Meredith Altman’s engagement to Wesley Latner ended in spectacular disaster—one that shattered her completely. Years have passed since then, and now she’s about to marry Aaron Rapp, a former Ivy League football player and baby-saving doctor. As they celebrate their engagement at a new TriBeCa hotspot, Meredith is stunned to find the restaurant owner is none other than Wesley, the man she is still … still secretly trying to forget.
When Meredith learns that Wesley has been diagnosed with ALS, her feelings about their past become all the more confusing. As she spends more time with Wesley and is pulled further under his spell, she discovers what kind of man her new fiancé really is—and what kind of woman she wants to be.
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This was a one-day read for me, as I was totally engrossed from the beginning. What a concept – an engaged woman encounters her old fiancé, only to discover that he is dying from ALS and has no one to take care of him. Old resentments arise, new feelings are explored, and it is the perfect recipe for drama that is both heartwarming and compelling. I look forward to reading more of her books!
“That’s Not a Thing” by Jacqueline Friedland
“That’s Not a Thing” draws you in from the first chapter! I can’t wait to read what Jacqueline Friedland writes next!-Green Gables Book Reviews
In college, Meredith met the love of her life, Wesley. Their wedding was planned when Wesley got a devastating phone call. He left her, alone, and waiting for him to return. He never did. She tried to move on.
Years have gone by and Meredith and Aaron are out with friends at a hot new restaurant to celebrate their engagement. They’re discussing where to have the wedding when Meredith realizes this restaurant could be a great venue! Aaron takes the lead and askes the server if they do special events. The server says the owner will come and speak with them. Meredith is shocked when it is Wesley, who she still thinks about and wonders about.
This chance meeting seems to have taken over Meredith’s life. She keeps thinking about Wesley and doing her best to keep things normal with Aaron. She loves Aaron and she loves their life together, her as a lawyer and him as a neonatologist. They are so good together. Why is she letting these thoughts consumer her?
Meredith decides to go somewhere she used to love and is surprised to find out Wesley is there. She is even more surprised to learn he has ALS. His body is already showing signs. Her heart is aching. She finds herself more and more consumed with thoughts of him.
Just when Meredith knows she needs to pull away, Aaron intervenes. Meredith knows what is right and what is wrong. Which path will she choose?
5 stars! Add this one to your to be read pile!
Pre-order now! Available April 14.
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: SparkPress (April 14, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1684630304
ISBN-13: 978-1684630301
Satisfying romance with compelling characters!
This novel about a woman torn between the free spirit ex-fiancé who called off their wedding and her current, reliable fiancé is in turn heartwarming, agonizing, and gratifying. A well-written page turner, the flow of chapters is the perfect mix of current and flashback scenes that come together to illuminate the present. All the characters are compelling and likeable, and the main character’s pull between the men is palpable and relatable, with surprising twists and turns, right to the surprising ending. A very satisfying read.
In life’s journey, there are many types of love we encounter along the way—first love, rebound love, the one-who-got-away love, ‘B’sherit’ (soulmate) love, and conflict love (the one in your bed, the one in your head)… Friedland, with her fabulous descriptions and compelling characters, presents a little bit of everything in this emotionally-gripping tale that examines love, loss, loyalty, what ifs, what is, and ultimately, forgiveness. Protagonist Meredith Altman is my kinda girl—complicated, inspiring, and richly-drawn. That’s Not a Thing has the unputdownable Jojo Moyes ‘It Factor’ that keeps those pages turning and burning bright… long after lights-out.
Fans of Jojo Moyes and Karma Brown will simply love Jacqueline Friedland’s romantic, poignant novel, That’s Not A Thing. In this dramatic and insightful story, Friedland explores tragedy, true love, and life’s many ‘what ifs’.
Jacqueline Friedland is at the top of her game with this wholly engrossing page-turner about the complexities of love, loss, and loyalty. With richly drawn characters and a gripping plot, That’s Not a Thing is undoubtedly THE thing to pack in your beach bag or pick for your book club. Friedland has done it again—another must-read!
Fun, flirty and fabulous… I devoured this read!
In That’s Not a Thing, Friedland has created a delightful and generous novel about the type of love that never leaves us and the people we hope to become in the aftermath.
THAT’S NOT A THING has an intriguing premise: What if you couldn’t forget the man who shattered your world, and after years of silence, he reappears in the midst of your wedding plans?
