All That She Needs: The Betrayal of a Marriage

by Jona Leigh

Asha finds herself navigating the turbulent aftermath of a crumbling marriage. Aiden, her husband, has betrayed her trust in the most devastating way, leaving her grappling with heartbreak and a storm of unresolved emotions. Caught between the life she once knew and an uncertain future, Asha must confront her pain while searching for a path forward.

Haunted by guilt and consumed by regret, Aiden is desperate to make amends. The weight of his mistakes looms large, straining his every effort to rebuild the shattered bonds with Asha and their children. Despite his attempts at reconciliation, the shadow of his choices threatens to overshadow his hopes of redemption.

Caught between love, loss, and self-preservation, Asha faces a choice: rebuild what’s broken or leave it behind.

Genres: Divorce, Romance, Marriage, Second Chance, Family Drama, Contemporary Romance, Emotional

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2025

Reviews

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoilers abound, y’all.

This book is far from perfect. It is in dire need of a really good editor. I am a reader that gets super distracted by a crap ton of editing errors and had I not been enjoying the huge gut punch this book provided, I would have abandoned ship. One of my issues is with inconsistent language-maybe the book was translated from another language?

Next, it is Super Soapy. If that’s not your cuppa, then don’t bother.

Also, it’s really l-o-n-g. That wasn’t as much of an issue for me because of the gut punch, but I could see it feeling really long to others who maybe don’t jive with the overall tropes as much as I do.

Now the good stuff: this is cheating heaven for OG Angst Whores. The story really packs an on-page punch, so if you don’t like to read about sustained infidelity, this probably isn’t for you. The feelings seemed real-our h waffled too long but hell-after 20 years of marriage, some waffling might be in order. Also our H couldn’t stop loving his side piece and OOOOOF, was that a gut punch. For folks who relish an HEA, there is one. It might not be in every reader’s preferred shape and size, but there is one. There is also a distinct HFN for another MC. And, a glorious bunch of comeuppance to boot.

I rated this highly because so few authors are willing to touch these tropes and this one did! I LOVED IT, warts and all. Keep writing these stories, JL! I will inhale them!!

[OverbookedSoul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. Where do I even begin? This book was a hot mess from start to finish, and honestly, I’m still reeling from the sheer imbalance of it all. Not a single character was likable, not one! First, we have the cheater, who wasn’t just your average run-of-the-mill scumbag; oh no, this man was practically diabolical in his obsession with his mistress. And speaking of the mistress, good lord, was there a single redeeming quality about her? Vile, loose-moraled, and smug in that way only homewreckers with zero self-awareness can be. And then there’s the wife, the poor, spineless doormat. I mean, my sympathy for her ran out by chapter three. How much humiliation can one person endure before growing a backbone? It was painful to witness.

And don’t even get me started on the wife's new love interest. A 32-year-old acting like a whiny, love-starved teenager. Where was the depth? Where was the emotional maturity? It was impossible to root for their so-called "love story" when it read more like an awkward college situationship. And then the author had the audacity to have the wife think these two were "written in the stars." Girl, please. Aim higher. You were in an 18-year marriage, you don’t need a baby-faced rebound who throws tantrums when you don’t want to DTR three seconds after signing divorce papers.

And the emotional payoff? Nonexistent. There was no deep, soul-crushing, heart-laying-bare conversation between the wife and her new man. Just surface-level fluff. How am I supposed to buy into a love story without the messy, uncomfortable truths laid out? And as for the cheating husband, this man spent ninety percent of the book disgustingly obsessed with his mistress, only to show up in the epilogue suddenly heartbroken over losing his wife? Oh, so now she’s a "rare gem," the "true love of his life"? And why exactly? The book never bothers to explain that whiplash-inducing shift. And now he’s chasing down her lookalikes and failing to fill the void? Please. You don’t just develop self-awareness overnight!! Where was the breakdown, the moment of reckoning? Why wasn’t his fractured relationship with his kids explored? Why weren’t the consequences of his betrayal fully unpacked?

And the worst part, no real karma for the two cheating assholes. None. Just a weak epilogue that felt like the literary equivalent of a shrug. I mean, come on, if you’re going to put your readers through that much emotional chaos, at least have the decency to serve up some poetic justice. One star, and that’s only because Goodreads doesn’t allow zero.

