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Defining Me
Winner of 2023 Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention in the Romance Category
A "The One That Got Away" Love Story With A Twist
Picture a moment when everything you hold dear shatters into a million pieces—your spirit crushed, your ambitions shattered, and your heart left in ruins. Isabelle Connelley knows this pain all too well. Not content to sit still and wait for things to get better, she runs away from her troubles, sprinting towards a chance encounter that could change everything— straight into the arms of her first love.
Alex Hastings, Isabelle’s “The One That Got Away,” has transformed into a man with magnetic charm, drop-dead gorgeous looks, and an air of mystery that leaves Isabelle intrigued. Despite their painful breakup years ago, Isabelle wonders if she ever truly moved on from him. So, when fate aligns their paths once again during her hometown summer getaway, it's like striking gold.
But, Isabelle's newfound escape is only temporary, so when the sun sets on her whirlwind romance, a whole new set of challenges awaits her in the humdrum of reality. Will she summon the strength to rebuild her life and mend her fractured marriage? Or will she dare to take a leap into the unknown, igniting an old flame with a fierce new spark?
Praise for LM Berthiaume and Defining Me: A Novel .
"In her debut novel, Berthiaume captures a woman’s full experience of life in the most realistic way I’ve encountered. She flawlessly paints the steadfast comfort of long-term love and the anguish of forbidden chemistry side by side. This book has everything! The horribly relatable coping struggles throughout the height of the pandemic, childhood nostalgia, the complicated nature of growing and changing relationships with family and friends—even action and drama and twists when you least expect them! Defining Me is the perfect [...] book to tear through, reluctantly setting down for meals and other activities, and one you will want to recommend to every one of your girlfriends. I hope this marks the beginning of a long writing career by a phenomenal new author."
~ Laura Lockwood, Voice Actor & Narrator
“Defining Me by brand new author LM Berthiaume is a great escape into what could have been. A successful businesswoman, adoring mom of two kids, wife of a dreamy husband, Isabelle struggles with a tenuous relationship with her mother; healthy tension relating to career, travel, and motherhood; and some particularly powerful unfinished heartsplosure from her past. All colliding against the strange backdrop of Covid when time seemed to standstill. Isabelle journeys back to her childhood home to rediscover herself and sort through the scattered chapters of her life to ultimately determine her path forward. It’s equal parts funny, sad, raw, and sexy… everything you want in a page-turning […] read.”
~Laurie Kramer, Executive Coach, Leadership Development
"Defining Me’s heroine, Izzy, is every woman. Every woman who is married. Every woman who has loved before. And every woman who still thinks about the one that got away. I couldn’t put it down. From the first word of the prologue, the writing will leave you breathless with anticipation.”
~Indira Ranganathan, Narrator
A "The One That Got Away" Love Story With A Twist
Picture a moment when everything you hold dear shatters into a million pieces—your spirit crushed, your ambitions shattered, and your heart left in ruins. Isabelle Connelley knows this pain all too well. Not content to sit still and wait for things to get better, she runs away from her troubles, sprinting towards a chance encounter that could change everything— straight into the arms of her first love.
Alex Hastings, Isabelle’s “The One That Got Away,” has transformed into a man with magnetic charm, drop-dead gorgeous looks, and an air of mystery that leaves Isabelle intrigued. Despite their painful breakup years ago, Isabelle wonders if she ever truly moved on from him. So, when fate aligns their paths once again during her hometown summer getaway, it's like striking gold.
But, Isabelle's newfound escape is only temporary, so when the sun sets on her whirlwind romance, a whole new set of challenges awaits her in the humdrum of reality. Will she summon the strength to rebuild her life and mend her fractured marriage? Or will she dare to take a leap into the unknown, igniting an old flame with a fierce new spark?
Praise for LM Berthiaume and Defining Me: A Novel .
