52 Book Challenge - Week Three - Book Four: When You Were Mine

This book is one of those stories that could have been told better in two hundred pages than the three hundred and thirty it was stretched out to. I would have felt much more interested in the characters were there to be less delay in the telling of the story with some meaningless details. I wanted so badly to feel for the characters in this book and I came close at times but I never really cared enough. To me, that makes it miss the mark a bit. Toward the end of the book it began to move a bit faster but by then it was too little, too late. I say Nicholas Sparks should steal the story premise and make the characters people I care about.

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The story is about a woman named Susie who is in a loveless relationship where her partner does not want to commit and his kids don't care about her. At her brother's wedding as she is revealing her dissatisfaction with her life, she runs into Rob, her high school sweetheart. They say hi and then leave one another. Susie still thinks about Rob while they are seperated and the tale of their past relationship and how she cheated on him is recapped.

Meanwhile, Susie's best friend since childhood, Amelia, gets a cancer diagnosis. Susie now must be supportive for Amelia while struggling with her own relationships. Admist this, Rob contacts Susie and they begin to see one another for coffee. One thing leads to another and they end up hooking up. Problem is, Rob just got married to a woman named Helena and Susie is in a relationship. But they claim it is true love.

Susie keeps the whole relationship a secret even from Amelia. But Amelia knows something is up and they get in an argument over Susie's behavior and stop speaking for a bit. Meanwhile, Rob and Susie keep their affair going on and end up sleeping together. Susie finally gains enough courage to leave her boyfriend and expects Rob will do the same with his wife. The thing is, Rob's wife is in the service and she gets injured. After she comes home with no leg, Rob realizes how much he has to be there for her and cannot be with Susie.

Susie is devestated but in the end it turns out Amelia is there for her. Amelia's cancer has gone into remission and both happy and healthy she reassures Susie that she has much to offer the world. The End.

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Like I said, the story could be so emotional and touching if you connect with the characters but I just couldn't connect. When I did connect slightly it was usually to think that Susie was a moron and she deserved what she got for being a homewrecker. I didn't see it from the touching, romantic viewpoint it was supposed to be coming from. In that regard, it just fell short.