Fourteen-years of marriage, two-children – and Dan and Lauren were now on the rocks. ‘Date Night,’ his mother-in-law suggested. Only problem was, Dan would have to wing it as he didn’t have a clue how to date his wife?He wanted to ignite the spark back into their marriage, however, Lauren wasn’t as keen.Lauren was devastated and confused by the sudden interest Dan was now showing her. Was he … showing her. Was he playing away from home? That would certainly account for the weird hours he’d been keeping ‘at work’.
Was Dan’s guilty conscience the reason he was now trying to get her into bed at every opportunity? Or was he just toying with her?
A new day was coming. Hopefully, Dan was ready for her? Because, by the end of the week – her marriage would either be back on track or over and heading for the Divorce Courts.
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You might want to have a tissue ready. This is a very in depth look into what can happen to a marriage when something catastrophic happens. The way the characters interact all thru the story you know something happened but you don’t find out until the almost end what that is. Once the couple work thru the issue they institute a date night to keep things interesting in their lives and it sounds fun. JF Holland covered real issues that can happen to people who have been married for years and the importance of communication being the key to get past it. I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to everyone. The narrator did a very good job building the frustration level of both characters and the sorrow that follows.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! A very realistic, emotional rollercoaster resulting in tears and laughter; the shower scene was hysterical.
I sometimes got frustrated with Dan and Lauren and their lack of communucation, but as the reasons became evident, it made sense where they were coming from. Such a beautiful story, with a wonderful, emotional celebration scene.
This is what I call a real story. No Cinderella or such other sweet romance in sight.
Real people dealing with real issues and finding real, true love.
I really liked that a lot of the POV was from Dan and explored his thoughts and reasons for acting the way he did. Some sadness in the tale, but overall I felt it was uplifting.
It is a quick, easy to read book with really likable main characters and some hot romance.
Would definitely read something else by JF Holland.
Beautiful, poignant and thought provoking, and lightened with a touch of humour.
After 14 years of marriage, and children, Dan has an epiphany one morning, realising that his relationship to Lauren is in danger, their son is almost a teenager, and their young daughter has just lost her first tooth. Despite Lauren’s wish that he spend more time with his family, he’s been all but living at work, leaving them to carry on with their lives without him, something that he now realises, they are very efficient at. To top it off, he barely even remembered that Lauren had got a good job, and realises that he’s not only lost contact with his wife, but the best friend he’d known since they’d grown up together as children.
Eager to remedy that, he takes time off work and starts paying attention to his family, much to their surprise and Lauren’s suspicion. She thinks he’s feeling guilty about something at least, and doesn’t want to put words to that possibility. What he had done, was visit Lauren’s mother and asked for advice. She said, start to date her again. Again?? He’d hadn’t really had to date her the first time round since they’d grown up together and been best friends!
In rekindling their relationship, they also got hot and heavy, and some of those scenes positively steam while others provide a little humour as their son almost catches them out. As Dan spends family time with the kids he starts to know exactly how much he has missed out on. I loved Dan’s thoughts as they went bed shopping for their little girl and she was taken not only with a princess bed with girly sh!t in a decorative pattern all over it, but eyed up the sh!tty pink bedding as well! And that shower scene – I knew I hated shower curtains for a reason!!!
JF Holland has written a story that will get her readers thinking. It provides hope that even with an almost dire situation involving grief and unresolved issues, there is always a chance that things can be worked out. Self reflection can be illuminating, and Date Night could be the vehicle to help do just that. 4 Stars.