"In her debut novel, Berthiaume captures a woman’s full experience of life in the most realistic way I’ve encountered. She flawlessly paints the steadfast comfort of long-term love and the anguish of forbidden chemistry side by side. This book has everything! The horribly relatable coping struggles throughout the height of the pandemic, childhood nostalgia, the complicated nature of growing and changing relationships with family and friends—even action and drama and twists when you least expect them! Defining Me is the perfect [...] book to tear through, reluctantly setting down for meals and other activities, and one you will want to recommend to every one of your girlfriends. I hope this marks the beginning of a long writing career by a phenomenal new author."
~ Laura Lockwood, Voice Actor & Narrator
“Defining Me by brand new author LM Berthiaume is a great escape into what could have been. A successful businesswoman, adoring mom of two kids, wife of a dreamy husband, Isabelle struggles with a tenuous relationship with her mother; healthy tension relating to career, travel, and motherhood; and some particularly powerful unfinished heartsplosure from her past. All colliding against the strange backdrop of Covid when time seemed to standstill. Isabelle journeys back to her childhood home to rediscover herself and sort through the scattered chapters of her life to ultimately determine her path forward. It’s equal parts funny, sad, raw, and sexy… everything you want in a page-turning […] read.”
~Laurie Kramer, Executive Coach, Leadership Development
"Defining Me’s heroine, Izzy, is every woman. Every woman who is married. Every woman who has loved before. And every woman who still thinks about the one that got away. I couldn’t put it down. From the first word of the prologue, the writing will leave you breathless with anticipation.”
~Indira Ranganathan, Narrator
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2023
5 people are currently reading
1087 people want to read
About the author
L.M. Berthiaume
1 book8 followersLM Berthiaume published her debut novel, Defining Me, with New Degree Press. Since its release in June 2023, she has received the sought-after designation of being an Amazon and Kindle Top 20 Best Selling Author. She is also a winner in the 2023 Beach Book Festival and the 2023 Fall Bookfest.
Defining Me has garnered many 5-star reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble with readers across the globe, including North America, Europe, and Australia.
In addition to the writing process, one of LM Berthiaume's cherished aspects of being an author is the opportunity to connect with both new and loyal readers of her novel. She relishes the experience of engaging with her audience, whether it's at book festivals across the country where she sells and signs her books, through online forums and social media, or in person through casual conversation.
Ms. Berthiaume’s hobbies include reading, eating Tex-Mex, singing along to turn-of-the-century hip hop, and being a #coolmom, obviously. Despite growing up in Texas, she has never owned a pair of cowboy boots OR a cowboy hat.
She is a wife, boy mom, cat mom, sister, daughter, and friend.
Defining Me has garnered many 5-star reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble with readers across the globe, including North America, Europe, and Australia.
In addition to the writing process, one of LM Berthiaume's cherished aspects of being an author is the opportunity to connect with both new and loyal readers of her novel. She relishes the experience of engaging with her audience, whether it's at book festivals across the country where she sells and signs her books, through online forums and social media, or in person through casual conversation.
Ms. Berthiaume’s hobbies include reading, eating Tex-Mex, singing along to turn-of-the-century hip hop, and being a #coolmom, obviously. Despite growing up in Texas, she has never owned a pair of cowboy boots OR a cowboy hat.
She is a wife, boy mom, cat mom, sister, daughter, and friend.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 6, 2023
Engaging read
Isabelle is happily married to the love of her life, Chris, and they have two wonderful children. But before Chris there was another love of her life, the horrible Alex. Isabelle’s life starts to unravel when she is stuck inside during lockdown, home-schooling her two children while her travel business falters; Chris, who gets to leave the house for work, is far from sympathetic. Isabelle returns to her childhood home, where, you’ve guessed it, Alex is trying to rekindle what they once had. Isabelle has to choose between the lovely Chris and the awful Alex.
