Customer Reviews

With or Without You

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lyssa desperately wants a baby, and after too many fertility treatments, her boyfriend Jake says enough. Thinking he just needs a cooling off period, little does she know he's moved in with another woman. Faced with uncertainty, she does what any woman would do - she goes on a trek to Nepal. And then meets the real man of her dreams.

This one had me scratching my head. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would - I just could not get over the fact that a woman who did not have a commitment with a guy would go to such lengths for a baby... call me conservative!

The dust cover of this book does not its contents justice. It looks like your typical chick lit fare- with a cartoonish drawing to boot. But there's a lot more substance to the novel than meets the eye. The characters are all three-dimensional, fun, and interesting- and there's no obligatory gay best friend!

Lyssa and her boyfriend Jake have been trying to get pregnant for a long time. Nothing, not even IVF, has worked. Ironically she works for a magazine called My Baby, which may have contributed to Lyssa's "baby mania." Lyssa's whole life changes when she learns that Jake has been having an affair with someone at the office- a young, nubile woman named Neve, who is as different from Lyssa as anyone could be. Given the circustances, Lyssa gets over Jake pretty quickly, and she begins training to climb the Himalayas. Going on a trek of that magnitude means giving up her creature comforts- her hair dryer, her high heels, etc.

Also completely opposite from Lyssa is her 29-year-old sister, Edie, who, since the age of 15 has given birth six times and seems to get pregnant at the drop of a hat. Edie's house is always full to bursting, and Lyssa is the adored aunt.

Its a bit of a cliche that, while in Nepal, Lyssa meets a hunky American tour guide, Dean. The attraction is instantaneous. Its a love affair that seems doomed at first. In the course of four weeks living away from the hustle and bustle of London, Lyssa learns to relax, to "live a little."

Everything works out to everyone's satisfaction (except maybe not Jake's); and this delightful book will keep you turning pages. Although Lyssa is unable to conceive, the author Carole Matthews doesn't let this fact bog down the book. This is a highly enjoyable and highly recommended read.

After her latest round of in-vitro results in no pregnancy, Lyssa sulks and boyfriend Jake asks for a break in the relationship. Devastated, she expects him to walk in the door that evening as if nothing happened. What she does not realize is that he has moved on and in with a sultry younger work colleague.

Faced with the realization that they may never reconcile, Lyssa puts her baby obsession on hold and takes a leave of absence from work to go trekking in Nepal, where sparks fly as soon as she and Dean, her American-transplant tour guide start a passionate month-long affair. In finding this new passion, Lyssa realizes what was missing from her relationship from Jake once her baby obsession took over.

Upon returning to Britain, Lyssa is faced with uncertainty. After her month in the mountains, returning to civilization is not all it is cracked up to be, what with work, commute, late nights with the gang, and the sudden reappearance of Jake clouding her thoughts, as well as an unrequited crush she was unaware of.

Matthews hits another one outa the ball park with this story. I must admit, it takes awhile to like Lyssa - her baby obsession is completely annoying, as is her tendency to be a doormat. But once she leaves Britain and gains her self confidence, she emerges as a strong and engaging heroine, worthy of all the male attention.

Now, if we can just encourage Matthews to quit with her obsession with all things Regis and Kelly...

I'll admit this book cannot be classified as classic literature, but what an enjoyable story. This book made me laugh out loud, cry, and and get angry. This is a book that will make you feel good, and provides hope that love at first sight does exist. When the main character suffers such loss, and then regains herself during the journey through Nepal, the reader will find herself cheering her on. The novel alternates between the main character and her ex-boyfriend, and provides an interesting perspective. The authors descriptions of the Nepalese setting helps the reader to envision the beauty of the country and the setting in which the characters develop. I was sorry to finish the book, wanting more from the characters, needing to know what happened next. I re-read the book a couple of weeks later, which is a rare thing for me to do, wanting to recapture that feeling of contentment that this novel gave me. Enjoy!

This was a great book. It's about a woman who learns a lot about herself-things she never would have known she was capable of. She also learns that what she thinks she wants and needs, may not be true. It's also about stepping outside of your box and doing something adventurous. It makes me want to go to Nepal and try this adventure myself. Read and enjoy it. It's also quite funny.

An excellent fast read. Great story line keeps you moving right along. Just enough drama to keep it real.

Yay! I loved this book!

The storyline is extremely fun and there was not a dull moment! I couldn't put it down.

Lyssa has tried for 4 years to have a baby with her live-in boyfriend. Unfortunately he drops a bomb on her that forces her into thinking she needs time away from her busy life in London.

She decide to venture the Himalayas for 1 month all by herself on a tour thru the mountains.

Something wonderful happens to her and you must read what it is!

Fun, easy read that will put a smile on your face!

There are some swear words, but I would still rate it pg13!

Enjoy!

I was happy to go from the depressing "Girls in Trucks" into the light-hearted chick lit "With or Without You". I definitely needed something to get my mind set more positively and this book was more than helpful. It was great to escape to Nepal for a few days and leave stress behind!

Lyssa was a fun character with an interesting group of people surrounding her. I enjoyed reading about their antics, and I enjoyed going along on her own journey of self-discovery. This is a good book to read when you yourself are stuck in a rut and need some motivation to dig your way out. But don't take this book too seriously; it's definitely a beach read or something to give you a break from heavier reading material.

Once again, though, the author went back and forth on point of view. It wasn't as confusing as "Girls in Trucks" and it didn't bother me as much because it was more consistent. It was either first person (Lyssa) or third person (her ex, Jake, or her sister, Edie). I still don't know why...Lyssa wasn't around when Jake or Edie were the focus. It did move the story along and helped with the plot, but I still feel that the author should pick one point of view for the entire novel.

It took about 100 pages for the story to really get going, too. Yes I understand that she's upset about Jake and she wants a baby and her mother's insane...can we get to Nepal, please? Once we got there, it was like a snowball rolling down a hill and I was a much happier reader. One other thing kinda bugged me but this may be more personal...she has three guys who love her? Jealous...

It's nice once in a while to take a breather and pick up a book that doesn't take much thinking. And that, dear friends, is why I love chick lit. It's good to give your brain a break once in a while and give it a mini-vacation.

Liked this book. Very easy to read. Perfect beach read book. I Might even consider reading some of her other books.

I read this book on vacation next to the pool. I actually got a sun burn beacuse I didn't realize how long I was reading! Great Chick Lit book as well as a story that most women can relate to.