Review: Modern Lovers

Modern Lovers by Emma Straub
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It took me a long time to read this book - a story of friends, family, long lost dreams, fleeting youth, midlife crisis, secrets, and the power of forgiveness. Straub was great with characters. Each was surprising realistic with his or her strength and shortcomings, and was well developed through the book.

Jane and Zoe, the same sex couple with their rebellious biracial daughter Ruby, are the owners of a restaurant but their love is losing its sizzles. Zoe's college band mates, Andrew and Elizabeth are married and have a goody two-shoes son Harry. Elizabeth is a well known Brooklyn real estate agent and doing well with her life, but Andrew, Andrew's life is lacking purpose. The story begins when a movie producer obtained some journals of their other band mate Lydia, who made herself quite famous as a solo singer, but died at the young age of 27.

Zoe and Elizabeth were all for the movie, but Andrew had some reservations. To complicate the matter, Harry and Ruby were both preparing to apply for college as well as starting a relationship with each other. Will young love last? Will old love from college sustain a marriage? Will secrets ruin relationships? Will unrealized dreams destroy midlifers?

The book was a bit long since many details were given for the back story of each character, although I never found the story boring. I thought it was only going to be a 4-star book throughout the first 95%. Then - the ending surprised me. Not in the "I did not predict that!" sense, but in the fact that everyone had a happy and most perfect ending. Since the author made me fall in love with the characters and root for them for almost three weeks, having them in that perfect ending makes saying goodbye easier. I know, I'm such a sucker for happily ever after...

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