Review of Degrees of Love by Lisa Slabach

When I was presented with the opporunity to read Degrees of Love, I jumped right on it. The synopsis drew me in like a moth to a flame. I'm not saying I can relate to our female protagonist's dilemma, I can't say that I can't either. However, I just knew deep down that I'd be taken on a roller coaster ride filled with too-real situations and emotions and I'm too masochistic to say no to that.

Let's get right on my review.

Title: Degrees of Love: A Novel
Author: Lisa Slabach
Category: Adult Fiction
Genre: Women's Fiction
Published by: Bookbaby
Release date: Dec 1, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (Adult themes including infidelity, occasional F-word, non-explicit sex scenes)
Source: Copy provided by Author and Tour Organizer
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36205884-degrees-of-love

SYNOPSIS:

At thirty-six, Susan Sinclair has it all. She's just been promoted to Senior Vice President of Mobile Banking at her firm, a prestigious position bringing fresh creative challenges and a hefty salary increase. Like the shiny new BMW in the driveway of the Silicon Valley home she shares with her husband, Matt, and their two beautiful boys, Susan exudes confidence and style.

Yet despite her success in juggling the roles of wife, mother, and businesswoman, Susan struggles with a secret dissatisfaction. Matt's work in cutting-edge computer research pays less than her job, and with each advance in her career, he has grown more distant. But Matt refuses to admit there is a problem, and Susan forces herself to play along, determined to give her boys the close-knit family life she never had.

Then she meets her new boss, Reese Kirkpatrick. Working and traveling together, she and Reese become a crackerjack team, but little by little, pleasure mixes with business. For the first time in a long time—maybe ever—Susan feels seen and appreciated for who she is. Certain she would never allow their friendship to cross the line, Susan lets herself stray dangerously close to the edge.

A moment of weakness changes everything. Now, unable to stomach the façade her marriage has become yet unwilling to decimate her family by moving forward with Reese, Susan faces a choice that could cost her everything—including her children . . . but possibly bring her more than she can dream.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Chapters-Indigo
Powell's

REVIEW:

Degrees of Love talks about a woman with a successful career, a "loving" husband, two beautiful children, and resources to make their lives even better. On paper, Susan has it all. But by now, we must all know that nothing is ever as it seems, and there is no such thing as a perfect life.

Susan, bless her, is stuck in a place where she has to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of her kids. It's a situation many women (whether you admit to or not) is familiar with. As parents, we know that we have to put the well-being of our children way above our own, especially if divorce and having a broken family is on the table. And Susan didn't want to risk it. I mean, it's not like Matt is the worst man in the world. Sure, he has ego issues that, in turn, affects how he treats his wife, but he's not a "bad" guy. He just takes Susan for granted (sometimes despises her success, even) and forgets to make her feel loved and treasured.

This is where the complication comes in.

Susan is thrust into a situation that forces her to see that there is more to life than settling for mediocre affection. She finds herself with a new boss who not only respects her professionally but is also attracted to her on a personal level. The attraction is mutual, as said boss is a real looker. But it's not even the physical aspect that confuses our protagonist. No, it's the feeling of acceptance and respect, and support, all that. She's been thirsting for that kind of attention and now she's been given a taste of another kind of life.

I don't really want to give anything away about the book as I feel like most of you get the gist of the story now. However, I gotta say, reading Degrees of Love made me think of things too. Because of the situations that are all too real, it's easy to find similarities between what's happening to Susan's life and maybe what some of us are going through right now. It's a novel that makes you question things. Makes you wonder about the possibilities.

For me though, Degrees of Love is a book about self-love. It's about loving yourself and putting yourself first when need be. As women, our accomplishments, our dreams, they shouldn't be stepped on, they should be celebrated. And honestly, that's what this book represents for me.

SUMMARY:

I really loved Degrees of Love. It's such a well-written book that follows a woman's journey to "self-discovery" is what I'd like to call it. It talks about fear, getting over those fears, and eventually finding what makes you happy and grabbing it. The road to that life may not be easy, but in the end, it's all worth it.

RATING:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Degrees of Love is Lisa Slabach’s debut novel. She is currently working on her third full-length manuscript and a collection of short stories inspired by her experiences growing up in a small farm community in Washington’s Yakima Valley. In addition to writing, Lisa works for a Fortune 500 Company, leading a sales team in the financial industry. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband and has two daughters, who are both pursuing careers in film. In her free time, she enjoys drinking wine with friends and cooking in her pink kitchen.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website: http://www.lisaslabach.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_slabach
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisaslabachauthor/

Book image provided by iRead Book Tours

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