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Notes on a Marriage
Fans of Marian Keyes, Elizabeth Gilbert and Helen Fielding will find themselves nodding along to this portrait of a middle-aged woman emerging from the ruins of one life, and starting over again. ___________'After twenty-five years my marriage just blew up in my face. On a good day, I take a sledgehammer to my house between swigs of white wine. I'm a total mess.' Diane's humiliation comes thick and fast. For starters, her husband is having an affair with a younger woman. Of course he is. But what's worse is that he's blaming her. 'You've become boring,' he says. And that's that. Or is it? With the help of her best friend, Claudine, Diane embarks on a journey to discover a new life.Witty, sharp and emotionally rich, this is a story about freedom and identity and how it's never too late to put yourself first. ___________Praise for Notes on a 'Writing that makes us fall in love from the very first page' Huffington Post Quebec 'Fresh, funny, and a lot of fun to read' Consumed by Ink 'Wacky, scathing humour, good dialogue and assuredly lively' Le Devoir 'With great humour and tenderness, Marie Lavoie recounts Diane's journey to regain trust in both herself and the people around her . . . A piercing commentary on gender, marriage, and the nuances of self-love' Toronto Life 'Funny and absurd, but underlined with a tenderness and poignancy that will have you rooting for happily ever after after that' Pickle Me This'A great read. Relatable and a page turner, I'd recommend this book' Reader review
202 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 12, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 27, 2021
When Diane’s husband leaves her for a, predictably, younger woman because she is ‘boring’ she is completely thrown. Her whole life centred around her husband and children, who are now grown, and she is lost. With the help of her best friend, Claudine, she embarks on a journey to discover a new life.
The centre of the plot is undoubtedly Denise. She wants to discover if she is actually boring, has she always been boring? Was her husband just waiting for her children to grow up before leaving her or is this really the short affair he claims? Denise is a little naive, but her friend Claudine is far from it, she is a great friend who encourages her development and discovery and holds her hand the whole way through.
Even if you aren’t in a similar situation, even if you’ve never been cheated on, I think everyone can relate to this in some way. Do others see us the same way we see ourselves?
This is a heart-warming story, that’s funny and sad in places. While it’s about their breakup it doesn’t focus on this much but focuses more on Denise’s ‘afterlife’. She makes some new discoveries and, while she loses the plot for short periods of time, she finds herself in the end and seems much more fulfilled.
This was well written and with a good dialogue that kept me entertained throughout. The characters are well developed, warm and funny. The story is told with great tenderness and comedy over what is a potentially devastating story of self-discovery.
Thank you to Edelweiss+, the Publisher and the Author for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The centre of the plot is undoubtedly Denise. She wants to discover if she is actually boring, has she always been boring? Was her husband just waiting for her children to grow up before leaving her or is this really the short affair he claims? Denise is a little naive, but her friend Claudine is far from it, she is a great friend who encourages her development and discovery and holds her hand the whole way through.
Even if you aren’t in a similar situation, even if you’ve never been cheated on, I think everyone can relate to this in some way. Do others see us the same way we see ourselves?
This is a heart-warming story, that’s funny and sad in places. While it’s about their breakup it doesn’t focus on this much but focuses more on Denise’s ‘afterlife’. She makes some new discoveries and, while she loses the plot for short periods of time, she finds herself in the end and seems much more fulfilled.
This was well written and with a good dialogue that kept me entertained throughout. The characters are well developed, warm and funny. The story is told with great tenderness and comedy over what is a potentially devastating story of self-discovery.
Thank you to Edelweiss+, the Publisher and the Author for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2025
My notes on notes on a marriage by Marie Lavoie
Wacky, fun and an enjoyable read. Notes on a Marriage by Marie Lavoie is a contemporary story following the story of Diane, who navigates the emotional fallout after the soul-crushing announcement of the end to her 28 year old marriage. As I read, I found myself reflecting deeply and jotting down some key observations, which I’ll share below.
-While I wouldn’t call it a fast-paced page-turner, it definitely has its moments of brilliance.
-The way Lavoie frames her experiences is admirable—respectful and devoid of unnecessary offense.
-Unfortunately Diane, the mc wasn’t in her revenge era- this was a simple read covering the complexities of feelings and spiraling thoughts.
-The book matter gets a tad boring in the middle
-The descriptions stand out a lot.
Notes on a Marriage is an empowering book in an introspective manner. It makes you realize the complexities of a relationship and the messy way deep-seated feelings are tied into one. And how messy it is to untie the knot. While I’m a sucker for revenge tropes, I quickly realized that Diane’s story wasn’t about satisfying that craving. Instead, it was about challenging feelings and accepting the hurdles life will throw at them. (Blending humor with raw emotions)
Marie’s craft for writing could be felt through the pages. The way she has expertly woven Diane's feelings into every chapter really was an eye opener into that goes on in a woman's heart when she gets betrayed by her utmost dearest. It’s the kind of writing that makes you pause, savor a line, and admire the talent.
One line from the book has already become my go-to quote:
"I commented with an enthusiasm that was as genuine as a fake plant is real."
It’s clever, sharp, and perfectly captures the wit Lavoie weaves throughout her story. As a writer, I’m always on the lookout for memorable lines like this to add to my growing list of favorite phrases, so you best believe this one is taking a position in there as well!
I will say if you're a fan of slow reads that deal with life’s most mundane- this book is for you!
Wacky, fun and an enjoyable read. Notes on a Marriage by Marie Lavoie is a contemporary story following the story of Diane, who navigates the emotional fallout after the soul-crushing announcement of the end to her 28 year old marriage. As I read, I found myself reflecting deeply and jotting down some key observations, which I’ll share below.
-While I wouldn’t call it a fast-paced page-turner, it definitely has its moments of brilliance.
-The way Lavoie frames her experiences is admirable—respectful and devoid of unnecessary offense.
-Unfortunately Diane, the mc wasn’t in her revenge era- this was a simple read covering the complexities of feelings and spiraling thoughts.
-The book matter gets a tad boring in the middle
-The descriptions stand out a lot.
Notes on a Marriage is an empowering book in an introspective manner. It makes you realize the complexities of a relationship and the messy way deep-seated feelings are tied into one. And how messy it is to untie the knot. While I’m a sucker for revenge tropes, I quickly realized that Diane’s story wasn’t about satisfying that craving. Instead, it was about challenging feelings and accepting the hurdles life will throw at them. (Blending humor with raw emotions)
Marie’s craft for writing could be felt through the pages. The way she has expertly woven Diane's feelings into every chapter really was an eye opener into that goes on in a woman's heart when she gets betrayed by her utmost dearest. It’s the kind of writing that makes you pause, savor a line, and admire the talent.
One line from the book has already become my go-to quote:
"I commented with an enthusiasm that was as genuine as a fake plant is real."
It’s clever, sharp, and perfectly captures the wit Lavoie weaves throughout her story. As a writer, I’m always on the lookout for memorable lines like this to add to my growing list of favorite phrases, so you best believe this one is taking a position in there as well!
I will say if you're a fan of slow reads that deal with life’s most mundane- this book is for you!
October 30, 2023
Read it in a day on a book swap oh holiday - not an exciting read but a happy, funny, chick flick easy read.
January 25, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I cried and laughed with it and it was such an easy read. Would definitely recommend!
December 24, 2020
This book is terrible, I think it was a free Amazon one with Prime. I hope that I didn’t buy it. Like the title says it’s boring- dull as dishwater, I did not enjoy reading it at all. It was on the kindle so I chipped away at it bit by bit but I didn’t enjoy it very much. A very disappointing read.
December 30, 2022
I did not read this book I don't know how it appeared in my profile
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews