Hey Girlfriends, I'm back!
I know you all missed me, wipe your tears, you don't need to be sad anymore.
I'm just flattering myself, I know. If I don't, who will?
I don't want to bore you to death with the same format I used a couple Tuesdays ago for this post, so I'm gonna make it short and sweet, like Jessica.
I'm just flattering myself, I know. If I don't, who will?
I don't want to bore you to death with the same format I used a couple Tuesdays ago for this post, so I'm gonna make it short and sweet, like Jessica.
Okey doke?
Spoilers Below!!
Chapters 13 - 22 and the Epilogue.
Don't freak! They're short chapters.
Don't freak! They're short chapters.
- Do you think that they moved too fast? What was it, 3 days or so and they fell in love? Is there such a thing as "love at first sight?" Is this the same thing as what happened to them?
- Were you surprised that Travis went and punched the doctor who put the moves on Gabby? Has your man ever done something like that for you?
- Did you start to see that maybe they weren't getting a divorce after all? Were you surprised that the "choice" was about life and death and not the marriage?
- If you were in Travis's situation, would you have made the same choice? Do you think he would have ended up resenting her like the other gentleman who resented his wife after many years of her coma?
- Do you think it was a fairytale ending, or true to life? Is it believable that someone could recover as well as she did from her coma?
What did you all think of the book? Overall, did you think it was good, bad, or are you indifferent?
Take our poll over to the right if you haven't already!
Now onto the best part!
We're going to start doing giveaways every Tuesday! (barring any unforseen circumstance that may cause us to miss a week)
***CLOSED***
All you have to do to win is leave us a comment with your thoughts on the book so far. We will draw and announce before next week's Spoiler Alert Tuesday, so check back!
Isn't that easy? Just another reason why your "Read with Girlfriends" blog pals, ie; Jessica and MiMi rock!!
Here is this week's giveaway!
Spoil your feet! I don't know if your feet need some pampering, but ours sure do!
Happy commenting!
I am down. I haven't read the book so I can't comment about it, although the spoilers make me wish I had. I went to get the Aug. book at the library today I had it on hold and they put it back on the shelf too quickly. :(
ReplyDeleteI love feetie stuff!
As I was reading I did think wow they fell in love quick. But then I thought of my own story. My hubs and I said I love you after just a few dates and within a month he moved in with me. We were married exactly one year after our first date. So I do get it.
ReplyDeleteI did catch on that it was not divorce before it was actually said. I thought the ending was a bit too "Snow White". I think it would have been better that maybe she had to overcome difficulties, been more believable.
I thought a lot about what I would have done in Travis' situation after I finished the book, and I truly couldnt answer myself! So hard to put myself in that place. On one hand you want to respect your loved ones wishes, but on the other hand you want to be selfish and hope that a miracle will happen.
I wasn't surprised by the speed of their love unfolding either. Hubby and I met and married in 6 months. (no there was no baby or anything...we just knew) I was surprised as to how fast they hopped into he sack though.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't surprised that Travis decked the dude. He was a creep. Hubby hasn't had to do anything like that. But he might if something like that did happen and I didn't deck the guy myself.
I saw that it wasn't a divorce...but just before it was revealed. It was a bit of a fairy tale ending. Don't know how I would have changed it though.
It is hard to say what I would do in that situation. Because I am not in that situation. I would so want to honor those wishes...but it would be so hard to give up hope. I took a class in college (biomedical ethics) and we did studies on folks simply waking up from long comas. Some said they were aware of what was going on around them...others that "woke up" did not. So I just don't know...I don't think he can be faulted either way, or anyone for that matter. It is interesting that I think it is the easier decision for the person expressing their wishes....versus the person that is left to carry them out. As in it probably was easier for Gabby to say that she wanted to be let go and for he and the chldren to have a life...versus him actually having make the decision to end her life.
I'm so upset. I still haven't read the book. Boo. But I LOVED the Time Traveler's Wife! Does that count???? And I already have next month's book ready to go.
ReplyDeleteThe first part of the book was totally predictable. I mean, you KNEW they were gonna get together. I figured it out before the author actually spelled it out for us that it was something other than divorce. I was actually slightly cynical...I mean, it's predictable for Sparks to throw on some sappy, tear jerking ending. I'm glad she didn't die.
ReplyDeleteI gave this book 3 stars. It was a good summer read.
I also give this book 3 stars. I actually really enjoyed it, I think if the beginning wouldn't have been so drawn out when I knew that they were going to get together.
ReplyDeleteOf course, maybe he knew that if he dedicated more than a quarter of the book to the sappy part that takes place at the end, then he'd have a WHOLE bunch of crying readers, cuz it really was a tear jerker when Travis was going through his struggles at the end.
I'm glad she didn't die too. I'm thinking if he would've killed her it would have ticked me off. Some books can do that and it works but this one wouldn't have.
You know what? Mimi saying that it was a tear jerker reminded me that I didn't cry at all. Not even a little bit. Is that bad? I cried like a baby during my reading of The Notebook. Perhaps that makes me cynical or it was just predictable. I gave it 3 stars also.
ReplyDeleteI didn't cry either. Hmm, J.J.--maybe we're jaded? :) I cried like a baby in the notebook too. MiMi, did you cry? Maybe it's because I have read a lot of Sparks.
