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The Relationship Quo #5
The Affair
From the Author of The Divorce and The Friend Zone
Includes a Q&A with the author
Lydia: That is not lipstick, it’s a ketchup stain or a smudge of jelly from a jelly doughnut.
Why do I know this?
One, I do not wear lipstick and two, my husband loves jelly doughnuts.
Boom. Mystery solved.
My gut started to whisper. It was that little voice. Not paranoia. Paranoia is loud and frantic, and it screams suspicion. This was different. This was so softly spoken in the back of my mind that I almost didn’t hear it. It was intuition.
Lorenzo: Sometimes I wonder if she would even enjoy these affairs if she didn’t have a husband. I wonder if she lays under whosever the man is and just imagines me sitting here knowing and hurting. Maybe it pushes her over the edge. My pain, her pleasure.
Now, I’m looking at this woman, who says she understands. She wants to be friends. Like some broken hearts club.
But there’s a fine line between what constitutes a friendship or an affair.
Between what separates us, from them.
That line is called a lie.
Includes a Q&A with the author
Lydia: That is not lipstick, it’s a ketchup stain or a smudge of jelly from a jelly doughnut.
Why do I know this?
One, I do not wear lipstick and two, my husband loves jelly doughnuts.
Boom. Mystery solved.
My gut started to whisper. It was that little voice. Not paranoia. Paranoia is loud and frantic, and it screams suspicion. This was different. This was so softly spoken in the back of my mind that I almost didn’t hear it. It was intuition.
Lorenzo: Sometimes I wonder if she would even enjoy these affairs if she didn’t have a husband. I wonder if she lays under whosever the man is and just imagines me sitting here knowing and hurting. Maybe it pushes her over the edge. My pain, her pleasure.
Now, I’m looking at this woman, who says she understands. She wants to be friends. Like some broken hearts club.
But there’s a fine line between what constitutes a friendship or an affair.
Between what separates us, from them.
That line is called a lie.
Published August 15, 2019
About the author
Nicole Strycharz
28 books409 followersNicole is a multi-genre author of over a dozen books.
"The Divorce" was nominated in the 2016 Indie Book Awards and won second place in the 2016 Best Cover Design in 'Urban Literature Magazine.'
She was featured on the cover of Words + Magazine for her book "The Affair."
She’s known for delving into sensitive and real topics such as in her title “The Love That Hurts” which explored domestic violence with the hopes of giving victims a voice while exposing the red flags of an abusive relationship. Most of her lead female characters are depicted as survivors or evolving overcomers of trauma. Sending a message to readers that every moment and every day they fight for is a victory.
Being of mixed ethnicity, she keeps her cast of characters diverse and tries to highlight the different cultures around the world.
Aside from writing, she runs a tarot and rune reading business called, Nikki The Solitary Witch. Interpreting the cards and stones for others, she offers a little clarity to her clients so they can face their path with a little extra confidence.
Nicole lives in Virginia with her family and one pretty Pocket-Pittie. She is always reading or working on the next book between mommyhood adventures.
"The Divorce" was nominated in the 2016 Indie Book Awards and won second place in the 2016 Best Cover Design in 'Urban Literature Magazine.'
She was featured on the cover of Words + Magazine for her book "The Affair."
She’s known for delving into sensitive and real topics such as in her title “The Love That Hurts” which explored domestic violence with the hopes of giving victims a voice while exposing the red flags of an abusive relationship. Most of her lead female characters are depicted as survivors or evolving overcomers of trauma. Sending a message to readers that every moment and every day they fight for is a victory.
Being of mixed ethnicity, she keeps her cast of characters diverse and tries to highlight the different cultures around the world.
Aside from writing, she runs a tarot and rune reading business called, Nikki The Solitary Witch. Interpreting the cards and stones for others, she offers a little clarity to her clients so they can face their path with a little extra confidence.
Nicole lives in Virginia with her family and one pretty Pocket-Pittie. She is always reading or working on the next book between mommyhood adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
September 7, 2019
This book.......I really had to process my thoughts on it. I love this authors book The Divorce so I had to dive into this one. It's not a typical cheater type book, or even one that gives you total satisfaction in the end by having the bad characters get their comeuppance, but I don't think it was meant to be that type of book? It was less romance and more fiction to me. The characters that deserved a HEA got it, and the ones who didn't, got an empty enough of an ending to warrant their selfish behaviors. The book follows four people, two couples. Enzo, Lydia, Ruby and Noah. Ruby and Noah are having an affair, and Enzo/Lydia are their spouses who meet and find comfort in each other. It's probably easier to bullet out each character/relationship and get out my thoughts on them, slight spoilers below:
Lydia-She grew up in a religious home where women are taught to deny their sexuality, no makeup, sex is to make babies, no risque clothes etc It wasn't trying to paint religion as a whole, but just a matter of the type of religion SHE was born into. She marries Noah and expects to be a dutiful wife and give him babies. She can't get pregnant tho, its not working. She is in deep denial the whole book about the husbands affair, but her journey is satisfying. She learns you can love God, and still be who you are, still wear makeup, have fun sex etc She eventually realizes the hypocrisy in her husbands ways and the religion she follows.
Enzo-A very good man who is passionate about cooking and his restaurant. He loves his wife, but knows she cheats on him. He is beholden to her not only emotionally, because she threatens him with suicide if he leaves her, but also in that her dad bailed his restaurant out and owns 80% of it. He has kind of shut down, and numbs himself to the hurt of not being enough for her. He had a good journey as well, learning to let go and just start over with the scraps.
Noah-A hypocrite is the best way to describe him. He basically married Lydia so he could sleep with her, he lied to her about being a virgin, and while on some level I think he loved her he just doesn't know how to reconcile the kind of personal life he wants to lead with the image he has built in the church. He kind of stays the same, always the victim, and always willing to lie to suit his purpose. He is passive, and even the initial start of the affair with Ruby is spurned on by her questioning his masculinity. Just a weak boy, with weak morals, with weak self-control that likes to pretend he is a man. I would have liked to see more about the aftermath of the affair, like did he leave his church? does he know Lydia/Enzo fell in love?
Ruby-She is by far the hardest character I had trouble wrapping my head around. Selfish and the typical other woman character that doesn't care she is breaking up another relationship. However, she has a traumatic past that shaped her, the affairs thrill her and let her shut down. I think she loves Enzo, that is evident, even in the end of the story but she needs therapy, and he found her at the wrong time in her life. She actually has growth in the story by the end. I guess it was hard for me because I wanted her to suffer in some ways, but in the end she got what most "other" women get in real life, something empty and in shambles because trust and commitment in a romantic relationship can't really exist for her without the therapy she clearly needs, she does find a way to commit though and tame her demons for someone.
Lydia/Enzo-I enjoyed them falling in love in a lot of ways. They found comfort in each other, and finding another person to be there for them, something they both wanted. They wanted a relationship with no care to the outside world, just the knowledge they belonged only to each other. They had tremendous self-control physically, but they did have an emotional affair, while their spouses affair was initially only physical. This is kind of where the book messed with my mind as well, you are being asked to accept one affair while being mad about the other. It worked for me though, because Lydia/Enzo had boundaries their spouses didn't have, they pulled back when needed, and acknowledged that what they were doing wasn't totally right either. The difference was they didn't choose to go out and have an affair, the circumstances of their spouses affair guided them to each other.
Noah/Ruby-I wasn't quite sure what to make of this coupling. It started on lust, but I think as they got further and further into the affair their actions started affecting their spouses more and more that pushed even more distance between them and their spouses so they kept wanting to reach for each other more. It was maddening seeing them whine about their spouses reactions to their deceits and sneaking around, using that as a means to push themselves closer together. It's like complaining about a fire you set yourself. They were selfish together, but in some weird way deserved each other. They don't end up together in the end, because again their own actions cause mistrust between them when there were no more scapegoats in Lydia/Enzo to make them feel like it was them against the world.
As for the married couples Enzo/Ruby & Noah/Lydia, they both struck me as couples that maybe would have worked in some alternate universe where Ruby never had her past, where she appreciated Enzos love for her, where Lydia was never born into such a rigid religion and Noah could have pursued her in a normal young relationship where you have sex first and get to test a relationship before jumping into marriage (Noah and Lydia would have probably broken up because he has traits that aren't a product of anything other than who he is).
The only thing I disliked was the harping on Lydias looks by Enzo, about how she was too skinny and not his type blah blah blah I don't like all that, he did eventually realize he found her gorgeous as she is, and it was before the makeover she had to finally dye her hair and wear makeup, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.
All in all this was a thought provoking book, and I was engrossed in it. I am not sure it left me with total satisfaction, but I think that was intended so I didn't take off for that. It did cause me to write ALLLLL these words! lol Also the author has a great Q & A after the book to elaborate on her thoughts of all the different relationship dynamics and characters.
Safety Info:
NOT SAFE LOL
OW/OM drama all the way though, even though you are meant to root for Enzo/Lydia you do get the POV of Ruby/Noah and it was hard being in the cheaters head even tho you don't want them with Enzo/Lydia anyways
There are sex scenes with other people. Lydia with Noah to show the passionless way they have sex, Ruby with Noah scenes, Enzo and Ruby have long stopped having sex so his only scene is with Lydia.
and of course CHEATING hence THE AFFAIR :D
Lydia-She grew up in a religious home where women are taught to deny their sexuality, no makeup, sex is to make babies, no risque clothes etc It wasn't trying to paint religion as a whole, but just a matter of the type of religion SHE was born into. She marries Noah and expects to be a dutiful wife and give him babies. She can't get pregnant tho, its not working. She is in deep denial the whole book about the husbands affair, but her journey is satisfying. She learns you can love God, and still be who you are, still wear makeup, have fun sex etc She eventually realizes the hypocrisy in her husbands ways and the religion she follows.
Enzo-A very good man who is passionate about cooking and his restaurant. He loves his wife, but knows she cheats on him. He is beholden to her not only emotionally, because she threatens him with suicide if he leaves her, but also in that her dad bailed his restaurant out and owns 80% of it. He has kind of shut down, and numbs himself to the hurt of not being enough for her. He had a good journey as well, learning to let go and just start over with the scraps.
Noah-A hypocrite is the best way to describe him. He basically married Lydia so he could sleep with her, he lied to her about being a virgin, and while on some level I think he loved her he just doesn't know how to reconcile the kind of personal life he wants to lead with the image he has built in the church. He kind of stays the same, always the victim, and always willing to lie to suit his purpose. He is passive, and even the initial start of the affair with Ruby is spurned on by her questioning his masculinity. Just a weak boy, with weak morals, with weak self-control that likes to pretend he is a man. I would have liked to see more about the aftermath of the affair, like did he leave his church? does he know Lydia/Enzo fell in love?
Ruby-She is by far the hardest character I had trouble wrapping my head around. Selfish and the typical other woman character that doesn't care she is breaking up another relationship. However, she has a traumatic past that shaped her, the affairs thrill her and let her shut down. I think she loves Enzo, that is evident, even in the end of the story but she needs therapy, and he found her at the wrong time in her life. She actually has growth in the story by the end. I guess it was hard for me because I wanted her to suffer in some ways, but in the end she got what most "other" women get in real life, something empty and in shambles because trust and commitment in a romantic relationship can't really exist for her without the therapy she clearly needs, she does find a way to commit though and tame her demons for someone.
Lydia/Enzo-I enjoyed them falling in love in a lot of ways. They found comfort in each other, and finding another person to be there for them, something they both wanted. They wanted a relationship with no care to the outside world, just the knowledge they belonged only to each other. They had tremendous self-control physically, but they did have an emotional affair, while their spouses affair was initially only physical. This is kind of where the book messed with my mind as well, you are being asked to accept one affair while being mad about the other. It worked for me though, because Lydia/Enzo had boundaries their spouses didn't have, they pulled back when needed, and acknowledged that what they were doing wasn't totally right either. The difference was they didn't choose to go out and have an affair, the circumstances of their spouses affair guided them to each other.
Noah/Ruby-I wasn't quite sure what to make of this coupling. It started on lust, but I think as they got further and further into the affair their actions started affecting their spouses more and more that pushed even more distance between them and their spouses so they kept wanting to reach for each other more. It was maddening seeing them whine about their spouses reactions to their deceits and sneaking around, using that as a means to push themselves closer together. It's like complaining about a fire you set yourself. They were selfish together, but in some weird way deserved each other. They don't end up together in the end, because again their own actions cause mistrust between them when there were no more scapegoats in Lydia/Enzo to make them feel like it was them against the world.
As for the married couples Enzo/Ruby & Noah/Lydia, they both struck me as couples that maybe would have worked in some alternate universe where Ruby never had her past, where she appreciated Enzos love for her, where Lydia was never born into such a rigid religion and Noah could have pursued her in a normal young relationship where you have sex first and get to test a relationship before jumping into marriage (Noah and Lydia would have probably broken up because he has traits that aren't a product of anything other than who he is).
The only thing I disliked was the harping on Lydias looks by Enzo, about how she was too skinny and not his type blah blah blah I don't like all that, he did eventually realize he found her gorgeous as she is, and it was before the makeover she had to finally dye her hair and wear makeup, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.
All in all this was a thought provoking book, and I was engrossed in it. I am not sure it left me with total satisfaction, but I think that was intended so I didn't take off for that. It did cause me to write ALLLLL these words! lol Also the author has a great Q & A after the book to elaborate on her thoughts of all the different relationship dynamics and characters.
Safety Info:
NOT SAFE LOL
OW/OM drama all the way though, even though you are meant to root for Enzo/Lydia you do get the POV of Ruby/Noah and it was hard being in the cheaters head even tho you don't want them with Enzo/Lydia anyways
There are sex scenes with other people. Lydia with Noah to show the passionless way they have sex, Ruby with Noah scenes, Enzo and Ruby have long stopped having sex so his only scene is with Lydia.
and of course CHEATING hence THE AFFAIR :D
September 8, 2019
Wow. This book was really something. It's about 2 married couples. One spouse from each couple are having an affair, the other spouses know this, contact each other, and provide support and understanding for each other. It's true, they really are the only ones who understand what the other is going through.
**spoilerish**
The cheaters (Noah and Ruby) were well painted and fully fleshed out characters. The author gives everyone a POV (though it's the h/H Enzo and Lydia we hear from the most).
This book is not a romance. It's a look into the lives of these characters. We see how the cheaters began their affair and why it continues. We see their lies, their self deception, their hypocrisy. They always see themselves as victims and take little personal responsibility for their choices. The h/H despair in the knowledge that they are not enough for their partner, that all trust has been lost, that they cannot count on their partner, and all the lies.
This was a sad and frustrating book to read but not very angsty (for me). I got annoyed that the h/H would both constantly repeat how much they love their cheating partner and not even consider divorce. They were a support system for each other but around 75% they started to feel an attraction to each other. At that point there was some emotional cheating happening between them. (They came close to kissing but stopped before anything happened and agreed that they didn't want to be like their spouses). I like that the h knew that they each had to separately take care of their unfinished business if they wanted anything to work between them. When they cut off contact and finally confronted the affair with the spouse, they were able to see that there was nothing left to save.
I liked that the h/H helped each other find themselves. The h helped the H see that his value was more than just his restaurant. HE was what made it succesful, not the building it resides in. The H helped the h see that there was so much more life has to offer and that she deserves her own happiness. The h also sees that there are things she did wrong in her marriage. Not that she takes any blame for her husband's behavior, just that she recognizes her mistakes and now knows not to repeat them in her future relationships.
This book does give you a HEA but still left me feeling a little unsettled. It's probably because the h/H don't get together until the very end and even though the epilogue was perfect, the romantic in me would have loved more time with them as a couple. The cheaters get what they deserve, which is a future where they are incapable of trusting their partner and an empty life.
Safety
**spoilerish**
The cheaters (Noah and Ruby) were well painted and fully fleshed out characters. The author gives everyone a POV (though it's the h/H Enzo and Lydia we hear from the most).
This book is not a romance. It's a look into the lives of these characters. We see how the cheaters began their affair and why it continues. We see their lies, their self deception, their hypocrisy. They always see themselves as victims and take little personal responsibility for their choices. The h/H despair in the knowledge that they are not enough for their partner, that all trust has been lost, that they cannot count on their partner, and all the lies.
This was a sad and frustrating book to read but not very angsty (for me). I got annoyed that the h/H would both constantly repeat how much they love their cheating partner and not even consider divorce. They were a support system for each other but around 75% they started to feel an attraction to each other. At that point there was some emotional cheating happening between them. (They came close to kissing but stopped before anything happened and agreed that they didn't want to be like their spouses). I like that the h knew that they each had to separately take care of their unfinished business if they wanted anything to work between them. When they cut off contact and finally confronted the affair with the spouse, they were able to see that there was nothing left to save.
I liked that the h/H helped each other find themselves. The h helped the H see that his value was more than just his restaurant. HE was what made it succesful, not the building it resides in. The H helped the h see that there was so much more life has to offer and that she deserves her own happiness. The h also sees that there are things she did wrong in her marriage. Not that she takes any blame for her husband's behavior, just that she recognizes her mistakes and now knows not to repeat them in her future relationships.
This book does give you a HEA but still left me feeling a little unsettled. It's probably because the h/H don't get together until the very end and even though the epilogue was perfect, the romantic in me would have loved more time with them as a couple. The cheaters get what they deserve, which is a future where they are incapable of trusting their partner and an empty life.
Safety
July 29, 2022
The plot in few words.
The hero’s and the heroine’s spouses have an affair.
When the heroine finds out her husband has an affair she tells ows husband, the hero.
He already knows.
His wife has issues. She was brutalized as a teenager and now she can’t stop having random sex with men. She suffers from PTSD but doesn’t want to be helped by a professional.
So the hero has this kind of twisted relationship that binds to his sick and cheating wife because he feels she’s under his protection.
The heroine has her issues too because she belongs to a Christian community that is very strict and severe in its rules.
They are almost Quakers.
Their women don’t use make up, they wear long and shapeless dresses, read only certain kind of books and watch only clean movies, and so on.
The heroine is a prisoner of this word, and she seems to be really living in another century.
She starts having a friendship with the hero and they share more and more time together until they start having feelings for each other. It is very slow burn in contrast with the affair their partners have, that is very passionate and impulsive.
There’s a lot of drama and at a certain point the heroine is pregnant with her husbands child but luckily she loses her child.
Luckily because she wanted to give their marriage a second chance, and I really was pissed because her husband was a bastard sob, betraying her and lying to her all the time.
I was glad they didn’t have a child.
Eventually they divorce their spouses and get together, while their exes eventually split up, after having a child who will live between two parents that are not together.
The end is bittersweet because we don’t know if they will have children because the heroine was pregnant for only eight weeks and after five years of marriage, but they will get married and be happy anyway.
- the heroine was the character who grew up more, she changed and left the strict community where she has always lived, but I didn’t like that she tried to give her marriage another chance even knowing her husband has cheated on her for one year and had been in love with ow.
And knowing that she loved the hero.
-the hero. I wish he were a lil more alpha, but for almost 80% of the book he was stuck with his wife in a loveless and shallow marriage even after he fell in love with the heroine. Thank god in the end he divorced his wife, even if the heroine at the time was still with her husband.
- I don’t know but I feel that something was missing here. The hero and the heroine were in love with their cheating partners for most of the book and this made them two losers, because they didn’t show any self respect and self esteem letting their partners make fool of them for one year- and the hero almost ten years! Why? Because god says so? Because the hero would lose his restaurant? They both were in unhealthy relationships that were toxic and unfair, and demeaning for their self esteem.
I don’t think their choice to stay with their spouses was right, they were both cowards. Every change is a little trauma, and in the case of a marriage is a big trauma and it takes courage. They didn’t have any.
- I felt more love and passion between the cheating couple than between the main characters. No passion, no chemistry ( the hero thought the heroine was plain and not his type until 90% of the book, while he thought his wife was beautiful) no temptation, nothing. It was disappointing. The cheating pair enjoyed a lot more their time together than the main couple. Not fair.
And in the end they had a child while our h/H didn’t.
Ok the author tried to punish them showing us that the cheaters didn’t stay together because they were two dishonest people who couldn’t trust each other and the heroine’s ex had just what he told he would never want to, that is, a child with a split family. And what’s more, with a bastard grandfather, ows father, who was a rich and ruthless man who enjoyed humiliating his grandson’s father.
I enjoyed the reading anyway, this is a very good author IMO, I like her style and I read this one without ever putting it down.
Some parts are controversial, I didn’t understand why both characters wanted to stay in marriages where there was nothing to bind to their partners.
I’m all for families and marriages and if it’s possible to save them I’m in, but here there was no love, no trust, no common ground and no children, so why did they stay together?? It was just a case of stay into your comfort zone because you’re a coward, for the four of them. So I didn’t really empathized with anyone here even if it was angsty.
Some parts were really entertaining, the old and grumpy cat, the hero’s big Italian family, the hero’s bf were really fun and sometimes more pleasant that the main couples.
The hero’s and the heroine’s spouses have an affair.
When the heroine finds out her husband has an affair she tells ows husband, the hero.
He already knows.
His wife has issues. She was brutalized as a teenager and now she can’t stop having random sex with men. She suffers from PTSD but doesn’t want to be helped by a professional.
So the hero has this kind of twisted relationship that binds to his sick and cheating wife because he feels she’s under his protection.
The heroine has her issues too because she belongs to a Christian community that is very strict and severe in its rules.
They are almost Quakers.
Their women don’t use make up, they wear long and shapeless dresses, read only certain kind of books and watch only clean movies, and so on.
The heroine is a prisoner of this word, and she seems to be really living in another century.
She starts having a friendship with the hero and they share more and more time together until they start having feelings for each other. It is very slow burn in contrast with the affair their partners have, that is very passionate and impulsive.
There’s a lot of drama and at a certain point the heroine is pregnant with her husbands child but luckily she loses her child.
Luckily because she wanted to give their marriage a second chance, and I really was pissed because her husband was a bastard sob, betraying her and lying to her all the time.
I was glad they didn’t have a child.
Eventually they divorce their spouses and get together, while their exes eventually split up, after having a child who will live between two parents that are not together.
The end is bittersweet because we don’t know if they will have children because the heroine was pregnant for only eight weeks and after five years of marriage, but they will get married and be happy anyway.
- the heroine was the character who grew up more, she changed and left the strict community where she has always lived, but I didn’t like that she tried to give her marriage another chance even knowing her husband has cheated on her for one year and had been in love with ow.
And knowing that she loved the hero.
-the hero. I wish he were a lil more alpha, but for almost 80% of the book he was stuck with his wife in a loveless and shallow marriage even after he fell in love with the heroine. Thank god in the end he divorced his wife, even if the heroine at the time was still with her husband.
- I don’t know but I feel that something was missing here. The hero and the heroine were in love with their cheating partners for most of the book and this made them two losers, because they didn’t show any self respect and self esteem letting their partners make fool of them for one year- and the hero almost ten years! Why? Because god says so? Because the hero would lose his restaurant? They both were in unhealthy relationships that were toxic and unfair, and demeaning for their self esteem.
I don’t think their choice to stay with their spouses was right, they were both cowards. Every change is a little trauma, and in the case of a marriage is a big trauma and it takes courage. They didn’t have any.
- I felt more love and passion between the cheating couple than between the main characters. No passion, no chemistry ( the hero thought the heroine was plain and not his type until 90% of the book, while he thought his wife was beautiful) no temptation, nothing. It was disappointing. The cheating pair enjoyed a lot more their time together than the main couple. Not fair.
And in the end they had a child while our h/H didn’t.
Ok the author tried to punish them showing us that the cheaters didn’t stay together because they were two dishonest people who couldn’t trust each other and the heroine’s ex had just what he told he would never want to, that is, a child with a split family. And what’s more, with a bastard grandfather, ows father, who was a rich and ruthless man who enjoyed humiliating his grandson’s father.
I enjoyed the reading anyway, this is a very good author IMO, I like her style and I read this one without ever putting it down.
Some parts are controversial, I didn’t understand why both characters wanted to stay in marriages where there was nothing to bind to their partners.
I’m all for families and marriages and if it’s possible to save them I’m in, but here there was no love, no trust, no common ground and no children, so why did they stay together?? It was just a case of stay into your comfort zone because you’re a coward, for the four of them. So I didn’t really empathized with anyone here even if it was angsty.
Some parts were really entertaining, the old and grumpy cat, the hero’s big Italian family, the hero’s bf were really fun and sometimes more pleasant that the main couples.
July 23, 2020
Rant alert!
So I just finished this book AND I AM FURIOUS
Recap- it's a book about two spouses whose significant others are cheating with each other
Now I just wanted to say this book is a roller coaster of emotions. It made my heart squeeze and eyes water. But most of all I was angry.
And this isn't a negative review because I LOVED it.
The problem,
IT
IS
VERY
UNFAIR
Let's start with our heroine, Lydia
In a nutshell, she's a church going, goody two shoes plain Jane. In the beginning of the book she's shown as a boring, conservative doormat heroine but she's fiercely loyal and that's why I loved her.
It was so irritating that she stood there and let her husband cheat on her for a year and didn't say anything. I was so angry that she couldn't stand up for herself and believed that she could have her marriage back to perfect.
Eventually, she became the strongest character in this book. She discovered her sexuality, Rebelled against her husband, gave him a run for his money and proved to be smarter, stronger and loyal that everyone.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AT ITS BRIGHTEST
Now the hero, Lorenzo
His character was the most intriguing. The sexy, angry Italian bad boy with a motorcycle and great cooking skills to boot.
He stayed in the marriage with his cheating slut of a wife because of his restaurant most of which was owned by his father-in-law. But what I couldn't understand was why he loved her since there isn't one good trait of her which was even tolerable other that the fact that she was sexy. Even at almost 70% of the book he was still confused whether he loved her or not. I mean come on she openly cheated on him with multiple men
He should've treated her like the slut she is.
Now the worst fucking character, Noah (husband of the heroine)
Two words
FUCKING PUSSY
I thank the author that he wasn't the hero but I would rather eat broken glass than read a book featuring him as the lead
So he cheated on his wife, had a year long affair, fell in love with her, wasn't there for his wife's miscarriage because he was too busy fucking his mistress, got angry at his wife and blamed her for not telling about the miscarriage, got his mistress pregnant, fucked her in his and his wife's car, brought his side piece to his house and fucked her there, spent Thanksgiving and Christmas and had romantic getaways with his mistress, lied about being a virgin and basically called his wife boring, predicable, plain, dumb and just a house wife with no means to get a job or survive by herself
There are so many more stuff and it only gets bad.
WORST PART IS HE GOT A HAPPY FUCKING ENDING.
LIKE SHIT! ARE YOU SERIOUS WITH ME!?
He got free with his feelings pretty much intact, got married to the love of his life right after his divorce and had a child albeit they did get divorce but only because he was suspicious she'd cheat. I mean, considering how they started he really should have had more sense in him
No remorse, no guilt, no grovel
Fuck the wife didn't even get a fucking sorry for what he did
I just can't believe the author gave him an ending where he didn't get what he deserved (which should've been a lonely, depressed life)
The slut herself, Ruby (Lorenzo's wife)
Now some people might not agree with me here because she had a tragic past or something
So if you're gonna plead the case of a cheating whore, who'd decided to throw all of Lorenzo's love and affection down the drain, you might as well stop reading my review or get a better perspective
So she had a tragic past and was scared of sex and used to get panic attacks. Now Lorenzo steps in and helps her with the panic attacks and getting used to sex and what does she do? She goes out and has sex with god knows how many other people without any solid reason as to why. And she also gets pregnant once, doesn't know who the father is so she aborts it
Now she meets Noah, has sex with him even though he's married, falls in love with him, ask him to take her to his house so that she could know his life and fuck him there, gets jealous of Lydia and pressures him to divorce him
All of this while she still loves Lorenzo and tries to have sex with him every other time
FUCKED IN THE HEAD
The worst part is she also has a happy ending, with a baby she loves, successful job and is genuinely living her life
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE? HOW IS THIS FAIR?
Noah got a baby while Lydia lost hers and couldn't get pregnant anymore.
Ruby got a baby while the baby she aborted could've been Lorenzo's
Ruby and Noah are separated with a child but happy and still have the hots of each other
Lydia and Lorenzo have no child but are very happy, in love with each other and married.
So I just finished this book AND I AM FURIOUS
Recap- it's a book about two spouses whose significant others are cheating with each other
Now I just wanted to say this book is a roller coaster of emotions. It made my heart squeeze and eyes water. But most of all I was angry.
And this isn't a negative review because I LOVED it.
The problem,
IT
IS
VERY
UNFAIR
Let's start with our heroine, Lydia
In a nutshell, she's a church going, goody two shoes plain Jane. In the beginning of the book she's shown as a boring, conservative doormat heroine but she's fiercely loyal and that's why I loved her.
It was so irritating that she stood there and let her husband cheat on her for a year and didn't say anything. I was so angry that she couldn't stand up for herself and believed that she could have her marriage back to perfect.
Eventually, she became the strongest character in this book. She discovered her sexuality, Rebelled against her husband, gave him a run for his money and proved to be smarter, stronger and loyal that everyone.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AT ITS BRIGHTEST
Now the hero, Lorenzo
His character was the most intriguing. The sexy, angry Italian bad boy with a motorcycle and great cooking skills to boot.
He stayed in the marriage with his cheating slut of a wife because of his restaurant most of which was owned by his father-in-law. But what I couldn't understand was why he loved her since there isn't one good trait of her which was even tolerable other that the fact that she was sexy. Even at almost 70% of the book he was still confused whether he loved her or not. I mean come on she openly cheated on him with multiple men
He should've treated her like the slut she is.
Now the worst fucking character, Noah (husband of the heroine)
Two words
FUCKING PUSSY
I thank the author that he wasn't the hero but I would rather eat broken glass than read a book featuring him as the lead
So he cheated on his wife, had a year long affair, fell in love with her, wasn't there for his wife's miscarriage because he was too busy fucking his mistress, got angry at his wife and blamed her for not telling about the miscarriage, got his mistress pregnant, fucked her in his and his wife's car, brought his side piece to his house and fucked her there, spent Thanksgiving and Christmas and had romantic getaways with his mistress, lied about being a virgin and basically called his wife boring, predicable, plain, dumb and just a house wife with no means to get a job or survive by herself
There are so many more stuff and it only gets bad.
WORST PART IS HE GOT A HAPPY FUCKING ENDING.
LIKE SHIT! ARE YOU SERIOUS WITH ME!?
He got free with his feelings pretty much intact, got married to the love of his life right after his divorce and had a child albeit they did get divorce but only because he was suspicious she'd cheat. I mean, considering how they started he really should have had more sense in him
No remorse, no guilt, no grovel
Fuck the wife didn't even get a fucking sorry for what he did
I just can't believe the author gave him an ending where he didn't get what he deserved (which should've been a lonely, depressed life)
The slut herself, Ruby (Lorenzo's wife)
Now some people might not agree with me here because she had a tragic past or something
So if you're gonna plead the case of a cheating whore, who'd decided to throw all of Lorenzo's love and affection down the drain, you might as well stop reading my review or get a better perspective
So she had a tragic past and was scared of sex and used to get panic attacks. Now Lorenzo steps in and helps her with the panic attacks and getting used to sex and what does she do? She goes out and has sex with god knows how many other people without any solid reason as to why. And she also gets pregnant once, doesn't know who the father is so she aborts it
Now she meets Noah, has sex with him even though he's married, falls in love with him, ask him to take her to his house so that she could know his life and fuck him there, gets jealous of Lydia and pressures him to divorce him
All of this while she still loves Lorenzo and tries to have sex with him every other time
FUCKED IN THE HEAD
The worst part is she also has a happy ending, with a baby she loves, successful job and is genuinely living her life
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE? HOW IS THIS FAIR?
Noah got a baby while Lydia lost hers and couldn't get pregnant anymore.
Ruby got a baby while the baby she aborted could've been Lorenzo's
Ruby and Noah are separated with a child but happy and still have the hots of each other
Lydia and Lorenzo have no child but are very happy, in love with each other and married.
January 31, 2020
This is a cheating book.
It deals with two couples, one where the husband is cheating with the other man's wife.
It deals with sensitive topics and there is discussion about intimacy.
The cheating is going on throughout the story and we spend the majority of the time in the innocent wife's POV.
The innocent pair in the book also form an emotional bond, becoming good friends, though never physically acting on anything, in fact making a conscious decision not to.
But is it emotional cheating? That's left to the reader to decide.
It is set in a strict religious background for the husband who is cheating.
I felt this could detract slightly from the issue as the wife's naivety is blamed a bit on the issues the husband has and why he strays.
I found it a bit frustrating she didn't confront him sooner, but it again is blamed slightly on her role under their relationship and the church's expectations.
Never once did it deal with the consequences of the husband from the church for being a cheater, what they would think of him, would he loose respect, etc...
The other couple had more issues as to why they stayed together, which was more understandable.
HEA?
For some. Some characters grew and learnt from mistakes.
I would have liked a bit from Noahs POV at the end.
Some humour, some honest talking and no intimate scenes as such but discussions on intimacy and sex.
It deals with two couples, one where the husband is cheating with the other man's wife.
It deals with sensitive topics and there is discussion about intimacy.
The cheating is going on throughout the story and we spend the majority of the time in the innocent wife's POV.
The innocent pair in the book also form an emotional bond, becoming good friends, though never physically acting on anything, in fact making a conscious decision not to.
But is it emotional cheating? That's left to the reader to decide.
It is set in a strict religious background for the husband who is cheating.
I felt this could detract slightly from the issue as the wife's naivety is blamed a bit on the issues the husband has and why he strays.
I found it a bit frustrating she didn't confront him sooner, but it again is blamed slightly on her role under their relationship and the church's expectations.
Never once did it deal with the consequences of the husband from the church for being a cheater, what they would think of him, would he loose respect, etc...
The other couple had more issues as to why they stayed together, which was more understandable.
HEA?
For some. Some characters grew and learnt from mistakes.
I would have liked a bit from Noahs POV at the end.
Some humour, some honest talking and no intimate scenes as such but discussions on intimacy and sex.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2023
I’ll be honest, I did not expect to enjoy this book. The author tells a good story, but the one book I had read that I remembered, The Divorce, was illogical and had a loathsome H. The ending was terrible, too.
This book, on the other hand, was focused on a woman whose husband was having an affair. She is very sheltered and religious, as is her husband, and is completely outmatched by the glamour and aggressive sexuality of the other woman. In desperation, she approaches the other woman’s husband, and they begin a friendship. They get to know each other very well, and as their attraction grows, so does their respect for each other. They both grow during this friendship and are able to work through things that have been holding them back and making them unhappy.
It is a little slow going at times, but very enjoyable, because you can see that progress is being made each step of the way.
Also, this is definitely a situation where both the cheating husband and the OW end up with what they deserve in an almost Edith Wharton-style fate.
This book, on the other hand, was focused on a woman whose husband was having an affair. She is very sheltered and religious, as is her husband, and is completely outmatched by the glamour and aggressive sexuality of the other woman. In desperation, she approaches the other woman’s husband, and they begin a friendship. They get to know each other very well, and as their attraction grows, so does their respect for each other. They both grow during this friendship and are able to work through things that have been holding them back and making them unhappy.
It is a little slow going at times, but very enjoyable, because you can see that progress is being made each step of the way.
Also, this is definitely a situation where both the cheating husband and the OW end up with what they deserve in an almost Edith Wharton-style fate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2020
Torn
The story was ok, however I was not impressed about the religion part of the book. Just because they have church in their lives does not mean sit there a take your spouse cheating and getting the woman pregnant. Also the Author shows the church shunning and calling a woman a name because of the way she dressed and how many times she was married.
I didn't like Ruby or Noah since they showed no remorse what do ever and Noah mind if blamed everything on Lydia.
Now Lorenzo I really like and glad that he and Lydia got the happily ever after and the other two did not.
The story was ok, however I was not impressed about the religion part of the book. Just because they have church in their lives does not mean sit there a take your spouse cheating and getting the woman pregnant. Also the Author shows the church shunning and calling a woman a name because of the way she dressed and how many times she was married.
I didn't like Ruby or Noah since they showed no remorse what do ever and Noah mind if blamed everything on Lydia.
Now Lorenzo I really like and glad that he and Lydia got the happily ever after and the other two did not.
December 23, 2020
This was a really slow burner and I could see why the author undertook it in that direction as I kept reading the book.
The relationship between the H and the h builds up very slowly.
Their relationship first started off as acquaintance who look for each other to dull the pain as they both understand first-hand the pain their partner inflicted on them ,but along the way, they become friends who looked out for one another that actually relished in each other's company when their partners are out cheating on them with each other.
I love the development of the h where she finally outgrew the 80s values that she couldn't be someone without her husband.
I don't blame her for her thoughts because I think that might had been due to the monopoly of the church where they constantly preach about how a women must be weak and serving to the man.
She was placed in this box that she couldn't get out off.
I am glad she finally learn that she could be religious AND own her sexuality.
The H's family interaction with the h were really endearing.
I liked how they made room for the h to be a family when her true family couldn't be there.
The H was such a sweetheart towards the h, he was there when she needed someone the most and also helped calmed her nerves whenever she had a panic attack.
I am glad their relationship didn't proceed as quickly as it did, because in this scenario, that is what's happening between their cheating partners.
It ignites so quickly and strongly but dissolves just as fast under strong current.
This differs from the H and the h where they actually build a strong foundation that any violent current or small ripples would not tear them apart.This is why their turnabout is slow yet fitting, they were able to build a strong trust which was lacking from their previous relationship.
The reason I gave this 3 stars wasnt because its not a good book, but because I felt the elements of romance was kinda missing.I read this expecting a romance that would give sucker punch me in my face, but a large portion of the story had to do with them hanging out as neutral friends and the problems that is occurring around them.I don't mind that but there were no longing glances or heating touches between them till the last portion of the book which really sucks because I felt there were a lot of moments where the author could insert some sexual undertones in their relationship.
The relationship between the H and the h builds up very slowly.
Their relationship first started off as acquaintance who look for each other to dull the pain as they both understand first-hand the pain their partner inflicted on them ,but along the way, they become friends who looked out for one another that actually relished in each other's company when their partners are out cheating on them with each other.
I love the development of the h where she finally outgrew the 80s values that she couldn't be someone without her husband.
I don't blame her for her thoughts because I think that might had been due to the monopoly of the church where they constantly preach about how a women must be weak and serving to the man.
She was placed in this box that she couldn't get out off.
I am glad she finally learn that she could be religious AND own her sexuality.
The H's family interaction with the h were really endearing.
I liked how they made room for the h to be a family when her true family couldn't be there.
The H was such a sweetheart towards the h, he was there when she needed someone the most and also helped calmed her nerves whenever she had a panic attack.
I am glad their relationship didn't proceed as quickly as it did, because in this scenario, that is what's happening between their cheating partners.
It ignites so quickly and strongly but dissolves just as fast under strong current.
This differs from the H and the h where they actually build a strong foundation that any violent current or small ripples would not tear them apart.This is why their turnabout is slow yet fitting, they were able to build a strong trust which was lacking from their previous relationship.
The reason I gave this 3 stars wasnt because its not a good book, but because I felt the elements of romance was kinda missing.I read this expecting a romance that would give sucker punch me in my face, but a large portion of the story had to do with them hanging out as neutral friends and the problems that is occurring around them.I don't mind that but there were no longing glances or heating touches between them till the last portion of the book which really sucks because I felt there were a lot of moments where the author could insert some sexual undertones in their relationship.
October 17, 2019
I usually dont write reviews. I read them when I'm about to read a new book. But I had to write something about this book.
I read The Divorce and I loved it!! It was my first book from Nicole Strycharz. I loved it soo much i wanted to check out her other books but then I came upon this. It's not really a bad book, the writing is heads one of the best I came upon. She's unique in her writting. The story, as hard as I'm trying to understand it, I can't get over the fact that Lydia is soo stupid. She's a pushover. She's weak, naive, clueless, ignorant, umm, did I mention stupid. She stays in a relationship knowing her man is fucking someone else. She's witness it, she's even found the woman I her house, her panties in the car. Smdh. Basically you can just walk all over and she would still want to your best friend. And it's not because she has a good heart, it's because the S.T.U.P.I.D.
When I started reading the book, I was excited. She was been cheated on and i wanted to see his everything unfold. I felt sorry for her because she was been cheated on. It happens. But after she found out and stayed, then making excuses after excuses not to leave the scumbag, it did me in... Literally. Plus using the baby to pin him down *Roll Eyes*... I just wanted to poke my eyes out when I got to her point of view. I wanted to skip those pages. I really didn't like her in the whole book, she's really really stupid. Her husband walks all over her. It makes me mad.
Lorenzo on the other hand, he tried to leave his wife even though she had the restaurant dangling over his head. He has a little more reason to stay to not lose his business but still attempted to leave at least. But he was also a fool watching her have sex with another man. Them his excuse was that he watched to feel numb and to keep in mind that she was no good, a liar and a cheater. I honestly believe he was just a morbid perv. But to all their own. They deserve each other (Lorenzo and Lydia). Both are stupid little souls.
I honestly don't know if I can keep reading this book. It's frustrating.
2.5 ☆ for me. And that's being generous.
I read The Divorce and I loved it!! It was my first book from Nicole Strycharz. I loved it soo much i wanted to check out her other books but then I came upon this. It's not really a bad book, the writing is heads one of the best I came upon. She's unique in her writting. The story, as hard as I'm trying to understand it, I can't get over the fact that Lydia is soo stupid. She's a pushover. She's weak, naive, clueless, ignorant, umm, did I mention stupid. She stays in a relationship knowing her man is fucking someone else. She's witness it, she's even found the woman I her house, her panties in the car. Smdh. Basically you can just walk all over and she would still want to your best friend. And it's not because she has a good heart, it's because the S.T.U.P.I.D.
When I started reading the book, I was excited. She was been cheated on and i wanted to see his everything unfold. I felt sorry for her because she was been cheated on. It happens. But after she found out and stayed, then making excuses after excuses not to leave the scumbag, it did me in... Literally. Plus using the baby to pin him down *Roll Eyes*... I just wanted to poke my eyes out when I got to her point of view. I wanted to skip those pages. I really didn't like her in the whole book, she's really really stupid. Her husband walks all over her. It makes me mad.
Lorenzo on the other hand, he tried to leave his wife even though she had the restaurant dangling over his head. He has a little more reason to stay to not lose his business but still attempted to leave at least. But he was also a fool watching her have sex with another man. Them his excuse was that he watched to feel numb and to keep in mind that she was no good, a liar and a cheater. I honestly believe he was just a morbid perv. But to all their own. They deserve each other (Lorenzo and Lydia). Both are stupid little souls.
I honestly don't know if I can keep reading this book. It's frustrating.
2.5 ☆ for me. And that's being generous.
September 9, 2019
Great novel
The Affair is the fifth book in the Relationship Quo series. If you have read her books or are new to her, you will learn that her books are about real life situations that give you all the feels.
The Affair is about two couples that are being cheated on by their significant other. I was on a seesaw with the main character. I hated her sometimes and was so proud in others.
What I truly loved was that Nicole gave us 4 sides to the story and how they were all affected in the end.
I highly recommend.
The Affair is the fifth book in the Relationship Quo series. If you have read her books or are new to her, you will learn that her books are about real life situations that give you all the feels.
The Affair is about two couples that are being cheated on by their significant other. I was on a seesaw with the main character. I hated her sometimes and was so proud in others.
What I truly loved was that Nicole gave us 4 sides to the story and how they were all affected in the end.
I highly recommend.
August 16, 2019
This was an interesting story. I enjoyed Lydia’s growth arc and loved Lorenzo and his family. I would have preferred their confrontation sooner as Noah and Ruby’s consequences seem to little too late, but I get this would have changed the story dynamic. Of all the characters I’m left wondering where Noah ends up 10 years down the road. Does he ever really grow and learn from his mistakes? Or is he left feeling sorry for himself?
Read
January 5, 2024Om cheating on h
Ow cheating on H
Hxh emotionally cheating on ow and om
Ow cheating on H
Hxh emotionally cheating on ow and om
August 9, 2023
Primero libro que leo en 4 meses y debo decir que me ha encantado.
Siempre he tallado una línea entre la infidelidad, es una trope que simplemente no soporto pero este libro… la manera en la que Lydia ha ido conociéndose a si misma y ha logrado separarse de un hombre como Noah… me encanto. 5/5💜
Siempre he tallado una línea entre la infidelidad, es una trope que simplemente no soporto pero este libro… la manera en la que Lydia ha ido conociéndose a si misma y ha logrado separarse de un hombre como Noah… me encanto. 5/5💜
August 21, 2023
Estuvo bueno el chisme. No dormi por estar leyendolo, tengo clase a las 9 am
May 10, 2020
First, I would like to acknowledge the sheer eloquence with which this book was penned. Ms. Strycharz is a master of words and a professor of the soul. She has taken two characters, Lydia - a meek, Christian, plain Jane, and Lorenzo - a brash, loud-mouthed Italian, two personalities that could have easily come off as irritating or hard to relate to, and made then impossible not to love.
As an Italian/Canadian myself, Ms. Strycharz writes Lorenzo's character like an honorary paesano. Reading the interaction between he and his family was like being a fly on the wall in my own mother's home on New Years Day. Every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed to perfection.
Then we have Noah and Ruby. You really want to hate them. I mean, you really do - but - Ruby is a product of the ghosts in her past, and Noah is a man who chased a skirt for all the wrong reasons. They're devious, cruel and calculated. You want to hate them. You DO hate them, but you just can't help feeling bad for them despite how utterly selfish they both are. They are human with faults.
However, this book is so much more than just a story about cheating and it's aftermath. It's a lesson in acceptance. It's a class on the intricacies of the human spirit. It's a lecture on learning to love oneself, just as you are and for what you know you can be. It's the sum of its parts, a celebration of family, tradition, and faith.
There is so much beauty in Ms. Strycharz's words, but there is also heartache and pain - written from a place so deep, most of us may never touch it, but call only experience it through words.
A Queen uses pain to her advantage, and a King, her King helps her to stand in it.
Please, do yourself the biggest favor and one-click this book. Prepare to laugh and cry (oh, you will cry!), but most of all, prepare to find a little bit of yourself between these beautifully crafted lines.
As an Italian/Canadian myself, Ms. Strycharz writes Lorenzo's character like an honorary paesano. Reading the interaction between he and his family was like being a fly on the wall in my own mother's home on New Years Day. Every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed to perfection.
Then we have Noah and Ruby. You really want to hate them. I mean, you really do - but - Ruby is a product of the ghosts in her past, and Noah is a man who chased a skirt for all the wrong reasons. They're devious, cruel and calculated. You want to hate them. You DO hate them, but you just can't help feeling bad for them despite how utterly selfish they both are. They are human with faults.
However, this book is so much more than just a story about cheating and it's aftermath. It's a lesson in acceptance. It's a class on the intricacies of the human spirit. It's a lecture on learning to love oneself, just as you are and for what you know you can be. It's the sum of its parts, a celebration of family, tradition, and faith.
There is so much beauty in Ms. Strycharz's words, but there is also heartache and pain - written from a place so deep, most of us may never touch it, but call only experience it through words.
A Queen uses pain to her advantage, and a King, her King helps her to stand in it.
Please, do yourself the biggest favor and one-click this book. Prepare to laugh and cry (oh, you will cry!), but most of all, prepare to find a little bit of yourself between these beautifully crafted lines.
January 21, 2020
1000 Fabulous Cannoli's - There are not enough words in the English or Italian language to describe how much I loved this book. Binge reading this boxed set has taking me on a journey that is literally relationship defining. Each story lets you into the main characters reasoning and thoughts without being wordy or over-dramatized, and believe me, some of these characters have gone through so much. Their feelings leap off the pages, when they hurt, you hurt, when they love you feel it down into your soul, and this book was the icing on the cake. Now by the title some of you might be turned off (OH NO THE "C" WORD) and that is sad for you. As each book brought to life - Love is messy, unpredictable and may or may not be found just yet, but oh so worth the journey.
Personal Sidenote: Thank you Nicole for bringing back to me memories of Little Italy and what it means to have a large no filter Italian Family. If I had a Lorenzo, I never would have left. Molto Grazie.
Personal Sidenote: Thank you Nicole for bringing back to me memories of Little Italy and what it means to have a large no filter Italian Family. If I had a Lorenzo, I never would have left. Molto Grazie.
June 25, 2019
Wow!
Just as epic as the first book in the series (The Divorce), The Affair is raw, edgy, and emotional from beginning to end. Aside from the emotional roller coaster, the love-hate relationship you will have with the characters is what MAKES this story so GREAT. It's a breath of fresh air when it comes to fiction (romance). It's unrelentingly real. It's a MUST READ.
(Caution: the title of the book alone should be a warning to anyone who may be triggered by its potential content.)
(I was given an ARC copy to review. Yes, I know the author, but the above is my honest opinion of the story.)
Just as epic as the first book in the series (The Divorce), The Affair is raw, edgy, and emotional from beginning to end. Aside from the emotional roller coaster, the love-hate relationship you will have with the characters is what MAKES this story so GREAT. It's a breath of fresh air when it comes to fiction (romance). It's unrelentingly real. It's a MUST READ.
(Caution: the title of the book alone should be a warning to anyone who may be triggered by its potential content.)
(I was given an ARC copy to review. Yes, I know the author, but the above is my honest opinion of the story.)
September 11, 2023
Buen final para Lydia y Enzo pero sinceramente esperaba algo peor para Ruby y Noah ese final no era el que se merecían, lo siento pero no fueron personajes de mi agrado y creo que pudieron tener un final peor JAJAJAJA 😤.
December 29, 2020
loved the book just think the two cheating vile pos's deserved to suffer way more
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2020
Difficult to rate. I've read some of the reviews on this and find that I don't really fit with anyone's opinion. I can't complain and say that the book didn't have enough in it to keep me entertained, so why do I feel as if the cheeks of my a**e are missing? Cause this book really bored the a**e off me!!
I tend to have a problem with religion in books, as it appears to be used a lot to make God's good girls come across as... well stupid!! I'm not a religous person, but have friends who are and I can honestly say not one of them would behave like Lydia. I hate books that portray the h as mind blowingly dumb, initially, just for the sake of character development. I do believe that we would have to change to a certain degree were we to be faced with her predicament, but to the degree she did?? I'm not buying it and I think that's why I became so bored. The author failed to convince me that any sane person would have acted the way Lydia did. I loved Lorenzo's family and could see how he could have felt stuck in his situation. But to offer his wife 5 reasons every time she had a panic attack... knowing what she was doing? I loved how the author played out his story, and that's why the book got 2 stars. Don't get me wrong, I moan like billyo if there isn't enough meat on the bones of a story, but with this book I felt like the meat was too chewy and it took me too long to get through it.
I tend to have a problem with religion in books, as it appears to be used a lot to make God's good girls come across as... well stupid!! I'm not a religous person, but have friends who are and I can honestly say not one of them would behave like Lydia. I hate books that portray the h as mind blowingly dumb, initially, just for the sake of character development. I do believe that we would have to change to a certain degree were we to be faced with her predicament, but to the degree she did?? I'm not buying it and I think that's why I became so bored. The author failed to convince me that any sane person would have acted the way Lydia did. I loved Lorenzo's family and could see how he could have felt stuck in his situation. But to offer his wife 5 reasons every time she had a panic attack... knowing what she was doing? I loved how the author played out his story, and that's why the book got 2 stars. Don't get me wrong, I moan like billyo if there isn't enough meat on the bones of a story, but with this book I felt like the meat was too chewy and it took me too long to get through it.
January 20, 2024
This book is *chef's kiss*, truly. I love how different kinds of affairs are depicted in the story. The author really wrote the story well despite a few grammatical errors here and there. Readers usually tend to condemn cheating physically but turn a blind eye for emotional cheating then romanticize it. I am the latter—especially when it's something like Lorenzo and Lydia's.
Lorenzo and Lydia bonded over their shared trauma, which is the infidelity of their partners. I know from the get go that it's only a matter of time before they develop feelings. But what made them standout the most was how they became a team in protecting each other's hearts—without physically cheating or having lust towards each other, though that part came to the very end of the book which made them different from all others.
I think when you say the words "cheating" and "temptation" it goes hand in hand because after all, you won't be cheating if you weren't tempted. The MMC and FMC experienced that firsthand and know the repercussions so they decided to stay away from each other to avoid the temptation—and that's what matters the most, when you're aware that you are one step from crossing the line and decided to step back and cut that line.
It was quite difficult to read this because I feel bad for the MMC and FMC. I just want them to get out of their current situations and be free; to live life without broken hearts because life is cruel as it is. But then the story would make you feel that it's relatable because in real life, we don't exactly get what we want and even though we deserve so much better, we can't stop living in denial. It takes some time for sure and for Lorenzo and Lydia, it took them the whole year.
I love the main characters here and even if they were flawed, they still got to my heart. Their story was heartbreaking but both of them made it bearable and funny most of the time. I think that's why I shipped them so hard because no matter how disgusting their partners were to them, they still made each other laugh with the simple things without crossing that line.
Lorenzo and Lydia bonded over their shared trauma, which is the infidelity of their partners. I know from the get go that it's only a matter of time before they develop feelings. But what made them standout the most was how they became a team in protecting each other's hearts—without physically cheating or having lust towards each other, though that part came to the very end of the book which made them different from all others.
I think when you say the words "cheating" and "temptation" it goes hand in hand because after all, you won't be cheating if you weren't tempted. The MMC and FMC experienced that firsthand and know the repercussions so they decided to stay away from each other to avoid the temptation—and that's what matters the most, when you're aware that you are one step from crossing the line and decided to step back and cut that line.
It was quite difficult to read this because I feel bad for the MMC and FMC. I just want them to get out of their current situations and be free; to live life without broken hearts because life is cruel as it is. But then the story would make you feel that it's relatable because in real life, we don't exactly get what we want and even though we deserve so much better, we can't stop living in denial. It takes some time for sure and for Lorenzo and Lydia, it took them the whole year.
I love the main characters here and even if they were flawed, they still got to my heart. Their story was heartbreaking but both of them made it bearable and funny most of the time. I think that's why I shipped them so hard because no matter how disgusting their partners were to them, they still made each other laugh with the simple things without crossing that line.
March 12, 2021
I saw this story recommended on an IG blog I follow and decided to check it out. Wow! It’s absolutely amazing! Gut wrenching betrayals, horrible decisions and so much pain. It’s told from four POVs and everyone is important. I cried more than once in this one and will definitely be looking for more from this author.
April 7, 2022
I love this author's writing style, and I can tell she takes a lot of time planning out and writing her books, which is something I appreciate in this current trend of rapid releasing.
That being said, this book was a bit too realistic for me. I realize that that’s a me problem, though. But I wanted Lydia to rebel way earlier not just sit there and let her husband cheat on her, and I also wanted her and Lorenzo to have had their own physical affair.
Another thing that would’ve made me happy is if Noah and Ruby suffered. I wanted to see them miserable for what they did, and jealous of their divorced spouses relationship.
All in all, though, the author did a great job, I'm just too petty to accept such an ending.
That being said, this book was a bit too realistic for me. I realize that that’s a me problem, though. But I wanted Lydia to rebel way earlier not just sit there and let her husband cheat on her, and I also wanted her and Lorenzo to have had their own physical affair.
Another thing that would’ve made me happy is if Noah and Ruby suffered. I wanted to see them miserable for what they did, and jealous of their divorced spouses relationship.
All in all, though, the author did a great job, I'm just too petty to accept such an ending.
June 17, 2021
Holyyyy SHHH**T!
Cheating is not something I am big on, but THIS 👏🏼 BOOK RIGHT HERE 👏🏼
This book was done perfectly!!! I loved it!!!!!!
Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we expect it but we still find our happiness!!!!!!!!
Cheating is not something I am big on, but THIS 👏🏼 BOOK RIGHT HERE 👏🏼
This book was done perfectly!!! I loved it!!!!!!
Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we expect it but we still find our happiness!!!!!!!!
October 10, 2020
This was not what i expected at all but i loved everything about it! highly recommended
March 12, 2024
siempre que tengo ganas de odiar a un hombre, me pongo a leer un libro de esta mujer.
September 12, 2024
me gustó porque no podía dejar de leerlo pero que estrés por diossss!!! no me importa el final que le dieron a noah y rubí, en mi mente ya los hice sufrir lo que de verdad se merecen
September 3, 2023
3.5 estrellas
October 4, 2023
Excelente forma de reflejar lo que viven los protagonistas y la manera de llevar el tema de infidelidad te transmite todo lo que cada uno de los personajes siente.
Lloré muchísimo con la protagonista y su evolución
Te dan ganas de entrar al libro y proteger a los afectados
Rubí es de los personajes literarios que más odio
Lloré muchísimo con la protagonista y su evolución
Te dan ganas de entrar al libro y proteger a los afectados
Rubí es de los personajes literarios que más odio
June 25, 2019
Nicole Strycharz has done it yet again! Her new release, “The Affair,” the latest addition to her Relationship Quo series, is definitely top-notch! This time, the topic deals with exactly what the title refers to. An affair. But the way Strycharz handles it, the story rises above the normal way people look at affairs. Rather than relating the usual aspects of an affair, she weaves into the mix complex characters, intriguing and compelling situations and the result is an honest, real story.
There’s Noah and Lydia, a married couple in New York. Then there’s Lorenzo and Ruby, another married couple. When we begin the story, Lydia finds evidence of Noah cheating on her, but she does her best to make sense of the signals, and explain them away as nothing. But things begin to unravel. I’m not going to go into spoiler mode and give things away, but I will say that how Strycharz writes the tale, the reader is drawn into everyone’s lives. As a reader, I felt sympathy for the characters. I felt animosity, I felt love, I felt compassion. All of that and more! I never condone anything or anyone in any of the circumstances, but I empathized with situations and wanted things to work out!
Strycharz has woven together such a wonderful world filled with such deepness and realism, that if the reader doesn’t feel something, I’d be surprised! Along with the obvious topic of an affair and the results of cheating, “The Affair” brings back some characters from her previous books and that was refreshing. Her Relationship Quo world has only really just begun, despite being five books in now. Each entry that has come out is truly better than the last. Strycharz is a master of character and story and she will soon be on every best-seller list, mark my words!
I cannot wait to read more and more from Nicole Strycharz!
Steve Wilhelm
6/25/2019
There’s Noah and Lydia, a married couple in New York. Then there’s Lorenzo and Ruby, another married couple. When we begin the story, Lydia finds evidence of Noah cheating on her, but she does her best to make sense of the signals, and explain them away as nothing. But things begin to unravel. I’m not going to go into spoiler mode and give things away, but I will say that how Strycharz writes the tale, the reader is drawn into everyone’s lives. As a reader, I felt sympathy for the characters. I felt animosity, I felt love, I felt compassion. All of that and more! I never condone anything or anyone in any of the circumstances, but I empathized with situations and wanted things to work out!
Strycharz has woven together such a wonderful world filled with such deepness and realism, that if the reader doesn’t feel something, I’d be surprised! Along with the obvious topic of an affair and the results of cheating, “The Affair” brings back some characters from her previous books and that was refreshing. Her Relationship Quo world has only really just begun, despite being five books in now. Each entry that has come out is truly better than the last. Strycharz is a master of character and story and she will soon be on every best-seller list, mark my words!
I cannot wait to read more and more from Nicole Strycharz!
Steve Wilhelm
6/25/2019
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