Review by angliav -- Looking Glass Friends by E L Neve
Posted: 14 Nov 2019, 14:57
[Following is a volunteer review of "Looking Glass Friends" by E L Neve.]
Looking Glass Friends by E.L. Neve is a powerful story about marriage, life, friendships, and love written in such a poetic and philosophical way that you finish the book seeing your own life differently. In the story, we meet two married couples that begin as strangers until one day two of them cross paths and begin a friendship that leaves everyone questioning not only their relationships but also their life choices.
Neil whom is married to Fay is an average man working in a bakery. He has moments of depression and suicidal thoughts and really just feels empty inside. One day while working he meets Ellie and decides to offer her the last box of pastries in which he was saving to take home to his wife. In return Ellie gives Neil a copy of her favorite book. While these seem like small actions of common courtesy, we can later see the irony of Neil taking the pastries from his wife and giving them to Ellie. These small actions also create a friendship between the two through letters, emails, and phone calls that change their lives forever.
Neil and Ellie both feel alive again through their friendship. They both share a love for reading and thought provoking conversations in which neither of their spouses share with them. As time goes on, they find that they spend every moment thinking about the other, they hide away in their own special rooms late at night emailing each other while their spouse is in another room or asleep. Fay begins to miss Neil and is afraid for his relationship with Ellie while Jake, being the egotistical rich type, assumes that with his ability to provide Ellie and their son with material items that there is no way she would ever leave him. Neil and Ellie start to be honest with themselves and each other acknowledging that their love is a deeper love than either has ever felt within their current relationship.
When I first started this story I had a hard time reading it. The story is told from every characters point of view which is great for seeing things from each person’s feelings but since it began in this way I hadn’t had time to relate to any of the characters enough to not be confused by who was who and it seemed to switch from person to person too fast. However, the story-line kept me reading and I’m so glad I did! By the end I realized that the writer carried out the story like poetry which helped to bring the reader into Neil and Ellie’s life. While many people would think this is a story about cheating on your spouse and falling in love with someone else, it really isn’t. This is a story about life. So many people get into relationships young or they think they are in love but it is actually just comfort. Neil and Ellie thought they were in love with their spouse but when they met each other they realized the difference between loving someone and being in love with that person. The love they shared with their spouse was that of comfort while the love they found with each other was love created deep in the soul and that is a love that you cannot run from.
I would suggest to everyone that wants to read a true love story full of passion and really thought provoking story-line to read this story. Do not let the writing style or your thoughts that it’s just “another cheating book” keep you from reading what could be the best love story you’ve read in a long time. For anyone that doesn’t like the mushy, sex filled, or unnatural love story then this is just what you need to read because it really depicts real life situations. Readers will find themselves being torn about their feelings right alongside Neil and Ellie. You will find yourself questioning just how much do you sacrifice for real love and when you find it is it possible to let it go?
Even though I had a hard time reading it in the beginning I easily gave Looking Glass Friends a 4 out of 4 stars. I found the story to be a refreshing reminder that true love does exist even if we end up turning our lives upside down to find it. It was nice to read a story that showed the truth behind love and marriage when we aren’t in love with each other. I also give it four stars for not needing to have a lot of erotic scenes in order to make a love story. While there are some sexual moments, the writing was done in a way to allow you to understand the moment but the details are left to your own imagination. I appreciate that from the writer.
******
Looking Glass Friends
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Looking Glass Friends by E.L. Neve is a powerful story about marriage, life, friendships, and love written in such a poetic and philosophical way that you finish the book seeing your own life differently. In the story, we meet two married couples that begin as strangers until one day two of them cross paths and begin a friendship that leaves everyone questioning not only their relationships but also their life choices.
Neil whom is married to Fay is an average man working in a bakery. He has moments of depression and suicidal thoughts and really just feels empty inside. One day while working he meets Ellie and decides to offer her the last box of pastries in which he was saving to take home to his wife. In return Ellie gives Neil a copy of her favorite book. While these seem like small actions of common courtesy, we can later see the irony of Neil taking the pastries from his wife and giving them to Ellie. These small actions also create a friendship between the two through letters, emails, and phone calls that change their lives forever.
Neil and Ellie both feel alive again through their friendship. They both share a love for reading and thought provoking conversations in which neither of their spouses share with them. As time goes on, they find that they spend every moment thinking about the other, they hide away in their own special rooms late at night emailing each other while their spouse is in another room or asleep. Fay begins to miss Neil and is afraid for his relationship with Ellie while Jake, being the egotistical rich type, assumes that with his ability to provide Ellie and their son with material items that there is no way she would ever leave him. Neil and Ellie start to be honest with themselves and each other acknowledging that their love is a deeper love than either has ever felt within their current relationship.
When I first started this story I had a hard time reading it. The story is told from every characters point of view which is great for seeing things from each person’s feelings but since it began in this way I hadn’t had time to relate to any of the characters enough to not be confused by who was who and it seemed to switch from person to person too fast. However, the story-line kept me reading and I’m so glad I did! By the end I realized that the writer carried out the story like poetry which helped to bring the reader into Neil and Ellie’s life. While many people would think this is a story about cheating on your spouse and falling in love with someone else, it really isn’t. This is a story about life. So many people get into relationships young or they think they are in love but it is actually just comfort. Neil and Ellie thought they were in love with their spouse but when they met each other they realized the difference between loving someone and being in love with that person. The love they shared with their spouse was that of comfort while the love they found with each other was love created deep in the soul and that is a love that you cannot run from.
I would suggest to everyone that wants to read a true love story full of passion and really thought provoking story-line to read this story. Do not let the writing style or your thoughts that it’s just “another cheating book” keep you from reading what could be the best love story you’ve read in a long time. For anyone that doesn’t like the mushy, sex filled, or unnatural love story then this is just what you need to read because it really depicts real life situations. Readers will find themselves being torn about their feelings right alongside Neil and Ellie. You will find yourself questioning just how much do you sacrifice for real love and when you find it is it possible to let it go?
Even though I had a hard time reading it in the beginning I easily gave Looking Glass Friends a 4 out of 4 stars. I found the story to be a refreshing reminder that true love does exist even if we end up turning our lives upside down to find it. It was nice to read a story that showed the truth behind love and marriage when we aren’t in love with each other. I also give it four stars for not needing to have a lot of erotic scenes in order to make a love story. While there are some sexual moments, the writing was done in a way to allow you to understand the moment but the details are left to your own imagination. I appreciate that from the writer.
******
Looking Glass Friends
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon