Taylor Jenkins Reid

A couple embarks on a journey of self-discovery when they decide to take a year off from their troubled marriage to see if they can fall in love again. By the author of Forever, Interrupted. Original.

A Novel

After I Do

Sarah Campbell

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. It's a lesson learned by those who have faced the most miserable of tragedies, and it's a secret that I suspect you yourself already know: the sun will always rise. Always. 

The sun rises the next day after mothers lose their babies, after men lose their wives, after countries lose wars. The sun will rise no matter what pain we encounter: No matter how much we believe the world to be over, the sun will rise. So you can't go around assessing love by whether or not the sun rises The sun doesn't care about love. It just cares about rising.

It was supposed to happen after the baby was born. Or when I was with her. Or as she held my hand and told me the meaning of life. It wasn't supposed to happen when I was laughing with Ryan about Old Spice. Some people love that about life, that it's unpredictable and unruly. I hate it. I hate that it doesn't have the common decency to wait for a profound moment to take somnething from you. It doesn't care that you just want one picture of your grandmother holding her great-grandchild. It just doesn't care.

It's loud out here in the front of the hospital. Cars are zooming by. Ambulances are puling in and out. It occurs to me that I am not the only one losing someone right now. Natalie isn't the only one about to have a baby, either. Charlie's not the only man about to become a father. My mother isn't the only one about to lose her last parent. We are a family of people going through all the things people go through every day. We are not special. This hospital doesn't exist for us. I'm not the only woman about to call her husband and ask him to come home. I don't know why it feels good to know that. But it does. There are millions of me.

"Can I get you anything?" I ask her. "Ice chips?" 

“You know I'm not actually in labor, right?" Natalie laughs at me, and I laugh back. 

“Fair enough!" I say. It wasn't when she said she needed to be here for Grandma that she became a sister to me. It was when she made fun of me for offering ice chips. Big gestures are easy. Making fun of someone who's just trying to help you, that's family.

“I was ready to die, and I think that was the only way could admit it." 

"Because my husband is gone, Lauren," she says. "I love you all so much. But you don't need me anymore. Look at all of you. Your mom is doing so well. Fletcher is fine. You three kids are doing great.”

“No, you are," she says, patting my hand. "But I miss my mom," she says. "I miss my dad. I miss my big sister. I miss my best friend. And I miss my husband. I've lived too long without him now." 

"But you were doing OK," I say. "You were getting out of bed. You were making a life without him." 

My grandmother gently shakes her head. “Just because you can live without someone doesn't mean you want to," she says. 

The words bang around in my brain, knocking into one another, bouncing off the edges of my mind, but they keep rearranging themselves in the same order. 

I don't say anything back. I look at her and squeeze her hand. I often think of my grandmother as the old lady at the dinner table. But she's seen generations. She was a child once. She was a teenager. A newlywed. A mother. A widow.

“I’m sorry this has been so hard,” I say. “I never thought of how difficult it must have been for you without Grandpa. It’s a hard life.” 

“No, sweetheart. It’s not a hard life. I’m just done living.”

"Yeah," I say. She seems too weak to keep talking, so I don't want to ask her questions. And yet there is so much I want to learn from her. Her eccentricities, the things that felt so silly and laughable before, now seem profound and insightful. Why do we do this? Why do we undervalue things when we have them? Why is it only on the verge of losing something that we see how much we need it?

I can spot Ryan in a crowd. I can recognize his scent from another room. Just a few months ago, we were separated at the grocery store, and I found him by recognizing his sneeze from few aisles away. But at this airport, this time, I got it wrong. It’s not Ryan. All of that fear and jealousy and hurt and pain so sharp I thought it could cut me — wasn't real. It was entirely imaginary. It's stunning, really, what I can do to myself with only a misunderstanding.

"But the way I see it" she continues, your love life should bring you love. If it doesn't, no matter how hard you try, if you are honest and fair and good, and you decide it's over and you need to go find love somewhere else, then … what more can the world ask of you?”

Melanie Harvie

This was probably one of my favorites of TJR so far (I’ve now read 4). This is quite controversial as I don’t think this is a lot of her readers favorite, but I really loved this book. 

I loved every character and the journey of self discovery that Lauren went through. I am definitely going to be recommending it to others. 

I laughed, teared up, and read it in one sitting. 

My only complaint is that I wish we had more time with Ryan. We are given the very beginning to hear about the good times (about 40 pages), then we quickly see the down hill, it’s over, and then he’s gone until the end. I feel like it would’ve been a bigger impact if we had grown to love him as much as the other characters. I feel like if I wasn’t such a romantic and I understood his side from hearing and seeing Laurens and getting that he was going through it too, as well as his emails, he could’ve annoyed me. 

But, nonetheless, this was a 5 star read for me, and probably my favorite book of the year (so far). 

This was probably one of my favorites of TJR so far (I’ve now read 4). This is quite controversial as I don’t think this is a lot of her readers favorite, but I really loved this book. 

I loved every character and the journey of self discovery that Lauren went through. I am definitely going to be recommending it to others. 

I laughed, teared up, and read it in one sitting. 

My only complaint is that I wish we had more time with Ryan. We are given the very beginning to hear about the good times (about 40 pages), then we quickly see the down hill, it’s over, and then he’s gone until the end. I feel like it would’ve been a bigger impact if we had grown to love him as much as the other characters. I feel like if I wasn’t such a romantic and I understood his side from hearing and seeing Laurens and getting that he was going through it too, as well as his emails, he could’ve annoyed me. 

But, nonetheless, this was a 5 star read for me, and probably my favorite book of the year (so far). 

Rocy Roque

I didn’t relate to the characters, found most of them very annoying. Overall ok.

Alejandra 

Sofia Nunes

Brutally honest and heartbreakingly funny. 
Taylor Jenkins Reid just cannot fail.

A love story about what happens when the love fades – from the bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes. Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for? After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game – and searching for a new road to happily ever after. ‘A raw, unflinching exploration of the realities of marriage, the delicate nature of love and the enduring strength of family … Heartbreaking and hopeful, Reid has crafted a story of love lost and found that is as timely as it is timeless.’ Katja Millay, author of The Sea of Tranquility

mercy

dija

I may or may not have teared up once or twice reading this book..

celene

Trish

I liked this book. I think the subject matter, relationships, and life lessons it explores are worth writing and reading about. But, I don’t agree with all the ways TRJ chose to tell this story so that hindered my enjoyment of the novel. 

First, my favorite parts of the novel were watching Lauren and Ryan’s relationship unfold. The first one third of the book, every time Lauren and Ryan are together, whether they’re happy or miserable, is when the book shines. But then for the rest of the book we’re stuck with Lauren, and I have to be honest, she talks about Ryan being boring all the time but she had ten months apart from her husband and all she did was pick up jogging/running as a hobby. That is arguably the most boring sport/hobby ever. Lauren sounds like the boring one to me. 

Also I didn’t like the idea that TRJ puts forth in this novel that if you’ve come to resent your spouse and you guys aren’t having enough/good sex, then things will be fixed as soon as you have great sex with other people you have zero emotional attachment to. This was the major deal breaker for me. They’re both married but basically decide they both NEED to have sex with other people to gain perspective and get up the energy to save their marriage I’m with Grandma on this one, that’s a plan only a man can concoct so he can stay married and have sex with whoever he wants (and Ryan did come up with it). 

Anyway, overall ok read. It was fast and easy which is great during finals week. But now onto some better quality reading.

This book was so beautifully written. So many parts I could relate to and cried on and I'm not even married nor have I been that's how relatable it is. There were so any messages that were inspirational in this 

 makes you look at all types of relationships differently. 10/10 recommend!

Kyra

This book was so beautifully written. So many parts I could relate to and cried on and I'm not even married nor have I been that's how relatable it is. There were so any messages that were inspirational in this book.It makes you look at all types of relationships differently. 10/10 recommend!



Nursyuhada Zainul

ahhhh! taylor jenkins reid has done it again! she's officially the best sorry. another 5 star read.

the thing about her books is that it's not just another book on the shelf. her books are THOSE that make you sit and THINK and RETHINK all your life decisions up to that point. it makes you feel, and stays with you long after you've read the last page.

Ryan and Lauren are so in love it HURTTTT to see them fall out of love. It hurt even more to see them stay apart for a year. But holy hell l am so in love with them. but don't be fooled guys this wasn't a romance book.

Every aspect of this book was SO REAL! The characters, their problems, their conflicts, their lives everythin is so real. I loved each and every side character, I genuinely did (except Emily but we don't talk about her). This book and the premise of it was so achingly real and I'm pretty sure a lot of people can relate to it. The amount of self reflection this book caused me? lord help and I’m only 16 and never been in a marriage 😭 the way although the book was said entirely from Lauren’s POV we were able to still see Ryan’s life through the emails was definitely appreciated.

Idk man I just love Taylor so much. This book was perfectly written even though it barely had a traditional plot. this isn’t a romance story it is much more. loved it through and through.

Sarah 

ahhhh! taylor jenkins reid has done it again! she's officially the best sorry. another 5 star read.

the thing about her books is that it's not just another book on the shelf. her books are THOSE that make you sit and THINK and RETHINK all your life decisions up to that point. it makes you feel, and stays with you long after you've read the last page.

Ryan and Lauren are so in love it HURTTTT to see them fall out of love. It hurt even more to see them stay apart for a year. But holy hell l am so in love with them. but don't be fooled guys this wasn't a romance book.

Every aspect of this book was SO REAL! The characters, their problems, their conflicts, their lives everythin is so real. I loved each and every side character, I genuinely did (except Emily but we don't talk about her). This book and the premise of it was so achingly real and I'm pretty sure a lot of people can relate to it. The amount of self reflection this book caused me? lord help and I’m only 16 and never been in a marriage 😭 the way although the book was said entirely from Lauren’s POV we were able to still see Ryan’s life through the emails was definitely appreciated.

Idk man I just love Taylor so much. This book was perfectly written even though it barely had a traditional plot. this isn’t a romance story it is much more. loved it through and through.

rating: 5/5 stars

started: have no clue 

finished: 3rd October 2022

Cassie

The was overall a pretty good book. Some parts were predictable, including the ending, but the writing is wonderful (as always), and I was left satisfied with the ending. Both of the MCs reading each other’s emails kind of made me cringe just because of how I think I’d react to that situation, but I loved that the emails were a part of the story. It was nice to see Ryan’s perspective in that way. I’d love to have a book about Rachel too. I feel like she has such an insightful perspective on life that I’d like to hear more about.

Catarina Vieira

Quando comecei a ler sobre este livro achei que seria outro “2º chance romance” mas à medida que fui lendo percebi que era muito mais que isso. Intenso, cru mas completamente verdadeiro; um livro que nos conta a história de um casal que depois de casar começam a tolerar-se cada vez menos e decidem, como última tentativa de salvar o casamento (evitar o divórcio e encontrar o amor que ambos outrora sentiram) resolvem passar um ano completamente separados onde podem viver as vidas de forma separada. Cada capítulo nos dá uma nova perspetiva e ficamos, tal como as personagens, sem saber bem qual o rumo a história vai tomar no futuro. 
	A Taylor Jenkins Reid tem uma forma de escrever completamente indescritível que pode ser fluída e intensa na mesma medida. A história parece real, os temas debatidos são discutidos de forma interessantíssima e os personagens são bem desenvolvidos (não romantizados ou completamente banalizados, são descritos de forma fiel – cometendo erros e decisões que às vezes nos dá vontade de lançar o livro contra a parede).
	Este livro é daqueles que quero recomendar a toda a gente, que quero que todos leiam e que quero que todos entendam. Para mim, para além de ser um livro sobre o casamento, é um livro sobre o amor.

Samantha Penland

4.5⭐️ I read this in one day! I loved it!

Chelsea van Rer

Lilly

Catelyn Evans

ingrid

when i first started the book i thought i wouldn’t really like it because married couples separating just doesn’t sound that appealing to me in media. but this book really surprised me! i really liked lauren’s journey throughout those months and the things she realized about herself and her marriage. i’m pleasantly surprised by this book, definitely one of tjr’s best!

Samantha LaBrie

4.7. Truly insightful. I am not married and probably won’t be for a long time but this is a book I feel I could go back to when I’m having relationship problems. I understand and could relate to parts of this book just in my normal life. Written beautifully.

samantha youngclaus

Naga

this is actually giving more food for thought

Adding the Spencers to my fave families and siblings relationships list ❤

Alex Flagg

Samantha Cherry

After I Do follows Lauren and Ryan - a couple who fell in love in college and now ten years later are pretty much at each other’s throats for anything and everything. In a blow out fight, they admit the harsh truth that they just don’t love each other like they used to. But they’re not giving up… they decide to separate for one year with absolutely no contact between them all in hopes that the time apart will help them realize why they fell in the first place. 

My Thoughts: 

I loved the first part of this book so much - it’s fast paced and really makes you want to root for Lauren and Ryan in the end. Then, we pivot away from their relationship and explore what love and marriage and family means more broadly. All of the supporting characters have their own ideas and experiences. That’s what I loved most about it this book - there was room for all of these different experiences and I didn’t feel like I was being told a “right” or a “wrong” way to love and live. We all should have the chance to explore what works for us when it comes to love and that’s what this book did. It gave all the characters permission to approach as they wanted… 

Until the end. The book wrapped up by tying everyone up in a sort of little bow - and although it made for a really satisfying story, I think it was an easier ending than the nuance it had the potential to have. Hence my four stars instead of five.

Final verdict: I really liked this book, but felt that the end had more potential to say something a bit more nuanced about the themes. That being said, it made me feel many things and I do recommend it for a reflection on love, life, and family.

After I Do A Novel

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