The Things We Do for Love

This one takes you back and forth between heartbreak and "warm, fuzzy" so effortlessly that I was sure I would need a whole box of Kleenex. I was able to maintain my composure, however...but it wasn't easy.

The two main characters are drawn so well that you almost start to feel like you know them. Even the secondary characters are well written. This book is definitely on my favorites list.

At it's core, this is a story about a childless woman and a motherless child. But it is so much more complex than that. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't go into detail. This is from the book description:

"Years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive a child have broken more than Angie DeSaria’s heart. Following a painful divorce, she show more moves back to her small Pacific Northwest hometown and takes over management of her family’s restaurant. In West End, where life rises and falls like the tides, Angie’s fortunes will drastically change yet again when she meets and befriends a troubled young woman.

Angie hires Lauren Ribido because she sees something special in the seventeen-year-old. They quickly form a deep bond, and when Lauren is abandoned by her mother, Angie offers the girl a place to stay. But nothing could have prepared Angie for the far-reaching repercussions of this act of kindness. Together, these two women—one who longs for a child and the other who longs for a mother’s love—will be tested in ways that neither could have imagined."

The book was awesome. I couldn't put it down. I work for a living and started reading it during the week, dope that I am, so I had to, but I went to work really sleepy for a couple of days. Then I finished reading it and had to say goodbye to these wonderful characters - which gave me an almost melancholy sort of feeling. I'll be reading it again one day, I am sure. This is my first Kristin Hannah novel - but it won't be my last. show less

The Things We Do for Love by Kristin Hannah is a contemporary fiction book that will bring on the tears (sad and happy).

Angela DeSaria Malone's life is falling apart. She thought her life was going to be perfect - college, marriage, motherhood, you know - the "dream." Well, it didn't go that way. Her marriage collapses and her life is in ruins. She moves back to her hometown to be with her family - her Mom and two sisters. After her Father passed away, the family restaurant is in shambles and might close down. So, it seems like the perfect time for the marketing guru sister who fled to the big city to come help! She meets a young girl who is going through a difficult situation, and it opens up Angela's heart like a Mother's would. Since show more her Motherhood dreams have been squashed in a variety of ways, could this fill her heart?

Man. This one HURT in so many ways but also filled my heart up with joy too. It's an emotional roller coaster that made me have all of the feels. Kindness, family, and loss are all big topics in this book. It was so beautiful! Kristin Hannah writes these characters to feel real and it's just so touching. I was glued to this book because I needed to know that Angela had the happily ever after she deserved.

If you like women's literature and feeling all of the emotions, this book is for you. It's like a sweeping romance that doesn't focus on love, but rather friendship and family.

Four out of five stars. show less

Loved this book. Felt that it captured the struggle of infertility quite accurately. Of course, one can only hope for a miracle of this magnitude to walk into your life and clarify everything, but all in all, the emotions were raw and real in this story.

Angie, daughter of a close-knit Italian family, is the only one to leave the coastal Washington town and forge a successful career in the big city. Her desperation to have a child leads to a painful divorce and she returns home where she meets Lauren, daughter of a messed-up single mother, and hires her to work in the family restaurant. Through these characters Hannah explores love of all kinds and the impacts it has on the characters' lives.

Very good, but an expected ending. Angie is unable to carry a baby to term, so she heads back to her family hometown after the divorce to pick up the pieces. She starts trying to save her family's Italian restaurant, and along the way makes teen Lauren's acquaintance. Lauren's mother is stuggling with alcoholism and always picking poor relationships, making Lauren function more as the parent. When Lauren finds herself pregnant and abandoned by her mother, Angie takes her in, forming a new kind of family.

Het leek wel dat ik in een hele mooie film zat,of nee eigenlijk had het net zo goed bij de buren of iemand anders kunnen zijn die ik ken,want zo echt is dit geschreven.Twee verhalen de één van Angie en de andere van Lauren die zo mooi samen komen in één boek.Beide hebben ze een verleden,kunnen ze iets voor elkaar betekenen? Ik zou zeggen lees en geniet want het verhaal is zo vol liefde ontroering maar vooral warmte.Het gezin waar Angie uit komt heeft ook echt mijn hart gestolen ,wat een lieve mensen,vooral haar moeder.Tot nu toe hebben al haar boeken me echt aangegrepen ,top schrijfster

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I forget how much I enjoy Kristin Hannah's writing because I don't see a lot of press for her. I like to compare her to Nicholas Sparks but with happy endings. I loved all the characters in this story. She made me absolutely hate the ones that were bad and love the ones who deserved it. The story line was magnificent with just enough angst to keep you on your toes. I'm going to make sure I put her books in my regular rotation. I wholeheartedly recommend this book