This Is a Love Story

Audio, but I also went back and read large portions because it was such beautiful writing and language and told so uniquely. This IS a love story - and not the usual trope-y feel-good type. This is the love that endures much, is gritty, and not always pretty - but honest and true. It is also a paean to Central Park - and occasionally features a montage of lovers with a connection there - not unlike the airport scenes in Love, Actually. Abe and Jane do indeed meet in Central Park - she is an artist, waitressing at Tavern on the Green; he is there for a business lunch with his father, though he secretly wants to be a writer. This is in 1967. Now, in the present, Jane is dying of cervical cancer and Abe is sitting bedside day after day, show more and they are indulging in "I remember" which gives us their whole gorgeous story, through courtship, (brief), ascendancy of their careers (successful) - Jane propels Abe to become a writer, and she becomes renowned for her art, raising their son, Max (painful - Jane suffers severe post-partum depression; Abe's mother comes to the loving rescue, but the relationship with Max is strained), their long marriage (ups and downs, but love wins). All in fragmented thoughts and recollections that presumably Abe is writing down that form a whole. Fans of the series This Is Us, or the old 90s movie The Story of Us will appreciate what it takes to capture a shared life over decades. When they first got together, colored by nostalgia: "I remember going to you like there was a strong wind at my back. I remember the first time we selpt together, you move my toward your like it was a reading light and said, Here. I remember that whenever I left you it felt as if I'd moved away from a fire. There must be a more sublte way to relay urgency. There must be a better word than love.....There could be another metaphor here, you say. For protection, for coming back home when there was no home to begin with." (15) Sigh. A good Valentine's month book. show less

Thank you PRHAudio for my gifted ALC

“This is a Love Story” by Jessica Soffer had so much potential, but unfortunately, the execution left me frustrated. While the concept was promising—a layered, poetic exploration of marriage, art, and love—its inconsistent structure and disjointed style made it difficult to connect with the narrative.

The book shifts between perspectives, including Abe, Jane, their son Max, and even Central Park itself, which I found intriguing at first. The chapters told from Central Park’s point of view were my favorite—they provided a “Greek chorus” feel and added a love letter-like ode to NYC. Soffer’s prose is undeniably beautiful and poetic at times, and I appreciated her unique voice.

However, show more my biggest complaint is the inconsistency in writing styles. The switch from 1st person to 3rd person narration, combined with an entirely different tone halfway through, was incredibly jarring. It felt like two different authors wrote the book, and the lack of cohesion ruined the immersive experience. The dialogue also lacked quotation marks, which made it unnecessarily confusing to follow who was speaking, especially in audio format.

That said, Marin Ireland’s narration in the audiobook was stellar—she brought a richness to the characters’ voices that enhanced the story. Still, the fragmented storytelling, stream-of-consciousness style, and disjointed presentation might make this better suited for a physical or digital read rather than audio.

Soffer’s exploration of love and marriage reveals both its beauty and its flaws. Some readers may appreciate this honest portrayal of a long-term relationship, but for me, the focus on the “frail” and “ugly” parts of the marriage outweighed the endearing ones. The narrative was too dark, and the slow, fragmented structure made it hard to feel emotionally connected.

This wasn’t a great read for me, but I think others may find it more compelling, particularly those who enjoy experimental styles or deep literary explorations of marriage and memory. show less

This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer is the highly recommended literary New York City story which covers decades of a marriage and family, while also serving as an ode to Central Park. The chapters are told from the point-of-view of each person and that of the park.

Central Park has been part of the lives and marriage of Abe and Jane for fifty years. The park witnesses their love, struggles, emotions, depression, and frustration. Now Jane, an accomplished artist, is dying from cancer, and Abe, a successful author, is recount their lives and relationship, every little memory, beginning with when they met. Next chapters unfold from the point of view of Alice, a graduate student who falls in love with Abe. The story of Max, the son of Abe show more and Jane comes next. He resents his mother, avoids relationships and is also well acquainted with the park. The narrative then moves back to Abe and Jane.

The narrative captures the complexity and intimacy of each person's story. There are parts of the novel that are quite touching, insightful, and poignant. There are beautifully written sections, but I can't say that about the whole novel. This Is a Love Story has a whole lot of potential but I struggled with the style of the writing. Then, once I was getting into the cadence of it, the switch in characters happened and I had to attend to a new characters emotions.

I appreciate the story and the intense emotions, but the writing was a turn-off for me. These might have worked better as interconnected short stories with a clear delineation between them. 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to Penguin/Dutton for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/01/this-is-love-story.html show less

not sure why i decided to read this, but i certainly hoped for much more. i should have listen to the reviews that said there was not much of a story nor much about central park. so repetitious and offputting. it was difficult to care about the characters who had no desire to change and grow--a book mostly about a family of narcissists. this writer is not for me, and i do not recommend her.

304 pages that felt like 1304 pages. This book was a slow slog for me. I started and stopped, fell asleep on it.
It is the love story of Jane and Abe. As Jane is dying of cancer, Abe recounts their love story, the ups and downs, the quest to become artists. She is a painter, Abe is a writer. Abe starts so many sentences with "you remember..."
I just wanted it to end. I didn't like the writing style, nor their love story.

An intimate and lyrical celebration of great love, great art, and the sacrifices we make for both

Did not love this book.