The One You're With
Wow! I was completely blown away by the realness and emotion in this heartfelt story, The One You’re With. This is my first time reading a book by Laruen Denton, and it won’t be my last. It was a book that just surprised me and moved me in ways I did not expect. I could feel the author’s heart coming through each page I read.
High-school sweethearts Mac and Edie Swan lead a seemingly picture-perfect life in the sleepy-sweet community of Oak Hill, near Mobile, Alabama. Edie is a respected interior designer, Mac is a beloved pediatrician, and they have two great kids and a historic home on tree-lined Linden Avenue. From the outside, the Swan family is the definition of “the good life.” And life is good—mostly. Until a young woman walks into Mac’s office one day. A young woman whose very existence threatens all Mac and Edie have built and all they think they know about each other.
Nineteen years after a summer apart, with a family and established lives and careers, the past that Mac and Edie thought they left behind has come back to greet them. For the first time, constants in their lives are called into question: their roles as parents, their reputation as upstanding members of the community, and the very foundations of their marriage. As they wade through the upheaval in both their family and professional lives, they must each examine choices they made long ago and chart a new course for their future.
What captured you the most in this story?
The realness of the family dynamics in this story are what drew me into the plot and held me. Denton was able to fully portray the complexities and challenges of married life and how “do-overs” are not possible but moving forward is.
How did the dual timeline flow in this story?
I loved moving seamlessly between the past lives of Mac and Edie and their present ones. Denton did a phenomenal job weaving the two timelines together, brought a deeper understanding to what motivated each of the characters, and seeing how they melded in the end.
How was the character development?
Denton hit the nail on the head! From the very beginning I got to know each of the characters, especially Edie and Mac. Their development was real in that they didn’t just grow in a linear fashion. They had hiccups along the way that helped both drive and shape them as the story unfolded.
This book is labeled as Southern and Christian - How did you see this represented in the book?
As for the southern part, you could feel yourself transported to south with the dialect and atmosphere.
With the Christianity part, I didn’t really feel it. There was a mention of the family going to church, but that was it, but maybe the element of forgiveness in the story plays a part in this theme.
How was the pacing?
The pacing was easy and steady. I read this book in two sittings, and found myself moving fluidly through the story as didn’t want to set it down.
Do you recommend reading this book?
I whole heartedly recommend reading this book! It is full of real emotion and characters (which you will find yourself rooting for) that will get you thinking and asking yourself tough questions about how you would handle the issues faced within the pages of this story. This is also a book that will make for a great book club or buddy read as there is so much to discuss.
