A poignant and powerful story about how one woman’s best intentions lead to the worst of situations, and how love helps her to heal and ultimately triumph. From the outside looking in, Lauren Delaney has a life to envy–a successful career, a solid marriage to a prominent surgeon and two beautiful daughters who are off to good colleges. But on her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary Lauren makes a … Lauren makes a decision that will change everything.
Lauren won’t pretend things are perfect anymore. She defies the controlling husband who has privately mistreated her throughout their marriage and files for divorce. And as she starts her new life, she meets a kindred spirit–a man who is also struggling with the decision to end his unhappy marriage.
But Lauren’s husband wants his “perfect” life back and his actions are shocking. Facing an uncertain future, Lauren discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had as she fights for the love and happiness she deserves.
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Robyn’s ability to create communities and write honest, realistic, strong women is unparalleled. Nothing is simple in this story, and that’s what makes it so compelling.
I think I’ve finally nailed what I love so much about Robyn Carr’s books (beyond her skillful writing)—she doesn’t focus entirely on two main characters. She writes about family, about other lives and loves that connect and impact the actual leads in the story, but those other loves, the other men and women who populate her books, are as fully drawn and well developed as the primary leads.
THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND is a perfect example. Lauren Delaney is a woman on the edge of a new life when she carefully plans and executes leaving her husband and the perfect marriage everyone thinks she’s been living for the past twenty-four years.
As difficult as the first steps are, the freedom from life with a controlling and often cruel man are steps she won’t back away from. As she files for divorce and begins to build her new life, Lauren meets Beau Magellan, a man going through many of the same things she’s escaping. While neither is actively searching for someone to fill the void, their growing friendship gives strength to each of them as they make the difficult decision to end long-term relationships with grown children involved.
While keeping the story moving at a perfect pace, Ms. Carr manages to give fully developed personalities and dreams to the peripheral characters—characters that might have been mere shadows without her deft touch. I really enjoyed the scenes with Lauren’s daughters as well as those involving Beau’s stepsons. Beau’s longtime friend, a Catholic priest, is the perfect advisor and confidant to Beau’s turmoil.
As the stories progress, there is a growing sense of danger in the background. The tension escalates and becomes threatening when Lauren’s husband decides he wants his “perfect” marriage and subservient wife back.
I absolutely love the ending in this one, though the process of getting there is one I’m going to revisit as soon as I get this review written. All of Robyn Carr’s books are keepers for me, and I’ve reread most of them multiple times. They’re just that good, and I definitely recommend THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND.
These parallel lives are seeking a newer, more fulfilling existence. Can they be released from their indentured servitude? Will their adult children understand and approve? This is a very special and gut-wrenching book. I think you should read it the first chance you get!
Wow, just wow! What a great story!
Follow Lauren, as she struggles with the choice to leave her husband of twenty four years, she’s had enough of his controlling ways. She stayed long enough to make sure her daughters were taken care of but now, she’s had enough of his mental and physical abuse. Follow her story as she navigates starting over, with the help of Beau, who’s there for her as a friend, and a sounding board as he’s going through his own divorce. Watch their story unfold before your eyes!
This has a slow start, but hang in there because you will not be able to put it down! 5 stars for this one! Grab it when it comes out, you will so enjoy this story!
I really enjoyed The View from Alameda Island. Two people, who are going or about to go through a divorce, meet by chance. They immediately “click” although Lauren is hesitant to get involved. After many hurdles, they reach out to one another. Lauren has daughters; Beau has step-sons. Their soon-to-be exes have a hold on them and make life difficult. There are other characters that round out this story but I don’t want to give too much away. I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. to finish this book — start early if you want to finish it in one sitting! Hope you enjoy it!
Small town getaway from another life… A place to hear, regroup and to get in touch with ones heart…. Friendships and connections make life work. The long road divorice and heart break can take us. Works every time!
I cycled through so many emotions while reading this book. Robyn told a story about a woman experiencing an insidious form of domestic abuse that I couldn’t put down until the end. It was a satisfying ending although I had more sympathy then expected for the horrible ex-husband.
It’s been a long time since I have read a book by Robyn Carr and I am happy to announce that I was given the opportunity to do so by reading her newest book The View From Alameda Island coming out in April. Carr shows us her passion for writing in her books, and she did not disappoint in this one either.
From the outside looking in, Lauren Delaney has a life to envy, a successful career, a solid marriage to a prominent surgeon, and two beautiful daughters who are off to good colleges. But she knew the day she married Brad that it was a mistake.
They say “opposites” attract, and it is true in Carr’s writing of the turbulent marriages that Lauren and Beau share in common. Lauren has planned her escape from her abusive husband of twenty-four years very methodically. How much more of the abuse could she take?
Ms. Carr takes us right there on the island with some beautiful characters and some very ugly ones. And tells the story of how two beautiful people cross paths at a very turbulent time in their lives, and fall in love. But their stories are not all champagne and roses, their stories touch on mental and emotional abuse as well as physical abuse. A touching story of how two families overcome the hardships and scars that their ex’s leave in their lives, as well as their kid’s lives.
I enjoyed this book very much. I could see the island and the homey town, she describes. Oh, and how the flower gardens must have looked, Carr makes them sound so amazing. There are going to be a lot of people that will be able to relate to their stories, as I did myself.
Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC of Robyn Carr’s book
What makes a woman who has been married to a successful man for 24 years and appears to have everything decide to leave that life? No one knows what Lauren has been through, not even her daughters understand the worst. She finally finds the courage to divorce Brad. It will be difficult at the least and dangerous down the road.
Beau meets a kindred spirit in Lauren. His own marriage to a dramatically unstable woman, the mother of his step sons, is over, but Pamela won’t see it that way. Beau and Lauren talk over their crazy lives, being careful for each other’s sakes.
Beau’s best friend and personal counselor, Father Tim, finds himself at the crossroads of decisions. Should he follow his earthly boss into the political realm and perhaps Rome? Should he follow his heart to help those who need so much? Can he follow his heart with Angela who is someone he admires?
Lauren, Beau and their children and extended families must weather emotional, physical, and psychological trauma and somehow heal with each other’s help. Love finds a way for everyone, but it isn’t easy.
Love all of Robyn Carr’s books!
This book reached out to hit on many things you face in your own life.
I always enjoy Carr’s books
I truly enjoyed reading this book and had a hard time putting it down.
Good divorce read.
Always enjoy Robyn Carr’s books. Well written and very entertaining.
Not my favorite from this author. Still worth reading.
This is by far the best book of Robyn Carr’s that I have read, I could not put it down. This is a must read for sure. From the descriptions of the gardens they were so real that I could almost smell the flowers. It has a few story lines going and they flowed so well that it was easy to follow.
An interesting look at the different forms abuse can take in a marriage and the difficulty a spouse has in extricating him or herself from the situation. As with all “beach reads,” the good guys/girls win in the end.
It’s got everything you could want in a great read. As always…love Robyn Carr books
Highly Recommend!