Forever Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Yup, that's right. I read another Taylor Jenkins Reid book. This one was her debut novel, published in 2013. And I enjoyed her writing style every bit as much as I have in every single one of her books that I have read so far.

“Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that… in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

My Verdict: This one really hit me in the feels. I thought the book was sad within the first 20 pages, but I didn't really know how sad it was until the end. Reid simultaneously develops Elsie's growing relationship with Ben AND her coming to terms with his death. I'm not sure how it is possible to root for their love while knowing that fate has ripped it away, but that is what happened for me as I read the book.

This was not a book that I sobbed my way through, but there were definitely times that I cried. I don't think this book was so much a romance as it was a story of healing that has a love story within in, If you need a conventional happy ending, this book might not be for you. If you can see healing as a happy ending, though, you should give this one a chance.

It’s a really powerful read. I really felt for this heroine. It’s an emotional read, and it is sad at times, but at the same time, I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a completely “sad read” because half of the book revolves around them falling in love and those parts are really sweet and happy and romantic. As with her other books, Reid's writing style makes this book one that is difficult to put down. I give this book 4 stars.