Cover Image: The One You're With

The One You're With

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This is a well written book that is full of emotions. Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down. This is the first book I've read by Lauren K. Denton but it won't be the last. Thank you Thomas Nelson--FICTION via NetGalley for ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own..

Was this review helpful?

A wonderful warm book that questions family, what is and what could have been! Mac and Edie seem to have the perfect family life, when everything they hold dear and believe in is thrown into question, they must face their past and future.
I particularly enjoyed this back and forth storyline, how the family dynamics are examined whilst conflicting emotions make for a messy and complicated time for all family members.
A fabulously well written story that does justice to the growth of both Mac and Edie as they examine their feelings and struggle to agree on the family’s future.
This is an emotional story written from the heart in a respectful and compassionate manner.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This is the story of a family whose life is interrupted and questioned about the past and about the future. What really happened in the past and what kind of future do they now want? These are the questions that this couple must face and answer honestly.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for the free book.
Denton does it again. She is my favorite author for capturing stories about complicated marriages and relationships. She isn't afraid of showing the rawness of what life and decisions can do to the people that are a family or close to one another. This novel is no different from her other ones in that she perfectly describes the south - it's heat and other norms.
I liked how this book was told from both Mac and Edie's POV in both timelines. This helped show how one decision can impact the entire future. It also was a great buildup for the processing of 'did I make the right decision' dilemma that is present in this book. I would like to say that if you're not a fan of Edie in the beginning, give her a chance. I struggled with her character a bit, but then I realized I am Edie. I loved her growth through this story.

Was this review helpful?

Edie and Mac have been together since forever. Except for three months one summer when they were in college. And they both have secrets from that time but Mac's has appeared in person. Riley is a surprise to Mac (and to Edie) but she's more important to them than she could have predicted, Moving between 2000 and 2020, this is the story of a marriage and a family. Graham, who Edie was also in love with, circles around her but will she be tempted to leave now that she knows about what Mac did? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a heart warmer about how love evolves and expands.

Was this review helpful?

I can spot a book cover by Lauren K. Denton a mile away. I was excited to read her latest release and was even more excited seeing all the great reviews on Goodreads. I enjoyed this book but felt it dragged in the middle. Not sure who annoyed me most - Edie, Mac or Graham. They all seemed to annoy me by the end. I’ll give this 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was the first book I have read by Lauren Denton, so I had no expectations going into it. After reading this. contemporary fiction, I will definitely be picking up more of her books. It was a perfect beach read!

Mac and Edie, the two main characters, have been married for twenty years with two kids and successful careers. When a mysterious person steps into Mac's office, their life will take a turn that neither could have expected. While trying to unravel the situation, both reflect on the summer before they got married and how things could have been.

I enjoyed the then and now storyline. It had twists and turns, although not completely mysterious but heartfelt. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I will just suggest that you read the book. It's one I would recommend to a friend wanting an easy read with depth and heartfelt moments!

Was this review helpful?

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The One You're With" and all opinions expressed are my own. This was a good book. I looked forward to see what would happen with Edie, Mac and Graham. There is a lot of looking back and thinking "did I make the right decision years go". What would my life have been like if I made another choice. I connected with the characters and the the story was interesting.

Was this review helpful?

Edie and Mac have known each other their since they were kids; they became a couple in 9th grade, and got married after college. When they were 13, Mac’s friend Graham from summer camp moved to town, and the 2 became a close threesome, until they grew apart that last year in college. The day Mac turns 30, a girl named Riley shows up at his office and throws their “perfect” family a curve ball.

This book alternates between 2 timelines, and is told from Mac’s and Edie’s perspectives in both modern day and the summer they spent apart in 2001. They both look back at their past, the path not taken, and try to determine what they want for their future.

I was drawn into this book and the characters from the beginning, and managed to read it all in one day! It was easy to see the love the characters had for each other, but also the pull of the paths they didn’t travel…. I definitely recommend this one, and I loved how it ended up.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Mac and Edie have known each other forever. They started dating in grade nine and have been together except that one summer where they broke up. They didn’t contact each other during that time, and what one doesn’t know about the other can’t hurt you, right?

The One You’re With is a look at a marriage that comes under fire when a part of Mac’s life comes under the scrutiny of something that he neglected to tell Edie. One indiscretion leads to an impasse in his marriage twenty years later.

The One You’re With seems to be a more personal story than the other books Lauren K. Denton has written. Marriage is personal and delicate but without honesty, the foundation of the relationship won’t work. Mac neglected to tell Edie that he had met someone over the summer that they broke up, and their mutual friend Graham who has figured things out on his own, felt it wasn’t his place to say anything to Edie, also his friend. Mac was hoping that this little jaunt on his own would stay tucked away on the beach, and no one would be the wiser except he never foresaw that his daughter would come looking for him.

So this leaves Edie pretty much on the island of “Mac didn’t think I could handle the truth.” I don’t know if I would’ve handled it as well as Edie does, she has a grace about her that would have me in a dark room and under the covers!

Both Edie and Mac are stretched to what they feel is their limit but find out that when they do not give up on each other and realize that they need to keep working on their relationship and yes through this trial they are reminded that they are committed and love one another that sometimes they need to hold onto each to make it through the rough spots. Highly recommended!

My gratitude to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley."I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Was this review helpful?

I've seen a lot of really positive reviews for this one floating around, and while I did still enjoy it, I didn't end up having the same experience as everyone else apparently.

I was initially drawn to this one as I was intrigued by it being about a couple who have been married for quite a few years. This isn't something I see done anymore by a lot of authors, and I'm always interested when I find such a title. Marriage is a lot of work, and I love when books examine the complicated truth that happily ever after doesn't mean everything goes perfectly onwards from the moment you say I do. On that topic, I think that the author did a fantastic job of realistically portraying what a couple would be going through that discovers the husband has a daughter he never actually knew anything about. All of a sudden questions emerge, and both Mac and Edie find themselves wondering if they made the right decision all those many years ago?

On the surface, this was a pretty great novel that acknowledges some pretty harsh truths, and showcases the importance of true communication in any relationship. However, I have to be honest and state that it really didn't end up being what I was hoping for, and that was mainly due to the main characters. I thought they both acted completely juvenile and self centered for a large portion of the story, and Edie, in particular, really grated on my nerves and had me not sympathizing with her in the slightest. She draws everything out to be only about herself, and she's often downright hypocritical when she calls out her husband on not telling her the truth, and yet then doing the same thing herself.

My favorite character of the story ended up being Riley, and I loved seeing the maturity she showcased throughout many of the tough situations she finds herself in, and the way she's able to put things behind her and try her best to bond with her newly discovered half siblings.

All in all, I did enjoy this one for the most part, but the main characters and the fact that it's largely about love triangles kept it from being a new favorite. I don't think I'd personally reread it, but I would still be willing to pick up a book from this author in the future.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This is just such an endearing and comforting story. I love how they’re all set in Alabama, and with Mobile as this setting it provides the perfect small town story. The characters were relatable and easy to like as well- I love how it all came together at the end.

Was this review helpful?

Spanning 18+ years (2000-) and told in alternating voices, Mac, Edie & Graham had been BFFs since middle school. Mac’s future is seemingly mapped out for him…med school, marry Edie, have a family. But one fateful summer, doubts and questions arise for all three friends about their relationships with one another and their own needs, and events transpire which will lead to lifetime repercussions. And in looking back, they must decide if they made the right choices.

I absolutely loved this story. Filled with flawed but lovable characters, big surprises, and tears which are always followed by joy, it’s a story about the deep bonds of friendship forged in childhood, the angst of young love, the pressures of living up to an ideal and looking back on choices made and possible regrets.

Denton is a favorite of mine because while her stories are “feel good” and sometimes slightly predictable, they are at their heart relatable and real and always leave me anxiously looking forward to her next one.

Highly recommended.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasNelson for providing me the early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Was this review helpful?

Well goodness, I just devoured this book! It was my first read of anything written by Lauren K. Denton, but I'll be seeking out more from her now. I read this book in 3 days, couldn't put it down, and was transported right to Alabama, where the story takes place.

The One You're With is the story of Mac & Edie, who have been married for 17 years and are raising two children. They are well-know, well-respected figures in their community and work hard in their professions: Mac a pediatrician and Edie an interior designer.

Mac & Edie have been dating since they were young, but they did spend one summer in college broken-up and apart from each other. After that summer, though, they returned to college - and each other - and married.

