The View from Alameda Island

by Robyn Carr

#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr delivers a poignant and powerful story about how one woman’s best intentions lead to the worst of situations and how the power of love helps her to heal and ultimately triumph.

From the outside looking in, Lauren Delaney has a life to envy—a successful career, a solid marriage to a prominent surgeon and two beautiful daughters who are off to good colleges. But on her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary Lauren makes a decision that will change everything.

Lauren won’t pretend things are perfect anymore. She defies the controlling husband who has privately mistreated her throughout their marriage and files for divorce. And as she starts her new life, she meets a kindred spirit—a man who is also struggling with the decision to end his unhappy marriage.

But Lauren’s husband wants his “perfect” life back and his actions are shocking. Facing an uncertain future, Lauren discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had as she fights for the love and happiness she deserves.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Womens Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2019

About the author

Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning, eleven-time #1 New York Times bestselling author of over sixty novels, including the critically acclaimed Virgin River series and Sullivan's Crossing series. Robyn's new women's fiction novel, THE FRIENDSHIP CLUB, will be released in January 2024. The new hit Sullivan's Crossing TV series (season 1) inspired by Robyn's book series was released in the USA in the fall of 2023! Plus, season 5 of the worldwide fan-favorite Virgin River TV Series is now streaming on Netflix (July 2023) with two holiday episodes coming November 30, 2023. Both TV series have been renewed for another season!
Robyn is a recipient of the Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2016, and in 2017, VIRGIN RIVER was named one of the HarperCollins 200 Iconic Books of the past 200 years. Robyn currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can visit Robyn Carr's website at https://www.robyncarr.com/.

Reviews

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: She walked purposefully to her car and she even looked around. He was in the garden shed on the other side of the gardens. She could hear him putting things away. He wasn't looking to see what she was driving or what her license plate was. He was a perfectly nice, friendly guy who probably picked up lonely women on a regular basis. Then murdered them and chopped them into little pieces and used them for fertilizer.

She sighed. Sometimes she felt so ridiculous.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: From the outside looking in, Lauren Delaney has a life to envy—a successful career, a solid marriage to a prominent surgeon and two beautiful daughters who are off to good colleges. But on her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary Lauren makes a decision that will change everything.

Lauren won’t pretend things are perfect anymore. She defies the controlling husband who has privately mistreated her throughout their marriage and files for divorce. And as she starts her new life, she meets a kindred spirit—a man who is also struggling with the decision to end his unhappy marriage.

But Lauren’s husband wants his “perfect” life back and his actions are shocking. Facing an uncertain future, Lauren discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had as she fights for the love and happiness she deserves.

MY THOUGHTS: I wavered on my rating for this book. Three stars? Four stars? Three-and-a- half? I loved the first half of the book, but then, initially, I thought the second half got a bit schmaltzy, Hallmark romantic. And then. . . Robyn Carr blew my socks off with a totally unexpected development.

But after I finished, and had time to sit and ponder my feelings, my reactions, I realized that she had perfectly captured the emotional reactions of the characters to the situations. Take away the extremes of her story, the wealth, the violence, and it could have been my story. The controlling husband, the constant put downs and erosion of confidence, the reluctance to expose the children to a marriage break-up, then the threats and manipulations, and finally the uncertainty and wonder of finding the right person with whom to share the rest of one's life. As I read I was thinking, 'Yes, I remember feeling/experiencing that!'

What more needs to be said? Although this was my first, I am sure that this won't be the last book I read by this author. Definitely a 'feel-good' experience. High praise indeed from someone who doesn't read romance!

THE AUTHOR: Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning, eleven-time #1 New York Times bestselling author of almost sixty novels, including the critically acclaimed Virgin River series. The fourth novel, THE BEST OF US, in her fan-favorite Sullivan's Crossing Series was released in Jan. 2019. Robyn's new women's fiction novel THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND will be release in April 2019. Robyn is a recipient of the Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2016, and in 2017, VIRGIN RIVER was named one of the HarperCollins 200 Iconic Books of the past 200 years. Robyn currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to NetGalley via Harlequin-Mira for providing a digital ARC of The View From Alameda Island by Robyn Carr for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren Delaney has endured a highly unsatisfactory marriage for 24 years to a man who’s controlling and mean. Brad’s a successful surgeon whose done nothing but demean and belittle her their entire marriage. She declares to herself that there will not be a 25th year in this relationship now that her two daughters have finished college. She now has to figure out how to make this happen and create a new life for herself.