This isn’t the type of book I would normally read, but I found it mostly engaging, although the middle was a little slow. All the characters felt realistic and relatable. Maybe too relatable; I disliked Alex so much it made the story painful in places, then I started disliking Isabelle (although not as much as Alex,) and Chris (just a bit.) I’m sure lots of people will find Alex endearing though, and it’s easy to forgive Isabelle’s wayward thoughts. The story develops into something different at the end; I’m not sure I liked the shift, but I’m sure others will.
The story switches between 2020 and Isabelle’s youth; it’s a good idea to remember the date of the last entry in the youth section to save scrolling back. If you want to relive your first teenage crush, this book portrays it perfectly, right to the point of a high school Isabelle making a ‘surprise’ trip to visit Alex at college, what could possibly go wrong? And the 2020 sections perfectly capture the monotony and claustrophobia of lockdown. The descriptions of some cities are a little cliché, but in other places I could really picture the scene, like the old library in Isabelle’s childhood home. Other than a few anomalies, particularly with tenses, the story is well-written and very easy to read.
Isabelle’s adult infatuation with Alex drove me crazy, but fans of the genre are likely to enjoy this engaging read. 4.5 rounded up to 5.
Isabelle is happily married to the love of her life, Chris, and they have two wonderful children. But before Chris there was another love of her life, the horrible Alex. Isabelle’s life starts to unravel when she is stuck inside during lockdown, home-schooling her two children while her travel business falters; Chris, who gets to leave the house for work, is far from sympathetic. Isabelle returns to her childhood home, where, you’ve guessed it, Alex is trying to rekindle what they once had. Isabelle has to choose between the lovely Chris and the awful Alex.
This isn’t the type of book I would normally read, but I found it mostly engaging, although the middle was a little slow. All the characters felt realistic and relatable. Maybe too relatable; I disliked Alex so much it made the story painful in places, then I started disliking Isabelle (although not as much as Alex,) and Chris (just a bit.) I’m sure lots of people will find Alex endearing though, and it’s easy to forgive Isabelle’s wayward thoughts. The story develops into something different at the end; I’m not sure I liked the shift, but I’m sure others will.
The story switches between 2020 and Isabelle’s youth; it’s a good idea to remember the date of the last entry in the youth section to save scrolling back. If you want to relive your first teenage crush, this book portrays it perfectly, right to the point of a high school Isabelle making a ‘surprise’ trip to visit Alex at college, what could possibly go wrong? And the 2020 sections perfectly capture the monotony and claustrophobia of lockdown. The descriptions of some cities are a little cliché, but in other places I could really picture the scene, like the old library in Isabelle’s childhood home. Other than a few anomalies, particularly with tenses, the story is well-written and very easy to read.
Isabelle’s adult infatuation with Alex drove me crazy, but fans of the genre are likely to enjoy this engaging read. 4.5 rounded up to 5.
July 10, 2023
LOVED IT! WHAT AN ENGAGING, SMART AND HEARTFELT DEBUT NOVEL. PERFECT BOOK CLUB SELECTION.
The writing was captivating and flowed so beautifully. I simply could not put this book down. Isabelle's journey of self discovery entwined with complicated relationships was compelling. I wanted to know what would happen next with Isabelle. The unwavering support Isabelle had, particularly from her brother, is what most people only dream of having. Book clubs would have a field day discussing the intricacies and the choices each of the characters made.
I really appreciated the timeline notation on each page in the printed copy of the book. I have never seen that level of detail before and since we get to understand Isabelle's personal journey from young adulthood, it provided a great quick reference.
Strong recommendation for this book.
The writing was captivating and flowed so beautifully. I simply could not put this book down. Isabelle's journey of self discovery entwined with complicated relationships was compelling. I wanted to know what would happen next with Isabelle. The unwavering support Isabelle had, particularly from her brother, is what most people only dream of having. Book clubs would have a field day discussing the intricacies and the choices each of the characters made.
I really appreciated the timeline notation on each page in the printed copy of the book. I have never seen that level of detail before and since we get to understand Isabelle's personal journey from young adulthood, it provided a great quick reference.
Strong recommendation for this book.
