Dear Thing

by Julie Cohen Narrated by Barrie Kreinik

Overview

After years of watching her best friends, Ben and Claire, try for a baby, Romily has offered to give them the one thing that they want most.
Romily expects it will be easy to be a surrogate. She's already a single mother, and she has no desire for any more children. But Romily isn't prepared for the overwhelming feelings that have taken hold of her and which threaten to ruin her friendship with Ben and Claire - and even destroy their marriage.
Now there are three friends, two mothers, and only one baby and an impossible decision to make....
Thought provoking, heart rending, but ultimately uplifting, Julie Cohen's Dear Thing is a book you won't be able to put down until you pass it on to your best friends.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Cohen is a master at bringing to life the intricate details of love, hope, and sacrifice. Her prose is vivid and sensual, and her characters take on lives of their own in full dimension. A gripping work of women's fiction with a satisfying emotional punch." —Kirkus Reviews

"Cohen weaves a story of friendship, love, and betrayal, but ultimately, this is a story of what it means to be a mother." —Booklist

"This story of friendship, love and motherhood is written with compassion and finesse, capturing hearts long after the final pages. With three main characters whose emotions are brought to life, this novel will grasp the heartstrings as readers wonder whether a happy ending is always possible." —RT Book Review (4 stars)

"Julie Cohen has a genuine talent for plot, pacing, and crafting believable characters who pull you in from page one. Dear Thing kept me up long past my bedtime but sleep deprivation and dark circles under the eyes are a small price to pay for the pleasure of being pulled into such an emotionally rewarding novel." —Marie Bostwick, New York Times bestselling author of The Second Sister

“An exquisitely crafted novel...compelling, fascinating and deeply affecting...Julie Cohen is an expert at making you care about her characters, and feel every nuance of emotion as they do. A truly brilliant writer who kept me gripped until the end.” —Rowan Coleman, author of The Accidental Mother

“Fix yourself a cup of tea, find a cozy place to sit, and read this book! Dear Thing is a beautifully written story about love, friendship, and motherhood. This is a novel you will cherish.” —Lynne Branard, author of The Art of Arranging Flowers

“Dear Thing is as its name suggests; a book that will touch your heart. The story of Ben, Claire and Romily is heartbreakingly real; something we can imagine happening to people we know. It had me hooked from the first page.” —Sarah Rayner, author of One Moment, One Morning

“Julie Cohen creates fresh, complex characters and puts them in a situation that will break your heart. Dear Thing is a deeply moving novel that ponders the questions of surrogacy and friendship and love. Julie has a warm and inviting writing style, drawing you into the story and creating a plot with many twists and turns. I was completely consumed by it and it remained with me long after I turned the last page.” —Anita Hughes, author of French Coast

“Both powerful and thought provoking, this wonderful book will move you to the core - and really make you think.” —Sun (UK)

Kirkus Reviews

2016-01-10
Cohen (Where Love Lies, 2014, etc.) explores the emotional complexity of a single mother entangled in a modern-day love triangle. Romily seems to have her life in control. She has a successful career and gives an abundance of love to her young daughter, Posie. Her child's godparents, Ben and Claire, also seem to have it all, except the one thing they want most in life—a child of their own. After years of failed pregnancies, Ben and Claire are at their wits' end until Romily steps in with the ultimate gift. While Ben welcomes the surrogacy, Claire is cautious in adjusting to the idea of another woman carrying her baby. Cohen presents a realistic depiction of the emotional challenges of surrogacy, for both the surrogate mother and the mother-in-waiting. Layered in with the already challenging relationship is an additional emotional entanglement: Romily cannot squash her romantic feelings for Ben. Her buried feelings not only threaten her relationship with Ben and Claire, but also jeopardize her chance at love with Jarvis, a man who stands by Romily's side despite his rejected heart. Cohen is a master at bringing to life the intricate details of love, hope, and sacrifice. Her prose is vivid and sensual, and her characters take on lives of their own in full dimension. At times, it's hard to tell where Ben's loyalty lies—with his wife or the woman carrying his child. His unstable emotional journey, like Romily's and Claire's, is necessary for Cohen's story to unfold as convincingly as it does. A gripping work of women's fiction with a satisfying emotional punch.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169848069
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	03/29/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos