Book Review: Degrees of Love

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Degrees of Love: A Novel by Lisa Slabach

Author: Lisa Slabach

Pages: 344 pages

Plot: At thirty-six, Susan Sinclair has it all. She’s just been promoted to Senior Vice President of Mobile Banking at her firm, a prestigious position bringing fresh creative challenges and a hefty salary increase. Like the shiny new BMW in the driveway of the Silicon Valley home she shares with her husband, Matt, and their two beautiful boys, Susan exudes confidence and style.

Yet despite her success in juggling the roles of wife, mother, and businesswoman, Susan struggles with a secret dissatisfaction. Matt’s work in cutting-edge computer research pays less than her job, and with each advance in her career, he has grown more distant. But Matt refuses to admit there is a problem, and Susan forces herself to play along, determined to give her boys the close-knit family life she never had.

Then she meets her new boss, Reese Kirkpatrick. Working and traveling together, she and Reese become a crackerjack team, but little by little, pleasure mixes with business. For the first time in a long time—maybe ever—Susan feels seen and appreciated for who she is. Certain she would never allow their friendship to cross the line, Susan lets herself stray dangerously close to the edge.

A moment of weakness changes everything. Now, unable to stomach the façade her marriage has become yet unwilling to decimate her family by moving forward with Reese, Susan faces a choice that could cost her everything—including her children . . . but possibly bring her more than she can dream.

Thoughts: In ‘Degrees of Love’ we follow Susan a Silicon Valley, soccer mom who is dedicated to her two boys, her husband and her career. Susan just got a promotion as the vice president in her company and a hike in her salary. She has it all from a lovely family, to a promising career, but things that look perfect from outside really aren’t so perfect.

Her husband, Matt is not exactly what she needs in a husband. Over the years he has become indifferent and distant. She craves to connect with him at all levels. Matt had already made her quit acting which she loved, after they were married and now, he is unhappy with the time Susan has to dedicate to her job. There is unspoken discontent between the couple but they are determined to stick together for the boys, until Reese comes into the picture. Reese is Susan’s boss who soon becomes Susan’s friend and more. They have a spark and an understanding that Matt and Susan never had. Susan tries to distant herself from him as much as she can but all her efforts are down the drain. They are drawn to each other like a moth to fire.

This is the first time I have read a book where adultery is the key plot. I in no way support or accept cheating in a relationship, but the way Lisa has narrated the story and explained Susan’s plight in a way that I felt empathetic towards her. I could understand why she was doing what she did. The characters are as real as it gets. May it be Susan, Resee or Matt; each character’s actions were justified.  There was no right no wrong everyone was right on their part.

The narration was seamless and was moving at a steady pace throughout. The story picked up towards the end since the three quarters of the book was plot and character building. I am glad that the book ended in the way that I was hoping for. 🙂

About the Author: Degrees of Love is Lisa Slabach’s debut novel. She is currently working on her third full-length manuscript and a collection of short stories inspired by her experiences growing up in a small farm community in Washington’s Yakima Valley. In addition to writing, Lisa works for a Fortune 500 Company, leading a sales team in the financial industry. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband and has two daughters, who are both pursuing careers in film. In her free time, she enjoys drinking wine with friends and cooking in her pink kitchen.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

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