The Line That Binds

by Carolyn LaRoche

Eleanor Hart loved the same man almost her entire life. When her husband Gary, a Virginia Beach police officer, is killed in the line of duty, her whole world is torn apart. One minute she's drinking margaritas with her girlfriends, and the next, she's planning a funeral. Her two best friends, Vivian and Marietta, wrap their love and friendship around her while doing their best to support their husbands who were witnesses to the brutal murder of their friend and colleague. They fight to keep their marriages together amidst depression, guilt, grief, alcoholism, and PTSD. Through the enormity of the loss, they discover the true strength of their friendship. With plenty of hugs, tears, wine, and ice cream, the three friends navigate the complicated aftermath of Gary's death. Together they can handle anything. Friends by chance. Sisters by choice.Strengthened by The Line That Binds.

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2019

About the author

Carolyn LaRoche grew up in snow country but fled the cold and ice several years ago. She now lives near the beach with her husband, their two boys, two finicky cats and one old dog. When she is not at the baseball field cheering on big hits and home runs, she is busy teaching science to unwilling teenagers.

Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE LINE THAT BINDS: Is a full length novel by new to me author "Carolyn LaRoche' Spoken in Third Person POV's.

I love you, Eleanor. I have loved you since the second grade. I'm sorry about the frog in your book bag.

Because this new to me author wrung out all those emotional feels this book gets my 5 star rating! Such a profound, raw, emotional journey that more than once put me through the wringer!

I felt all these three wife’s fears as they kissed their service men each day as they walked out the door, hoping they would be returned each night. 'Be safe and come home to me' spoken often..But what happens when one of these hero's doesn't return? Even though each wife (Three besties) has their own fears neither of them expected it to happen to one of their own.

This is exactly what happened to Eleanor. After wrapping up the night she'd shared with her two besties, and laying in bed at 11.45pm her husbands name Gary, flashes on her phone screen letting her know that he's was on his way out responding to a warrant call and just wanted to let her know that he loved her.

As she went to disconnect the call she drops it, as she picks it back up she comes to realise that Gary had also not disconnected his end. She hears the dispatcher announce a 10-13 call stating that shots had been fired and to approach with caution as the suspect is armed and dangerous.
Loud pops come over the line. As she screams Gary's name she hears a voice declare that an Officer is down.

Not so long after as she hears the front door bell ring, she knew in her heart that they were there to inform her about Gary.

Long story short as the story progresses we read about how Gary's death not only impacted his wife and his two teenaged boys he'd left behind but it also had an impact on his two best friends and the community itself.

I've been a cop's wife for over twenty years. All of a sudden, I'm a cop's widow.

Survivor guilt and a routine broken, each laid blame on their shoulders.

This book really resonated deeply with me, it's something I've never thought about, not being married to an Officer I couldn't imagine what that life would be like, especially for the wives left laying in bed with that on going fear that one night their husband may never walk through that door. My heart was literally gutted. This book was just so realistic and raw, the only advice I can offer ones going into this after me, is have those tissues ready because this book packs one hell of a punch!!

You have to know, I'm always afraid for you. Every time you walk out that door, I pray you return to me. I hold my breath for ten hours straight until you walk back in.

[Sassy Southern Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor Hunt is married to the love of her life, Gary, and they have twin boys, Jackson and Jameson who are away at college. Gary is a police officer and through that she has become close friends with two of his co-workers wives, Vivian and Marietta.
When tragedy strikes each woman must deal with it in a different as each of their lives is impacted in a different way. Can the women hold onto the bond that they share to help each other through it or will the pressure be too much for them all?
This was a super interesting read about the impact of a tragedy and how all the women’s lives are connected through their husbands but each of them is facing something different.
Eleanor has to go through the most tragic loss and she struggles with how she is going to go on yet she knows she has to for her sons. Yet she faces certain pressures from her mom about how she is going through things and about what needs to be done. Yet her best friends are constantly there for her and would drop everything in an instant to be by her side.
Vivian is struggling with how Antonio is dealing with everything and how his downward spiral is affecting both her and their son, Tony. I was really frustrated for Antonio with what was said to him at Tony’s basketball game as some people have such a negative attitude towards the police and don’t care about the dangers they face. I was very worried about Antonio and didn’t know if he could turn it around.
Marietta faced a different struggle as she desperately wanted a family and therefore she was there for everyone else and tried to do it all in order to make up for what she didn’t have. It was sad as you could tell she had so much to offer a child.
The event at the mall with Eleanor and Marietta was definitely scary and I hated what they went through! The sad part is that is no longer just “fiction” as it should be.
I loved how things began to turn around and the strength they got from each other slowly. The end was awesome and I was so happy for certain characters, especially Jameson!
By Rebecca

[Rebecca Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super interesting read about the impact of a tragedy and how all the women’s lives are connected through their husbands but each of them is facing something different.

Eleanor has to go through the most tragic loss and she struggles with how she is going to go on yet she knows she has to for her sons. Yet she faces certain pressures from her mom about how she is going through things and about what needs to be done. Yet her best friends are constantly there for her and would drop everything in an instant to be by her side.

Vivian is struggling with how Antonio is dealing with everything and how his downward spiral is affecting both her and their son, Tony. I was really frustrated for Antonio with what was said to him at Tony’s basketball game as some people have such a negative attitude towards the police and don’t care about the dangers they face. I was very worried about Antonio and didn’t know if he could turn it around.

Marietta faced a different struggle as she desperately wanted a family and therefore she was there for everyone else and tried to do it all in order to make up for what she didn’t have. It was sad as you could tell she had so much to offer a child.

The event at the mall with Eleanor and Marietta was definitely scary and I hated what they went through! The sad part is that is no longer just “fiction” as it should be.

I loved how things began to turn around and the strength they got from each other slowly. The end was awesome and I was so happy for certain characters, especially Jameson!

[a collective of books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tissues needed. Great writing and a very sad read showing the struggles and impact on each person when someone close to them tragically dies on the job. Each person handled the situation differently using their own coping mechanisms. Not my type of read, but it was pretty good.

[Maria Vickers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab your tissues, this book, and prepare your heart. This one will tread all over it, and I can't promise all of the pieces will be 100% put back together, but it won't leave you a complete broken mess. The Line That Binds by Carolyn LaRoche is very different from her other books, but it comes with perspective. With the author being a police wife herself, the emotions and the situations are very real. Nothing felt fabricated. While this book has a touch of romance because of the love between the couples, it is not a romance. It is a story about friendship, grieving, and life. REAL LIFE.

This book was a hard read, but not because of the way it was written or because it was a bad book, on the contrary, I loved everything about this book. It was hard because of the subject matter and the emotional turmoil it put me through. I was transported into the pages. Well-written, this book brings the characters and the stories to life. You feel and experience everything they are going through. I highly recommend you one-click this book today. 5 stars.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚Reviewed for A Book Nerd, a Bookseller and a Bibliophile📚

What an emotional read. Which I was hoping for that when I had read the blurb. I don't know what I would have done if I was in Eleanor's shoes.

I loved the love that Eleanor and Gary had and was completely heartbroken when tragedy struck. I admired Eleanor and her strength to continue because I honestly don't think I would have been able to after what she heard and experienced.

I was thankful that she had her friends there with her through out the story as well as her children. The story was a solid read for me.

I look forward to reading more from the Ms. LaRoche

[A.BookNerd.Bookseller&Bibliophile.Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an emotional read. Which I was hoping for that when I had read the blurb. I don't know what I would have done if I was in Eleanor's shoes.

I loved the love that Eleanor and Gary had and was completely heartbroken when tragedy struck. I admired Eleanor and her strength to continue because I honestly don't think I would have been able to after what she heard and experienced.

I was thankful that she had her friends there with her through out the story as well as her children. The story was a solid read for me.

I look forward to reading more from the Ms. LaRoche.

Reviewed by: Dana D.

[Spunky N Sassy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spunky N Sassy Rating: 5.0

~~~~~~~~~~Lindsey's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~

Great Book

This is a fantastic piece of women’s fiction that is a must read. I was definitely hooked and left wanting more!