The Love of my Life [Paperback]

Louise DouglaS (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Pan (2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330453580
• ISBN-13: 978-0330453585
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,313,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love of my Life - a beautiful love story, May 27, 2008

By 

Amy James "Amy" (Manchester) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Love of My Life (Hardcover)

There are two love stories in this book which is mainly set in a small seaside resort in the North of England. The first real love story is between Olivia and her beloved husband Luca. They have been friends since childhood and their friendship develops into a secret teenage romance and then into a beautiful, intense and, in the eyes of their families, unforgivable love. Without giving the story away, Luca's family never forgives Olivia for the fact that he chose her over them, so when he dies, and she goes back to her hometown to be close to his grave, they don't treat her very kindly.

The second love story happens after Luca's death. Oliva begins an affair with his brother, Marc, because they both remind each other of Luca and it's a way of coping with their grief. This 'wrong' affair is contrasted with the real love story of Olivia's life, her relationship with Luca, and the result is poignant and moving without ever becoming maudlin or oversentimental. At the end, we find out why Luca's family is so anti-Olivia and the conclusion is life-affirming.

A lovely, clever, well-written book, with a superficially simple story which actually works on a deeper level as a tribute to real love, with all its joys, wherever it may be found. Very highly recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars From The Aussie Zombie, January 28, 2012

By 

KatSmith (Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love of My Life (Paperback)

I have a confession to make. I brought this book just before my 2011 summer holiday, thinking it would be a nice fluffy chick-lit type read for the beach. I didn't read it on my holiday, and when I was coming to the very end of my 24 read-a-thon last weekend, I started reading it because I thought it would be an `easy' read.

Now I'm a little stuck how to describe it, because it is an easy read in terms of how it is written, but the content is much more complex than it appears.

The Love of My Life sucks you in right from the beginning, and doesn't let you go. The characters are vibrant and real, and I particularly loved Olivia - her grief is compelling and her situation is heartbreaking - I couldn't help but sympathise with her. The Felicone's are as I imagine an Italian family in a small town would be, protective and completely family-orientated.

This is a book about a lot of things - grief, comfort, family, friendships, and most of all, love. The flashbacks to Olivia and Luca's childhood help to make the story complete, and link their life together with Olivia's grief in a believable way, and the gradual revealing of the reasons why Olivia does not fit in with the family kept me reading just to find out what happened.

The Love of My Life completely surpassed my expectations - I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves....well I don't know how to describe it, it's not my idea of `chick-lit'! ......anyone who loves a good, emotional and heartfelt story.