[Beeg Panda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.50 to 3.75ish starts. Married couple, with 2 kids, Asha and Aiden have been together for 20 years.
Both have successful careers and couldn’t be happier in their loving passionate marriage.
Until Asha realizes that Aiden has ‼️SPOILERS ‼️SPOILERS fallen in love with someone else.
He withdraws from her, their kids, their lives even as they live under the same roof.
He smiled more, laughed more, and carried a lightness I hadn't seen in him in a long time. I watched from the sidelines as he reveled in the joy she brought to him, a joy that had nothing to do with me. Aiden fell in love with another woman. That fact, I knew for certain. I had confirmed it. I had pictures to confirm it too. It shattered me…

But she suffers in silence because she loves him so much and wants her marriage to work.
I see why because we get glimpses of their life before the cheating; we see how perfect they are for each other; how much he adores her and what a really decent man he was.
But still, I stayed...

6 months into the affair the ow breaks up with him and he becomes a madman.
Obsessed and broken.
Ott jealous over her and the new fiancé.
We get to see this in both Asha and Aiden’s POVs and I truly don’t know which hurt or frustrated me more.
Aiden came home a broken man. I knew right away that they broke up….I knew he cried—really sobbed—when he locked himself away in his office at home. He loved her that much…

And boy, does he fight for this ow. For months he tries to win her back.
I hated reading his pov here - it’s well written, I must say. I’ve never read this intensity directed at the ow before.
…He was there, wherever she was, trying relentlessly to get her back…

The OW rejects his pleas for a reconciliation and he decides to concentrate on his family even though he loves the ow with all his heart. He loves his wife as well. She’s his rock and reality after all.
…suddenly, it all stopped. Completely. He was still devastated; that much was clear, as the pain was perpetually etched into his every expression, his every movement. But the late nights, the secret calls, the unexplained absences—they all ceased….


In the meantime Asha meets Liam, the hero she ends up with, making Aiden the other man now
The man is perfection itself. I love how he is written.
THIS is the hero every worthy woman needs esp. after she’s been cheated on.
If he has any faults, its caring too much.
Patient. So so patient. Honest. Confident. Successful. Humorous. Stunningly gorgeous.
Younger - 32 to her 39 years.
And he falls for her like a ton of bricks. Hard, fast and all-consuming.
She loves her husband and her family with all her soul, so she’s bewildered by her intense draw to Liam.
Unfortunately, she hurts him with her push/pull response (that pissed me off no end because she knowingly gives him false hope) before and while she navigates her new reality without Aiden, the only man she’s ever been with.


Thank goodness she kicks Aiden out of the house despite his tears and begging.
"You said you'll do whatever it takes," I repeated his promise, and he nodded quickly.
"Yeah. Anything."
"Really, Aiden? Truly?"
"Truly, Asha."
"Okay." I nodded, pressing my hand to my chest, bracing myself for the answer I feared. "Can you stop loving her?"
He froze. His entire body went still, and for a long moment, he didn't move, didn't breathe.
I could almost see the gears turning in his mind as he struggled to find the words. I counted the seconds, silently praying he would say the words I desperately wanted to hear—Yes, I don't love her anymore; I only love you. But those words never came. He just stood there, paralyzed by the truth he couldn't bring himself to speak. His silence was answer enough. And in that silence, I felt the last thread of hope snap inside me.
"That's my answer," I said, my words faint.
"That's why I can never let you come back. Because it's just a matter of time before you crawl back to her again."


She stays steadfast and determined to cut ties with him and files for divorce. She did demand answers about the cheating so that was addressed. He was never going to tell her.
She has the best friends a woman can ask for. Best colleagues. Her mother is unworthy, but her kids are wonderful human beings. Her protective brothers - I wish they had their own books too. I enjoyed the world building especially the look into their respective careers and the realistic portrayal of the corporate world.


The main focus of the story is Asha, Aiden, their kids and the fact that he loves someone else and has all but turned his back on his family for the sake of being with her; at 100 days after last pursuing her he still very much loves the ow:
"I still miss her so much. It's like this powerful, overwhelming longing that relentlessly hits me from the inside, and sometimes, it is so painful, I feel like I'm about to die from it."

It also focuses mostly on them all adjusting to life after divorce, Asha and the kids’ healing and growth.
She nearly loses Liam but I’m glad the author gave Asha her own perfect new life.


