Married 'til Monday - Book Review

By Denise Hunter

Synopsis

With a big anniversary party in the works for his ex-wife’s parents, Ryan has just one weekend to play Abby’s husband . . . and win back the woman of his dreams.

Ryan McKinley has tried to move on from his ex-wife, Abby. He’s sulked, he’s gotten angry, and ultimately he bought her dream house. Big mistake. Living alone in the massive two-story has only made him miss her more. When her parents call him out of the blue about their anniversary party in Summer Harbor, Maine, Ryan believes God has dropped a golden opportunity straight in his lap.

Abby McKinley never exactly told her parents about the divorce. A strained relationship with her dad has culminated in a distant relationship with her parents, but she’s finally succumbed to her mom’s pressure to make the drive for their 35th-anniversary party.

Then Ryan shows up on her doorstep, looking as handsome as ever. When he insists he’s going to Summer Harbor, with or without her, Abby knows she can’t say no. Her parents still think they’re married and now Ryan knows it too. It’s just a one-week road trip with the man who broke her heart. What could possibly go wrong?

Review

Ryan and Abby were young and madly in love when they got married, but a single event slowly tore them apart until they felt they had no other option but to end their union. Three years later, Ryan’s love for his ex-wife has never wavered. After answering a very odd phone call from Abby’s parents, he sees his opportunity to get the love of his life back, and this time he’s not letting her go. But he knows that Abby is a stubborn woman and won’t make it easy for him. He can’t push too hard or too fast or he’ll lose her for good.

Abby is a tough woman to like at first. She’s stubborn and always appears to be looking for a fight, so focused on the negative that she can’t see anything positive. But her childhood wasn’t a pleasant one, and when the truth is revealed you understand why she acts the way she does. Being forced to carry the burden of someone else’s bad actions has left her bitter and distrustful of anything if it appears too good to be true.

Ryan is the complete opposite and you can’t help but love him right from the beginning because he’s so sweet and very patient. From their first meeting, to his proposal, to his attempts at wooing her back, it’s all perfect and oh so sweet. And he really did love Abby. I think that’s another reason why I didn’t really like her too much. He seemed to be trying so hard and she was completely blind to it all, too focused on making everything out of nothing.

MARRIED ‘TIL MONDAY takes place in present time, but also includes flashbacks to when they met and when their marriage fell apart, some even going as far back as Abby’s childhood. While it is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. This is a Christian romance, so there are references to God, but there was nowhere near as many references as I was expecting. There’s also no sex in this story at all, and being that this is my first Christian romance, I’m not sure if that’s standard or not. But you know what? This story is so beautiful and romantic, I didn’t miss it at all.