"Is This All There Is?" - Review

Below is my review for "Is This All There Is?" by Patricia Mann. I was given this book in exchange for an honest review, you can see this review in context on goodreads. 

---

4 Stars
#romance, #chicklit, #drama

Cover to cover this book was a drag you down, suck you in, captivating read!
Coming in at just under 200 pages, nothing about this story was wasted space.  Every chapter was an integral part of Beth's journey and each showed not only her thought process but also her way of rationalizing her guilt away.

Beth's story is not for the weakhearted, every page turn was like a knife to my heart as I watched her snap and her life unwind before her.  There was no way she could keep her present trajectory and it was not surprise, though still burned to witness, when she made some negative life choices.   

Beth's character had a deep feeling of reality in how she was written and if this topic hits too close to home for someone, I could see where that could make reading it a chore. Dave was written in a way that felt like a typical college male with an old sole, one who is more interested in wooing a respectable woman than spending his time at frat parties.  Rick's character was truly and utterly boring... until the last two chapters of the book, then he felt more like a human than a mindless drone.  By far the best character in this book is Sam, the oldest son.  He was the most interesting to read, had the best emotions and was written in a masterful way.  

My biggest gripe with with this story is no matter how was it was paced, relateable or well written/edited, it just... ended.  We struggled and screamed with Beth for nearly 160 pages and within the last 20 pages her life flipped around and everything was heading back in the "proper" direction.  It was disappointing and I would have liked just a few more pages of clean up.  How were the kids dealing, how was Dave handling the abrupt end, Did Beth's best friend forgive her?  Too many open questions I would have liked to have had answered.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book, just make sure you hug your man (or woman) afterwards.