ReplyDeleteI did like it. I don't mean to sound like I didn't like it. :(
my hubs and i met and married in 55 days. i'm a firm believer in when you know, you just now. so i could relate with that part of the storyline. And no i wasn't surprised when he decked the dude, my hubs is pretty protective, as are most men in love. yeah i figured out the divorce thing but it all seemed a little odd to me because it would be different if much more time had passed. i didn't feel that she was in a coma long enough to have it be such a huge ordeal. maybe that's just me though. and the end worked out a little too nicely. it would seem to me that there would be more obstacles to overcome. but i did like the book! it was a fun light read!
ReplyDeleteok i'm a bad friend of this blog - i still haven't read the book and it's due back at the library. dang it.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought WOW they sure did fall in love quickly. Then I put it into perspective that they were both in the place in their life that they were looking and ready to settle down so it made it more believable for me. And they also spent a lot of time together during those 3 days it wasn't like one date and then they were madly in love.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't surprised that he punched the doctor.
Once I got to the part in the book where he was going to the hospital I realized she was the patient, but I didn't realize it was a life or death situation. I am total cry baby and once I started reading this part I don't think I stopped crying until I got to the end of the book. Especially when he went home and was telling Stephanie about the choice he made. Ugh...I can't even imagine being in that same position. A few years ago hubby and I had this talk about what we wanted. I would like to think that both he and I would follow each other's wishes, but there is always that hope that if you hang on things will change. However, I believe it is all in God's hands and probably would have chosen differently. But you can never really know until you are in that situation which I hope would never happen for me.
As for the fairytale, I think it was a little too fairytale ending. But I like stories with happy endings so I was ok with it. But in real life it didn't seem like anyone would recover as quickly or as well as she did. The book made it sound like within a couple of weeks life was back to normal for them. But again I like happy endings so I was ok with the total happyily everafter!
I enjoyed the book...now to try and finish The Time Travelers Wife before the end of the month..I am half way there!
Ya know, I didn't cry either.
ReplyDeleteI think it's supposed to be a tear jerker, but I wonder if anyone did?
I bet someone did. I have cried while reading tons of books.
Who cried? Fess up! :)
I started the Time Traveler's Wife last night...it is pretty interesting so far! I hope to have it finished by Aug 1. I love that the movie is coming out...it is pretty nice picturing Eric Bana as Henry. :)
ReplyDeleteFirst off...Eric Bana is Henry in The Time Traveler's Wife??! Mmmmm.
ReplyDeleteI didn't cry but expected that I would--based on a previous sobbing experience at the end of one of his books. I thought I might cry if she died--but obviously that didn't happen. When she woke up, I guess I kind of expected it.
I just realized that Eric Bana played in the Hulk as Bruce Banner... I can't wait to see the movie!
ReplyDeleteO.k. all I totally cried, but I cry over half the t.v. commercials right now, so I don't know if I am worthy of a vote.
ReplyDeleteBeing one who fell in love quickly, I know for sure it can happen. I really enjoyed the book. I haven't read in forever, so it was fun to be able to just sit and read, it felt kind of like homework, that I wanted to do.
Love that you both started this!!!:-)
(raising hand slowly...) Okay, okay, I CRIED! I totally cried! I'm such a sucker.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it was a quick walk down Lover's Lane for the two of them. But, like Shortmama I was head over heels for Matthew after a couple weeks. Actually, I probably knew I loved him before we even spoke - long story ;)
When I read that Trav (can I call him that, I feel so close to him tee hee) had punched homeslice I said TAKE THAT, you, you blankety blank blank.
I was very surprised to realize that the choice was about keeping her alive. I kept thinking that some where along the way she went back to Kevin before they had a chance to marry and that something had happened to Gabby and Kevin's relationship (he passed, they divorced, etc.)and that Trav-o was there to convince her to come back to him. Obviously, I got a little carried away and was wrong.
As morbid as it may be I have imagined scenarios similar to the book and I can say even the thought is unbearable. I can't for the life of me say what my choice would be. I can say that I strongly believe resentment would not be one of the plethora of feelings I would endure.
Having a nursing background, I can tell you the ending is a fairytale - as much as I hate to say that. Things like that do happen but they are far and few between. I'm a glass full kinda girl so I liked that Gabby woke up unscathed.
I gave the book 5 stars - mostly because I was so surprised a loved it so much. It's not the usual genre I go for. That and I told you I'm a glass half full girl.
B
It was interesting to read the story from a man's point of view.
ReplyDeleteI rate the book a 3, I liked it, but I didn't love it. I'm wondering if his other books are better?
Jenn
I liked this book...I gave it a 3 as well...you guys need to leave the poll open longer for those of us who are total slacker girlfriends, and take to long to get around!
ReplyDeleteThe falling in love wasn't too fast. I knew I was going to marry my husband the first time we met. We were engaged 6 weeks later, and married 3 months after that. We'll celebrate 14 years in December.
I liked that Travis decked the guy. My husband would totally do that (I hope!)
I suspected the coma thing before it actually said it, and I think Travis made the right choice. I totally believe in miracles, and answer to prayer. In that situation I would rely heavily on prayer before making a decision.
I love feel good, happy endings. The unfinished, unsettling, or down right sad endings really tick me off.
One thing that bugged me about this book is that she slept with Travis before talking to her boyfriend and ending things with him. It showed a lack of personal integrity on both hers and Travis' parts, and I like my main characters to be virtuous!