Lauren’s decision is declared in the opening paragraph of this story so there is no ambiguity about the state of her marriage. What comes next is how she takes those steps towards liberation and the impact on her family, career and self respect. I expected to see some of the typical things you’d find in the dismantling of a marriage to someone like Brad and a one-sided view of that but was pleasantly surprised to see Lauren take a critical eye at her own enabling behavior, including her motives for agreeing to marry him. It was insightful and painful, laying bare some hard and awful truths on both sides. When she meets another man (Beau) who’s in similar circumstances following her separation, it gives her an opportunity to test her judgment and make different choices.

I really enjoyed this story because of its honest approach in looking at the disassembly of a long term marriage. While Brad was clearly an awful person, Lauren’s complicity wasn’t ignored and I liked how there was clearly shared responsibility for her circumstances. I especially liked how the impact on the children was portrayed, not only the divorce but the costs of staying in a bad relationship for the sake of those children. While there are some extreme behaviors here, they do illustrate what is probably reality for many who have traveled this road before, some I’ve witnessed. Lauren’s new relationship with Beau was a needed diversion and their contrasts were remarkable given he was going through a similar process. This was an interesting and eye-opening journey.

Posted on Blue Mood Café

(I received an advance copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own)

[Katy O. · Rating 2 out of 5]

(free review copy) Meh. I desperately wanted to like this book, even just because of the cover. But alas, NO. The nicest thing I can say about it is that I think I’ve simply outgrown this insipid and overly-explained /exhaustively-described type of romance/women’s fiction. I probably wouldn’t have finished it but I was so sick while reading it that getting up to grab another book wasn’t an option. The cover is strong, though.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE Robyn Carr’s writing, so I’ve been looking forward to The View From Alameda Island, it was amazing and crazy! I think this has been the craziest exes I’ve read from Ms. Carr, but the relationship between Lauren and Beau was steady and calming throughout any drama that came at them. Their romance was slow and steady, felt real, but also had heat and chemistry! I loved it!

Let me just tell you I wanted to strangle both of their exes! Their pictures would be up by the words “narcissistic”, “megalomaniac”, and “delusional” in the dictionary! Wow! I honestly can’t believe they both put up with so much, but I can somewhat understand because there were kids involved. Each wanted to wait until their kids were out and mostly settled on their own path. Beau get special props for being a stepfather and not bowing out because he split from the boy’s mom. They truly needed a stable force in their life since their mom was flighty, full of drama, and manipulative!

I was touched by the wonderful friends and family Beau and Lauren had, a testament to the kind of good people they were at heart, they definitely needed the support! I loved how each ex had their own comeuppance at every turn, and never got away with things too long. I’m so sad for anyone who goes through this kind of drama in their family. At any rate, I loved how it all turned out.

The setting of Alameda Island was lovely! I’m in East Bay San Francisco just about every other weekend, but I haven’t got over to that neck of the woods yet, but now I want to! It sounds like a charming little town full of character!

I mostly listened to the audio version narrated by Therese Plummer, one of my all-time favorite performers! She nails both the male and female characters, and I love her easy cadence. She narrates most (if not all) of Ms. Carr’s books, as well as the Casey Duncan (Rockton) series by Kelley Armstrong. Another favorite author/series! I’d be willing to give just about any author a go if Ms. Plummer is narrating the story!

An e-copy was kindly provided by MIRA in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The View from Alameda Island

Robyn Carr


THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND is the story of Lauren Delaney and her seemingly perfect life. Perfect until it wasn't. She has two beautiful daughters and is married to a very successful surgeon. On her twenty fourth wedding anniversary she makes a decision that will change her life forever.......she walks away!


While visiting a local garden she meets a man, Beau, and they begin talking. He seems to be a kindered spirit but Lauren tries to keep her distance even though she is very attracted to him. He is going through a divorce as well and they decide to become friends only. Beau is the step dad to his soon to be exes sons, but he is more of their parent than their crazy mother ever was. THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND shows that both of these kind loving people have to deal with total craziness from their soon to be exes. Lauren's husband, Brad totally loses his mind and comes after Lauren and is determined to make her life a living hell. Get ready readers, the twists and turns keep on coming!


Oh let me tell you, Beau is going to definitely give you all the feels. That's all I'm saying.......anyway, after some time, things between Beau and Lauren certainly heat up! But it's always very sweet and I really wanted Lauren to open up to Beau and explain why she is the way she is. She is very guarded and Beau doesn't think he stands a chance. Hang on people, THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND is an intense and crazy ride.


THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND is a quick read that you can easily read in one sitting and love every minute of it. It is one heck of a crazy emotional roller coaster ride that will have you filled with rage for what Brad puts Lauren though! I have never met a Robyn Carr book that I didn't love and once I start reading I knew I was going on one heck of an emotional journey! Whatever you are reading, put it down, and run and get this book! If you've never read a Robyn Carr novel (and you know who you are) this would be a perfect one to hook you!


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

[Kate Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I’ve finally nailed what I love so much about Robyn Carr’s books (beyond her skillful writing)—she doesn’t focus entirely on two main characters. She writes about family, about other lives and loves that connect and impact the actual leads in the story, but those other loves, the other men and women who populate her books, are as fully drawn and well developed as the primary leads.

THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND is a perfect example. Lauren Delaney is a woman on the edge of a new life when she carefully plans and executes leaving her husband and the perfect marriage everyone thinks she’s been living for the past twenty-four years.

As difficult as the first steps are, the freedom from life with a controlling and often cruel man are steps she won’t back away from. As she files for divorce and begins to build her new life, Lauren meets Beau Magellan, a man going through many of the same things she’s escaping. While neither is actively searching for someone to fill the void, their growing friendship gives strength to each of them as they make the difficult decision to end long-term relationships with grown children involved.

While keeping the story moving at a perfect pace, Ms. Carr manages to give fully developed personalities and dreams to the peripheral characters—characters that might have been mere shadows without her deft touch. I really enjoyed the scenes with Lauren’s daughters as well as those involving Beau’s stepsons. Beau’s longtime friend, a Catholic priest, is the perfect advisor and confidant to Beau’s turmoil.

As the stories progress, there is a growing sense of danger in the background. The tension escalates and becomes threatening when Lauren’s husband decides he wants his “perfect” marriage and subservient wife back.

I absolutely love the ending in this one, though the process of getting there is one I’m going to revisit as soon as I get this review written. All of Robyn Carr’s books are keepers for me, and I’ve reread most of them multiple times. They’re just that good, and I definitely recommend THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND.

[TinaNoir · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a failure for me on almost every level.

The first part was rather boring. Lauren has been an emotionally abused wife who stayed in a marriage for years for the sake f her daughters. Her husband no only belittled, gaslighted and lightly physically abused her, but he used his daughters as blackmail to keep her in the marriage. But as the youngest daughter finally finishes college and is ready to move across the country, Lauren decides she is finally ready to leave.

Just when she makes this momentous decision, she meets Beau. Beau is a landscape architect who is also on the cusp of getting out of a toxic marriage. In his case, his wife uses their marriage as a revolving door. She decides she needs "breaks", will move out, take lovers (completely ok because they are o a 'break'), travel to exotic places, and then come back when she's bored. Only to stop the pattern all over again. He too has kept the marriage alive mainly because he has been the only stabilizing influence in the lives of her two sons. They had two different dads who were at best negligent and worst used them in wars with their mother. But they are also older now and he is done.

This is actually the soapy goodness I usually like. Except the entire book was really centered on Lauren and Beau's divorce proceedings. They meet and talk about their terrible marriages, they meet with their individual lawyers, we learn about California divorce law, property division etc. The conversations between them almost feel like therapy sessions, as we learn all the minute failures over the years in their respective marriages.

Halfway through Beau and Lauren realize they like-like each other (not just as about-to-be divorced new besties) and they embark on a romance. And even thought they are together we don't really get to enjoy them or this new phase of their lives because they are both still in the throes of getting difficult divorces for the lion's share of he book. It is rather bloodless on the page. I was not excited for them or about them. But I thought it'd at least move the book from the boring divorce-talk-therapy phase.

It did and it went somewhere on the Lifetime Movie scale of drama. Just kinda went all over the place.