October 1, 2023
I do not read contemporary romance novels usually, other than for reviews as in this case. I think it is because I most often find the characters too self-indulgent, too self-absorbed, even smug and totally unaware of less privileged people in the world. So it was when I read this book and I could not wait to finish it. I found most of it trite and unsurprising – not unexpected I suppose given the book’s title.
There were no characters with whom I could identify and sympathise apart from Isabelle’s children who seemed to be more of an irritation than a loveable gift to her present day self. My thoughts throughout most of the book were usually of the type that says: ‘Oh, get over yourself!’ and ‘Why don’t you just count your blessings and get on with life!’ The level of material comfort and self-satisfaction amongst all of the characters was almost sickening to me.
The time spent in the book about Isabelle’s younger life with Alex, and all of the angst that can often accompany burgeoning love, when one’s highs and lows seem to oscillate around a particular person, was well done. However, it was not enough to make me enjoy the story. All that it did was make me feel sorry once more for Chris and their children.
The inclusion of the awful Covid 19 isolation situations, for everyone in the world, felt cynical and a deliberate device used to attract the attention of the reader. Among other problems for me as a UK reader in their seventh decade, was the frequent use of bad language (such as the f… and mother-f….. words) in the dialogue. While I understand the use of phrases and idioms in speech can help in the cause of authenticity, the inclusion of strong expletives in the conversations of privileged and educated adults seems to me to be most unfortunate. I know it is often a reality in some circles but its use in literature can perpetuate the habit as a norm. Another niggle for me was the number of USA products named in the novel that are not found in other countries. It felt like deliberate ‘product placement’ at times. I am probably wrong about that but it was irritating; for example what on earth is a ‘Gummy’ and why should non-drinkers automatically know the names of so many mixers, cocktails and martinis?
There were no characters with whom I could identify and sympathise apart from Isabelle’s children who seemed to be more of an irritation than a loveable gift to her present day self. My thoughts throughout most of the book were usually of the type that says: ‘Oh, get over yourself!’ and ‘Why don’t you just count your blessings and get on with life!’ The level of material comfort and self-satisfaction amongst all of the characters was almost sickening to me.
The time spent in the book about Isabelle’s younger life with Alex, and all of the angst that can often accompany burgeoning love, when one’s highs and lows seem to oscillate around a particular person, was well done. However, it was not enough to make me enjoy the story. All that it did was make me feel sorry once more for Chris and their children.
The inclusion of the awful Covid 19 isolation situations, for everyone in the world, felt cynical and a deliberate device used to attract the attention of the reader. Among other problems for me as a UK reader in their seventh decade, was the frequent use of bad language (such as the f… and mother-f….. words) in the dialogue. While I understand the use of phrases and idioms in speech can help in the cause of authenticity, the inclusion of strong expletives in the conversations of privileged and educated adults seems to me to be most unfortunate. I know it is often a reality in some circles but its use in literature can perpetuate the habit as a norm. Another niggle for me was the number of USA products named in the novel that are not found in other countries. It felt like deliberate ‘product placement’ at times. I am probably wrong about that but it was irritating; for example what on earth is a ‘Gummy’ and why should non-drinkers automatically know the names of so many mixers, cocktails and martinis?
August 25, 2023
Does anyone ever get over their first love? The breathless anticipation, the butterflies in the stomach, the uncertainty of youth? The author takes us on an emotional journey with Isabelle as she runs into an old flame on a vacation with a friend. Yikes. The very thought of it makes me fidget.
Comfortably settled as adults with current spouses and family, why would thoughts of someone from a whole different existence, one which should be irrevocably over, be so unnerving? Maybe we never really get over that first love. Maybe it’s a matter of understanding the difference between feelings we had way back then, given we were still in the process of finding ourselves, and feelings we have now, as mature adults who know themselves.
