Beside Herself
By Elizabeth LaBan

Thank you to Net Galley, Elizabeth LaBan and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is my third attempt at writing this review. There seems to be some technical issues on goodreads.com with this book. Hannah discovers that her husband Joel had an affair. This is at the very beginning of this novel. No matter how many times Joel apologized and he did throughout this entire book, Hannah feels the only way to restore balance back to the marriage is to even the score and have her own affair. I am all for strong female protagonists in my much loved books but in Hannah's case this just goes on for way too long with her failed attempts to restore justice by having her own affair. This book was too long as in Hannah trying to get even and could use some more editing. Hannah's antics go on and on. This felt lackluster in narrative after a while. This book should be shorter and was a chore to read.

The saving grace for this novel was how much Richard, who is Joel's father and in a nursing home was loved and cared for by all. I loved how much kindness and dignity these elderly patients were treated. One care giver in particular raises the book to higher standing by his treatment of both the elderly and Hannah and Joel. This book is not all dark and the care shown to Richard and the rest of the patients is what made this book shine for me.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of Beside Herself by Elizabeth LeBan.

This book was not as dark as my usual choice of book however, I was drawn to it because I am interested in domestic stories and how married couples interact with each other after one of them has been cheated on. We read how the relationship between Hannah and Joel changes and shifts and how this new dynamic tests their boundaries and how their expectations from the marriage change. This aspect I found super interesting. Personally, I don't think I would make the same choices as Hannah however I did enjoy this read. I liked the authors style and I would recommend this for book clubs as I believe the book would provoke a lot of discussion.

If your favoured reading material is a compelling tale with a good sprinkling of relationships, anger, infidelity, passion and regret then Beside Herself by Elizabeth LaBan is a must-read for you!

From the get-go I was completely enraptured by this wonderful family drama. Hannah and Joel Bent have a very troubled and turbulent marriage. Joel has been having an affair and Hannah has found out about it, now believing her marriage to be over. Upset and angry, she decides to try to make their marriage work if Joel agrees to allow her to even the score - by committing an act of infidelity herself. Joel goes along with it out of desperation, but can Hannah really go through with her plan?

Both Joel and Hannah were beautifully portrayed by Elizabeth LaBan. Their views about their circumstances, their relationship and their difficulties were really cleverly written, making them very real, flawed and authentic.

I appreciated the way the author delved into the characters' past trepidations, worries and achievements making them multidimensional as their narrative revealed how it was possible to change for the better.

The plot was awesome and poignant as it moved along at a really comfortable pace and I loved the author’s effusive writing-style. There was no room for repetitiveness or boredom here! The story was so moving and there were many moments of reflection, empathy and compassion.

Beside Herself is a cracking story and a book that I revelled in all the way through, bringing no disappointments. Elizabeth LaBan rounded things off so masterfully which I welcomed and I think this author will become one of my firm favourites.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Beside Herself by Elizabeth LaBan is a full length, standalone contemporary romance novel and when I ever read a five star read, this is it.
The story s told in a single POV and tells Hannah's heart wrenching story.
Hannah Bent is a 45 year old woman and she believes her life is good. She's married to the love of her life and has two adorable children. She's living the white picked fence dream when one moment of weakness brings everything crashing down around her. She's deeply betrayed, shattered and her trust is destroyed.
Beside Herself tells the journey of a deeply wounded woman, a book about strength, growing, forgivness and second chances.
Beside Herself is a touching and gripping read. I started reading and was hooked after one chapter. I read the book, cover to cover in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. I was on the edge of my seat waiting what would happen to the characters. Beside Herself is a slow burn and that's very fitting too.
I highly recommend this book and give 5+ stars.

3.5 ☕️☕️☕️☕️ Rounded up!

Every so often, I like to pick up “issue driven” fiction-a story where two sides of an issue are presented, allowing you to consider another’s point of view, regarding a certain issue or decision that must be made.

This sounded like THAT kind of book.

Hannah finds that her husband Joel has cheated, and she must decide whether or not to stay or go.

He wants to stay married, and will agree to just about anything to get Hannah to stay...including letting her have an affair to even the score.

But do two wrongs ever make a right?
Will entering the dating world convince her that she still loves her husband and the home they have built with their two young children?
Or will it show her that you can survive and thrive in a new life?

I expected this book to have more substance.

But despite the dilemma that Hannah faces, its more of a light, entertaining read; Not what I anticipated but a touching, engaging story that grew on me, as it progressed, full of flawed characters and decisions!

In fact my favorite parts of the book involved Hannah’s relationship with her father in law, Richard (a scene stealing supporting actor if this were a movie!) who resides in an assisted care living facility and the entire family’s love for the Philadelphia Eagles!

Oh, and as soon as I submit my review..I am looking up Joffrey’s coffee and having some delivered!

☕️ Thank You to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Elizabeth LaBan for the digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review! This title is available now!

A very thought provoking book. It will have you playing the "what would you do " game. I enjoyed all the characters, and their stories.

I wasn't a fan of this book. The premise was good, which was why I signed up for it, but it unfortunately didn't live up to expectations. I felt that the female lead character was way too wishy-washy when confronted with the news of her husband's cheating, just kept on with her normal day. I understand hiding emotions from the children, but the rest just didn't gel for me. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review.

Not A Megachurch. (Ignore the first paragraph. ;) ) In this book, LaBan describes the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe - as it is formally known - as a megachurch for those drawn to Disney but still religious enough to go to church while on vacation, and it is *NOT*. I'm an annual passholder at Disney and go there at least every couple of months - and frequently stop by at the outlet mall directly beside this church and know for a fact how empty it tends to be! 1* book! (OK, how do people write serious reviews like that? Get a life!)

But seriously, this book was really, really good. It takes the reader on a ride many have been on in real life and while it may bring back painful memories, it does it in a way that can provide a bit of catharsis - and maybe even hope. Funny yet mostly realistic, this book pulls few punches indeed and at times can be a bit uncomfortable for some because of it. But at the end of the day, an excellent story and very much recommended.

He would have loved that Joel whispered. Leaning back against the seat as the train moved from penn Station-NYC- to arrive in Philadelphia. Hannah scowled and shook her head. How come he thinks that? But she couldn’t talk now. But then she said he would have hated it. His face said your right. He was ridiculously optimistic but also quite reasonable, two of Hannah’s favorite characteristics of his. They had picked the silent car but she wanted to talk more. Really something they could never do when the kids were with them. Really, something they could never do when the kids- Ridley was their daughter- five and Lincoln who was eight- were with them, when they were all together, everything was so noisy, constant talking, whining, laughter, crying. Than two kids were at home with their babysitter, Monica. But now she wanted to keep talking, mostly about the event they had been to at NBC to honor Joel’s father- Richard T. Bent who had anchored the NBC Nightly News for twenty four years. Richard wasn’t well enough to attend the trip, so they went in his place. But he truly would have hated it. He never wanted anything to be about him, it was supposed to be about the news. Richaed was at St. Martha’s Manor. He’d gone there for rehab from a small stroke and never left. That was over a year ago. Then she found Joel had fallen asleep. She looked for his phone and found it. Hannah was pretty sure Joel was planning a surprise birthday party for her. All signs pointed that way, including a few unexplained calls and a lot of time and a lot of time on his computer. In four months Hannah turns forty six. As she went through his phone she saw something about HOTEL. It turned out that Joel had cheated on her and when she confronted him he said it was over, he doesn’t know why he did it and wanted to stay as they were. She mentioned him getting his own place. She made a run to his father with soap. Joel called and said he had an appointment with a marriage counsellor at 5:30 pm that day and he wanted her to go and she agreed. They went to four other councillors before finding Dr. Snow.
I enjoyed this book. I was happy with the ending. I liked the plot. I loved the relationship between Hannah and Richard. I was so sad that Hannah got so hurt by Joel’s infidelity. I liked Hannah’s I was glad they amended it and were close again. Lincoln was so cute and loved how he wanted to stay in contact with his mother when she left the house. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.

I have never read anything by Elizabeth LaBan before, but I will be adding all of her books to my TBR pile now without a doubt. Beside Herself was beautifully understated and a quietly profound story that asks what it means to truly commit to another person, and to choose them over and over, despite the challenges that test a marriage to its core. Hannah and Joel like many couples, have busy lives, children, friends and relatives to take care of. But they are a team, and Hannah thinks they are happy. Until she discovers that Joel was unfaithful. It was a short-lived liasion, and one he deeply regrets. But it causes Hannah so much pain to discover that the person she trusted most in the world could destroy that trust. She's consumed with anger and can barely look at Joel. Joel is desperate to save his marriage, and when Hannah suggests that the only way she can see to move forward is to have an affair herself, he tells her she must do what she needs to do and that he only hopes she comes back to him. Hannah embarks on a series of dates all of which are to some degree a disaster. As she develops a close friendship with Reuben, she comes tantalisingly close to an affair, but realises that it is not what she wants or needs after all. As she reflects back on her and Joel's early days and how she knew he was the one she wanted to spend her life with, she begins to realise that though what Joel did was bad, she still chooses him because there is far more good. Beside Herself was written with a true insight into how infidelity feels, and it is a testament to the quality of the writing, that the reader is able to feel real empathy, not just for Hannah, but also for Joel, who is tormented and deeply regretful of his actions. I truly adored this book, a masterpiece.

Very well written story by Elizabeth LaBan. I will say, I was hoping for a little more drama and fireworks. The best way I can describe it is that it was just very even keel all the way through. It was an easy read but there just wasn't much excitement and not a lot of incentive to keep picking it back up. I put it down and came back to it several times. What made this a three star read instead of two was because it was very well written. It was just the story itself that didn't keep my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sadly I did not enjoy this book. Not my usual genre but it was recommended to me. I felt nothing for the characters and found the story very predictable. Not my cup of tea.

Hannah is a happily married mother of two. Until she discovers her husband cheated on her. He assures her it's over and literally becomes ill every time it comes up, but Hannah is still angry. After witnessing her best friend's slow decline after her divorce, Hannah is caught between wanting a divorce and wanting to stay, but how can she even the score? By having her own affair, of course. Simple in theory, she quickly learns diving back into the dating pool is far from easy, and begins to learn what's really important to her.

To say I was a bit disappointed by this book would be an understatement. From the book description, I was under the impression it would be Hannah's journey of self-discovery after discovering her husband's betrayal, as well as a humorous jaunt through the dating world. I expected something a little funny, a little sassy, and a bit more than eye opening. Unfortunately, it was none of that. Instead, I was stuck wondering why I, a happily married mother of two, would want to read a book about a woman who angrily decides to even the score by having an affair.

Okay, of course I knew she was going to go try to have an affair. But I thought it would be a bit funny and that she would realize divorce is just the easy answer. I thought it would be a journey of self-discovery as her mishaps in the dating world would somehow reveal hidden aspects of herself and her marriage. It was more of a woman walking around angry for most of the book. She felt self-absorbed in her own problems, ignored her kids on more than one occasion despite stating how devoted she was to her family, and, frankly, felt a little self-righteous. Oh, I get it. Her husband cheated on her. Of course she must be allowed months to process and ignore the world and her life's demands! To make matters worse, her husband felt like a child. He would literally get sick every time his affair came up. He lacked any kind of backbone and became little more than a doormat in trying to win Hannah back. By the end, I honestly couldn't figure out why he would want to be married to her, and that perhaps he had a reason for cheating: Hannah was too busy with her own life to even sit down and care about her husband.

I could go on and on about why I didn't like Hannah. But, as a mom myself, I think I'll just stick with the fact that she kept saying she was a devoted mom, and then kept brushing her kids aside until it suited her to deal with them. She spent more time going on bad dates, many of which the reader isn't even privy to, than spending time with her family and trying to heal with her husband. She was so focused on evening the score that her character just completely lost me.

Needless to say, I had high expectations for this story. I'm disappointed it fell flat, but, even so, I think it wasn't a bad story. I wonder how many couples who have dealt with infidelity have wondered what if they had tried to even the score? Would it bring them closer together, or push them into divorce? This book brings up an interesting question, one that I don't think it could answer as every couple and every affair is different. But, for the purposes of this story and this couple, I think it was a good answer. Hannah's husband was willing to do anything necessary to keep her, and she just had a lot of anger to process. I'm disappointed it took most of the book before her anger began to abate, but I'm so glad she had a key moment that brought understanding and a definite direction to her. As unhappy as I was with most of this book, that one scene really brought satisfaction to me, and hope that Hannah's marriage going forward would be a better one. And, finally, the book actually made sense.

Overall, I thought this was a mildly interesting story. The characters were okay and the plot acceptable and mostly believable. I was disappointed by the setting (Philadelphia with a few named areas and streets, but no real sense of place) and felt it could really have been any suburb in the United States. It was nice to be able to think, "Oh, I know that area," but it was hard to feel like I was there. This isn't a bad book. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I thought it would be one way, and it turned out to be another way. Simple as that.


Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-beside-herself-by-elizabeth-laban/

A book about a couple whose marriage is on the brink because the husband had an affair. Hannah is devastated because her husband had an affair and through her hurt and anger she decides to have her own affair. The raw emotions she feels are gut wrenching to any woman who has gone through this experience. Every thought and feeling are something we all would feel. Her decision is tempting. But the end will cause more heartbreak. Her father in law plays a key role in her healing. The book is well written and I recommend it!
#BesideHerself #NetGalley

I wasn’t sure about the premise of this book as it sounded so sad to me but I loved the author’s previous book Not Perfect so I decided to give it a try. I have to say it’s so well written and such a quick read I quickly got over my concern about the sad premise. Hannah is such a great protagonist that she can easily carry this book and you will be rooting for her. I really enjoyed her attempt to find someone to have an affair with in all its comical charm. The author does a great job illustrating the domestic life and relationship between a husband and wife with kids. Personally I wanted a different ending and more vengeance against the cheating husband but I still enjoyed the book. Hannah’s father-in-law and his caregiver are such great characters that they easily stole the scenes they were in. Elizabeth LaBan is such a great author that I really enjoyed this book in spite it being a plot I would normally have no interest in. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Another new to me author and a story that sticks with you after reading it for the realistic story and how everything was portrayed.
Infidelity and betrayal are probably the most scary things in a marriage or relationship and each one of us has a different view of how it should be treated if the case occurs.
I liked the story quite a lot and the characters are reliable and understandable with all their feelings and troublesome moments and thoughts.
I didn’t liked that it’s a very slow paced read but in a way I understand or I hope that the author was trying to depict more of the decisions, how one deals with this and how they changed a person’s life.
Enjoyable read that some readers will love for sure.

This starts strong, with Hannah discovering and trying to cope with the fact that her husband Joel had a short affair with a woman in Minnesota. It then, for me at least, turned in on itself. I couldn't get behind Hannah's plan to have an affair or some of the ways she behaved. I did like her interactions with her father in law Richard and the others at his care home, as well as with her kids, but somehow I lost respect for her when she went on the prowl, even eyeing the bakery guy as a possibility because he had given her extra lemon bars. I've like LaBan's other novels- she has a good touch with characters and storytelling- but this one wasn't for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this book to read in exchange for a fair review. Beside Herself by Elizabeth LaBan is a woman’s fiction novel about the affect of an affair on a marriage. Hannah Bent has a birthday coming up and she’s hoping that her husband Joel is planning a surprise party for her but she feels she needs to know if he is so she sneaks his phone and searches it looking for clues. What she finds are texts between Joel and another woman and upon reading them and then watching his reaction when he sees her with his phone realizes that he had had an affair. Hannah’s anger is all encompassing and surprisingly Joel to me is the more sympathetic character even though the story is told from Hannah’s point of view. I found this book to be realistic in it’s depictions of marriage, family, friendship with strong supporting characters and enjoyed reading it. Publishing Date October 22, 2019. #NetGalley #BesideHerself #ElizabethLaBan #LakeUnionPublishing #Bookstagram #WomensFiction

Last year, I enjoyed the perfection of Not Perfect. So when I saw Elizabeth LaBan's latest novel and the attractive cover, I knew I'd be in for a treat.

I really enjoyed this story overall. Elizabeth took a cliché topic, but spun it in a different direction. It was interesting to see family dynamics and marital relationships in the aftermath of an affair. I had fun getting to know Hannah and seeing her interact with the other characters. The story felt realistic, thanks to dialogue and descriptions; I could see it playing out in front of me. This novel was easy to pick up and it kept me engaged the entire time.

My only concern is that she has a character eating in non-kosher restaurant while wearing a yarmulke (Wikipedia: a skullcap worn in public by Orthodox Jewish men or during prayer by other Jewish men). My experience is that a yarmulke should not be worn in such a setting, as it gives off the wrong impression to others, by implying the restaurant would be okay for people who keep Kosher. This is minor in the grand scheme of things, but it nagged at me while I was reading it. (I read an ARC and I'm hoping this was caught and corrected for the published version.)

Overall, this is another great novel by Elizabeth LaBan and I look forward to reading what she comes up with next. (I still need to read some of her previous novels, as well.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Hannah: Andrea Savage
Joel: James Marsden
Richard: Martin Sheen
Reuben: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Lance: Brandon Routh
Kim: Kristen Wiig

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an engrossing read about a marriage in the aftermath of infidelity. Yes, I will admit I liked the cover and it caught my attention first, but the story - while starting traumatically with the discovery of the affair - flows and develops well. I liked the fact that the author dropped us right into the story, and didn't spend any time giving us the history of the characters. The backstory was woven into the narrative, which worked really well. I don't want to give anything away, but I loved the fact that the story came full circle and the ending was a new promise of life together.