This page-turner packs an emotional punch as the author deftly weaves together a past passion with a present, rock-solid relationship. We see the wildly romantic Wesley pursuing Meredith in college pitted against the amazing qualities of her fiancé, Aaron, a former Ivy League football player and neonatal surgeon. Aaron is gorgeous, sexy, kind, and saves babies for a living. Who wouldn’t love Aaron?
But Wesley and Meredith have unfinished business. He ended their engagement abruptly in the midst of unbearable tragedy, blamed her, and disappeared. They reconnect in a hot new Manhattan restaurant while she and Aaron are discussing venues for their wedding celebrations. “Why not here?” she says, unaware that Wesley is the owner.
The sexual attraction between them is stronger than ever, but Wesley and Meredith can’t escape guilt, anger, and betrayal. New feelings arise when she discovers he’s dying from ALS. Worse, he has no family or friends to care for him, since he’s devoted his life to dreams of becoming a famous chef.
When I picked up this book, I thought, “Oh, a second-chance love story with a twist,” and yet it’s so much more. Yes, the love triangle is about reconciling old love with new and finding forgiveness in regret, but the story is not about choosing between two men. THAT’S NOT A THING is Meredith’s story, and ultimately she must choose to be the person she wants—and needs—to be.
This book grabbed hold of my heart and never let up. I loved everything about it and I’m so glad I decided to read it, knowing I would probably be an emotional wreck. Sometimes, you just need a book that tugs at those heartstrings.
I loved that while this book is all about the love that got away, it is also pretty thought-provoking. This book hit a little close to home for me as we had a family member pass away from ALS, so we know all to well the struggle that comes with this disease. I appreciated the way Friedland handled this part of the story and while I was not in Meredith’s position myself, I could imagine had I been, I would have probably been having similar internal struggles myself.
I loved the way the story unfolds, the flashbacks at the beginning of the story, so that you slowly warm up to all the characters. I felt this was the perfect way to introduce everyone and you can’t help but become completely invested with all the characters. You find yourself ending up wondering what you would do not only if you were in Meredith’s position, but in each of the character’s position…something I don’t usually find myself doing. Usually I identify with one character, but here, I kept wondering about everyone.
This is such an emotionally-driven, intelligent book. It covers a lot of heavy topics but you never feel overwhelmed by it. In fact, I was quite captivated by the story and wanted to see how it all unfolded. I highly recommend this book and think it would make a fantastic book club pick as there is so much to discuss. Have you read this one yet?
What happens when the one who got away walks back into your life? Well, that is the question Friedland aims to answer in That’s Not a Thing. This is such an interesting story on relationships and the decisions we make when it comes to love. The story is written beautifully and we get a whole look at the characters as the book is split into two different times.
This book really makes you think and feel. I mean, you truly have to put yourself in the characters shoes and think, “huh, what on earth would I do in this situation?” And apart from the book being a thought provoker, it’s also just a really moving and touching story. Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned and we are forced to take a step back and re-evaluate our lives, and that’s what this book aims to tell a story about.
I really appreciated that this book had two different timelines. I think that it helped flesh out the story and helped to make sense of the present. It also helped show how we change as people over time and how our feelings evolve and develop. Overall this really was a great book that looks into us as people and how others can change us. Sometimes Meredith’s actions can be frustrating, but that is how we all are. Sometimes we make frustrating or stupid mistakes.
4.5
That’s Not A Thing was a wonderful read about love—first love, lasting love, familial love. Love is complicated and Friedland covered some very sad, emotional topics without making it feel like too heavy of a read. I was hooked on this one from the first page and I never felt it waning. In fact, I stayed up late just because I didn’t want to put it down.
I highly recommend this one when you’re in the mood for some great women’s fiction that will have you feeling all the emotions.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my review.
Once I picked up “That’s not a Thing” by Jaqueline Friedland, I couldn’t put it down. I read it quickly – over the course of two days – and ignored many of my real-life responsibilities because I couldn’t tear myself away. The plot had lots of twists and turns, and I honestly did not know how it would be resolved until almost the very last page. (I was literally holding my breath in the heart-pounding final pages, hoping for a happy ending.) Jaqueline Friedland has a sharp wit and a way with words (as I guess befits an author) and I often found myself nodding my head at truisms that she somehow put into words succinctly and powerfully. The characters were relatable and stayed with me even after I finished reading. I will no doubt be looking out for future publications written by this author.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. If you enjoy reading stories about the one that got away then this book is for you. The range of emotions I went through with this book – that when I started I could not stop reading until my eyes were strained, and everything else neglected.
Meredith and Wesley met during college at Columbia and their love story was completely enthralling, until a tragic accident caused their horrible breakup. Years later, Meredith, was now in another relationship with Aaron, a pediatric heart surgeon, and engaged. In their search for a wedding venue, they ran into a TriBeCa chic restaurant owned by none other than Meredith’s ex Wesley. Information about Wesley brings them together in an unfortunate love triangle.
Friedland’s writing was heartrending, emotional and beautiful. She was able to capture the emotions of old love and new, digging into deep seated emotions that we bury to move on, but never forgetting. It was about forgiveness and being true to yourself. Friedland’s brilliance was her writing of witty and smart dialogue, relatable characters, and fabulous pacing while perfectly unfolding the story in two timelines.
That’s Not a Thing by Jacqueline Friedland is a heartrending story of what happens when old love meets new love. The author brilliantly captured the essence of the delightful characters and I actually felt as though I knew them and was a part of their life journey. Without giving away any spoilers, this plot includes all the elements of a wonderfully written novel. I found it to be both compelling and captivating, as well as being a fun, emotional, flirtatious story that hooked me from page one with its twists and turns. I can not recommend reading it highly enough.
WOW! Jacqueline Friedland, author of “That’s Not a Thing” has written a unique, heartbreaking, memorable, captivating, intriguing, and thought-provoking novel. The genres for this novel are fiction and women’s fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the events or characters. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex and complicated.
Meredith Altman and her fiance Aaron Rapp, who is a physician are celebrating their engagement with a special dinner at a fancy restaurant with close friends. Meredith finds out that the owner is Wesley Latner, the man responsible for breaking her heart years ago. Unfortunately, Meredith keeps running into Wesley.
Wesley reveals that he has ALS, and Meredith feels devastated. What can she do? How can she and her fiance help him?
I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of knowing what you want, self-growth, forgiveness, and second chances. The author also mentions the importance of loyalty, trust, family, friends, love, and hope. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking novel that is so well written. Just be sure to keep some Kleenex on hand.
For fans of One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid, this is a wonderful story about the one who got away and what happens when he suddenly reappears. Meredith Altman’s life is finally on track—she has a steady job as a corporate attorney, a gorgeous doctor fiancé and an upcoming wedding to plan. But when she runs into her ex-fiancé by chance, everything she felt sure of comes under questions. I enjoyed accompanying Meredith on her journey to figure out her true path. So many things in the books felt familiar and real to me. While the subject matter is often sad, the story never feels heavy. The witty dialogue and fast paced plot kept me turning the pages.
That’s Not a Thing by Jacqueline Friedland
What a story! Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions that at times made me feel that the characters were dealing with the roller coaster car about to careen off the rails. This book was filled with feels and had me thinking about what I would have done if in the position of Meredith but also of Aaron, Wesley and some of the supporting characters. This book will definitely stay with me for awhile.
The story beings in 2017 but flips back to a period between 2008 and 2012 to fill in the backstory of why what is happening in the present has the impact it does. I have to say it did make me go back in time to think about the men in my past and wonder about what it would be like if they were to show up again…okay…that would NOT happen now but if I had been Meredith’s age and it had happened…I wonder what my reaction would have been and how I would have handled it. Hmm…
Anyway…
What I liked:
* It was real…I could see this happening so easily
* Meredith: intelligent woman with some baggage from her past that clings in the present even though she is pretty much sitting in clover with her new fiance. She is a giver and fixer but has trouble fixing her own life sometimes even though she has a big caring heart
* Aaron: a jock with brains that is a man among men. He appeals to both men and women and seems to have it all
* The parents: They were worthy of their children and I really liked them all
* The educational aspect related to ALS, cancer and pro bono legal work
* The idea that light that shines from us is created by being happy and not by who we might or might not be with
* The insights that one can pick up if they really embrace the story…
* The writing and plot and story
* That I could relate to it in so many ways: woman, nurse, through past experiences, and more
* All of it except…
What I did not like:
* ASL – it is a nasty disease
* Cancer – another nasty disease
* Wondering how the future unfolds for everyone – I have a good idea but still will spend some time wondering.
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more books by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and SparkPress for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Friedland’s THAT’S NOT A THING is an unputdownable tale of old love meets new. Heartrending and evocative, this beautifully woven story captures the deep-seated emotions we carry—those of guilt, forgiveness, and what it means to be there for those we love. Friedland’s sharp writing and emotional depth will leave you turning the pages, ending with a satisfying, albeit bittersweet conclusion.
A well handled love triangle and second chance romance. Definitely recommend!