telling people I read it because it has more depth than a normal romantic romp. There's a commentary on society and not everything gets wrapped up in a neat bow. It's more "realistic" while still being enjoyable and allowed me to escape my troubles for a spell.
Solid chick-lit with a little more depth than usual and interesting characters. The ending came fairly quick and wasn't overly realistic, but overall an enjoyable read
We follow the story of assistant magazine editor Lyssa whose live-in partner Jake has just announced over breakfast that “it isn’t working”. And he doesn’t mean the toaster. Just like that. He’s been cheating with an alpha bitch from work, who it turns out is exactly who he deserves, leaving Lyssa to mourn their relationship, the wasted IVF attempts and her life. She is something of a paradox at first; she seems to be getting on with life by going to work but then mourns the relationship and doesn’t seem to move on at all. She is obsessed with getting him back. But then she finds out more about the girl she has been chucked for .............
Neve is younger, feistier (she thinks) and is about to climb the Himalayas. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Lyssa decides to do the same. If you can’t beat them, join them, I suppose. I thought this very reactive but it turns into the best decision she has ever made. I wonder was Lyssa at all reflective, did she think about the relationship at all and if they were really doing the right thing with repetitive IVF rounds?
Add into this mix Lyssa’s relationship with her sister Edie, married with six kids and living in a happily chaotic house, in total contrast to Lyssa. You’d think this would lead to sibling rivalry, or at least suppressed envy, but actually they have a wonderfully warm and supportive relationship which is one of the delights of the book and makes for some funny moments.
So she quits her job and goes to the Himalayas. Here I did skim read some of the descriptive text and feel slightly ashamed of that. I read enough to follow the story, though.
Predictably, Jake realises what a fool he has been, but too late because not only has Lyssa moved on, his best mate has been in love with her, secretly, all this time! She finds this out when they are walking in the park and noticing someone with a Sony Discman (one of my favourite things about reading older books is noticing how technology changes so fast. It seems more anachronistic reading this than reading something from the 50s or 60s. I love it!)
Predictably (?) Lyssa falls for the guide, Dean, realises what she really wants and comes to terms with her infertility. I don’t think she would have made the final decision she did without having met a man who changed her mind, and going to teach English in Nepal without a TEFL qualification, as a manager of an English Language Teaching Centre, I find that a little unbelievable ....... Though I think people do get the endings they deserve, and I really did enjoy the read.
Cute for what it is, a standard and solid chiclit which is what I know is all most who would consider reading this care about, hence it deserves no less than 3 stars on that matter, but…
I've owned a copy of With or Without you for quite some time, I've read it once before but since it doesn't have a good reads review, it's given me an excuse to re-read it.
TW: abortions including anti- abortion, pregnancy struggles, relationship breaking up due to fertility issues and cheating.
Okay..so I'm the last person on the planet who'd ever use this terminology but for a book released in 2004/2005 it tries to be woke or maybe mock woke culture..there is sentences in the book that say "even though these days it's politically incorrect..." which is so weird to read in a fiction book.
One thing I don't understand is why is Jake's POV in 3rd and Lyssa's POV in 1st?
Huh..reading the synopsis you'd assume it was a breakdown of a relationship but when you read the book, it's about a long term couple who are struggling with fertility issues, he cheats and leaves her, while she's forced to move on or keep believing everything's fine.
Now, I'll adimit I don't know much about abortions. But the way they were written in this book feels very odd. When it's revealed that Lyssa had an abortion early in her life, it feels like it's supposed to be written as a shock factor and a "this is what an abortion may do if you want kids in the future". Than when it's mentioned further in the book by a side character;Neve, she uses its as nonchalant expression while Jake goes "how dare a woman get an abortion!" . Understandably each woman to their own, but those moments feel very jarring to read and almost as if the author is trying to convince readers that abortions are bad.
As you read closer to the end of the story, it feels like it needed to chuck in more and more rather than trying to end it, the last few chapters certainly could've been without.
#withorwithoutyou #carolematthews #bookreview
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.