This book was an undeniably aggravating read. I read it throughout a vacation where I spent over 5+ hours in a car, and I would update my mother on the goings-on of the story as she drove. Needless to say, my mother asked me, "Are you sure you want to keep reading this? Maybe you should put it away," because of just how frustrated I was getting.

The story focuses on a woman, Eleanor, who meets and swiftly falls in love with artist and pseudo-farmer Cam. They are married within 8 months of meeting and have 3 children in two years. And, Jesus Christ, I wish this story didn't exist. Cam is the most obvious horrible person, watching basketball with his buddy while his wife is in active labor in the room over. And I get it, I get it! When you're in a relationship you don't see those red flags, but Eleanor was acting so... Dumb, I wanted to roll my window down and throw this book out on the highway, but I respect my library too much to do that.

Beyond the first day, Cam and Eleanor's relationship is a toxic mess, with Cam being neglectful and mean and Eleanor being unyielding and a doormat. Even after "the Incident", for which Eleanor solely blames Cam, she does nothing but lie down and take it. She places the blame solely on Cam, then refuses to even sit down and discuss the issues with him, to you know... Work as a team to support their children was the single most frustrating thing I've read in recent memory. Is it realistic? Yes, apparently. My mother herself said that she knew a couple who had a child with brain damage and a year later they were divorced. Doesn't mean that reading this miserable dissolution of love and care between two people is any fun.

I guess that's how I can sum up this book: Miserable. Maybe I'm not cut out for this genre, but reading 500 pages of an absent, unfaithful father and a bitter, spiteful mother swapping petty remarks in front of their children is about as enjoyable as it sounds. God, not to mention the last 100 pages are like a bad 'Days of Our Lives' script.

Can all the things in this book happen in real life? Sure, absolutely. Is it relatable? In some parts, yeah. Was it a fun romp? Hell fucking no. I don't think I could recommend this to people unless they enjoy depressing family stories, but hey if that's your forte go for it. Yeesh.