The Story of Our Life

The sub section of the title on Amazon for promotional purposes says A bittersweet love story, and just for once it is spot on. I can't think of any better way to describe this brilliant book other than bittersweet. It is full of emotion in some places, had me welling up with tears many times during the book, but in amongst it, were light hearted moments, back in the early days of Colm and Shauna's story.

The book alternates between the story of how Colm and Shauna met and their early years, while the other chapters deal with the most recent year of their lives, with all the ups and downs that it entails.

Although from the start you are 99% positive of the final outcome of the story, just from the way it is written, but despite that I found myself rooting for a different outcome. I was convinced there was no way the book was going to surprise me, but it did, but I can't talk about that, as it would give away some of the conclusion.

This is in a lot of ways a hard book to review as so much of what I possibly would have wanted to say, would potentially give away the plot, so I am going to keep quiet. The writing is beautiful and emotive, and I must say that Shauna's parents have to be in one of the most dysfunctional relationships I have read for years.

As you would potentially expect there does need to be some light relief in this book to counter act just some of the emotion, and Annie is just that character. She is Shauna's gran and is a breath of fresh air, with how she treats Shauna, and also some of the lines she comes out with . For a ladies in her 70s she is active and fun, and continually eyeing up younger men!

We also get to know Shauna's best friends very well, especially Dan and Lulu who are another couple who I just can't understand their relationship...but history sort of repeats itself, as is also evidenced by Lulu's parents. Seriously the parentals relationships in this book are confusing , I don't fully agree with them but they will get you thinking, or being thankful they aren't your own.

An incredibly well written story, that I found my thoughts turning towards, even while I wasn't reading, and probably one of the most mature books I've read for while and definitely by Shari Low.

Thank you so much to Aria and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.