We learn how the ow isn’t all that innocent and how she was already in a relationship all the while having an affair with Aiden. He refused to take her back when SHE came begging and she retaliated by driving into him with her car. He's badly injured and lands up in hospital. The ow is blackballed in the corporate industry (courtesy of Asha and Aiden's son who has mad hacker skills and revenge is his name LOL) and this might be why, in the epilogue, she's working in a grocery store.


Aiden never fully recovers from losing Asha. After the divorce he initially binge sexes his way through every available skirt until he eventually stalls into a perpetual state of mourning.


There's a 5 year later epilogue in om’s POV:
We learn that after years of blind dating he's ready to settle down but hasn't had any luck finding someone to replace Asha. She and Liam are living their best lives. I love that so much.
Aiden's life revolves around his kids and working on making himself a better person. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets his own book. Perhaps even with the same ow because when he sees her again, he's still DEEPLY drawn to her, but realises that their time is over.


ETA NB:
Neaten review

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about a heroine who gets cheated on, then moves on to a better man. That's the basic gist, so if that sounds good to you, you'll probably like this.

Asha (39) has been married to Aiden (40) for like 20 years. They have 2 teen kids, but Aiden has been cheating on Asha for a while. Asha knows this, and for some reason, hasn't confronted him about it or left him. She only finally decides to leave him when she realizes her kids know their dad has been cheating, and it's negatively impacting them. Then, she meets Liam (32), who is basically perfect, and gets an HEA with him while Aiden suffers from his bad choices.

This wasn't bad, it did scratch the itch for this topic, and the writing was fine. But it had several things that didn't land well with me. Asha was hard to like at first, she came across as pathetic, since she knew Aiden was cheating, delayed leaving him, and even slept with him. Other characters in the story are like, "Why didn't you leave him sooner???" And I agree with them! I don't always need a heroine to have a perfect reaction to a given situation, or react the same way I'd react. But I need to be able to understand a heroine's behavior, and I didn't. Asha's reaction to her husband cheating was weird, and didn't make much sense, and made it hard to like her for a while. Even after she grows a backbone, she's WAY too nice to Aiden, often smiling at him and hugging him, and even talking to him in a friendly way on FaceTime when her kids call him. That's fine for him to stay in the kid's lives, but Asha doesn't need to casually chat with him!

Liam also feels more like a side character than a hero, and he's too perfect, which is boring and made him feel like a flat character. I guess that makes sense if Asha's journey and Aiden's regret are the main focus of this book. For this type of book, it does work for the new guy to just be a Good Guy who practically worships the heroine. But even so, I still feel like Liam could have been more interesting and developed. It also felt too convenient that he entered the story and immediately started worshipping Asha. That felt like all those New Adult books where the heroine is a new girl at school or college, and conveniently, there's a random girl at her school who is determined to be her instant friend and drag her to parties. Liam felt like a similar character type -- like a character who exists only to hype the heroine up. But, that might be a matter of personal taste, other people might like that type of character.

I found myself much more interested in the side characters in this story than the main characters - Asha has 2 mysterious hot brothers, who dated the same woman. I would read that MFM story, or really any story about either or both of her brothers. Also I would read a story about Liam's brother Jake, the bartender.

Not many authors write angsty cheating reads, so I would read more from this author, but I had too many issues with it to give it more than 3 stars.

[Yames Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was absolutely @ddict!ve. I wanted to keep going until I knew the entire story.
It has great character development. Usually, I always cheer for the original couple to remain together but with this H and his description of everything he felt and did with OW, he was beyond redemption.

I liked the new H. The epilogue was AMAZING and I just really enjoyed this! Great ex Wattpad story turned into a very entertaining book!

I also wanna know what’s the story with the brothers and the doctor!

[Mitsie Holtshausen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent emotional page turner.
I highly recommend this book. The author took you on an emotional journey of a family broken up, because of infidelity.
You experience the betrayal, loss heartbreak anger, and new beginning in hope and love experienced by Ash,and the betrayal suffered by the children.
And then there is Aiden dear stupid Aiden, I hated him through half the book, but end the book hoping for a happy ending for him somewhere too.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solidly written cheating husband / angsty trope romance. I was invested in the fmcs plight with dealing with infidelity in a marriage with having kids.