The author’s portrayal of Isabelle, the wife of a loving husband and mother of two children, as the emotions of youth are resurrected when she meets her first love is spot on. The old but powerful attraction, the old but powerful self-doubt, the feeling of not having gained any wisdom or maturity with age and being reduced to a blithering youngster all over again are things anyone who has daydreamed about a first love will be able to relate to.
We also have the very relevant challenges of life during the pandemic, dysfunctional relationships with family, and the importance of loving support. It’s a thoughtful exploration of issues that many would want to push away because to raise them could be unsettling. But in facing these issues, Isabelle gains a more “defined” sense of herself than before.
The story is well-written with dialogue and thoughts that lay bare what each character is feeling. I would have liked to have seen some more time spent on the settings, more descriptions of the wonderful places Isabelle went to. These felt glossed over and gave me a very fleeting sense of place. But I understand this was not a priority. Other than that, it was an emotionally engaging, quick and easy read.
Comfortably settled as adults with current spouses and family, why would thoughts of someone from a whole different existence, one which should be irrevocably over, be so unnerving? Maybe we never really get over that first love. Maybe it’s a matter of understanding the difference between feelings we had way back then, given we were still in the process of finding ourselves, and feelings we have now, as mature adults who know themselves.
The author’s portrayal of Isabelle, the wife of a loving husband and mother of two children, as the emotions of youth are resurrected when she meets her first love is spot on. The old but powerful attraction, the old but powerful self-doubt, the feeling of not having gained any wisdom or maturity with age and being reduced to a blithering youngster all over again are things anyone who has daydreamed about a first love will be able to relate to.
We also have the very relevant challenges of life during the pandemic, dysfunctional relationships with family, and the importance of loving support. It’s a thoughtful exploration of issues that many would want to push away because to raise them could be unsettling. But in facing these issues, Isabelle gains a more “defined” sense of herself than before.
The story is well-written with dialogue and thoughts that lay bare what each character is feeling. I would have liked to have seen some more time spent on the settings, more descriptions of the wonderful places Isabelle went to. These felt glossed over and gave me a very fleeting sense of place. But I understand this was not a priority. Other than that, it was an emotionally engaging, quick and easy read.
September 25, 2023
Defining Me reflects Isabelle Connelly’s journey to find herself, and beyond that, to define herself, just as the title implies. I enjoy romances and the story kept me engaged the whole way through. However, as I was winging along, I wondered about the viability of some scenarios. However, in my mind, the big question was how did Isabelle not question through her 20s or her 30s whether her relationship with Alex was wrong, and that she should consider why she remained involved with him. Through her various life experiences, Isabelle had no doubt reached a level of sophistication, worldliness, and I would suspect, some self-confidence and self-awareness? I had a hard time believing that Isabelle didn’t recognize Alex’s toxicity a lot sooner than age 40. Or, do we all have that one person where we are partly delusional? It’s possible perhaps, especially if it’s our first love. And therein lies the crux of Isabelle's problem.
But, I liked the contemporary themes and issues that Berthiaume addressed, especially the issues brought about by the pandemic and its impact on families. The pain of the pandemic was real. And, Berthiaume pinpointed many of the issues facing friendships and marriages of society today.
All in all, I would recommend to those who enjoy contemporary romances!
But, I liked the contemporary themes and issues that Berthiaume addressed, especially the issues brought about by the pandemic and its impact on families. The pain of the pandemic was real. And, Berthiaume pinpointed many of the issues facing friendships and marriages of society today.
All in all, I would recommend to those who enjoy contemporary romances!
May 24, 2023
Such an amazing book! I felt it in my bones, and related to the main character instantly. I felt seen, I cried and I celebrated with them. I thought I knew where things were headed and can usually predict a books ending pretty early, and this one really got me with a twist I wasn’t expecting. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who has experienced the pain of what-ifs and the depth of trauma that going into lock-down for COVID was like for so many women with school age children.
September 4, 2023
This was such a great book! I couldn’t put it down. I had tears and felt a close relationship to the character. I barely have time to read and this story kept be engaged. Great novel!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews