Low Price The Things We Do for Love

I spontaneously picked up this book at the airport on the way to Alaska and read the whole thing probably because I was trapped on a plane... and trapped in Alaska. I don't know what made me choose this book. It's certainly not a genre that typically appeals to me (is Lifetime Movie Network also a book genre??). For some reason I gathered that when the back of the book said, "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" ... I thought it might have been suggesting something much more scandalous and action-packed would take place.

But, no. The plot and characters were pretty stereotypical. It was literally something you might see on the Lifetime Movie Network... you know, one of those totally unoriginal stories that was based on something true that could have happened to one of your neighbors. Jodi Picoult also came to mind.

Content-wise, this book was trite. It's full of women who are breeders and can't feel whole without a man or children in their lives... and of course the men here are all movie star quality. I guess there are plenty of women who live and think this way and can identify with this book, but for those of us who aren't so needy and helpless on our own... it was just plain irritating reading about these women wallowing in such self pity and helplessness. The ending does have some redeeming qualities, however.

And yet I read on. Why? Because Kristin Hannah has a talent for appealing to your senses and this draws you into her stories and you do lose yourself. Technically, she's an excellent writer. I actually marveled at her ability to make me visualize every scene and hear all the dialogue. And, I even had lasagna for dinner after all the good Italian cooking mentioned. However stereotypical, you still care about these characters. This is a writer who knows how to show family dynamics. The thread of popular songs playing during every couple of chapters or so seemed a little contrived in terms of appealing to a reader's different senses... and I gather even the title of the book was based on that old 70's song. This is a writer who doesn't have a whole lot of original ideas... but is skilled at making you experience her fantasy life. And ultimately, escapism is why a lot of people do read. I can definitely see the mass appeal of this writer. I won't ever pay for her books again if I want to read her again... but I can definitely see the mass appeal.

I recommend it for the same reason I recommend giving in to the occasional LMN drama... just one of those guilty pleasures you can momentarily lose yourself in... like when you're stuck on a plane... or trapped in Alaska.Get more detail about The Things We Do for Love.