I ended up finishing it out of sheer stubborness and wish I hadn't.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

I just love Carr’s style, something about it almost soothes me even if she’s writing about some heavy stuff. I think it’s because she strikes the perfect balance between dark and light, and also due to the fact that her characterization is always on point and she has me invested in the people in her books before I’ve finished the first chapter. Whatever it may be, she’s damn good and I always know when I start one of her books that I’m about to begin an emotional journey alongside some memorable characters.

Lauren is just the type of character I’ve come to expect from a RC novel, she’s extremely likable and it was very easy for me to sympathize with her almost instantly. Right at the beginning of the book she’s preparing to leave her abusive husband after over twenty years of marriage and you just can’t help but feel for the poor woman. Initially I thought this would only be about her personal journey in starting over and while it definitely was, it was also so much more than that. She finds love again and that was developed in a really realistic and authentic way, but what surprised me the most was actually how many surprises the plot took. It was really unexpected for me, most WF novels follow a somewhat predictable path but this one was really different and I just love that!

Highly recommended for fans of the author, her trademark warmth and charm is heavily apparent but I think this is also my favorite of her books so far, so if you haven’t read her before this is a great place to start!

The View from Alameda Island in three words: Genuine, Warm and Charming

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren Delaney has been living a lie, enduring the demands and pressures of her egotistical husband. She's been waiting for their daughters to graduate high school to finally ask for the divorce that's been long overdue. While visiting the beautiful gardens at a local church, she encounters Beau, a fellow survivor of a dysfunctional marriage. The attraction is immediate, but they have both been hurt deeply by their spouses. As they support one another through the challenges of their divoreces, love blooms, bringing back the hope they had lost thoughout the years.
While I enjoyed the story, Lauren and Beau were portrayed as a little too perfect, especially given all the baggage they brought to their relationship. I appreciated the attention brought to abuse in all it's forms, but it could have been better developed. Overall a very readable romance with a happy ending.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[S.Q. Orpin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Formula writing with one dimensional characters

This is not the story of a strong woman making a new life. It is a boring account of a whiney lifeless person who wants to blame everyone for her failed life. The description of abuse is straight from a pamphlet with zero depth of emotion. The husband has no redeeming qualities and there was no motivation for her to ever stay in the marriage. She runs straight into the arms of another man, yawn. There is no struggle or conflict only ridiculously staged trauma. I hated the writing style and constant repetition to tell a generic and predictable story.

[Kelsie Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The View From Alameda Island is great women’s romantic fiction from bestselling author, Robyn Carr. This is a tale of love, loss and second chances.

Lauren Delaney, wife and mother of two daughters is done with her marriage. She’s so done that she consults a divorce attorney on her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary. Her husband, Brad, is verbally, emotionally and physically abusive, and he’s a cheater. She stayed with him for the sake of her daughters but they’re grown now and Lauren is ready to finally live for herself.

Beau Magellan is separated from his wife, Pamela, who is also a cheater. Beau has given her multiple chances to repair their marriage and isn’t willing to give her another one. His stepsons, who he raised as his own, are grown. He can finally live for himself.

Lauren and Beau meet in a church garden that she visits to meditate and just enjoy nature’s beauty. The two bond over their mutual interest in gardening. They start slow but steadily build their relationship. Interestingly, Lauren and Beau’s lives mirror each other in multiple aspects. The couple start their new life together but aren’t prepared for the reaction of their exes.

Carr held my attention from beginning to end. All of the characters are fully developed. The church garden is alive and very much part of the story. I was pleasantly surprised by the plot twists. The ending fully resolved the story. The View From Alameda Island rates 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend this novel to fans of contemporary romance and romantic suspense.

My thanks to Harlequin - Mira and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

[Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast read. I had some trouble with Dr. Delaney he was the worst character. But I loved Lauren and Beau they made up the best part of this book.
Carr did it again, now on to the next great Carr book.

[Kathrynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my opinion, the author did not polish this book before submission and the ending was very rushed. There were a lot of retelling of scenes we already went through with the main character. A lot. Felt like "filler" to me. There were a few places where the wrong character's name was used in a dialogue when that character wasn't in the scene.