I'm glad that the fmcfinally let herself fall in love with someone else and was able to build herself up after beying betrayed.

[Brittany Curl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to applaud the author. This book was amazing. I can not remember the last time I was this into a story. I had zero desire to skip to the end to see what happened (this happens to me a lot).

[Mojo_Mama]

Paused at 15%

Husband is irredeemable and wife moves on to another dude who’s so perfect I think it’ll set my teeth on edge.

[Tasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, this one was just as disgusting as "Unfaithful," if not more. This author is not for me. She seems to be a misogynist at heart, as she treats her female leads very unfairly. I mean, eighteen years of marriage is no small thing, yet instead of portraying the raw pain experienced by Asha and the kids, she was focused on showing the cheater’s love for his mistress. Honestly, Kayden’s ultimatum, Vanessa’s true colors, and the epilogue felt more like damage control than genuine plot twists! Also why the fuck was that bartender Jake so quiet and nonchalant about the affair? The scene I despised the most was when Aiden was jealous of Vanessa’s supposed fiancé in the boardroom, despite his wife breaking down in front of him just a few nights earlier and his son confronting him in tears. Ugh, he was a monster, I hated him so much!!
And why was Liam, a 32-year-old man, acting like some frat boy with a MILF fantasy? After everything Asha endured ,18 years of marriage destroyed by betrayal,This is what she gets as a "happy ending"? A shallow, immature fling instead of a man who truly matches her depth and resilience? Did she really deserve so little after all that pain? One star for Asha!! She was written as a weak character but still I couldn't bring myself to not like her!

[Fatima Barakat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new and wonderful experience for me. I went to this book blind, and I did not know that the ending would be like this. I thought, hey, it’s gonna be a cheating book with heavy groveling, and the characters will live happily ever after, but what did I get?!
Let me tell you, I got the best book with this trope ever where the FMC knows her worth and finds her HEA.

This was a ride full of emotions, angst, love, and emotional maturity it was so good to read.

I cried so hard and I smiled with happiness even harder that how good it was for me.

I’ll definitely be reading this author's work all the time.

[Danny Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know this author's work was here on Goodreads, but I am enjoying her writing on Wattpad. She writes a lot of ow stories with cheating or perceived cheating. Her newest one called Unfaithful is a doozy, but it's still a WIP. Only 2 chapters. The herione from this story has two children Kayden and Chloe. The author has a WIP (work in progress) for Kayden as well.

[Misha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Skimmed this. Wanted to know what happened. Liked the ending and LOVED how the kids, esp Kayden, made it VERY clear what Aiden (his dad and the cheater) would lose if he made the wrong choice. Take that, adulterer!

Is it wrong that I liked that he got hit by a car by the woman he had an affair with?

[EARTH · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a well written, painful story where the cheater actually faces the full karma of his actions. Really tough read at parts emotionally, but the ending was satisfying, and I felt everyone really got what they deserved.

[Sarah King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok

There were some grammar typos, but it was a decent read.
Maybe yornext one could be about Aiden finding a second chance.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was such a hard read emotionally—it completely broke my heart. You can’t help but ache for Asha. She knows her husband, Aiden, is falling for another woman, and yet she doesn’t confront him straight away. Instead, she quietly endures the pain, feeling him slip away, watching him grieve the loss of this affair as if it meant more to him than his own family. That emotional weight is heavy, and it’s written so raw and honestly that it really hits you.

And then we get Aiden’s point of view—and somehow, it breaks your heart all over again. You see how deeply he’s obsessed with the other woman, how much effort he puts into hiding it, and the lengths he goes to keep the affair a secret from Asha. It’s only when their son confronts him and says, “I know everything,” that Aiden finally stops to reflect. He starts to realize that maybe it wasn’t love, but rather a temporary escape—something he thought he needed.

Asha eventually reaches a breaking point. There’s a powerful moment where she tells Aiden they could move forward if he can just say he doesn’t love the other woman—and he can’t. That seals it for her. She chooses herself, gets the divorce, and begins to build a new life.

Then enters Liam—young, kind, and exactly what Asha deserves. Their love story is beautiful, and watching her thrive with him, remarry, and have another child was so satisfying. She’s finally living her best life.

