Measure of Love by Melissa Ford
ISBN: 9781611942828 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781611943030 (ebook)
ASIN: B00C7Y1Y8E (Kindle edition)
Publication date: March 28, 2013
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Rachel has made a new life from scratch with her ex-husband, but can they survive the wedding plans?
It may be her second time getting married, but Rachel Goldman is definitely navigating a sticky relationship with her former—and soon-to-be-again—mother-in-law. Plus she’s in a tug of war with the editor of her upcoming book on divorce who is begging her to keep her happy new relationship with her ex, Adam, on the down low. How can Rachel do that when her society-obsessed mother-in-law is eager to get a featured story in the wedding section of the New York Times? Throw in a sister-in-law-to-be who’s navigating her own upcoming nuptials as well as a friend who not only doesn’t want to get married, but is possibly having an affair. Rachel finds herself with too many pots simmering on a very familiar stove.
Rachel Goldman should be on top of the world. Her blog is an internet success. She has a book about to published. And she’s in love. Of course, there are a few snags; her book is about being successful at divorce and she’s about to remarry her ex-husband. If that isn’t bad enough, she thinks her best friend, Arianna, is cheating on her live-in boyfriend, Ethan, who just happens to be Rachel’s brother. Almost forgot…her ex-mother in law, Anita, wants to make Rachel and Adam’s second wedding even more of a society event than their first.
Rachel carefully navigated the world of marriage breakup, divorce, and being single in Life From Scratch. Although she was devastated by the breakup and divorce, she found solace in writing about her problems and endeavored to achieve success at cooking. She merged these two into a blog that become a massive hit and evolved into a book contract. Rachel wasn’t looking for love, but she found it – with her ex-husband, Adam. He has left his law firm and embraced his first love, literature, by becoming a teacher. In Measure of Love, Adam and Rachel take their relationship to the next step, marriage (or in this case remarriage). Rachel is happy that Adam wants to commit to her, but before she knows it she’s trying to plan a wedding in less than four months. What follows is a mixture of I Love Lucy and Jane Austen’s Emma (the latter is actually referred to in the story); well-intentioned meddling with disastrous results (minus the comedic happy endings).
I found Measure of Love to be a fast-paced and enjoyable read. I almost felt as if I was meeting up with old friends as I revisited with Rachel, Arianna, Adam and others in their new struggles and dealings. Rachel isn’t as self-assured in Measure of Love, but only when it comes to her love life. Arianna is still somewhat exotic, but not nearly as extreme when compared to Adam’s sister Lisbeth. Lisbeth is an artist and is planning her own wedding to her partner, Emily, a physician (truly an odd couple with disparate personalities, but they fit). I felt sucked in by Rachel’s internal struggle with her remarriage and her well-intended meddling. I waited patiently with Adam as he watched Rachel struggle with these issues. I suffered along with Arianna as she drifted slowly away from her best-friend. And I hoped for that happy-ending for not just Rachel and Adam, but also for Lisbeth and Emily, as well as Rachel and Arianna. The characters are well-developed and the situations not only realistic but relatable. Ms. Ford blends great writing and a tale about romance and love, mixed with relationship/friendship drama and touches of humor; the result is a great read about second chances for love. Measure of Love is the second installment in Ms. Ford’s Life from Scratch series. I am rather anxious to read the next installment featuring Arianna’s story, Apart At the Seams.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book free for review purposes from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not paid, required or otherwise obligated to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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