As for the story, I felt it was okay. This book dealt with divorce:

* The main male character, Beau, was divorcing his wife because she would routinely leave him to have a fling and fun and return. After she did this one too many times, he told her that was it. She went anyway and he filed for divorce. She pitched a fit when she was ready to return and found that proverbial and literal door was no longer open to her. She was very spoiled and selfish, too--think plastic surgery drama queen. The problem was, she had two grown sons (in their 20's) that Beau had mainly stayed in the marriage for. He raised them and was a good father.

* The main female character, Lauren, was divorcing her husband after 24 years in an abusive marriage to a surgeon. He was very controlling and narcissistic. They, too, had two grown daughters (in their 20's). Lauren stayed in the marriage until they were in college. This turkey (Brad) would tell Lauren he would not continue to support their daughters if she left.

The craziness got crazier after both future ex-spouses realized the two main characters were not returning. Lots of drama, lawyers and police.

Our couple met in an odd way, while both were moving on with their lives. They developed a nice friendship and after a series of coincidences brought them crossing paths frequently they turned to each other for comfort.

Then, more drama with the future ex's ensued. Criminal stuff.

I felt that Lauren's character was a bit of a dingbat. Some of her dialogue with the kids was corny and didn't match the character the author was trying to portray. She was very weak at first, but slowly got her feet out from under her. It seemed ridiculous that she didn't further prepare herself for what she had to know was coming from her husband. The author set Lauren up in a too expensive home in Alameda Island that was unrealistic on her budget/income. There was too much unrealistic financial stuff that irked me.

Anyway, I got through it.

2 Stars from This Reader.

[Steffi · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Liebe auch an Regentagen" ist ein Buch, dass meine Erwartungen leider nicht erfüllen konnte, obwohl ich sehr gespannt auf die Geschichte war. Interessant fand ich vor allem, dass hier eine Scheidung die Ausgangslage ist.

Ich bin nur sehr schwer in das Buch reingekommen und ich war leider recht schnell gelangweilt. Die Geschichte ist sehr oft eine Aneinanderreihung von Kleinigkeiten und Belanglosigkeiten, so dass die eigentliche Geschichte rund um Lauren und ihre Scheidung oftmals eher untergeht. Erst zur Mitte hin wurde es ein wenig packender und die Handlung konnte mich ein wenig mitreißen, aber auch dies hielt nicht sehr lange an.

Irritierend fand ich auch die Perspektivwechsel, die nicht immer eindeutig waren und mir für die eigentliche Geschichte nicht viel gebracht hat. Meiner Meinung nach wurde hier sehr viel Potenzial verschenkt und die Geschichte hätte sehr viel emotionaler sein können, aber wird durch ewige Beschreibungen und Kleinigkeiten deutlich ausgebremst.

Meine Erwartungen an das Buch wurden somit leider nicht erfüllt und ich war am Ende sehr froh mit dem Buch durch zu sein.

[Marleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be totally honest I have a feeling that this isn't a recent story written by Robyn Carr. There's a lot of sentiments repeated over and over again, which is an easy trap only beginning authors fall into. This is the story of two kindred spirits; protagonists Lauren and Beau, who meet in a church garden over their shared love of plants, flowers and greenery, and find out that they both just got out of bad marriages; both had partners who subtly manipulated and verbally abused them for years. Both have grown children whom they love and the main reason why they stayed in those marriages and tried repeatedly to make those horrible marriages work.
Despite repeated sentiments and reflections, which I loathe, this was an encouraging read and to see Lauren en Beau keep their dignity, their decency in the face of so much adversity of their former partners. I liked that and applaud it.
**2,5** stars.

[Laurene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been and remain a longtime fan of Robyn Carr. The View From Alameda Island was good but it did not have the Robyn Carr wow factor. Still enjoyed it tremendously.

"We have to feed and educate the next generation, that's the only way we leave the world better than we found it."

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this romance with older protagonists who became friends while dealing with divorce. It wasn’t really riveting but a solid story nonetheless.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read a few Robyn Carr books and find I always enjoy them. Some I enjoy a bit more than others, but I’m always wiling to come back for more. The View from Alameda Island is another enjoyable read, but it does not make it into my top Robyn Carr reads. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion all my favourite Robyn Carr reads are part of a series, with the standalones not quite wowing me in the same way. That being said, it’s still worth the read and I’d certainly recommend it to fans of the author.

