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

A cute and more realistic love story - I enjoyed the way it was broken up into the different sections and how the plot moved forward with their email drafts. The beginning of part 1 made me nostalgic for the beginning parts of my own relationship 🥲

Paige Paul

Liyah 🤎

Read this because I've heard so much about this author. It was def a nice palette cleanser from the other romance books I've read lately. It basically follows a married couple on the verge of divorce who decide to take a break for a year to see if they want to stay married. Honestly a weird premise I think they could've learned what they learned by just going to marriage counseling and maybe living in separate quarters but pretending to be single is weird. I thought Lauren's family members were written really well and were quite loveable. The "lesson" of the book is a cute one–life doesn't have to be lived by a script and relationships are what you put into them. CLiche but cliche because its true and I think the book tries its best to give that platitude some weight. In general, though...I don't like the central couple. This book is nearly a decade old so I can forgive its lacking interpersonal gender politics but as a reader in 2023 with my beliefs I saw fundamental cracks in the relationship of the characters that i think the narrative didn't repair. From the beginning, Ryan is a little whiny and manipulative, and neither Lauren nor the book holds him to tasks for that. Like the weird thing with him always wanting her to say she wants to have sex or the way he blows up at her because he feels bad that he messed up their honeymoon...and Lauren coddles him...BIG NO from me. And it happened so early and often in their relationship that i honestly thought the book wasn't going to put them back together because their issues seemed structural. How they did come back together was pretty dramatic and a little cheesy but I'll allow it every romance book needs its cheesy run into each others arm moment. At least there was no 3rd act breakup! Could be a good book club book and couples co-read!

Cori

** spoiler alert **
           This book made me feel human and made me look at love in a different light. I don’t know much about love myself but this book made me realize that I don’t have it all figured out. And that’s the beautiful thing about it. It taught me to never give up on anything, Rachel’s Bakery, Charlie’s kid, and Ryan and Lauren getting back together made me realize that maybe it’s okay to not have everything figured out. But we can try

took me a while to finish it because i didn‘t want to put up with all the drama at once but in the end it was actually okayish 

sophia

chateau

dragging in the middle of the book. there are a few things quiet unnecessary to tell, but the ending was perfect. i love it.

Riya

the fact that this book has been exalted so much despite it romanticising misogyny and emotional abuse, baffles me. I went in thinking I would get some real good angst, pain, and groveling but what I actually got was most bland characters I've read in a book recently. If you're going to present us with a story about second chances then make sure your characters are not paper thin.
It was disgusting to read Lauren being okay with her husband "smelling bad" and finding peace with it. Yuck. It's not even about her being okay about his body odor. I could have ignored that if she hadn't been lenient about all his other misdemeanors. Can't believe this is the same writer who wrote 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo'. So disappointed.

Ryan 

part 2 of "if this book ended with a polyamorous relationship, i wouldn't be mad"

Kate

Arianna

Hannah

I love Taylor Jenkins Reid and it does hurt me to give any of her books less then a stellar five star review but of the books I have read from her This is my least favorite. The ending is not the one I wanted to see for one, but it also feels rushed towards the end, maybe i’m missing something. In this case I just felt very unsatisfied by the outcome. It’s not an awful book but u would recommend every other TJR book i’ve read before this.

I was skeptical at first since the book is about a divorce and I didn’t see myself caring enough about the characters to stay hooked. But they really did convince me from the opposite. Besides the romance, Lauren also had quite the character development and it was nice to see how she found herself in her year apart from Ryan. 

Tabea

rakshu

Taylor truly NEVER disappoints man. the angst was so on point. this book is all i needed in my life right now

Couldn’t read more than half of the book. 

Barbara

this book continues to impact me even over a month after reading it

kels

Levena Banda

Lauren and Ryan fell hopelessly and irrevocably in love with each other in college and got married soon after.
Fast forward to like 10 years and they're still married but the spark is gone, they resent each other, they only ever seem to argue over everything from calling the landlord to picking what to eat they're both unhappy.
Falling in love is the easy part. Committing to it?
Working to maintain it? Not so much. Will Lauren and Ryan accept the cards they've been dealt with or will they stay and fight for their love? 


TJR's books for me are like strong perfume, better in small doses and at a distance. Don't get me wrong, I
absolutely adore her books, but I don't particularly like the recurring dark themes, ya know- death, divorce etc etc.
Idk I guess I normally prefer lighter reads so I read her
books sparingly, if that makes sense.

Regardless, this book was so heartwarming and messy and damaging and healing and so brutally honest.

This book resonated with me because I think oftentimes I forget I have to put a conscious effort
in maintaining my relationships.

Zaira A 

Oh this book is such a compelling story. This story touches so many situations and moments that any person who has been in a relationship or married has gone through. I loved that the author made Lauren and her marriage so relatable. I found myself multiple times reading and saying to myself of "damn I have been there". I liked the fact that the book didn't sugar coated there issues or made them overly dramatic. Ryan and Lauren went through situations just as getting annoyed over what do you want for food or lack of intimacy. This is why I loved this book the fact that it doesn't portrait a perfect or fairy tale marriage. 

I felt her heartache as you see how her relationship deteriorates over time. Once Lauren and Ryan decided to take the year apart I couldn't stop saying oh no... Even though I knew it was going to happened since it's the premise of the book. I enjoyed seeing Lauren character developed through the book. The only thing I wish the book had was Ryan point of view, although we get a glimpse of it, I wanted more more more! Such an easy read. Definitely one of those books that makes you think about your relationship.

Nouran Hazem

Bye forgot to review this book I finished it a week back. BUT IT WAS SO CUTE SND I LIVED THE ENDING AH ☹️

Shanthu

Krystyna 

I love Taylor Jenkins Reid's books. This one was more difficult for me to get through. The writing and the story were still great, as with all of her books. I just wasn't the biggest fan of the agreement that Lauren and Ryan came up with. 

I love the relationships that Lauren had with her family. I really loved Lauren's grandmother. I also really enjoyed the advice that Allie gave as a reply to the "Ask Allie" column. I loved many characters in this book. The plot of this story wasn't really slow in the beginning, I just found myself not enjoying the arrangement they had made. So, I would find myself reading some and then closing the book. I would enjoy the book when I would pick it up and read it, but I didn't like their arrangement. However, the latter half of the book I found myself progressing through the story much faster. Overall, this was a really good book that I enjoyed reading. I'd recommend it, even if you're not a huge fan of stories about marriage or marital complications. I'd still recommend giving this one a try. 

This was definitely a story about relationships. Relationships with yourself, family, spouse, friends, etc. It is a love letter to one's self...to be true to yourself and give a relationship everything you have. There were parts of this book that really resonated with me and really stuck out that I will think about long after closing this book. As with all of Taylor Jenkins Reid's book, there were so many memorable quotes that I took note of.

 delves into the complexities of marriage, personal growth, and the search for happiness. While the book showcases TJR's knack for exploring emotional depths, it falls short in delivering a truly captivating experience like her previous books that I've read did. 

The story revolves around Lauren and Ryan, a couple who have been married for years but find themselves caught in a stagnant and unhappy relationship. In an unconventional decision, they agree to take a year-long break from their marriage, during which they are free to pursue other romantic interests.

By now I've learned that I truly love TJR's engaging writing style and the way she presents relatable situations that many readers may connect with. One of the things that I liked best of After I Do is her ability to portray the raw emotions experienced by the characters. Lauren's struggle with loneliness and Ryan's search for meaning outside of marriage are portrayed with authenticity and depth.

However, the pacing of the book feels inconsistent, with certain parts dragging on and others feeling rushed. At times, the plot lacks direction, making it difficult to fully invest in the characters' journeys. 

Overall, After I Do is a decent novel that may be an enjoyable read for those interested in exploring the dynamics of long-term relationships, but it falls short of leaving a lasting impact. At least on me. 

Souhaila

After I Do delves into the complexities of marriage, personal growth, and the search for happiness. While the book showcases TJR's knack for exploring emotional depths, it falls short in delivering a truly captivating experience like her previous books that I've read did. 

The story revolves around Lauren and Ryan, a couple who have been married for years but find themselves caught in a stagnant and unhappy relationship. In an unconventional decision, they agree to take a year-long break from their marriage, during which they are free to pursue other romantic interests.

By now I've learned that I truly love TJR's engaging writing style and the way she presents relatable situations that many readers may connect with. One of the things that I liked best of After I Do is her ability to portray the raw emotions experienced by the characters. Lauren's struggle with loneliness and Ryan's search for meaning outside of marriage are portrayed with authenticity and depth.

However, the pacing of the book feels inconsistent, with certain parts dragging on and others feeling rushed. At times, the plot lacks direction, making it difficult to fully invest in the characters' journeys. 

Overall, After I Do is a decent novel that may be an enjoyable read for those interested in exploring the dynamics of long-term relationships, but it falls short of leaving a lasting impact. At least on me. 

Nouran

Abby Elmore

Ariel

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). 

After I Do A Novel

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