From the "hilarious, heartbreaking, and insightful" (The Miami Herald) best-selling author Jennifer Weiner comes a sweeping, modern-day fairy tale about first romance and lasting love.
Rachel Blum and Andy Landis are eight years old when they meet late one night in an ER waiting room. Born with a congenital heart defect, Rachel is a veteran of hospitals, and she's intrigued by the boy who shows up all alone with a broken arm. He tells her his name. She tells him a story. After Andy's taken back to the emergency room and Rachel's sent back to her bed, they think they'll never see each other again.
Rachel, the beloved, popular, and protected daughter of two doting parents, grows up wanting for nothing in a fancy Florida suburb. Andy grows up poor in Philadelphia with a single mom and a rare talent that will let him become one of the best runners of his generation.
Over the course of three decades, through high school and college, marriages and divorces, from the pinnacles of victory and the heartbreak of defeat, Andy and Rachel will find each other again and again until they are finally given a chance to decide whether love can surmount difference and distance and if they've been running toward each other all along.
With honesty, wit, and clear-eyed observations about men and women, love and fate, and the truth about happy endings, Jennifer Weiner delivers two of her most memorable characters and a love story you'll never forget.
©2015 Jennifer Weiner, Inc. (P)2015 Simon & Schuster
"So much character development, then..."
So much character development, then felt like a very quick ending. Narration was just not my style...not awful, but I noticed it even after the first few hours, which is unusual. Usually I adjust quickly.
I am a retired Army veteran and love to read. I like murder mystery, but enjoy nonfiction. I am a long time Star Trek fan.
"Can't run forever!"
I loved the characters. They were believe-able and in line with the demographics of today. The storyline was good, but there was a lot going on with the back and forth between current day and the past. I didn't like that so much sadness had to come to teach a lesson. A almost perfect ending. Once the end came, I wanted a little more glimpse of the future.
"Underwhelming"
The writer leaned on cheesy, limp, ascriptions on the characters.
I actually ''cringed'' at some lines. And, ''I was born with a broken heart'' ??? ...lord.
A lot was simply unresolved. Some of the decision just felt untrue and some exchanges were quite insincere. how does someone with the clarity of purpose to win an Olympic game simply go limp at the prospect of talking to the woman he knows is his one?
the performance was great, but you cannot make gold out of a story that isn't.
NOPE
"The ending though."
This was such a great book. Up until an hour until the ending. I found myself looking at my time left in the book and being frustrated because I knew there wasn't enough time to wrap it up properly.
The ending felt rushed. It felt like Jennifer slow walked us to the end of the story and then slammed the book shut in our face leaving us wanting more closure. More answers. I was disappointed that there wasn't more time devoted to closure.
Not my favorite weiner book, but it could have been.
J-BooM
"Decent but predictable"
I read all of this author's books, but this one wasn't my favorite. Decent characters, but predictable plot.
"Wish it never ended"
Beautiful love story that was not sappy and completely Nicholas Sparks like but very real life and relatable. Was so sad when it ended ! Jennifer Weiner does it again. Love all her books and it's just another beautifully written and smart novel. Highly suggested!
"A lame story"
About half way through I realized there wasn't going to be much of a story. All I wanted to do was finish the book as soon as possible - always hoping I'd be surprised and the story would develop into a book worthy of my spending time listening to it.
The most interesting part of the story was how the main characters met and later reconnected.
I didn't care for the performances. There was no emotion in the voices. The performers sounded like they were just reading the book - not acting out the characters.
Absolutely NOT!
A great disappointment!
"I don't want to spend time with the heroine"
I stopped reading when the heroine Rachel grew up to be a shallow bully. There are many interesting places, and Weiner is a good writer, but I just don't care what happens to the herone in the future. It's supposed to be a "Love Story", but I hate to waste time giving excuse to the main character who doesn't deserve love.
"Great characters and great narrators"
The characters were very well developed and I loved having one female and one make narrator. It made the story work even better.
"great story"
beautiful and realistic love story, I wish all love could be so everlasting as this one.