Taylor Jenkins Reid just can’t do no wrong. I’ve been wanting to read more books that explore relationships and marriages and how people keep it together. We get so much of the happily every after, the honeymoon phase, the good stuff with the odd miscommunication thrown in. But this story was so real and raw and it became uncomfortable to read at times. The grittiness was appreciated. And Taylor Jenkins Reid did it so well.

Re-read 12/21/18: Aw look how cute 2017 chelsea was down there before she realized TJR would become one of her favorite authors. Not at all surprising: this book was still so fucking great. Original read 4/18/17: I really, really, really, really, really, really liked this. I want to read everything this author has written now.

In After I Do, Lauren and Ryan have been married for a few years, and they have slowly drifted apart and become resentful of each other. They agreed to take a year apart to learn about themselves and to figure out if they still want to stay together. On the surface, this is exactly the sort of book I enjoy. It's a nuanced look at relationships and how they evolve over time, through the good and the bad. Instead, this book made me so angry and incredulous I was ready to hurl my Kindle at the wall...

Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...A Taylor Jenkins Reid novel that I almost gave up on immediately... (I had my reasons!) Thankfully, I kept going and it paid off!The beginning of this novel was so Schmaltzy and Schmoopy, I honestly couldn’t take it! It was so very over the top, it made me ill. Then thankfully, it took a turn (which I knew it would) and became much more realistic, thus, I breathed a sigh of relief and continued on.Let me explain: Lauren and Ryan are

"Isn't it nice...once you've outgrown the ideas of what life should be and you just enjoy what it is?"I love how TJR is able to weave together different elements of a story (such as flashbacks and emails) so seamlessly. This went beyond a simple "finding yourself" and "discovering love again" story as we got different character's unique perspectives on what love is. There wasn't just one definition of a "perfect" love or life, just whatever made them happy and fulfilled. She is now one of my fav...

★★★★½/ 5It was such a beautiful and genuine story! Usually I‘m not a very big romance fan, but this book in an exception. The story itself looks simple, but underneath it, this book brings such amazing points about relationships and life in general.I very loved main character and how she stayed herself, but at the same time tried to change herself to become better. I really liked her inner monolog and how she dealt with everything what happened. She was very honest with herself and that was very...

6 stars!!I am in awe of this book. This is the kind of story that makes me think, makes me feel, and stays with me long after the last page is flipped. It doesn’t just become another book on the ‘read-shelf.’ It’s in a league of its own, and no matter how much time passes, the profound impact it’s made on me won’t diminish. This is one of THOSE books: the kind that will get you out of a book rut, continue your book roll, and is filled with the most meaningful quotes you won’t be able to stop...

4⭐ because I wanted to read something light over the weekend and this book was exactly that. After I Do has like, ZERO conflict. Lauren and Ryan's marital problems are SO simple - she doesn't like the way he packs his toothbrush, he doesn't share her likes for ethnic food - and they could have been fixed if either of them had thought to say 'why don't we just get 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 takeaway dinners?'However, I thought the messages about love and marriage were sweet. Open communication, compassion and...

What do you do when you realize you’re addicted to an author the second you finish their entire backlist?Just curious. As it turns out, I’ve been in a reading slump for the better part of three months and only tricked myself into thinking I’d gotten out of it because Taylor Jenkins Reid books feel more like that thing where you’re at a hotel or something and you alternate between the pool and the hot tub and your body is in a state of total confusion / mild trauma than they feel like reading.But...

After I do takes us on the journey of a struggling marriage. Ryan and Lauren have been together for a while, and after years of many miscommunications, their love is not sparkling like it used to be. They decide to take a year apart with no contact at all and see if their love can survive. During this time, they both learn a lot about each other and discover many things that were wrong with their marriage. Is this enough for them to get back together?You know your relationship is bad if you forg...

I’m 3 for 3 with my love for TJR’s novels! I mean, she could write a 500 page book about Egypt, and I’d probably devour every word. This is such a wonderful story about Lauren and Ryan, a couple that married young and no longer feel love for each other. They agree to take a break for one year and see what happens. No contact. No obligations. While the story was told fully from Lauren’s point of view, I must say all of the characters were fleshed out. I loved each and every person, and truly enjo...

“Just because you can live without someone doesn’t mean you want to.”This book is incredibly emotional and moving and I absolutely loved it. This book follows Lauren and Ryan, a couple who meets in college and is together for eleven years (married for six). We see them at their best and we see them at their worst, and the couple is struggling to make their marriage work. They just don't care about each other the way they used to. This book reminded me a lot of one of my all time favorite movies:...

2 stars. Review posted July 25 2014From the blurb: (…) And above all, 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. With all due respect I dissent. This is the story of Lauren. It's not a story about a couple because Ryan hardly exists. He drops by sporadically (view spoiler)[in the form of letters (e-mail drafts). (hide spoiler)] And what did they search for? It's all about Lauren here and Lauren there. We never get Ryan's...