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130th out of 418 books
—
348 voters
The Two Week Wait
by
Sarah Rayner (Goodreads Author)
A memorable and moving page-turner about two very different women, each yearning to create a family of her own
What if the thing you most longed for was resting on a two week wait? From the author of the international bestselling One Moment, One Morning, comes a moving portrait about what it truly means to be a family.After a health scare, Brighton-based Lou is forced to co...more
What if the thing you most longed for was resting on a two week wait? From the author of the international bestselling One Moment, One Morning, comes a moving portrait about what it truly means to be a family.After a health scare, Brighton-based Lou is forced to co...more
Paperback, Trade Paperback, 410 pages
Published
February 2nd 2012
by Picador
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This is a story about two women who never meet but are bonded for life. Lou makes a visit to the doctor after finding a lump in her tummy. The doctors treat her fibroids and suggest that if she ever wants kids, to do so a.s.a.p. Lou’s partner, Sofia, is not ready to take on that responsibility and they end their relationship on friendly (but painful) terms. Lou is not a wealthy woman and the treatments are pretty expensive. She is approved for a program in which she is able to undergo the treatm...more
Heartbreaking and life affirming. Two words I used to describe Rayner's first book about the Brighton based women Lou, Karen and Anna 'One Moment, One Morning' and they could easily be used again for the review of 'The Two Week Wait'. Sarah Rayner once more reminds us that ordinary lives are filled with extraordinary events and once we are able to connect the dots an amazing story is unfolding right before us.
I love her no fuss way of telling a story. Written in present tense the events of the...more
I love her no fuss way of telling a story. Written in present tense the events of the...more
I've read two of this lady's previous novels and loved them both.. This is a kind of sequel to the excellent One Moment, One Morning, though previous knowledge is not required to reap the full benefit of this moving and pacey tale. Her research on the subject of IVF is meticulous though worn lightly, and it's guaranteed to strike a chord with anyone who's been through a similar experience. After One and Two, you do wonder if a Third novel is in the offing - there's plenty of mileage left in Sara...more
You can read my full review HERE
I liked this book but it was not a fabulous-you-must-run-out-and-read-it-right-away-book. It was a good, light read that if it happens to be the library, why not check it out? I liked the story line of two women, Lou and Cath, both wanting to have a baby and helping each other out with the help of modern science. I really liked the characters in the story (with the exception of 2 minor characters) and sympathized with them but I thought that they were fairly one d...more
I liked this book but it was not a fabulous-you-must-run-out-and-read-it-right-away-book. It was a good, light read that if it happens to be the library, why not check it out? I liked the story line of two women, Lou and Cath, both wanting to have a baby and helping each other out with the help of modern science. I really liked the characters in the story (with the exception of 2 minor characters) and sympathized with them but I thought that they were fairly one d...more
The story of two women trying for "last chance" pregnancies through egg sharing, and the impact it has on them and those around them.
I really enjoyed Sarah Rayner's first novel, One Moment, One Morning, so was greatly looking forward to reading The Two Week Wait. However, having now read it I can't say I really enjoyed it or thought it a worthy successor to her first book.
This is almost entirely down to the subject matter and my complete lack of interest in pregnancy, IVF and motherhood - as thi...more
I really enjoyed Sarah Rayner's first novel, One Moment, One Morning, so was greatly looking forward to reading The Two Week Wait. However, having now read it I can't say I really enjoyed it or thought it a worthy successor to her first book.
This is almost entirely down to the subject matter and my complete lack of interest in pregnancy, IVF and motherhood - as thi...more
I loved One Moment One Morning and Sarah Rayner's new novel does not disappoint. The Two Week Wait is about the fertility struggles some women face - in this story, a gay woman who wants a child and a straight couple who are unable to conceive naturally.
