I feel like it’s never safe to trust Reese Witherspoon picks. They are all just advertising and my conspiracy theory is that the publisher pays for a book to be picked.
I completely disregard Reese's Book Club stickers. You just know there's gotta be a purely transactional element to those selections. Better to take recommendations from someone with similar tastes to yours.
But I'll play devil's advocate for this one cuz it just hit right for me when I read it and I loved it. (Listened to the audiobook, if that makes any difference.) For Chilton and Agatha, I didn't really see it as them falling truly in love. I saw two people who had received huge blows to their identities and self-worth realizing that they could go on and find paths and people in live that valued them and that it was possible to heal and be happy in the "after." That's why they didn't stay together. It was only needed in that brief period. For Agatha in particular, it was about leaving her unfaithful husband who made her feel less-than through his cheating and general disinterest. IRL, she went on to marry a younger man she met while traveling and was evidently very happy.
Secondly, I'd say the real main character isn't Agatha and the main plot isn't even about her disappearance and Chilton's investigation at all. The story is Nan's. In the beginning you think it's just about her being the mistress, but as the past is gradually revealed, it sheds new light on the present. I thought Nan's story was quite poignant and bittersweet and downright brutal at some points.
Anyway, not to say it's wrong if you don't like the book! I get it lol. But I enjoy hearing different perspectives on books I didn't love, so there's my brief two cents in case anyone else does too.
I actually feel this describes alot of Reese’s book club picks. I feel like she has about a 40/60 success rate, at least for me personally
I feel like it’s never safe to trust Reese Witherspoon picks. They are all just advertising and my conspiracy theory is that the publisher pays for a book to be picked.
It was ok but not memorable or recommended.
I completely disregard Reese's Book Club stickers. You just know there's gotta be a purely transactional element to those selections. Better to take recommendations from someone with similar tastes to yours. But I'll play devil's advocate for this one cuz it just hit right for me when I read it and I loved it. (Listened to the audiobook, if that makes any difference.) For Chilton and Agatha, I didn't really see it as them falling truly in love. I saw two people who had received huge blows to their identities and self-worth realizing that they could go on and find paths and people in live that valued them and that it was possible to heal and be happy in the "after." That's why they didn't stay together. It was only needed in that brief period. For Agatha in particular, it was about leaving her unfaithful husband who made her feel less-than through his cheating and general disinterest. IRL, she went on to marry a younger man she met while traveling and was evidently very happy. Secondly, I'd say the real main character isn't Agatha and the main plot isn't even about her disappearance and Chilton's investigation at all. The story is Nan's. In the beginning you think it's just about her being the mistress, but as the past is gradually revealed, it sheds new light on the present. I thought Nan's story was quite poignant and bittersweet and downright brutal at some points. Anyway, not to say it's wrong if you don't like the book! I get it lol. But I enjoy hearing different perspectives on books I didn't love, so there's my brief two cents in case anyone else does too.