One thing I always enjoy about Robyn Carr’s work is that the author does not shy away from dealing with topics outside the norm, providing us with very real reads. It’s not one of those dark romances, or one of those angst filled romances, but a very true to life story. You get to look at things from many perspectives, you get a story that mirrors life, and things are very real throughout. As much as I love a good dark romance or an angst filled romance, there’s something about the true to life stories that have me sucked in throughout.

The View from Alameda Island certainly sucked me in. It had me turning the pages at a rapid pace, curious to see how all the elements came together. It was more than just a single element that had me sucked in, more than wanting to know more about a couple of the characters, as all the different aspects had me wanting to find out more.

Although The View from Alameda Island is not my favourite Robyn Carr read, it was an enjoyable read and worth it for fans of the author.

[Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best kind of stories are the ones with a butterfly effect. A character changes and evolves to become so much more than they ever thought possible, emerging into something new and wonderful.

The change is often hard and has more obstacles than anticipated, but will be worth giving up the perception of perfect to become something and someone who is beautifully flawed yet emotionally on the way to wellness.

The View From Alameda Island is all that and more. A beautifully poignant read.
~Tanja




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[Margo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book a higher score because it definitely covers all of the things I like to hear when the ex has cheated. However, things were far too civilized and I didn’t get any sort of vicarious petty vengeance thrills. Also, the ex-husband was potentially dangerous rather than just a complete jerk, so that made me uncomfortable.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2019; HARLEQUIN - MIRA
(Review Not on Blog)

The View from Alameda Island is a standalone novel but could fit in any of Carr's series in that it is another book you want more of the characters and where their story will go. I enjoyed this book because it is more than a contemporary romance with a HEA. Carr is another author that does well in balancing the dark with the light to make her novels relatable. When I read a Carr book, I know there will be a HEA, but the journey to get there is usually a tough one. There is also some major issue that Carr tackles. In this novel, we have domestic violence and manipulation between a married couple divorcing. This is a tough topic, and sometimes can be done in a way that is not realistic (and I will leave it at that), but I think Carr handled it very well. I rated this one at 3.5 as it is one I would probably not reread as I didn't love the characters and find them endearing, but still a solid read.

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

[Karen Wahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Another great Robyn Carr book! It gave the readers a look at spousal abuse which is portrayed in all different forms. Also, the effects on raising children in this environment was shown too. Good story that kept my interest throughout the whole book!

[The Lit Bitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have only recently discovered Robyn Carr’s books and so far I have really enjoyed the nice little escape they provide from day to day life.

Carr has written a number of different standalone books and various series, and clearly has a huge following of devoted fans! So far I have stuck with the Sullivan’s Crossing series but I have been interested in checking out some of her other novels.

She has been hugely successful and I can clearly see how experienced she is in her writing. Her books are often well written, believable, with interesting characters so when this book came up for review—a standalone—I was eager to try something a little different from this established author!

I was a little surprised by this book. As I mentioned before, I have limited experience with her books, but the ones that I have read seem to be a little more light and positive. This book seemed to be a little darker than her usual stories. Perhaps I am wrong as I have only read two books by her, but from what I have read from other devoted fans, her books do run on the light side and this book seems to be the exception.

This book had some domestic abuse in it and that was a little troubling for me as a reader. When I pick up a book that I am hoping will be happy and romantic, and I get a book that’s a little darker and more serious, I feel disappointed and that’s kind of what happened with this one.

While it’s clear that Carr writes beautiful stories and has a refined and clear style from years of experience, this book just missed the mark for me in some ways. I was expecting one thing and got another.

The book wasn’t completely off putting, but it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I did enjoy the concept of starting over again after a break up. While I am not divorced, my parents are and I remember how hard that was for my mom to have to start over and rebuild a new life with two younger children. I think that was about the only thing that connected me to the characters in this book.

In the end, I went with a 3 star rating for this book. Carr’s writing style was still recognizable but I was surprised by the direction of the content in this novel. I picked it up thinking I was going to get something more light hearted and fun, but instead got a book that was on the darker more serious side. Others might enjoy it more than I did, but for me this one was just ok.