The epilogue, set five years later, shows Aiden still stuck. He’s going on empty blind dates and clearly hasn’t moved on. He runs into Vanessa, and all she does is remind him of the biggest mistake of his life. It’s haunting in a quiet, sad way.

One scene that really got to me was the work party. Asha is at the event with Aiden, and he sneaks off to have sex with Vanessa upstairs while his wife is downstairs. It’s never explicitly shown, but he later admits it—and that moment just crushed me. The lack of respect was staggering.

What made this book even more heartbreaking was how deeply the affair impacted their children. The pain was generational, and the author didn’t shy away from showing that.

Overall, this was a powerful, painful, beautifully written story about betrayal, growth, and healing. It’s not an easy read—but it’s definitely worth it.

[hugsandcookies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addictive Raw and Emotional Read

If you go in blind, please do cause I recommend it. It’s a good book and my first book by this author that I couldn’t put down.

The story is as you can guess. Yes, Betrayal ie as I call it cheating. I devoured this book within 24 hrs.
I could go on and on but I feel like this book takes you on a journey of heartache, heartbreaks and learning when to let go and accept what will be.

It’s also a discovery of stepping back, learning and knowing and also facing the reality of how to process all the hurt, all the brokenness and to process the betrayal.
Asha is a victim of being betrayed on, but she was also a strong character that I admired. Her strength her determination to not let her drown in her heartbreak, was that she focused on her work, taking control of herself and her children.

Kayden and Chloe are amazing kids. I like their characters, as any normal teens as can be. I love Kayden but he’s a genius 😉 who masterminded everything. If you give this a book a chance you’ll know. Kayden so much surprised me. He was a strength for his sister and his mum although he was hurt and let down by his father.

Liam the hot InfiniTech 😉 I’m glad he was the right mix for Asha, but I felt like his character was too flawed and too rushed to be with Asha. But, however though I’m glad that Asha was able to put the brakes on it. Asha had to do what she had to in order to move forward with Liam.

The secondary characters also make this book enjoyable to read. Asha being a triplet and Dennis her assistant and Jake the bartender was a surprise twist to the story.

Ugh, I hate cheating, but I think Aiden and the ow deserved their karma. I won’t lie, I did feel for Aiden and at one point I thought he would of, but nooo he wanted both his cakes 🤦🏽‍♀️ was he a victim of his bad choices no he CHOSE to do it, and in the end he realised it too late when all was loss for him. Karmas a ****

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truly heartbreaking!
The cheaters are humanized but!
Also, the just deserts seem hollow because!
The son is awesome though!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows some reality regarding a broken marriage with children involved. The main characters are admirable, and you can feel each character's emotions while reading it. It ends in a HEA for one of the spouses (which I was rooting for). I can say on a personal note this story left me thinking.

The quote I got from this book was:
"I'm a good listener, you know. And I've been told I'm a pretty decent misery bucket." I let out a small laugh. "Misery bucket?" "Yeah. The one people like to pour all their misery into."

[Violet Kattalakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gut wrenchingly beautiful

This story made me, laugh, giggle like a teenager, get angry and cry. Wow! The highs and the lows were so beautifully well written and the characters had so much depth and growth I literally couldn't put the book down. Such a beautiful story.

[Addicted 2 📖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This surprised me - so much emotion that I couldn’t put it down. I did skip some pages because honestly it was a bit too long for me.

Was it a perfect story? No. But sadly, what some don’t understand is that conceptually it’s real. Asha, aside her high profile career was like 2 women I personally know that have gone through cheating spouses. Despite her ‘overstay’ I loved her resilience. Adultery has such a domino effect- the emotions: heartbreak, laughter, anger, self-doubt….its gut wrenching.
How this affects kids in the marriage, and family surrounding it all?

