WOW! This story said so much. Anyone could be Lauren. Robyn led us through the life and the antics in such a way it was as if I was a part of it.

The View from Alameda Island is a book title dear to my heart because I used to live near Mill Valley, which, in this story, is the location of Lauren Delaney’s home during her marriage. The community is a metaphor for Lauren’s stifling existence because up-market houses like hers are closed off from the street and protected from the view of neighbors by a moat of hedges and/or walls. Contrast that milieu with Alameda, an island in the East Bay, that looks over the water to San Francisco. Alameda feels like an old-fashioned village with craftsman-style houses and inviting porches that look out over lawns onto sidewalks.

Before Lauren marries successful surgeon Brad, her mother warns her, “If you marry for money, you’ll earn every penny of it.” So true. On the surface, Lauren leads an enviable life but she’s deeply unhappy. She decides to leave Brad.

Oh, wouldn’t Brad be surprised when she finally did. And he’d be angry. She knew people would inevitably ask, Why now? After twenty-four years? Because it had been twenty-four hard years. It had been hard since the beginning. Not every minute of it, of course. But overall, her marriage to Brad had never been a good situation. She spent the first several years thinking she could somehow make it better, the next several years thinking she probably didn’t have it so bad since he was only emotionally and verbally abusive, and the last ten years thinking she couldn’t wait to escape once her daughters were safely raised. Because, the truth was he was only going to get more cantankerous and abusive with age.

Robyn Carr’s heroines always operate with the best intentions. In The View from Alameda Island Lauren Delaney carefully develops a precise roadmap to disentangle her marriage, wanting to inflict the least amount of harm on her soon-to-be ex and their two daughters. Unintended consequences make that goal an impossibility.

A non-surprising coincidence in romance is the appearance of an Act Two partner as Act One winds down. One night on her way home, in the waning days of her marriage, Lauren stops by a lovely garden attached to a church. She strikes up an intimate conversation with the gardener. Sometimes it’s easy to talk to a stranger.

She noticed, suddenly, how good-looking this man was. He looked like he was in his forties, a tiny amount of gray threading his dark brown hair at his temples. His eyes were dark blue. His hands were large and clean for a gardener. “Now what makes a volunteer gardener decide to read psychology?” she asked.

He tells her that when he reads, he “can zone out everything except what’s happening in my head,” … at least that’s what his wife says. Much to her surprise, she and Brad run into him at a fundraiser that evening. Beau Magellan is a successful landscape entrepreneur who is also unhappily married and lives and works in Alameda: the same community Lauren picks to start her new life. We readers know how this story is going to end, right?

Not so fast. Brad Delaney goes coldly ballistic. He fights Lauren for every penny, threatening to cut off financial support for their daughters. Unfortunately, geography does not protect Lauren from Brad’s abusive nature. Lauren has never really lived alone before but in the aftermath of filing for divorce, she taps into inner reserves of strength she didn’t know she possessed.

On the positive side of the ledger, Lauren’s new friend Beau is a special man. He fights to retain his self-respect, maintain a good relationship with his step-sons, and respectfully disentangle from a moribund marriage. Without giving away too much, his ex is as weird and vindictive as Brad.

Lauren and Beau’s journey to an HEA is circuitous and slow but they are good people. People who deserve to love and be loved. The View from Alameda Island is a perfect second-chance, older hero/heroine story and I enjoyed every minute of it.

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THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND is the story of Lauren Delaney and her seemingly perfect life. Perfect until it wasn’t. She has two beautiful daughters and is married to a very successful surgeon. On her twenty fourth wedding anniversary she makes a decision that will change her life forever…….she walks away!

While visiting a local garden she meets a man, Beau, and they begin talking. He seems to be a kindered spirit but Lauren tries to keep her distance even though she is very attracted to him. He is going through a divorce as well and they decide to become friends only. Beau is the step dad to his soon to be exes sons, but he is more of their parent than their crazy mother ever was. THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND shows that both of these kind loving people have to deal with total craziness from their soon to be exes. Lauren’s husband, Brad totally loses his mind and comes after Lauren and is determined to make her life a living hell. Get ready readers, the twists and turns keep on coming!

Oh let me tell you, Beau is going to definitely give you all the feels. That’s all I’m saying…….anyway, after some time, things between Beau and Lauren certainly heat up! But it’s always very sweet and I really wanted Lauren to open up to Beau and explain why she is the way she is. She is very guarded and Beau doesn’t think he stands a chance. Hang on people, THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND is an intense and crazy ride.

THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND is a quick read that you can easily read in one sitting and love every minute of it. It is one heck of a crazy emotional roller coaster ride that will have you filled with rage for what Brad puts Lauren though! I have never met a Robyn Carr book that I didn’t love and once I start reading I knew I was going on one heck of an emotional journey! Whatever you are reading, put it down, and run and get this book! If you’ve never read a Robyn Carr novel (and you know who you are) this would be a perfect one to hook you!

I love Robyn Carr. Could not wait to read this book. This book started off slow but as it went on I really started to love it. Once again Robyn has not disappointed. Another great read!!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.75 Hearts I really enjoy the writing of Robyn Carr. She has a way of writing that does what a book should do. Relax you and leave you with a lightened heart.

I found myself really liking Lauren. She has dealt with a lot and has been through things that no woman should and has walked away and taken control of her life. But her husband wants his life with Lauren back and this is her story of survival and self love.

This a great beach read. There is some hard parts of the story but mostly this is a story of walking away with your head held high.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoyed Robyn Carr's books but for some reason I could not get involved with this. Something is missing from this story. Tried reading it several times and just did not feel that it was something worth pursuing and in fact never finished it.

Pretty much any book that has Robyn Carr's name on the cover, I will read. I love her emotional, warm and charming stories, and The View from Alameda Island was no exception.

The View from Alameda Island features Lauren Delaney who is in an incredibly unhappy marriage. Her husband is controlling, and abusive, and her self worth is at an all time low after years of manipulation, coersion, belitteling and demeaning commentary. I found myself completely sympathising with her plight, but also pleased that she recognised her own choices impacted her life.

Whilst I expected this novel to be a second chance romance, it's much more. It follows Lauren's journey from being in an unhappy marriage, to finding independence, friendship, and finally love and happiness in the arms of another.

The View from Alameda Island may have triggers for some readers. In my opinion it deals quite senstitively and honestly with the topics of physcological, emotional and physical abuse in a relationship.

This title is hones, raw, and charming with a few unexpected twists and turns that kept me compltely enthralled from start to finish.

I will be eagerly awating Ms Carr's next release!

This is a book that I could not put down. A powerful story of two lost souls, both going through divorces that have formed a friendship that develops into so much more. An accidental meeting, but they each find strength through each other.

My heart just broke for Lauren, the emotional abuse that she took for so many years because she wanted her daughters not to suffer from a broken marriage. Everything was picture perfect on the outside but you don't realize what goes on behind the closed doors.

Loved Beau, a strong man willing to raise his step sons on his own. He too tried to make his marriage work for his sons but finally decided enough was enough.

This book is so powerful, and it can be anyone in our lives! I highly recommend.

Lauren Delaney makes a monumental decision. It is her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary, and instead of heading to a restaurant or some other celebratory destination, she heads to a divorce attorney. Lauren has decided to divorce her husband Brad. Her marriage was never ideal. Far from it. Brad was verbally and emotionally abusive, yet she stayed with him, Lauren had wanted to leave Brad for years. However, they have two daughters, Lacey and Cassie, and Brad always made her worried about custody

Lauren finds a new apartment, even meets a new neighbor, Beau. However, one day Brad shows up because he wants his ideal life back. Lauren was his everything. Brad didn't even know where the dry cleaners is located, for example! Well, when he gets to Lauren's apartment, the actions he take are totally shocking. Poor Lauren! Well, that's what I thought. Despite what happened that day, Lauren showed incredible strength and battled through experiences worse than she ever experienced during her marriage.

The View from Alameda Island was often a tough read. I was with Lauren every step of the way as she struggled through the changes her life took. I cried more than once, especially when dealing with one of her daughters. The girls had opposite reactions when they learned of Lauren's appeal for divorce. That part of the story was very difficult to read. With the changing circumstances that hit Lauren, her one daughter's reaction was even more frustrating and painful.

Meanwhile, Lauren's new friend, Beau, is also going through a divorce, and makes no secret that he is very drawn to Lauren. Even more so, he is very protective of her. However, Lauren has to guard her heart, lest she end up in another very bad situation. In addition to Lacey, Cassie and Beau, readers got the pleasure of the character, Tim, a priest and Beau's lifelong friend. Tim's counsel and experiences were an excellent addition to a very well-written and engaging story.

I was absorbed in this book from start to finish. Lauren went through so much, yet managed to come out on top. It was so beautifully done. I am sure that many, many women will be able to relate to this story on more than one level. Kudos to Robyn Carr for writing an incredibly compelling read. This is definitely one of my favorite reads this year thus far.

Many thanks to Mira and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

The View from Alameda Island was quite a good read. It's Robyn Carr doing what she does best, tackling tough issues and having her characters fight through to find their HEA.

I sometimes wonder where she finds new ideas after having written so many books, but she still comes up with interesting plots, relatable characters (and some you really do not like at all) and beautifully written descriptions of people and places.

As long as she keeps writing this way, I'm sure I'll continue to be a fan.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for approving my request for an ARC. Thoughts in this review are my own.

Classics Robyn Carr. She’s brilliant. We all know it. We all love her. So let’s just say what it is and move on. Enjoy this one!

I loved 90% of this book - centering on Luaren, the verbally and emotionally abused wife of Brad. Carr had me hooked when Lauren planned how to leave ... and I enjoyed almost every chapter from there until the end. Carr did a great job developing the ancillary characters - Lauren’s coworkers, her boss later in the story, her new friends... and the friends of her new friends. I especially loved the unexpected secondary romance developing slowly but surely throughout. What I didn’t like - dropped this book to 3 stars - was a particular love scene that lasted about 4 pages and was contrived as all get out. I didn’t like it as part of the plot for the characters involved, and I didn’t like how the scene was described. Besides that, excellent story. Just skip those pages and you’ll be good to go.
NetGalley provided an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Meh. I desperately wanted to like this book, even just because of the cover. But alas, NO. The nicest thing I can say about it is that I think I’ve simply outgrown this insipid and overly-explained /exhaustively-described type of romance/women’s fiction. I probably wouldn’t have finished it but I was so sick while reading it that getting up to grab another book wasn’t an option. The cover is strong, though.

I LOVE Robyn Carr’s writing, so I’ve been looking forward to The View From Alameda Island, it was amazing and crazy! I think this has been the craziest exes I’ve read from Ms. Carr, but the relationship between Lauren and Beau was steady and calming throughout any drama that came at them. Their romance was slow and steady, felt real, but also had heat and chemistry! I loved it!

Let me just tell you I wanted to strangle both of their exes! Their pictures would be up by the words “narcissistic”, “megalomaniac”, and “delusional” in the dictionary! Wow! I honestly can’t believe they both put up with so much, but I can somewhat understand because there were kids involved. Each wanted to wait until their kids were out and mostly settled on their own path. Beau get special props for being a stepfather and not bowing out because he split from the boy’s mom. They truly needed a stable force in their life since their mom was flighty, full of drama, and manipulative!

I was touched by the wonderful friends and family Beau and Lauren had, a testament to the kind of good people they were at heart, they definitely needed the support! I loved how each ex had their own comeuppance at every turn, and never got away with things too long. I’m so sad for anyone who goes through this kind of drama in their family. At any rate, I loved how it all turned out.

The setting of Alameda Island was lovely! I’m in East Bay San Francisco just about every other weekend, but I haven’t got over to that neck of the woods yet, but now I want to! It sounds like a charming little town full of character!

I mostly listened to the audio version narrated by Therese Plummer, one of my all-time favorite performers! She nails both the male and female characters, and I love her easy cadence. She narrates most (if not all) of Ms. Carr’s books, as well as the Casey Duncan (Rockton) series by Kelley Armstrong. Another favorite author/series! I’d be willing to give just about any author a go if Ms. Plummer is narrating the story!

I thought this book started a little slow. But after the story really picked up! I also didn't really care for the priest's story, I felt that would have been a great book on it's own with more detail.

Ms Carr gives us a middle-age divorce story for the ages. It has a bit of everything, greed, murderous rage, child division, friendship siding, and sweet romance—All the elements that make up a good television drama. I think this story could do very well on television. But, back to the story, I loved the Alameda Island setting from the start. She creates a quaint little community of up and coming folks that give Lauren a space to breathe and let down her guard. From having gone through a divorce myself it is very good to have that. She never could have stayed where she came from for the simple fact she wasn’t a rich aristocrat and needed a support system. His friends weren’t going to give her that.
This story takes you on an adventure of what it might be like in those homes we drive by thinking, they must have a marvelous life and it is not pretty from the abuse to the constant feeling of imperfection. Her escape seems good until he decides there is no way he’s going to divorce her and then it gets bad. I love how Ms Carr gave us a look into why people could become so desperate in divorce situations to go to such extremes as to want your spouse dead.
Beau on the other hand has a crazy spouse who thinks her marriage is a revolving door and that her married life will be there whenever she gets back. Well, guess what honey, it eventually decides to change the locks and you are left in the cold. His spouse learns the rules the hard way and also makes a big fool of herself in the middle of the divorce as well. So we get to see two spouses melt down in spectacular ways while the other two find love and peace in each others arms.
There were a few issues with the story that makes it a 3.5 of 5 for me. First, this story was great from the start, but was a little slow in the middle. It was hard to stay engaged through the middle, but I really did want to know how Karma would affect her soon to be ex-husband so I kept reading. Second, I really could have done without the priest’s romance in it. I think it was an unnecessary element that didn’t add to Lauren and Beau’s story at all and would have been better left to another book. This book is great if you are looking for a crazy divorce situation or for middle-age romance.

This book was a complete roller coaster ride. I was expecting a simple romance on an island with a heartbreaking story. Well, this book has all of that and much, much more. Lauren is getting out of a long marriage to a verbally abusive husband. Beau is getting out of a twelve year marriage to a flighty woman. The two come together in a beautiful friendship that helps ease the pain for both of them. Neither of them were happy in their marriages, but they never would have expected the chaos to ensue after. This story made me laugh and cry, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Lauren Delaney has it all - a great job, a wonderful marriage to a successful surgeon, and two beautiful daughters. After 24 years of marriage, Lauren files for divorce, because the truth is her husband is abusive and controlling, has made her life miserable and she’s had enough. However, he Isn’t accepting the divorce or the rejection ... and he’s scaring her.

This is a coming-of-age kind of story about a woman taking control of her life, and finding the strength to do it. I found the book very inspiring and well-written, the character development also excellent and I most highly recommend it.

I’ve read a few Robyn Carr books and find I always enjoy them. Some I enjoy a bit more than others, but I’m always wiling to come back for more. The View from Alameda Island is another enjoyable read, but it does not make it into my top Robyn Carr reads. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion all my favourite Robyn Carr reads are part of a series, with the standalones not quite wowing me in the same way. That being said, it’s still worth the read and I’d certainly recommend it to fans of the author.

One thing I always enjoy about Robyn Carr’s work is that the author does not shy away from dealing with topics outside the norm, providing us with very real reads. It’s not one of those dark romances, or one of those angst filled romances, but a very true to life story. You get to look at things from many perspectives, you get a story that mirrors life, and things are very real throughout. As much as I love a good dark romance or an angst filled romance, there’s something about the true to life stories that have me sucked in throughout.

The View from Alameda Island certainly sucked me in. It had me turning the pages at a rapid pace, curious to see how all the elements came together. It was more than just a single element that had me sucked in, more than wanting to know more about a couple of the characters, as all the different aspects had me wanting to find out more.

Although The View from Alameda Island is not my favourite Robyn Carr read, it was an enjoyable read and worth it for fans of the author.

Lauren and Beau meet in a garden as they are both going through a divorce. Neither of the, were looking for a relationship, but that is what they found. An engaging women’s fiction novel that I stayed up too late reading! ARC from NetGalley..