A Wonderful, Emotional Ride

How Still My Love by Diane Marina is exactly the type of romance I will never get tired of. It is full of emotion, passion, extreme highs and extreme lows: with a happily ever after that I can bask in for days.

Beth grudgingly goes out on a blind date arranged by her best friend Laurel. She hates being set up and she is still feeling the residual pain from her last, very toxic relationship. However, when she meets Toni she is immediately smitten and the feeling is mutual. The two date and get to know each other and fall contentedly in love. Their relationship is perfect until Toni brings up her desire to have a baby. Beth knew that Toni wanted to have children but she had never really seen that as part of their future. When Toni presses the subject, their relationship starts to unravel, leading to a very dramatic and painful breakup. Both women are left completely heartbroken and when Toni moves on, Beth begins to wonder if her life will ever feel whole again.

The book is told in the first person from Beth’s point of view. I usually don’t care for first person narration because I never feel like I get to know the other main character. This wasn’t the case here. Ms. Marina crafts two very three-dimensional characters. Their personalities just come to life so clearly and they were engaging as well as relatable. Beth and Toni are both captivating and wonderfully flawed. All the supporting characters were also very vibrant. This made the world the book is set in feel very realistic.

The narration was unbelievable. The narrator brought each character and each emotion to life. This heightened the intense joy and made the emotional lows just all the more poignant. Ms. Acitelli did an exemplary job in conveying all the emotions without turning this into high melodrama. I happen to speak fast so I always listen to books at 1.25 speed and this narration was just perfect for me.

I really liked that Ms. Marino let this story unfold over the course of several years. In most romance books, the whole story unfolds and reaches it’s happily ever after over the course of a few months. By stretching this out over several years, I could really see the growth in each character and believe in the love they share. It’s much more than love at first sight and I appreciate the work that goes into that.

I am a sucker for a romance that gets messy and takes me on an emotional ride. I found myself cheering for these women as well as talking out loud to myself while reprimanding them. By the end of the book, I was smiling from ear to ear just wishing I could give everyone involved a group hug. I really loved this book.

3 people found this helpful

Good Listen

Beth is just fine being alone and then she meets Toni and everything changes. They enter into a hot and heavy relationship and everything is good until the talk of babies. Beth keeps quiet about how she feels until she messes up with another woman. Can Toni forgive her, can their relationship be repaired. Good story and Narration. I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

2 people found this helpful

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I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to listening to more books by Diane Marina

2 people found this helpful

Very realistic, emotional story

Any additional comments?

“How Still My Love: A Contemporary Romance” provides an emotional roller coaster, and it’s a particularly enjoyable ride because of the terrific narration by Daniela Acitelli.

MC Beth is still hurting years after her last relationship failed, she has a long-term secret crush on her married BFF Laurel, and she’s 100% dedicated to work. Beth scratches her occasional itch with one-night stands, but has no plans to ever again be in a relationship that would expose her to another heartbreak.

With the help of Beth’s coworkers, Laurel finally arm-twists Beth into a blind date with her friend Toni. “I found a lesbian for you!”, she exclaims!

Author Diane Marina provides the narrator with some hilarious material as Beth, running late and out of gas, tries getting to the restaurant, and Acitelli really runs with it! Seeing MC Toni for the first time, Beth is stunned, and the feeling is mutual. At their first date, Toni says she’d like to have children of her own one day, and after her last partner was unfaithful, she won’t go into another relationship unless that woman is “all in”.

Well, insta-attraction moves quickly to insta-love, and three days later Beth realizes she loves Toni. Life together is sweet and fun, and listening to their relationship advance and mature is delightful.

And then…three years later, Toni is ready for a child, but Beth has concerns…that she keeps to herself. At this point, we’re at the halfway point of the book, and the sweet and funny “ride through the countryside” feeling shifts dramatically. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but I do want to share some observations.

Throughout the book, Beth describes Toni as visually stunning, and frequently reminds us that she (Beth) drives a Jaguar, and is very successful in her career. She’s attracted to physical things, and enjoys Toni physically. Toni frequently mentions her love of family, her love of (and desire for) children, her joy at working in a school, and she is the one who initiates communication between the partners. Two different people. Attracted to each other, and in love with each other, but there are clear differences.

Well, those differences, combined with a growing lack of honest communication about bringing a new life into their partnership finally boils over. The blurb uses the word “heartbreaking”, and that’s the right word for many ensuing chapters. The title of the book includes “Contemporary Romance”, and that phrase too is appropriate. This is not artificial angst brought in Melissa Brayden style; this is such a damned realistic portrayal of how two women in love can tear themselves and their relationship apart by not being honest with each other about fears and concerns. I really have to find as angst-free a book as I can for my next audiobook!

Once things go terribly wrong, and betrayal, anger and mistrust replace doubt and fear…can love survive?

I strongly encourage you to listen to “How Still My Love: A Contemporary Romance” to find out. Toni provides a particularly honest evaluation of their relationship at the end of the book that really provides some wonderful relationship advice for any person, lesbian or not. 4.5* with an extra 1/2 * for the terrific narration; strongly recommended!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

My rating and my review was not in anyway affected by my having been provided a review copy.

4 people found this helpful

The way romance should work

The romance is a slow growing thing, not a flower that shows up suddenly then vanishes, but a tree that builds gradually. And like a tree, these two women are faced with storms they must weather and damage they must face. Like real life, it doesn't unfold into an "easy lane". There is a lot of work to be done in the relationship. Both women are prepared for that, but find their paths head in different directions. Can they overcome this?
I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

1 person found this helpful

A love story with a bump!

This story by Diane is narrated so well by Daniela. The emotions & actions by the characters in this book were brought to life by her reading. The story has a feel of real life about it, as the main characters deal with the consequences of decisions made without communication. Beth & Toni’s love story isn’t all smooth sailing, there are a few “bumps” in the road! Well done & well written!

1 person found this helpful

A great story

I wasn’t sure when I started listening if I will love this book but I warmed up to it and actually enjoyed it very much. It is relatively a calm story, yes there is drama, but it is still a calm story. Well written, great characters, very believable.
Narration was excellent.

Run don’t walk to read or listen to this book. It’s Fabulous!”

I never wanted to heave myself into a story line to give the characters my thoughts so badly as I did with this book. The narrator is top notch and kept me absorbed from the get go. I look forward to any other books that come out from this author. Great job once again. 5 Star across the board!”