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Better Without You
"It had haunted me all my life.
Maybe even formed who I was.
I'll never know, because I can never undo what happened
and see the person I might have been.
My thoughts drifted back to that sound of the big, fancy, door, always that door, which slammed behind me, as the
memories rushed over me yet again....
__________________________
Aimee Parker feels trapped in a loveless marriage with a man who makes her feel worthless. Feeling especially
isolated since quitting her job to become caretaker to her mother, Aimee finds solace in the music and voice of Rob
Stone, a singer-songwriter who lives across the country. After meeting at a party, they start an intense long-distance friendship that fills Aimee's heart with hope and joy, despite the fact that Rob is also married, and apparently not unhappily so. Though her husband Steve is materially generous, he is emotionally bankrupt, while Rob is the opposite. She thinks he's everything she needs.
When Rob tells her that he is a fledging sex therapist, a healer who uses his hands to awaken women's sexual energy, Aimee is thrown for a loop. Past trauma won't allow her to fully trust him, but despite her fears, she flies to the west coast to be with him, and to meet his family. They spend a blissful and confusing week together, but when Aimee returns home, her world falls apart. Caretaking her mother, a woman with a jagged exterior that shields her own traumas, had become central to Aimee's life and when she dies, Aimee is bereft. And Rob stops answering her calls and messages when she needs him most.
Was he just a manipulator all along?
Is she better off without him?
Without Steve?
Without her past self...?
Maybe even formed who I was.
I'll never know, because I can never undo what happened
and see the person I might have been.
My thoughts drifted back to that sound of the big, fancy, door, always that door, which slammed behind me, as the
memories rushed over me yet again....
__________________________
Aimee Parker feels trapped in a loveless marriage with a man who makes her feel worthless. Feeling especially
isolated since quitting her job to become caretaker to her mother, Aimee finds solace in the music and voice of Rob
Stone, a singer-songwriter who lives across the country. After meeting at a party, they start an intense long-distance friendship that fills Aimee's heart with hope and joy, despite the fact that Rob is also married, and apparently not unhappily so. Though her husband Steve is materially generous, he is emotionally bankrupt, while Rob is the opposite. She thinks he's everything she needs.
When Rob tells her that he is a fledging sex therapist, a healer who uses his hands to awaken women's sexual energy, Aimee is thrown for a loop. Past trauma won't allow her to fully trust him, but despite her fears, she flies to the west coast to be with him, and to meet his family. They spend a blissful and confusing week together, but when Aimee returns home, her world falls apart. Caretaking her mother, a woman with a jagged exterior that shields her own traumas, had become central to Aimee's life and when she dies, Aimee is bereft. And Rob stops answering her calls and messages when she needs him most.
Was he just a manipulator all along?
Is she better off without him?
Without Steve?
Without her past self...?
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2024
5 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 5, 2024
New Love Found
Aimee and Rob meet briefly in person and begin an intense long distance relationship. (Look up the definition of “Twin Flames “ after you read this book.) Aimee is exhausted splitting her time between her husband and her mother who has dementia. I strongly related to the setting on Cape Cod and the author’s experience having to place her mother in a nursing home and accept the reality that her mother was going to die. While Aimee’s mother’s health is declining, Aimee is struggling with memories from her childhood and an unhappy marriage. She receives support from both a male and female friend during this difficult time. Rob was hard to trust, I asked myself a lot of questions about his motive and the author left clues to increase doubt about him. Vicki was the wonderful, supportive friend who asks Aimee questions but doesn’t push her own opinions. I enjoyed reading this book. I actually read it twice. I admit the first time brought up some difficult memories for me of when my Mom was sick. The second time, I wrote down my thoughts and feelings about the characters, and learned about “twin flames”. I found this novel held my interest as Aimee and Rob opened their deepest wounds and healed both together and apart.
Aimee and Rob meet briefly in person and begin an intense long distance relationship. (Look up the definition of “Twin Flames “ after you read this book.) Aimee is exhausted splitting her time between her husband and her mother who has dementia. I strongly related to the setting on Cape Cod and the author’s experience having to place her mother in a nursing home and accept the reality that her mother was going to die. While Aimee’s mother’s health is declining, Aimee is struggling with memories from her childhood and an unhappy marriage. She receives support from both a male and female friend during this difficult time. Rob was hard to trust, I asked myself a lot of questions about his motive and the author left clues to increase doubt about him. Vicki was the wonderful, supportive friend who asks Aimee questions but doesn’t push her own opinions. I enjoyed reading this book. I actually read it twice. I admit the first time brought up some difficult memories for me of when my Mom was sick. The second time, I wrote down my thoughts and feelings about the characters, and learned about “twin flames”. I found this novel held my interest as Aimee and Rob opened their deepest wounds and healed both together and apart.
October 30, 2025
As a recovering Catholic…
We had one of those priests in our church. He liked boys, and I know because my brother was an altar boy. The priest let them drink the wine and then…
This was not exactly triggering for me since this never happened to me. But I can empathize somewhat. I have friends who were SA’d and I’ve also counseled survivors. It’s really hard and saddening. Lives take a huge turn and people often turn to self medicating with drugs and alcohol. Having her go to therapy was a good choice. Often authors don’t go down that road.
The writing itself was good, and the characters are unique. The husband needed a good smack upside his head!
KU read, better than average. I liked it a lot.
We had one of those priests in our church. He liked boys, and I know because my brother was an altar boy. The priest let them drink the wine and then…
This was not exactly triggering for me since this never happened to me. But I can empathize somewhat. I have friends who were SA’d and I’ve also counseled survivors. It’s really hard and saddening. Lives take a huge turn and people often turn to self medicating with drugs and alcohol. Having her go to therapy was a good choice. Often authors don’t go down that road.
The writing itself was good, and the characters are unique. The husband needed a good smack upside his head!
KU read, better than average. I liked it a lot.
October 7, 2025
Very slow. Hard to finish
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews