I knew Adam and Jenny's story was going to be tough to read, and I wasn't wrong. Seeing them be all happy and married in much of book one ( Famous in a Small Town ) and then him nearly dying in the tornado and then his bitterness and their distance from each other in book two ( Rebel in a Small Town ) was difficult enough--seeing things from their perspectives, though? Was sure to be even harder.

And it was...and wasn't.

It was a relief to see the reasons behind what they were doing, even when I didn't agree with them--and there were parts that I strongly disagreed with. Why couldn't they just see that they still had a life, a future together? That she wasn't pitying him, and that Jenny and the kids didn't "deserve" better? Couldn't she see that Adam really was trying?

This book was hard to read, but rewarding at the same time, because Adam and Jenny do (eventually--talk about waiting until the last minute; argh!) figure it out. And watching two people who have been together forever but are just finally figuring out how to really be together at last makes for one heck of a story. I'm really looking forward to seeing them together again in future series books, as they continue to work their way through being a stronger, better family together :)

Breakup is the third book in the series, and though you do have enough background here for it to work okay as a standalone, it will have a lot more impact if you've read the first two books first and have seen this one coming up in the rearview. Plus, the first two books a great stories in their own right, so you'll be doing yourself an extra-special favor by reading them all. ;)

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. ( )