[VoraciousReader · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. I can’t remember reading a book with such unlikeable characters. Aiden was a cheating, lying scumbag; Asha was a pathetic, spineless doormat and Liam was a creepy, childish stalker.
2. Badly needed editing.
“I was on my wit’s end here.”
“I had no choice but just to purge through”
“There were quite several men trying to flirt with me in the past.”
“Dennis said that with my looks, my success, and my Ice Queen personality, men would feel challenged and tried to conquer me.”
“The look of feral consumed him.”
“Let me get this out of my chest.”
3. Why would Asha fall in love with a man who was “arrogant, cold and detached” and stay with him after he fell in love with another woman and became a “pathetic, pitiful mess”???
4. The only reason that Aiden was feeling “regret” and “remorse” for the way he had betrayed his family was because Vanessa was marrying someone else. Just a few days before he was begging his wife not to leave him, he was begging Vanessa to come back to him because he couldn’t live without her.
5. After Asha kicked him out, Aiden kept whining about how much he was missing his children. Strangely, he didn’t miss them at all in the nine months that he was having an affair with Vanessa; he spent zero time with them because he preferred to spend every spare second with his mistress.
6. Asha was so weak and pathetic.
a. She repeatedly kept trying to take some of the blame for Aiden’s affair.
b. She was so concerned about how upset Aiden was when her brothers were angry at him for cheating on her.
c. She kept trying to draw a parallel between Aiden cheating on her with Vanessa during their marriage and her spending platonic time with Liam after she and Aiden had separated and she had filed for divorce.
7. Aiden promised both Asha and his kids that he would never hurt them again. If Vanessa had come back to him, he would have dropped his family again in a hot second.
8. 50% of the way through the book, I’m still not sure who the MMC is.
9. I had to stop reading when Aiden started claiming that his decision to fight for his marriage and his family had nothing to do with the fact that Vanessa was marrying someone else.

[Marle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not crying…..

These characters will quickly become real. The excellent description of their journey from betrayal and brokenness to healing and growing. The description of their hurts, confusion, will have you sharing their pain ( both points of view- cheater and one being cheated on) . Creative storyline. Well written. And yes, I did cry… more than once. Well done. Jona Leigh.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be betrayed…

This was a very raw and emotional read. While the MMC was portrayed as the villain, he was just as much a victim of his choices and actions as the rest of the characters. This was a very different read, no HEA or HFN, not this type of book. But it did end on a positive note which was appropriate.

[a🧚‍♀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️

BOOOM SHAKALALA see this is how you write a book with the cheating trope 🙏🙏🙏 god has answered my prayers

[Nickyboy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m being super generous and giving this a 3 star. Only because Liam and Asha was like an Oasis in a desert while reading this crap and the fact for fucking once the author doesn’t let the wife stay with the cheating bastard even if she was a doormat. Oh yes and Kayden giving this dumb dog of an MC an ultimatum. I never once liked Aides (aiden). Fucking douchebag had an easy ending to the story and so as that bitch Vaneeeeesa. Both of them I hated to the brim. This author fumbled so much. She could’ve went with a more destructive ending for them but somewhere down the line she fell for her own BS and fell the MC sob story. Anyways bye!

[I’m a Paula too… Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously intense…

The married couple are Aiden and Asha, and they have two kids that are in their teens. Asha is the CEO of a company, and Aiden is a CEO too. So clearly they’re both high octane and busy most of the time. Interestingly, as a woman in control of a company, she’s a submissive to her husband. Which is why it was incomprehensible to me why he cheated with Vanessa.

It’s clear that she’s not going to take him back. And Vanessa turns out to be crazy and stalks him. Asha ends up meeting Liam, who’s a tech guy and rich. The whole thing is actually a bit messy and I kept shaking my head…

KU read but this is really good. Everyone had a lot to learn and to grow. Many, many lessons to be learned, including by the kids. Asha got a beautiful life, and Aiden learned a truly painful lesson…

[Melissa Pettit · Rating 2 out of 5]

great story

I went back and forth on my thoughts of this book. I loved how Aiden seemingly got what he deserved, but it didn’t really make sense that if came after everything was said and done. I was a little grossed out at his obsession for the OW while still saying Asha was his soulmate, without any remorse or second thought. THEN, Asha grows a backbone (again AFTER the affair is over) and starts her growth from there. I think the ending was still a bit harsh, basically making him pay for the rest of his life, there’s really no forgiveness anywhere? Still, I loved her development through the story. There were many simple errors while reading this, but luckily I could still follow along well enough.

[JillyB · Rating 5 out of 5]

All that she needs

Wow, I just spent a big chunk of my day reading this book. It was time well spent. It is one of those stories that I put on the back burner, because I really didn’t think I would be able to handle it. So glad I finally made the leap.

The book is interesting in that the chapters are heavy on POV’s for both the h, and the cheater husband. *cheater husbands don’t always get lots of page time. The blurb for the book says the following: Asha faces a choice: Build what is broken, or leave it behind?

