A long look at a relationship falling apart ... it felt slower than it should have, and I kept wanting to slap both of them for not saying what they really felt. So often relationships falter because of fear when a little honesty could make everything better. ( )

Jem Catterick and Ralph McLeary have been together for 11 years now and their relationship is not quite what it used to be. Ralph, a painter, decides to leave Jem and their two children and take off to Hawaii to visit an old pal. During this separation both Jem and Ralph experience what it feels like to be single again. After seeing what it's like on the outside and realizing that they are still very much in love, Jem and Ralph decide to start over again and this time get married to seal the deal. ( )

not as good as the original ralphs party but a nice wander back to familiar friends ( )

Frustrating.

This was my first Lisa Jewell book and I was listening to the unabridged audio version.

Right from the start we know that Ralph and Jem have parted ways, they share the care of the kids, passing them over on a Wednesday and back on Sunday - but have lost the vital spark of their relationship.
Then we jump back in time to happier days, their romantic meeting, getting to know each other, and the early years before baby Blake. This was a couple that was destined to be together.
So what went wrong?
The majority of the book answers this question, which I found rather depressing, especially as I often wanted to bang their heads together and say "no, don't be such a pair of idiots!".
The story is well told and the characterisations were good, but the book wasn't an enjoyable read. It entertained me as I walked round the park but didn't demand that I buy more from this author. ( )

After the Party is a sequel, and I suppose it’s possible that if I’d read the first one, I would have enjoyed this more – but I find it unlikely.

There really wasn’t much for me to like here. I imagine that Lisa Jewell was trying to write a book about a couple with two kids, who found themselves drifting apart, but really it was just a gossipy, ridiculous, and not terribly amusing story about a family unit that wasn’t functioning very well.

The writing style certainly wasn’t prize-winning, but it wasn’t terrible either. She managed to turn a few phrases that I found endearing.

“He was the sort of man who made no first impression at all but climbed his way slowly inside your consciousness, grew outlines and texture and color like a photo in a tray of developing film.”

There were several main problems running throughout the narrative:

1) I disliked all the characters from the beginning, and grew to hate them by the end.

2) It appeared that the author consulted a book of possible plot devices, and instead of choosing one or two, she crammed every one into this story. Abortions, miscarriages, infidelity, indifference, stalking, abandonment, being stood up at the alter etc.

3) There were numerous inconsistencies that were jarring as hell. For example, on one page, a guy shows up for dinner with some beer, and says, “I thought, curry, it should really be beer.” On the very next page, the woman to whom he just handed the beer says, “I hope you don’t mind but I got a bit inspired in the new and improved Sainsbury’s and thought I’d cook rather than order out. Are you okay with Thai food?” Also, she’d invited him for dinner via text, and specifically mentioned that they were having Thai food. This happens several other times in the book; a character will say something as though it’s never been discussed before, even though it was just covered. I suspect the author wrote this book in a few sittings and didn’t bother to go back and re-read it for the sake of consistency.

4) It’s clearly supposed to be Chick-Lit, but I’d prefer my Chick-Lit to not have numerous instances of shitty misogyny. For example, “Jem was taking a masculine approach to the situation, a practical, realistic approach.” Ah, so men are practical and realistic, while women are totally irrational at all times. Good to know!

Overall, I obviously wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, and though I do appreciate receiving a free copy from the GoodReads First Reads program, I will be donating it to my local thrift store. My apologies in advance to whomever unwittingly reads it. ( )