Now, 18 years later, a young woman shows up at Mac's pediatric office, changing everything for Mac and Edie. Throughout the book, they each face the consequences and the "what could have beens" from earlier in their life, and particularly, that one summer apart.

I loved this character-driven storyline and the dive into the inner-workings and struggles and work that go into a marriage and what it means to love the one you're with.

Was this review helpful?

“The One You’re With” is Lauren K. Denton’s latest novel. This is the first novel I have read by this author, and, as a result, I came to this story with no expectations. What I discovered was a well-written story about how difficult marriage can be, even when you love your partner and have vowed to be with him/her until death do you part.

Edie and her husband, Mac, live with their two children in a well-sought out community near Mobile, Alabama. Nineteen years ago, while still dating, the couple spend a summer apart, not realizing that the past would return in the shape of a young woman who walks into Mac’s pediatric practice with questions of her own. At the same time, Edie comes into contact with her own “could have been” who just happened to be Mac’s best friend. Both Mac and Edie now have to question whether they made the right choices all of those years ago and whether the path they’re on now is the one that they want to stay on.

The novel alternates between the point of views of both Edie and Mac and shifts between the past and present. Both husband and wife were well-developed and likable; you really wanted Edie and Mac to find their way back to each other. I appreciated a novel on the more grittier aspects of marriage—that happily ever after can sometimes take a detour. This was truly a character-driven story, and after reading so many novels heavy on plot, taking peek into the lives of a family that could be anyone makes this story even more intriguing.

Four stars for this one.

Thank you Lauren K. Denton, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC copy of The One You're With by Lauren K. Denton. This is a story of a family with a seemingly perfect life. Edie and Mac Swan have built a life many dream about. She's an interior designer and he is a pediatrician, with two children. They live a storybook existence until a young woman appears one day, which has them questioning the foundation of everything they have known about each other and their marriage. I did enjoy this book, however it was a little predictable. Its a fast read and the writing style does flow.

Was this review helpful?

What happens when one summer’s actions meets you face to face almost 20 years later? Will it destroy your life? Make you have doubts? Make you question all of,your decisions since then? Mac meets a stranger one day who will do all,of,these things to his world. I thought the writing was good. I did think Edie handled the news a little too calmly. A lot of emotions get worked out in this book. I also thought Avery and Thomas’s reactions were a bit understated. Still, it’s a good book and I liked the ending. It’s a good solid read with a feel good ending.

Was this review helpful?

A book about choices and their consequences, along with some what-ifs. It’s common to look back on our choices and wonder where we would be if had chosen a different path. With Mac and Edie these choices come full frontal when Mac’s unknown love child arrives in their lives. A bit shmaltzy with characters that I couldn’t really root for, this novel offered a clean read, albeit a bit redundant.

Was this review helpful?

I read The One You're With on vacation and it was the perfect women's lit book for the beach and long plane ride home. It's the story of long ago secrets that one thinks are over, but resurface when least expected and has potential to ruin a marriage.
Mac and Edie had known they were meant to be together since jr. high, except for the one summer they take a break and think they may love another. Mac's unknown child that was conceived that summer appears in their lives and it unravels what looks to be the perfect marriage/family. Edie also has to come to terms with her potential love of that summer when he moves back to their hometown.
It's a great story of forgiveness and the reminder that love is a choice. I strongly recommend this story-it will keep you reading!

Was this review helpful?

THE ONE YOU’RE WITH by Lauren K. Denton is a heartfelt and emotional story of marriage, family and friendship that drew me in and kept me engaged from beginning to end. I have enjoyed all of this author’s previous books so I was thrilled to get a chance to read a copy of her latest. Mac and Edie have known each other all their lives. They were high school sweethearts and have now been happily married for almost twenty years. They have a beautiful home, two wonderful children and careers they each love. Their lives are turned upside down when a young woman walks into Mac’s pediatrician office with a shocking revelation. Nineteen years prior to their marriage, Mac and Edie spent a summer apart and now they must come face-to-face with the events of that summer and the choices they both made. Told from the alternating perspectives of Mac and Evie in both the past and present, the couple takes stock of their relationship and must decide how the future will play out in the wake of this enormous upheaval. The portrayal of the characters was heartfelt, compassionate and relatable. The author delves into the question of whether love, family commitment and doing the right thing can win out over loss of trust, anger and missed chances. I truly enjoyed this well-written and heartwarming story and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

Was this review helpful?