If you want to go in blind, then don’t read the rest of my review. If you don’t mind spoilers then keep reading. Whatever, you choose, do not let anything I say discourage you from reading this book. It was so good!

Ok, let’s begin:
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The overview: Asha and Aiden have been married for 18 years(20 together). They have 2 children, Kayden 16 and Chloe 14. Aiden cheats on his beautiful, successful wife with his 25 year old assistant Vanessa(so cliche, I know, but 40% of cheaters admit it’s with a colleague). Some marriages can overcome meaningless sexual affairs, but this idiot finds himself in love with his wife and the ow. In fact, he has basically been checked out from his marriage for the last year. Missing important dates (anniversary, school events, etc) When he is home, he doesn’t engage. He often retreats to his locked office where he can share phone conversations with his ow. The ow breaks it off with him, and he spends the next several months pining after her and trying to win her back. This is all going on while his family starts getting used to a new normal. He finally, sort of lets the ow go. He is starting to feel the guilt of his betrayal, at least his family was none the wiser. Meanwhile…..

Asha knows about her husband’s affair. It was little things at first, like the glances between his pa and him, the late nights, the increased “business trips”, the distance at home, the lack of affection etc….But the most damning evidence comes from her flamboyant wonderful PA Dennis. Dennis has seen the husband in action, as his own lover has an apartment in the same complex as the harlot. I was relieved that the h didn’t have to suffer in silence, and she was able to talk to someone. Dennis was encouraging her to leave and show the man the door. BUT Aiden was her first lover, her partner in marriage, the father of her children for 18 years, she was hoping he would make his way back to her. It looks like he has finally seen the light….

Asha and Aidan seem to finally connect in the bedroom. She finally has her husband back. Maybe their marriage can make it through this storm. It is hard to throw away a 20 year relationship, which was more good than bad. Plus, there are children. They were happy once, and maybe they can be again.

It isn’t even a week, and Vanessa reappears in Aiden’s life. he still feels the pull. She tells him she loves him but is engaged to another. This destroys him. He goes home. He retreats. Asha gets the wake up call she needed from an unexpected source…their son Kayden. He tells his mom she needs to break free of Aidan. He too knows about the affair, as he has hacked into his dad’s phone and emails. He knows every dirty detail. He confronted his dad. He despises his dad, and now he is telling his mom she needs to put herself out of her misery. She goes to her husband. Tells him she can’t give him anymore, unless he can tell her that he can stop loving Vanessa….the silence is deafening. Asha has her answer. It is time to leave it behind.

Basically, the rest of the story shows Asha taking back her life. All the while Aiden is trying to win back his family. He has broken all ties with Vanessa(she resigned when she broke it off with him) He is showing up for his family. However, he has done too much. He has broken too much. He finally realizes he needs to give Asha the divorce. She will never get over his betrayal. He actually never has a good reason for cheating on his wife. The sex scene with them shows how compatible they were, but I guess he was just selfish.

Good news, while Asha’s life is imploding it’s also blossoming. This is due to Liam. A tech guru who shares building space with her. He is HOT. He is also 7 years younger. But the best thing is, he actually see’s Asha for the beautiful, wonderful woman she is. It is basically insta love for him, but our Asha takes things slow. She has virtue that her husband doesn’t. I love seeing the giddiness that overcomes Asha in her interactions with Liam. And although they hit a couple of bumps in the road(because, coming off a 20 year relationship and having it end the way it did tends to mess one up)they do end up together. It’s a beautiful ending for them. We also get to see them in “action” a couple of times. Liam doesn’t disappoint 😉

What happened to Aiden? How about Vanessa? Well Vanessa disappears for most of the story, only to show up in the last few chapters. Therefore, you are not going to see any real time action between her and Aiden. It never goes into graphic detail. No, her and Aiden never resumed their relationship. In fact, his interactions with Vanessa near the end of the book made him realize how he had one true love, and she was now with someone younger, bolder, and shall I say packing? .

I have left out a lot of little things in this story that made it such a fantastic read. I loved the dialogue. The raw dialogue between Asha and her husband, along with the playful banter between Asha and Liam. It felt genuine and I could picture the characters and situations so clearly. I think this book would transfer quite well to a movie or limited series.

[CJL · Rating 5 out of 5]

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