See my full review here

[Sina & Ilona Glimmerfee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich empfand diesen Roman nicht als Wohlfühlroman, dafür ist er zu dramatisch in ein paar Szenen und es kommt zu explizierter häuslicher Gewalt - Also Finger weg, wenn euch dieses Thema triggern könnte. Am Ende des Buches fühlt ich mich jedenfalls nachdenklich und aufgewühlt.
Es ist ein Roman über Scheidung und der Befreiung von einem Tyrannen. Der Roman soll sicher Mut machen auf einen Neuanfang. Aus mehreren Perspektiven wird das Thema 'Scheidung' beleuchtet und es wird sehr sensibel mit dem Thema umgegangen, weswegen ich das überspitzt Drama nicht mochte, denn ich glaube, es kann vielen Leuten eine Stütze sein und es hätte noch mehr Leuten wirklich auch helfen können, wenn es ruhiger gewesen wäre. Ob für junge Erwachsene, deren Eltern sich scheiden lassen, oder Leute die durch eine Scheidung gehen, sind wirklich gute Gedanken und Botschaften in diesem Buch, die sicher auch auffordern das eigene Verhalten zu überprüfen.
Trotzdem war das Buch warm. Die Charaktere Beau und Lauren nähern sich einander in einer solch respektvollen Art und Weise, dass es einfach sehr schön zu lesen war. Die Freundschaft steht bei dieser Liebe im Zentrum. Aber auch die Nebengeschichte um den Priester Tim, der nicht glücklich in seinem Beruf ist, hat mir sehr gefallen.
Es ist außerhalb dieser dramatischen Momente ein ruhiger Roman, der Hoffnung nährt und Botschaften beinhaltet. Die Dialogen wirken trotz der Ratschläge und Botschaften real.
Obwohl ich wünschte, dass es weniger dramatisch gewesen wäre, habe ich es gerne gelesen und kann es empfehlen.

Ich habe dieses Buch als Rezensionesxemplar vom Verlag erhalten.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin Carr's newest stand alone novel revolves around marriage, divorce, and friendship. There are rough and smooth patches in this tale, for both the characters and with the writing. There are some segments that echo one another focusing on love and on the need to create distance from the abusers. Strong on communication and understanding on Lauren's and Beau's parts, particularly with their children, there are some difficult scenes to read through.

If you like romance and star-crossed, supportive love stories, you'll love the newest Robin Carr.

Plot summary: Lauren's 24 year marriage was full of abuse from her husband. She's finally had enough and files for divorce on the same day her daughter leaves for Law School. What a relief! or is it? Her husband is cruel both emotionally and physically.

The second character, Beau, is separated from his wife who was flighty, needy, and also abusive.

Lauren and Beau meet accidentally, then realize they are living within blocks of one another. With both safely separated, their friendship flourishes and blooms into a kind and loving relationship.

Thanks to the BookLoft of German Village (Columbus, OH) http://www.bookloft.com for a copy to review

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Robyn Carr with a very serious subtext. In fact, she probably should have put some 1-800 numbers at the beginning for help lines.

A Robyn Carr has real people with real problems. A lot of times it's women recovering from different problems in their lives: alcoholism, cheating husbands, grief, etc. This time is no difference. Though this time it was much more serious. We are talking domestic abuse here and recognizing it's not just a bad marriage but abuse.

It is also about recovering from divorce, but I found that to be a secondary problem. The real issue is showing people that abuse doesn't have to send you to the ER (though it can). It can be verbal, invading your personal space, even a nasty pinch.

I loved this book like I love all her books. But this book had just a little more "ooomph" than normal.

[Dawn ♥ romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all this authors books and this was no exception. It had my attention from beginning to end. It had an interesting concept of developing a relationship while going through a divorce. It's a time you know exactly what you do and don't like in a person. Lauren finally decided to divorce her abusive husband and meets Beau who is also separated from his wife.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Phoned in.

Robyn Carr's standalones are rarely as good as her series books, but this one was particularly uninspired, especially because for a book involving a hired hitman, a suicide attempt,, a bombing, two divorces, and a man graphically and violently beating his wife, it almost completely lacked suspense.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

~ 2.5 Stars ~ The book seemed to drag along until an abrupt ending. All the characters were tied up in a few pages. The majority of the ending seemed far-fetched.

[Linda Romer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The View from Alameda Island was an okay read, not my favorite. A story about abuse, divorce and new love. I just couldn't connect with the characters and wasn't thrilled with the story.