Bizarrely, despite how common fertility problems are today, it doesn't seem to be a topic covered in novels, at least I haven't come across another, and reading the lives of Rayner's characters does feel like a realistic and close-up insight int...more
Bizarrely, despite how common fertility problems are today, it doesn't seem to be a topic covered in novels, at least I haven't come across another, and reading the lives of Rayner's characters does feel like a realistic and close-up insight int...more
I really didn't find this to be as strong a book as one moment one morning, which was a shame. The subject is a moving one although I did find it a little hard to connect with Lou's near instant decision to have a child, especially when compared to the more considered desire of Cath. Considering the speed with which Lou seems to come to this decision it did seem somewhat cruel to the characters and the readers that the author decided to only grant success to one woman in this story. There seemed...more
From the author of One Moment, One Morning, and featuring the same characters of Lou, Karen and Anna, but this takes their lives in a wholly different direction. In this book, Lou steps into the forefront, deciding to have a child following a health scare. If you read the first book (and you really don't need to - this one will stand alone) you'll remember that Lou is gay, so there begins the search for a father, followed by IVF treatment which means she produces more eggs than she needs. I've n...more
1 like
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like
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Once I started this book, I was immediately riveted and could not go to sleep last night until I'd finished, which is inconvenient on a Sunday night when you have to work on Monday.
This is the story of two women, strangers to each other, who both want a baby but for some reason neither cannot conceive the old-fashioned way. Cath has had ovarian cancer and beaten it, but she now has no ovaries, and Lou is a lesbian who through a medical crisis of her own, has found that her time to have a baby...more
This is the story of two women, strangers to each other, who both want a baby but for some reason neither cannot conceive the old-fashioned way. Cath has had ovarian cancer and beaten it, but she now has no ovaries, and Lou is a lesbian who through a medical crisis of her own, has found that her time to have a baby...more
Sarah Rayner is a good writer, I have read the book before this "one moment one morning" and think that it should be read after the two week wait as it fits perfectly. This book was a great joy for me despite the subject the writing was powerful and kept you gripped. It made me sad as well as things happened that left a lump in my throat. My favorite character was Anna, as she's the friend everyone wants to have. She is thoughtful and kind in both books.
The reason it's only four stars is becaus...more
The reason it's only four stars is becaus...more
I had absolutely loved 'One Moment, One Morning', so was very much looking forward to Sarah Rayner's new book. And then, as I began to read, I was delighted to find that the characters I had most cared about in that first book (especially Lou - my favourite from OMOM) were featuring in this new story.
There is a tenderness in Sarah Rayner's writing which I really love - her characters are real, believable, engaging. This second story revolves around IVF - not something about which I knew very muc...more
There is a tenderness in Sarah Rayner's writing which I really love - her characters are real, believable, engaging. This second story revolves around IVF - not something about which I knew very muc...more
*Won Through a Goodreads Giveaway*
At times I find my self wanting to binge on women's fiction and this novel in particular fit that bill. The story centers around two women who have found that their biological clocks are ticking or have already run out of time. After surviving a health scare, Lou's doctors tell her that if she wants to have children, the time is now. Cath, having dealt with cancer, was unable to have children of her own. These women don't know each other except through anonymity...more
At times I find my self wanting to binge on women's fiction and this novel in particular fit that bill. The story centers around two women who have found that their biological clocks are ticking or have already run out of time. After surviving a health scare, Lou's doctors tell her that if she wants to have children, the time is now. Cath, having dealt with cancer, was unable to have children of her own. These women don't know each other except through anonymity...more
*I won this book as a goodreads first-reads giveaway
The Two Week Wait is about two women living very different lives brought together by a common goal - to have a baby. Both women, Lou & Cath, have gone through some issues which forces them to closely evaluate their desires for motherhood, as their window is short. Lou is a lesbian whose partner is not on board with having a family and Cath is a married cancer survivor who cannot get pregnant on her own. Both women end up at the same confere...more
The Two Week Wait is about two women living very different lives brought together by a common goal - to have a baby. Both women, Lou & Cath, have gone through some issues which forces them to closely evaluate their desires for motherhood, as their window is short. Lou is a lesbian whose partner is not on board with having a family and Cath is a married cancer survivor who cannot get pregnant on her own. Both women end up at the same confere...more
This is the first book by Sarah Rayner that I have read, and I have to say that I love the characters that she has created in The Two week wait. It is a emotional read, it shows you the ups and the downs that two different woman face as they come to terms with how they are going to create a family, and both decide on IVF as the way to fulfill this dream. It is not an easy road for either one of them. Once they have made the decision to become a mother neither one came imagine the possibilities...more
The Two Week Wait is a touching, heartfelt and uplifting story. The story follows two strangers, Lou and Cath, as they each struggle to form a family of their own. The characters feel like real people and I could instantly relate to everything they were going through, even though I've never been in a similar situation.
This isn't the type of book I usually pick up (I tend to go for love stories or action-packed books instead of those that deal with deep subjects like IVF and struggling to have ch...more
This isn't the type of book I usually pick up (I tend to go for love stories or action-packed books instead of those that deal with deep subjects like IVF and struggling to have ch...more
I really liked this author's previous book One Moment, One Morning, and this one had some of the same characters so I was looking forward to reading this one. I didn't really like it much. The author does a good job with the writing and in some ways you do want to know what's going to happen with each of the characters. I think I was more turned off by the subject matter. The whole book focuses on IVF and an egg-sharing program. The two main characters, Lou (who was in One Moment, One Morning, a...more
I really enjoyed Sarah Rayner's previous book, One moment, One morning ,so it was a real pleasure to read this new story which features some of the characters we met in that novel.
This time the story focuses on Lou and her quest to become a mother using IVF, whilst at the same time donating her own eggs so that another woman can be helped in the same way.
What then follows is a story of how infertility and the need for a child can encompass all things. The story is not without heartbreak but it i...more
This time the story focuses on Lou and her quest to become a mother using IVF, whilst at the same time donating her own eggs so that another woman can be helped in the same way.
What then follows is a story of how infertility and the need for a child can encompass all things. The story is not without heartbreak but it i...more
The Two Week Wait by Sarah Rayner explores some of the layers involved when a family wants a child and it does not come easily. In this book, the author parallels the lives of two women who might seem very different on the outside, but when inspected closer, are very much alike.
The clock is ticking and Lou would like to have children, but she has not discussed this with her partner. Will Sofia be willing to add a child to their family?
Cath and husband Rich would like to begin a family also. She...more
The clock is ticking and Lou would like to have children, but she has not discussed this with her partner. Will Sofia be willing to add a child to their family?
Cath and husband Rich would like to begin a family also. She...more
Nov 04, 2012
Betty
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads-giveaway-wins
What a fantastically wonderful book! Ms Rayner takes you along on an emotional voyage to possible parenthood with two deserving women. Cath, married to a younger man, has had cancer surgery which has left her infertile. She is blessed tave him and his unfailing support and love. Lou is a lesbian who is quickly reaching the age here motherhood will not be an option. Her partner is not interested in parenthood, so Lou decides to do this alone. As luck would have it circumstances help her to find a...more
I really enjoyed this book. I love the way the author just got right inside people's thinking. It is about two women's journey through infertility and the challenges and decisions they make in response to it. It's very much about their emotional journey which I find fascinating, but then as a former social worker I love hearing about people's emotional lives whether it's something I'm familiar with or not. I do think society as a whole is learning to understand and appreciate our inner lives and...more
I won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. It was an absorbing read, one I would recommend to anyone with an interest in pregnancy and fertility issues, as those are the book's main subjects. Some readers may be turned off by the informative, fact-driven narrative but I found it fascinating. There are two stories, told in alternating parts, and though the two characters never officially meet, they do come together in the end, in a bittersweet way. The family drama was realistic, the characters rel...more
I got this book from Goodreads Giveaway
It has been a long time since a book made me cry, and it took me by surprise. I finished the last page, closed the book and tears just poured down my face. Very touching story.
I really appreciate how the writer focused only on the feelings of the two women and not weather it was right or wrong, and not getting into the politics of this topic. The story hit close to home for me because my oldest daughter was born with no ovaries, she is 20 now, and I know ev...more
It has been a long time since a book made me cry, and it took me by surprise. I finished the last page, closed the book and tears just poured down my face. Very touching story.
I really appreciate how the writer focused only on the feelings of the two women and not weather it was right or wrong, and not getting into the politics of this topic. The story hit close to home for me because my oldest daughter was born with no ovaries, she is 20 now, and I know ev...more
2 likes
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like
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This book is quite a roller coaster of emotions. I loved this book so much, but at the same time hated it! Lou and Cath are two women desperately wanting to have children. They have both faced medical issues that they have been told will hinder their chances of having children. Both women search to find ways to increase their chances for having successful pregnancies, this is how they find egg sharing. Lou donates some of her eggs in return for having the recipient(Cath) pay for her IVF. This is...more
Brilliant.
I wanted to both cry and be happy for the characters ... I was with them every step of the way.
I suppose because I have been there in a 'baby situ' (8 miscarriages a still birth then two children) I was fingers crossed and holding my breath throughout the book whilst watching their lives played out like a game of russian roulette.
It helped that I had read her previous book and knew some of the characters but it does stand as a read on it's own without having read her first book. The st...more
I wanted to both cry and be happy for the characters ... I was with them every step of the way.
I suppose because I have been there in a 'baby situ' (8 miscarriages a still birth then two children) I was fingers crossed and holding my breath throughout the book whilst watching their lives played out like a game of russian roulette.
It helped that I had read her previous book and knew some of the characters but it does stand as a read on it's own without having read her first book. The st...more
The first book I read by Sarah Rayner, One Moment One Morning, was very good. It was sad but it had a certain type of story that people can identify with. The ending was good and provided a kinda happily ever after ending.
When I was last in the UK I looked for more books by Sarah Rayner, only to find that she had written a second book, kinda like a sequel, to the first one. The second book was called “The Two Weeks Wait” and of course I grabbed it and it made the top of my books to read list, w...more
When I was last in the UK I looked for more books by Sarah Rayner, only to find that she had written a second book, kinda like a sequel, to the first one. The second book was called “The Two Weeks Wait” and of course I grabbed it and it made the top of my books to read list, w...more
Nov 28, 2012
Angelina
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads,
fiction
Despite it's intense subject this book was delightfully free of smarm or sentimentality. It approaced the topic of IVF with the full storm of emotion, good and bad that often attends the process. I expected this from the book.
What I didn't expect was to add an even broader stroke to the mental brush I apply to the concept of family. I was pleasantly surprised to broaden my horizons. I was forced to think beyond the surface of what it means to become a parent as a person of alternate sexuality.
I...more
What I didn't expect was to add an even broader stroke to the mental brush I apply to the concept of family. I was pleasantly surprised to broaden my horizons. I was forced to think beyond the surface of what it means to become a parent as a person of alternate sexuality.
I...more
I received The Two Week Wait as a giveaway First Reads winner. The book is about two very different women and their journey to each have a child. The womens's lives are intertwined even though they don't know one another. I found the book to be very enjoyable. At first I thought the author had included a little too much detail about the day-to-day experiences/lives of these characters, but as I continued reading I eventually appreciated that detail more and more. This is a book about choices, li...more
I won a free copy of “The Two Week Wait” as a first-reads giveaway.
I have to agree with another reviewer – this book is completely consumed with pregnancy, motherhood, and IVF. So if none of this interests you, you probably don’t want to read this book.
***SPOILER ALERT***
Cath is a cancer survivor but lost her ovaries in the battle. Lou discovers a grapefruit-sized cyst in her womb and after surgery she’s told if she wants to have a baby it’s “now or never”. She opts for now even though her partn...more
I have to agree with another reviewer – this book is completely consumed with pregnancy, motherhood, and IVF. So if none of this interests you, you probably don’t want to read this book.
***SPOILER ALERT***
Cath is a cancer survivor but lost her ovaries in the battle. Lou discovers a grapefruit-sized cyst in her womb and after surgery she’s told if she wants to have a baby it’s “now or never”. She opts for now even though her partn...more
The Two Week Wait by Sarah Rayner is a story of love, life and loss. Two main characters, Cath and Lou, who never actually cross paths are trying to accomplish the same goal by having a baby. They have both suffered through medical scares that have put having a baby either a task that must be done quickly or something that may be impossible. Through an egg donor/sharing program, these women's lives do depend on each other for what they each want the most - a family of their own.
This is a book t...more
This is a book t...more
I won this book in the first reads giveaway on Goodreads. Thanks you! I am happy for the opportunity.
Throughout most of the story, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. I think, however, that this is more a reflection of my circumstance than a fault of the author. The British writing style is very distracting to me because the slang/everyday dialect is different from my own. Sometimes the details of the IVF and egg sharing got a bit tedious to me as well.
I found myself finally...more
Throughout most of the story, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. I think, however, that this is more a reflection of my circumstance than a fault of the author. The British writing style is very distracting to me because the slang/everyday dialect is different from my own. Sometimes the details of the IVF and egg sharing got a bit tedious to me as well.
I found myself finally...more
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Most readers today know Sarah Rayner from her bestselling novel, One Moment, One Morning, which has sold over 250,000 copies in the UK, and is currently being translated into 11 languages. But before that she published two rather different novels – The Other Half (Orion 2001) and Getting Even (2002), and these have been fully revised and updated by the author and just republished by Picador as ebo...more
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Feb 08, 2012 05:27pm