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Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
Woman in the Park by Lucian Verus centers on Elena Barton and Joseph Holloway. She’s a twenty-five-year-old paralegal who dreams of a more creative life. He’s a divorced forty-something consultant whose life has been built on structure, order, and careful choices. They meet at a friend’s barbecue and really hit it off. They fall in love and marry. About a year later, Elena discovers she’s pregnant. She’s worried this isn’t the right time for a baby since she’s just started graduate school and he’s still building his business. Joseph doesn’t share this worry, so they go on to have a beautiful baby boy, followed by another a couple of years later. The story then moves through different stages of their lives, including the gradual appearance of cracks and the pressures that build over time. Will they be able to survive the pressures of life? And who’s the lady in the park?
Woman in the Park by Lucian Verus pulled me in from the beginning. There were times I felt joy, sadness, and even some annoyance. I liked the clear and direct writing. The dialogue felt realistic, and each scene unfolded at a steady pace. After the resolution at the end of the story, I really appreciated how the author chose to jump forward in time for further glimpses into the characters' lives. Some were expected, but some were quite surprising. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and found myself lingering over certain scenes and lines after I’d finished reading. If you enjoy layered stories about relationships and starting over, this one delivers. It’s emotional, a bit complicated, and ultimately very rewarding.
