Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “The Light We Lost” and “The Love We Found” by Jill Santopolo.
This past week has been rough, so hopefully, here’s a little bit of light to help brighten your guys’ day.
“The Light We Lost” was (metaphorically) chucked in my face by a former roommate, who claimed that it was a fast, mindless, cute read. Allegedly, it had a straightforward cast of characters, an easygoing narrative and a sweet ending,
LIES. UTTER LIES. Admittedly, the synopsis of the book is very simple. Lucy meets Gabe, but the timing isn’t great, so they break up, and Lucy meets Darren and gets married, but Lucy never really forgets Gabe. Here’s the catch though: Gabe dies at the end of the book. Lucy never gets the ‘happy ending’ she was always hoping for deep down and has to forever live with the consequences of her choices.
I suppose the author wanted to really pack a punch with the message of the book: choice and fate, two intertwined concepts, only one of which we can control. And even then, we have to take responsibility for the consequences of our choices, whether we like it or not. But, if I’m being honest, I felt like the storytelling was a bit too obvious. It was really clear, at least to me, that from the beginning, Darren was never going to be her endgame. Lucy and Gabe’s whole ‘will they-won’t they’ situation felt a bit overdone and repetitive. Like, c’mon, let’s be proactive here! Stop drawing things out and stringing each other along. Make a choice and stick with it!
Uh oh. Maybe this book review is quickly turning into a peek inside my own approach to romantic relationships. ANYWAYS.
When I got to pick up the sequel, “The Love We Found,” I didn’t really know what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised by the growth and depth of the characters introduced. This book picks up around 10 years later, with Lucy and Darren divorced and Lucy grappling with how to navigate motherhood, co-parenting and dating after Gabe’s death.
My favorite part of this book, and I think anyone who has read it will agree with me, is Dax Armstrong. I read Jill Santopolo’s commentary on her choices when crafting this character, and I entirely agree that he was quite literally the perfect partner for Lucy. Not too clingy or controlling, fully invested in the relationship and respectful of her priorities and choices. Lucy is initially hesitant to bring up Gabe because in her prior relationship (cough cough, Darren), he became a sticking point that quickly devolved into insecurities, lies and secrets. But Dax, our favorite human ever, quietly comforts Lucy as she mourns the loss of Gabe, simply saying, “feelings that strong are beautiful.”
And isn’t that the most beautiful truth you’ve ever heard?
