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Treading Water #1
Treading Water
Love is the last thing on Jack Harrington’s mind when he sets out to meet Andi Walsh’s flight. Recently back to work after spending more than a year tending to his comatose wife, Jack is focused on getting through each day and caring for his three daughters. However, the moment he sets eyes on Andrea Walsh, the interior designer who has come to decorate the hotel his company is building in Newport, Rhode Island, Jack begins to wonder if Andi might be his second chance. After a disastrous marriage, Andi, single mom to a hearing-impaired son, isn’t exactly looking for love, either, but that’s what she finds with Jack. The two embark on a long-distance relationship fraught with challenges as they balance the needs of their children and dueling careers while Jack continues to care for his wife, Clare. Just when Jack thinks his life is once again settled, he is confronted with a new challenge that tests him in ways he never could've imagined, leaving him to wonder if "happily ever after" is in the cards for him.
370 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2011
2233 people are currently reading
3782 people want to read
About the author
Marie Force
209 books8,442 followersMarie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance. Her series include Gansett Island, Fatal, Treading Water, Butler Vermont and Quantum.
Her books have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Speigel bestseller in Germany.
Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.
Join Marie’s mailing list on her website at marieforce.com for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/marieforceauthor/. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.
Her books have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Speigel bestseller in Germany.
Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.
Join Marie’s mailing list on her website at marieforce.com for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/marieforceauthor/. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews
January 10, 2012
I liked this book quite a bit despite some the moments when I wanted smack some of the characters upside the head. Hard.
So here's the thing, Jack's wife of 20 years, Clare, gets hit by a car and goes into a coma. Everybody except Jack are basically saying "she's had it." After about year and a half, where Jack doesn't give up on his comatose wife, sits by her side everyday (luckily he's super rich so he doesn't have to work or anything) his family basically tells him he needs to start living again and take care of his three daughters who have also been completely traumatized by watching their mother get hit by a car right in front of their eyes.
So Jack rejoins the living and soon he meets the super hot Andi. They fall in love. Andi moves in with him and they begin a life together.
But what about the comatose wife, you ask? Well she's still comatose and no Jack has no intentions of divorcing her. That would be cruel.
You know, I am fine with this dilemma as a conflict in romance. Some readers (and I have heard from them) practically puked a kidney in rage at this scenario. I actually liked it. It was just thorny and angsty enough that I think it makes for great reading.
What didn't work so well, imo, were the reactions of the people surrounding the issue. Jack was blithely ok about Andi basically giving up her life to come live in his wife's house with him and his daughters. He is utterly ok with the situation. Yeah, he grieves over his comatose wife, but he makes it clear that he will never divorce her. Meanwhile Andi goes along with this. I wish, wish, wish that both of them -- Andi especially -- had struggled with this fact a lot more. I wish Andi had more misgivings about what she was getting into than she did. I wish Andi had more trepidation about what her future would bring. But they both were so blase about it.
Everyone around them seemed to just be blinded by Jack & Andi's overwhelming love, that nobody (except Andi's mother, thank God!) seemed to pay any attention to the white elephant in the room.
Until the white elephant comes out of her coma. I do have to give it up to the author, this made for great melodrama. Finally this is where Andi starts to react the way she should have been reacting all along.
But I do have to go ranty-mcrantypants on Jack right about now
Still this was a page turner. But I do believe that if as a reader you don't like even the whiff of adultery or cheating in romances, stay far, far way. Your blood pressure will thank you.
So here's the thing, Jack's wife of 20 years, Clare, gets hit by a car and goes into a coma. Everybody except Jack are basically saying "she's had it." After about year and a half, where Jack doesn't give up on his comatose wife, sits by her side everyday (luckily he's super rich so he doesn't have to work or anything) his family basically tells him he needs to start living again and take care of his three daughters who have also been completely traumatized by watching their mother get hit by a car right in front of their eyes.
So Jack rejoins the living and soon he meets the super hot Andi. They fall in love. Andi moves in with him and they begin a life together.
But what about the comatose wife, you ask? Well she's still comatose and no Jack has no intentions of divorcing her. That would be cruel.
You know, I am fine with this dilemma as a conflict in romance. Some readers (and I have heard from them) practically puked a kidney in rage at this scenario. I actually liked it. It was just thorny and angsty enough that I think it makes for great reading.
What didn't work so well, imo, were the reactions of the people surrounding the issue. Jack was blithely ok about Andi basically giving up her life to come live in his wife's house with him and his daughters. He is utterly ok with the situation. Yeah, he grieves over his comatose wife, but he makes it clear that he will never divorce her. Meanwhile Andi goes along with this. I wish, wish, wish that both of them -- Andi especially -- had struggled with this fact a lot more. I wish Andi had more misgivings about what she was getting into than she did. I wish Andi had more trepidation about what her future would bring. But they both were so blase about it.
Everyone around them seemed to just be blinded by Jack & Andi's overwhelming love, that nobody (except Andi's mother, thank God!) seemed to pay any attention to the white elephant in the room.
Until the white elephant comes out of her coma. I do have to give it up to the author, this made for great melodrama. Finally this is where Andi starts to react the way she should have been reacting all along.
But I do have to go ranty-mcrantypants on Jack right about now
Still this was a page turner. But I do believe that if as a reader you don't like even the whiff of adultery or cheating in romances, stay far, far way. Your blood pressure will thank you.
June 7, 2020
2,5 Sterne
Das Buch hat mich leider ein wenig enttäuscht. Es ist bisher das schwächste was ich von der Autorin gelesen habe. Man hat einfach gemerkt, dass es das Erstlingswerk von Marie Force ist. Der Schreibstil war zwar an sich ganz gut, dennoch kamen für mich die Gefühle nicht rüber.
Außerdem war das Thema echt gut und spannend, man hätte so viel aus der Geschichte rausholen können. Aber jedes Mal wenn ich dachte "oh okay das könnte spannend/problematisch werden" wurde der Konflikt sofort gelöst oder entstand erst gar nicht richtig.
Es war außerdem an manchen Stellen einfach etwas drüber was den Kitsch angeht, zumindest nach meinem Empfinden. Es war alles zu sehr Friede Freude Eierkuchen.
Das letzte Viertel hat das Buch für mich dann noch ein bisschen retten können, da hier endlich etwas aus dem Potenzial geschöpft wurde, welches die Geschichte hatte. Endlich hab ich mit unseren Protagonisten mitfühlen können und war sogar einmal den Tränen nahe.
Daher hoffe ich, dass Band 2 besser wird, da die Autorin uns gezeigt hat, dass sie es ja eigentlich kann.
Das Buch hat mich leider ein wenig enttäuscht. Es ist bisher das schwächste was ich von der Autorin gelesen habe. Man hat einfach gemerkt, dass es das Erstlingswerk von Marie Force ist. Der Schreibstil war zwar an sich ganz gut, dennoch kamen für mich die Gefühle nicht rüber.
Außerdem war das Thema echt gut und spannend, man hätte so viel aus der Geschichte rausholen können. Aber jedes Mal wenn ich dachte "oh okay das könnte spannend/problematisch werden" wurde der Konflikt sofort gelöst oder entstand erst gar nicht richtig.
Es war außerdem an manchen Stellen einfach etwas drüber was den Kitsch angeht, zumindest nach meinem Empfinden. Es war alles zu sehr Friede Freude Eierkuchen.
Das letzte Viertel hat das Buch für mich dann noch ein bisschen retten können, da hier endlich etwas aus dem Potenzial geschöpft wurde, welches die Geschichte hatte. Endlich hab ich mit unseren Protagonisten mitfühlen können und war sogar einmal den Tränen nahe.
Daher hoffe ich, dass Band 2 besser wird, da die Autorin uns gezeigt hat, dass sie es ja eigentlich kann.
December 3, 2011
jack is such an ass**** if all heros were like jack i would quit reading romance novels,andi for a woman who had a failed marriage to go and have an affair with a married man(yes it was an affair clare was still alive even though she was in a coma)jack and andi move in the same bed that he used to share with clare,even though the are other bedrooms in the house.when poor selfless clare told jack to end their marriage never mind that poor clare was sick jack had to rush and marry andi.i hate a book where people are happy by someone expense clare was a woman who was in a coma which wasnt her fault but shes the one who lost her husband of 20 years.jack and andi didnt deserve their happiness.the choice by nicholas sparks is a much better book and its about a wife in a coma and a husband who loved her enough to believe in their love.i will read clare story because i want her to be happy than i will see if i will read marie force other books.this book really made me angry what happend in sickness and in healthy huh not in health i will find someone when you are sick.marie force are we really supossed to like the hero and heroines? were we supossed to be like andi and jack are meant to?my cousin agrees with me that this book totally sucked.ugh what a waste of my money.
April 2, 2023
This book made me feel ill .... There were so many moments of REALLY in this read that the list is to long to go into. Jack is the WORST HUSBAND. The plot has holes in it ... but lets cut to one part, the kids are not having fun at home so they MOVE the sick mother of these girls out of the house to make them "feel" better? From there I can just say this reminds me of my friend who was dying of cancer and it took four years. Toward the end she knew she had been "replaced" by the other woman. It took her husband no time finding the perfect replacement while she laid there hooked up to machines dying. He brought home the replacement to his house 6 weeks after she finally died. ... If you're married you're married. If you are dating and sleeping with a married man than that's the kind of person you are too. No I'm not reading any more of this series .
October 18, 2012
Let me start by saying that I absolutely love Marie Force's books and I am a HUGE fan of her McCarthy's of Gansett Island Series. This book had a very interesting story and one that makes you question what you would do in a situation where you are happily married with a loving family and all of a sudden your spouse falls into a coma and you accidently find love in someone else while your spouse lays lifeless on a hospital bed. (Not exactly the kind of stuff most folks consider very often). This is an interesting topic and the story is very well written. But I was so upset at Jack (the husband) for falling so easily for Andi (the new love of his life) that I struggled thru the book, often having to put the book down for a day or so I could bring myself to give him another chance to redeem himself in another chapter. Unfortunately, the book soon came to an end and I still thought he was a jerk. I especially hated the position the wife was left in when the book ended. I understand all gets better for her in the follow up book Marking Time, but I still havent found the desire to jump into this heart wrenching story again.
June 15, 2012
Solid 4 1/2 stars. Wow, such a intense heartbreaker with so many wonderful characters. I was on the edge of my seat reading this one. I felt the themes were very difficult. Jack's wife is in a coma after a horrible accident, Jack's perfect life and family is ripped apart. He is the perfect husband and takes care of her, refuses to give up on her. You get glimpses back into their young love story and feel their connection, as well as, see their beautiful family life. A year later Jack decides he needs to re-enter the world, go back to work and live for his three beautiful girls. He meets Andi and it is love at first sight, he feels tons of guilt, but I felt him and Andi handled the relationship beautifully and respectfully to the memory of Clare and they took it slow with each of their families. The hardest part was Andi knowing she was entering Clare's world, but she was never bitter. She could never marry Jack because he wouldn't desert Clare. I knew what had to happen in the end, but I just didn't want to feel all the hurt. Boy did I feel it, everybody was hurt in this story, but the real character that made me tear up was Andi's sweet little boy who was deaf.
I love Marie Force, she is the queen of love at first sight romances and Treading Water was just that. She knows how to write a hero that you just connect with, but not only did I love Jack, Andi was even better, she loved Jack so much that I could feel it down deep in me.
My only complaint was the ending, the build up was so great, such conflict and then it was solved to easily.
As I was listening to some music this morning preparing my turkey for Thanksgiving, Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts came on and I was touch remembering a scene from the book where Jack and Clare's daughter Kate sang this song to Jack and Andi. If there ever was a couple deserving this perfect song they did.
November 8, 2011
Dear lordy lord...
People went on and on about the heroe's comatose wife and how unfair it all was to her...
Booohhooo,. The person I did feel sorry for was Andi.
Full review soon.
People went on and on about the heroe's comatose wife and how unfair it all was to her...
Booohhooo,. The person I did feel sorry for was Andi.
Full review soon.
November 19, 2013
3 Stars! Different, but a little too sweet for me and soap-opera-ish for my taste!
I'm in the minority here, I know a lot of readers love this book. So, here's my dilemma, I listened to the book on audio and the narrator was...meh...she read slowly and sounded nasally. There was very little distinction between the characters voices. Would I have liked this better if I read the book? Not sure, because even though I thought the storyline was very unique, I didn't care for the way some of the issues resolved themselves. One of them was Clare's accident and why the car hit her, why did there have to be a reason? It just should have been left at being an accident, would have made it more believable. Also, I didn't care much for Andi. Again, was this the narrators fault? I think I got sick of her telling Jack how much she loved him and needed him...over and over and over...in that voice, it was making me nauseous.
So while I thought parts of the story were good, there were some things I didn't care for, too much over the top drama; women in coma, deaf child, long distance relationship ...enough already. However, I'm interested enough to continue with the series, just not on audio! I hope the next book is toned down a little.
Currently reading
October 28, 2011His wife, his first love, is in a coma and everyone believes she will never wake up. He meets and falls in love with the heroine a year later and moves her into his home. Everyone is happy for him, etc... but his wife wakes up, and more angst ensues..
From all the spoilers I've read on the net, the hero seemed too wish-washy for my taste. Its not a book that I would enjoy.
From all the spoilers I've read on the net, the hero seemed too wish-washy for my taste. Its not a book that I would enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2015
There are three main characters to this story, Jack, Clare and Andi. Jack and Clare have been married for years. Then Clare has an accident and is in a coma, for a year Jack dutifully attends her bedside. His family urge him to move forward with his life, here's where Andi enters the picture, it's not long before they're an item, he moves Andi into the home he and Clare had shared, everything is going along swimmingly. But then Clare wakes up!
This story made me laugh, what a waste of space Jack was, he is carrying on with Andi, but because he refuses to divorce the comatose Clare, he's still being the faithful and dutiful husband in his mind, what an ass! As for Andi if she had any sense she should have steered clear of the whole scene. Ive read some of this author's books in the past and have enjoyed them. But this missed the mark for me. I think she wanted us to feel sympathy for the characters plight, but I found them an unsympathetic bunch especially Jack. So in the end I couldn't care less what happened or who ended up with who.
This story made me laugh, what a waste of space Jack was, he is carrying on with Andi, but because he refuses to divorce the comatose Clare, he's still being the faithful and dutiful husband in his mind, what an ass! As for Andi if she had any sense she should have steered clear of the whole scene. Ive read some of this author's books in the past and have enjoyed them. But this missed the mark for me. I think she wanted us to feel sympathy for the characters plight, but I found them an unsympathetic bunch especially Jack. So in the end I couldn't care less what happened or who ended up with who.
May 25, 2012
Today I just found myself telling a friend about this book and how I was so dazed and blown away by it. Most reads in contemporary and historical (even in most paranormal) romance genre tend to be shallow. Probably because it's not easy to write about taboo topics and make the readers comprehend things in exactly the way an author wants or needs to. So every time I find a good read, one which makes me re-think about every value that has ever been thought to me, one that makes me see things -I was pretty certain about- in a completely different way, then I NEED to recommend it to others.
This is a book about life, about how sometimes things just happened and you have to keep living, you just have to adapt and survive. Sometimes things are not in our hands and life takes us through paths we would have never consider going through... I JUST ADORE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. In this first instalment we meet the Harrington family, a perfect family everybody loved and envied. Clare, Jack's wife gets in a comatose sleep after being ran over by a car. So after this, we get to see how all the dynamics of this lovely family completely change in order to endure their lost. I adored how this author analysed everybody's POV, how she lets us see how difficult this really was to EVERYBODY. She also manages time in such a perfect way, we see how their lives change through the years, how everything around goes really fast and still so slow to them all. And then even though Jack never wanted to go on, even though he though his life would be over, he just realises he need to get better for their kids, he needs to go on. We see him debating himself about this, we see how he suffers for the lost but understands he NEEDS to go on. And then he gets to fall in love with a woman completely opposite from his wife, one he never thought he would find and in a moment he REALLY wasn't looking for something like love. But it happened, he never lied to Andi, he never hide anything from her, it just happened.
This is a lovely, enthralling and very complex story. where all values are walking a very thin line and you really debate what's wrong and right. And it definitely is a well-written story. I just couldn't stop reading it until I was done. It was good to read a book like this one after so many shallow reads. I had a great time.
This is a book about life, about how sometimes things just happened and you have to keep living, you just have to adapt and survive. Sometimes things are not in our hands and life takes us through paths we would have never consider going through... I JUST ADORE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. In this first instalment we meet the Harrington family, a perfect family everybody loved and envied. Clare, Jack's wife gets in a comatose sleep after being ran over by a car. So after this, we get to see how all the dynamics of this lovely family completely change in order to endure their lost. I adored how this author analysed everybody's POV, how she lets us see how difficult this really was to EVERYBODY. She also manages time in such a perfect way, we see how their lives change through the years, how everything around goes really fast and still so slow to them all. And then even though Jack never wanted to go on, even though he though his life would be over, he just realises he need to get better for their kids, he needs to go on. We see him debating himself about this, we see how he suffers for the lost but understands he NEEDS to go on. And then he gets to fall in love with a woman completely opposite from his wife, one he never thought he would find and in a moment he REALLY wasn't looking for something like love. But it happened, he never lied to Andi, he never hide anything from her, it just happened.
This is a lovely, enthralling and very complex story. where all values are walking a very thin line and you really debate what's wrong and right. And it definitely is a well-written story. I just couldn't stop reading it until I was done. It was good to read a book like this one after so many shallow reads. I had a great time.
September 3, 2012
I love love love Marie Force. I think she's terrific. This book is NOT a good example of her writing. Jack was a complete ass. This was just a meh story with a character that I wanted to slap around from beginning to end. I just never connected to it.
That being said, I feel like I need to reiterate my enjoyment of all things Marie Force. Her books generally leave me smiling like a loon.
That being said, I feel like I need to reiterate my enjoyment of all things Marie Force. Her books generally leave me smiling like a loon.
May 16, 2025
Sooooo… it was surely angsty because of the delicate theme it deals with, but sadly I find that some things were dealt in a shallow way.
The Hero has been in a bit of a crisis with his wife of 18 years, she’s been distant and refuses sex with him. One morning she gets out and has a car accident that is per se bizarre, because it looks like she waited for the other car to hit her.
She fall into a coma and doesn’t wake up.
The hero puts her in a house where she’s nursed and cared for, but after one year he loses every hope of her waking up.
He has three girls but he’s 42, not that old, so when everyone around him tells him to move on and live again, he meets a nice woman, the heroine, divorced and with a child, and he falls into love with her.
The heroine is in the beginning a bit cautious because he’s married and they live apart, but he pursues her relentlessly and eventually she moves in with her kid and his three daughters.
They live happily and after another year or so, she gets pregnant with twins.
Guess what.
His wife wakes up.
The heroine doesn’t put up any fight and leaves the very day, and avoids any contact with the hero, who decides to focus on his wife’s recovery.
After the heroine left he decides to give his marriage another try, and is honest with his wife that, after being angry for some time, when she realizes he’s in love with ow and will always be, asks for divorce.
The hero was just waiting for this, and he gets a divorce in a couple of hours, barely, and proposes to the heroine that accepts.
HEA. Not for me.
So many things that didn’t work here.
- hero’s wife is in a coma. Usually after one year doctors are able to declare if someone will wake up or not and people waking up after longer periods don’t get up and well like his wife does. So it’s all very unlikely.
- heroine knew about the hero’s wife and that he didn’t mean to divorce her. Anyway she chose to follow him. She didn’t even ask him, what if your wife wakes up? Will you be back with her. I think this should be a discussion that they had to know before moving in together. She actually didn’t even give him a chance to talk when his wife woke up, she simply up and left with her kid and twins in her belly. She refused his calls. He was anyway her twins father, he should have gone to her visits to see how the kids were doing. She totally excluded him. If this is her reaction, she should have never moved in with him.
- The hero is a weak and shallow man. Ok, he was young and thought his wife would never wake up, so why didn’t he divorce her when he fell in love with the heroine? He was rich, so he could have assured every care for his wife anyway. When she woke up, he was conflicted, but of course there was not a chance that he still loved his wife since he had already moved on with another woman. He stopped loving his wife imo even before she had her accident. When you get married, you marry forever and not until your partner gets sick. If the doctors had told him she was in an irreversible coma, he should have stayed faithful anyway. But ok, we’re human, and he fell for another woman not even one year after his wife was in a coma, so he should have been honest and divorced his wife. Then he was ready to stay with his wife when she woke up, even if he was in love with the heroine, because they were together 20 years. Yeah, so the heroine pregnant with twins would have been outside watching him with his wife. What a shitty man.
- the hero’s wife was the better character. She was angry for a while, of course because she was alive after all when her husband move on with another woman and even got her pregnant. But she also showed a great dignity and self respect when she divorced him because she understood that she couldn’t trust him anymore and she deserved someone loyal till the end, not one that dumped her when she was sick. So I feel very close to her and not a bit close to the hero and the heroine and all the family that even berated the poor wife when she dared wake up after three years because she expected her husband to be loyal. How dare she? It’s lucky she didn’t get slapped for her shameless expectation of loyalty and faithfulness. Yuck, all the relatives.
- in the end, two stars because I could read it, and it’s quite a complex situation that is not easily solved. We’re all saints and heroes on paper, but real life is different and everyone reacts differently in extreme situations. So, even if I didn’t like both main characters, the story and situations are interesting.
The Hero has been in a bit of a crisis with his wife of 18 years, she’s been distant and refuses sex with him. One morning she gets out and has a car accident that is per se bizarre, because it looks like she waited for the other car to hit her.
She fall into a coma and doesn’t wake up.
The hero puts her in a house where she’s nursed and cared for, but after one year he loses every hope of her waking up.
He has three girls but he’s 42, not that old, so when everyone around him tells him to move on and live again, he meets a nice woman, the heroine, divorced and with a child, and he falls into love with her.
The heroine is in the beginning a bit cautious because he’s married and they live apart, but he pursues her relentlessly and eventually she moves in with her kid and his three daughters.
They live happily and after another year or so, she gets pregnant with twins.
Guess what.
His wife wakes up.
The heroine doesn’t put up any fight and leaves the very day, and avoids any contact with the hero, who decides to focus on his wife’s recovery.
After the heroine left he decides to give his marriage another try, and is honest with his wife that, after being angry for some time, when she realizes he’s in love with ow and will always be, asks for divorce.
The hero was just waiting for this, and he gets a divorce in a couple of hours, barely, and proposes to the heroine that accepts.
HEA. Not for me.
So many things that didn’t work here.
- hero’s wife is in a coma. Usually after one year doctors are able to declare if someone will wake up or not and people waking up after longer periods don’t get up and well like his wife does. So it’s all very unlikely.
- heroine knew about the hero’s wife and that he didn’t mean to divorce her. Anyway she chose to follow him. She didn’t even ask him, what if your wife wakes up? Will you be back with her. I think this should be a discussion that they had to know before moving in together. She actually didn’t even give him a chance to talk when his wife woke up, she simply up and left with her kid and twins in her belly. She refused his calls. He was anyway her twins father, he should have gone to her visits to see how the kids were doing. She totally excluded him. If this is her reaction, she should have never moved in with him.
- The hero is a weak and shallow man. Ok, he was young and thought his wife would never wake up, so why didn’t he divorce her when he fell in love with the heroine? He was rich, so he could have assured every care for his wife anyway. When she woke up, he was conflicted, but of course there was not a chance that he still loved his wife since he had already moved on with another woman. He stopped loving his wife imo even before she had her accident. When you get married, you marry forever and not until your partner gets sick. If the doctors had told him she was in an irreversible coma, he should have stayed faithful anyway. But ok, we’re human, and he fell for another woman not even one year after his wife was in a coma, so he should have been honest and divorced his wife. Then he was ready to stay with his wife when she woke up, even if he was in love with the heroine, because they were together 20 years. Yeah, so the heroine pregnant with twins would have been outside watching him with his wife. What a shitty man.
- the hero’s wife was the better character. She was angry for a while, of course because she was alive after all when her husband move on with another woman and even got her pregnant. But she also showed a great dignity and self respect when she divorced him because she understood that she couldn’t trust him anymore and she deserved someone loyal till the end, not one that dumped her when she was sick. So I feel very close to her and not a bit close to the hero and the heroine and all the family that even berated the poor wife when she dared wake up after three years because she expected her husband to be loyal. How dare she? It’s lucky she didn’t get slapped for her shameless expectation of loyalty and faithfulness. Yuck, all the relatives.
- in the end, two stars because I could read it, and it’s quite a complex situation that is not easily solved. We’re all saints and heroes on paper, but real life is different and everyone reacts differently in extreme situations. So, even if I didn’t like both main characters, the story and situations are interesting.
April 1, 2020
BOOK HIGHLIGHT
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Just this month the finale of Marie Force's Treading Water series, Finding Forever, was published. In honor of this ending, I am highlighting the first book of the series, Treading Water, which was first published in October 2011. Have you read the series? If not, take a look at this one. You might be interested!
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Love is the last thing on Jack Harrington’s mind when he sets out to meet Andi Walsh’s flight. Recently back to work after spending more than a year tending to his comatose wife, Jack is focused on getting through each day and caring for his three daughters. However, the moment he sets eyes on Andrea Walsh, the interior designer who has come to decorate the hotel his company is building in Newport, Rhode Island, Jack begins to wonder if Andi might be his second chance. After a disastrous marriage, Andi, single mom to a hearing-impaired son, isn’t exactly looking for love, either, but that’s what she finds with Jack. The two embark on a long-distance relationship fraught with challenges as they balance the needs of their children and dueling careers while Jack continues to care for his wife, Clare. Just when Jack thinks his life is once again settled, he is confronted with a new challenge that tests him in ways he never could've imagined, leaving him to wonder if "happily ever after" is in the cards for him.
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REVIEW
I'll admit there are some things I don't like about the first book, Treading Water, in comparison to prior books I read. Mostly, I seriously questioned the choices made by each of the main characters. Without spoilers, I can say I was angry with all of them for stupidity, and this soured the story for me. The writing was good, and the plot was interesting and emotionally exhausting at times. The overall arc of the story was not problematic; the characters were off somehow. I do think that Marie Force fans will enjoy the story, and some may share my feelings. I know I can't love everything I read so no big deal!
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Just this month the finale of Marie Force's Treading Water series, Finding Forever, was published. In honor of this ending, I am highlighting the first book of the series, Treading Water, which was first published in October 2011. Have you read the series? If not, take a look at this one. You might be interested!
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Love is the last thing on Jack Harrington’s mind when he sets out to meet Andi Walsh’s flight. Recently back to work after spending more than a year tending to his comatose wife, Jack is focused on getting through each day and caring for his three daughters. However, the moment he sets eyes on Andrea Walsh, the interior designer who has come to decorate the hotel his company is building in Newport, Rhode Island, Jack begins to wonder if Andi might be his second chance. After a disastrous marriage, Andi, single mom to a hearing-impaired son, isn’t exactly looking for love, either, but that’s what she finds with Jack. The two embark on a long-distance relationship fraught with challenges as they balance the needs of their children and dueling careers while Jack continues to care for his wife, Clare. Just when Jack thinks his life is once again settled, he is confronted with a new challenge that tests him in ways he never could've imagined, leaving him to wonder if "happily ever after" is in the cards for him.
•
•
REVIEW
I'll admit there are some things I don't like about the first book, Treading Water, in comparison to prior books I read. Mostly, I seriously questioned the choices made by each of the main characters. Without spoilers, I can say I was angry with all of them for stupidity, and this soured the story for me. The writing was good, and the plot was interesting and emotionally exhausting at times. The overall arc of the story was not problematic; the characters were off somehow. I do think that Marie Force fans will enjoy the story, and some may share my feelings. I know I can't love everything I read so no big deal!
nope-not-for-me
November 30, 2018This is not a romance. It's an episode of Jerry Springer. What a mess!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
October 24, 2011
A full review will follow soon. (Note: This is the first book in a new series by Marie Force. It is a beautiful story that will captivate romance readers without a doubt. It has some bumpy storyline and you'll need to have the kleenex handy but overall, one of the best romantic relationship books I've read.)
November 7, 2011
4.5 Stars
Marie Force is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. She writes such wonderful and emotional romances. I really enjoyed this one in particular because the H/h weren't 20-something hard bodies. It was great to read a steamy romance with mature characters. Romance does not end at 39!
Added plus - No scary moments and no post-apocalyptic demon dogs! ROFL
Marie Force is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. She writes such wonderful and emotional romances. I really enjoyed this one in particular because the H/h weren't 20-something hard bodies. It was great to read a steamy romance with mature characters. Romance does not end at 39!
Added plus - No scary moments and no post-apocalyptic demon dogs! ROFL
January 14, 2015
Horrible horrible horrible. If this guy is such a loyal husband I never want one! And WTH is this chick doing moving into another woman's house & bed?!? He's a hypocrite cheater and she's a dumb whore. These two disgusting people do not deserve a HEA. This book totally ruined Marie Force books for me. I doubt I will ever see one without getting a bad feeling. She is now on my avoid list.
December 17, 2021
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A married MC to OP is probably one of the most difficult romance to push thru. It automatically put the MCs on negative side: the single-MC as the OW/OM and therefore a homewrecker, and the married-MC as an adulterer and the one who made the ultimate betrayal.
Cheating is bad enough in a non-married relationship but in a legal marriage?
I don't even know what to say.
So when I read this kind of love story, my first thought is– for me to accept their romance, convince me that the MCs' love is true, soul deep, incomparable, destined, beyond logic, The One, the biggest they've ever had.
Did the author convinced me of H/h's romance? YES.
The writing's good, then why just 3 stars?
Cuz H chose to stay married to a wife he was no longer in love with. The wife (or any person) deserved to be The One, not the second best.
The wife deserved to have a husband or a lover who would love to be with her, not a husband who felt obliged to be with her.
The fact that H's in love with another woman should be reason enough to set his wife free so she could mourn, heal, move on and maybe, love again. If he truly wanted to keep his 20yr marriage, then he should've been faithful when his wife was in coma, he shouldn't have had an extra-marital affair as long as his wife's on earth. There are plenty of ways to help cope and deal with depression and for me, a mistress isn't one of them.
But it was kinda inevitable, it just happened.. Exactly. Another reason for H to man-up but he didn't.
He fell out of love from his wife, gave that love and more to another woman. A woman who loved him without asking anything in return. I liked her, Andi, as a person and especially as a mother. I liked that she walked out from H's life. The pages where h's son appeared are some of my favorites.
I liked the wife, Claire, a strong woman despite all she went thru pre and post coma.
Did I like the H, Jack? As a lover, NO. As a father, yes. I actually liked him except as a lover.
Ultimately, it was the wife who decided for them to divorce. She knew she deserved better, and her second life shouldn't be spent with a man who no longer loves her. Life is too short to just settle.
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Safe?
A married MC to OP is probably one of the most difficult romance to push thru. It automatically put the MCs on negative side: the single-MC as the OW/OM and therefore a homewrecker, and the married-MC as an adulterer and the one who made the ultimate betrayal.
Cheating is bad enough in a non-married relationship but in a legal marriage?
I don't even know what to say.
So when I read this kind of love story, my first thought is– for me to accept their romance, convince me that the MCs' love is true, soul deep, incomparable, destined, beyond logic, The One, the biggest they've ever had.
Did the author convinced me of H/h's romance? YES.
The writing's good, then why just 3 stars?
Cuz H chose to stay married to a wife he was no longer in love with. The wife (or any person) deserved to be The One, not the second best.
The wife deserved to have a husband or a lover who would love to be with her, not a husband who felt obliged to be with her.
The fact that H's in love with another woman should be reason enough to set his wife free so she could mourn, heal, move on and maybe, love again. If he truly wanted to keep his 20yr marriage, then he should've been faithful when his wife was in coma, he shouldn't have had an extra-marital affair as long as his wife's on earth. There are plenty of ways to help cope and deal with depression and for me, a mistress isn't one of them.
But it was kinda inevitable, it just happened.. Exactly. Another reason for H to man-up but he didn't.
He fell out of love from his wife, gave that love and more to another woman. A woman who loved him without asking anything in return. I liked her, Andi, as a person and especially as a mother. I liked that she walked out from H's life. The pages where h's son appeared are some of my favorites.
I liked the wife, Claire, a strong woman despite all she went thru pre and post coma.
Did I like the H, Jack? As a lover, NO. As a father, yes. I actually liked him except as a lover.
Ultimately, it was the wife who decided for them to divorce. She knew she deserved better, and her second life shouldn't be spent with a man who no longer loves her. Life is too short to just settle.
〰️〰️
Safe?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
own-need-to-read
January 13, 2015This Kindle Freebie (as of 1-13-15) has very good ratings!
Treading Water (Treading Water Series Book 1) by Marie Force http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005...
Blurb...
Love is the last thing on Jack Harrington’s mind when he sets out to meet Andi Walsh’s flight. Recently back to work after spending more than a year tending to his comatose wife, Jack is focused on getting through each day and caring for his three daughters. However, the moment he sets eyes on Andrea Walsh, the interior designer who has come to decorate the hotel his company is building in Newport, Rhode Island, Jack begins to wonder if Andi might be his second chance. After a disastrous marriage, Andi, single mom to a hearing-impaired son, isn’t exactly looking for love, either, but that’s what she finds with Jack. The two embark on a long-distance relationship fraught with challenges as they balance the needs of their children and dueling careers while Jack continues to care for his wife, Clare. Just when Jack thinks his life is once again settled, he is confronted with a new challenge that tests him in ways he never could've imagined, leaving him to wonder if "happily ever after" is in the cards for him.
Treading Water (Treading Water Series Book 1) by Marie Force http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005...
Blurb...
Love is the last thing on Jack Harrington’s mind when he sets out to meet Andi Walsh’s flight. Recently back to work after spending more than a year tending to his comatose wife, Jack is focused on getting through each day and caring for his three daughters. However, the moment he sets eyes on Andrea Walsh, the interior designer who has come to decorate the hotel his company is building in Newport, Rhode Island, Jack begins to wonder if Andi might be his second chance. After a disastrous marriage, Andi, single mom to a hearing-impaired son, isn’t exactly looking for love, either, but that’s what she finds with Jack. The two embark on a long-distance relationship fraught with challenges as they balance the needs of their children and dueling careers while Jack continues to care for his wife, Clare. Just when Jack thinks his life is once again settled, he is confronted with a new challenge that tests him in ways he never could've imagined, leaving him to wonder if "happily ever after" is in the cards for him.
December 7, 2011
FAST-PACED-TEAR-JERKER! I have come to love these, because the gut-wrenching-tear-my-heart-out scenes only last long enough for me to get glassy eyed but never really produce tears. Sometimes I read tear jerkers and have to have a box of Kleenex beside me while I hiccup, sniff, blot tears and finally have to put the book down. And while I LOVE a good emotional read, sometimes I put off books because I've heard they are so sad. This one most definitely has gut-wrenching-tear-my-heart-out scenes but it's soooo fast paced that you immediately get over it and read on for more gut-wrenching-tear-my-heart-out scenes. LOL. Well, faced paced is better than wallowing in it for 5 minutes. And as I'm writing this and have just put the book down, I can honestly say that I'm not sniffing and my eye's are not red and swollen. Yeah! And as a bonus it was an awesome read. Yeah, yeah!
September 9, 2019
This story just blew me away. Jack was an amazing character. As horrible as the situation he found himself in, I think it helped him to grow as a father. He remained faithful to his commitments until he was forced to move forward. Andi was such a strong woman and she was exactly what Jack and his girls needed. I don't want to give away anything in the plot, but I wills say that I laughed and cried throughout this book. It was so well written and I cannot wait to start Marking Time. I just love MF's characters. She writes them so well, it's like they are real people that you have known for years. They are so easy to relate to. This is a MUST read!
July 17, 2021
Holy crap, that was brutal!
Note to self… don’t be tempted to reread.
2.5 rounded up for good writing.
Note to self… don’t be tempted to reread.
2.5 rounded up for good writing.
August 13, 2019
„Vergiss die Liebe nicht“ ist ein herrlich unterhaltsamer, lockerleichter Zeitvertreib voller Emotionen. Die so typische Atmosphäre, die wir schon aus anderen Marie Force Werken kennen, ist auch hier wieder einer der Gründe, wieso ich das Buch so gern gelesen habe. Stimmungs,- und gefühlvoll erzählt die Autorin eine berührende Geschichte rund um den dreifachen Familienvater Jack, den ich nicht nur äußerst sympathisch fand, sondern auch sofort tief ins Herz schloss. Selbst die Nebenfiguren fanden einen Platz darin und sind aus dem Buch nicht mehr wegzudenken. Trotzdem gibt es auch Kritik von mir. Alles in allem nicht perfekt, aber trotzdem lesenswert – vor allem für all diejenigen, die zum Beispiel Redwood Love gerne mochten. Für die ist Marie Force und somit auch dieser Auftakt der Neuengland-Reihe ein Muss. » hier « findet ihr die ausführliche Rezension mit all den Kritikpunkten, die ich anmerken musste.
October 31, 2011
Marie Force has changed my view of contemporary romance. Another great bk, 4.5 stars. Even with all the twists and turns this story takes, I kind of suspected from the beginning what might happen to change things but not how it would all play out. Wonderful characters too. Jack, his family and Andi have so much to deal with mentally and emotionally. Couldn't put this bk down until I finished and knew what would happen for Jack and Andi. Adored the side story with Jamie and Frannie too. Wonderful HEA for a story with soo many ways for it to have ended. Now I’m ready to read the next bk of this series. Wasn't expecting this character to get her own bk but it makes sense and I’m anxious to see how life plays out for her.
Heard this bk was an older story that's just now being published. So glad MF decided to share this one with all of us.
Heard this bk was an older story that's just now being published. So glad MF decided to share this one with all of us.
April 15, 2020
It is no secret, I am a huge fan of Marie Force, but Treading Water is my most favorite book that she has written and in the top 5 of my all time favorite book ever. Marie takes you for a ride in Treading Water, a ride with lots of bumps and several epic turns of events that impact a family to its core. I cried in several places during this book and thought several times, how is Jack going to actually get his HEA, I laughed, especially at some of the banter with the kids. And I was angry, very angry at how this family was so horribly affected by tragedy. This isn't a traditional who-done-it, there is no major villain to run down, and no one will be left asking, HUH? In my eyes, a good book takes you on a journey, leads you through some tough times and comes out even better in the end. That is what Treading Water was for me.
November 16, 2015
4 Emotional Stars – Contemporary Romance
July 6, 2019
I have conflicting emotions on the situation represented in this book. Don't want to spoil the story for anyone.
I cannot recommend this book and it certainly isn't something I would re-read!
I cannot recommend this book and it certainly isn't something I would re-read!
May 16, 2021
Ich weiß nicht wieso, aber ich habe mich lange gegen diese Serie gesträubt und das wo ich Marie forces Bücher so liebe. In einem Anfall von bücherkaufsucht habe ich mir dann Band 1 und 2 bestellt. Jetzt habe ich alle anderen Teile Zuhause stehen und werde sie nach und nach lesen. Die Handlung in diesem Buch zieht sich über mehr als 3 Jahre, es gab auch keine Längen. Manches wurde halt schneller abgehandelt, aber das störte mich nicht. Ich bin so froh, dass ich mich nun doch getraut habe und es gelesen wurde. Freue mich bald weiterzulesen.
4,5 Sterne
4,5 Sterne
dnf
September 6, 2022NEVER AGAIN F THIS BOOK. WRST BOOK EVER I HATE IT HERE I WISH I HAD A PHYSICAL COPY JUST TO BURN IT
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