IS THIS LOVE? C. E. RILEY
Paperback published by Serpent’s Tale 22nd June 2023
ISBN 9781800810297
Four years ago, J met someone and fell head over heels. The best part? She fell in love right back. They moved in together, got married and thought there’d live happily ever after.
But now J’s wife is filling for divorce, and she’s making accusations J doesn’t understand. As the situation gets messier and each character’s version of events undermines the other, hurt and confusion turn to something much darker.
MY REVIEW
Catherine Riley has written the most perfect fictional tale, of a breakdown of a marriage. Theses kind of stories are my favourite genre I love reading about. This is definitely page-turning story is set in Dalston East London, where a couple had a relationship for six years, being married for two years, that I recommend.
What I like about this story it opens up directly into the scene, that grabbed me from the first few line until, the last line. A divorce can be quite an emotional experience for both involved.
J has just received a file for divorce. J’s wife wants a divorce on the grounds of being abusive and too controlling. There’s no discussion between them, to try to work things out, with counselling.
The letter that J’s wife’s solicitor writes, felt very realistic to me, it went into every tiny detail, including costs of the divorce, finances. Also what must be submitted by the wife, is a chronology of abuse diary entries for the past six months.
Sometimes the other spouse will believe that their advents of the marriage breakdown is completely different than what from what the wife has filed for. In this case J’s version from the wife’s points, tell a different story.
There are no names used throughout this story for the characters, and although we don’t know the gender of J, I presumed he was a young man, as on the front cover there is what looks like a young man and young woman sitting on the bed apart.
Also in the story it says. I have watched you play the victim with our friends and your family so many times making me out to be the bad guy, this is what made me think J was a man.
What makes this story so interesting is that readers still don’t know the real gender of J, and to be truthful I’m still not sure of J’s gender, either.
Have you read Is This Love? What gender do you think J is?
The story took me back to the same reason unreasonable behaviour, controlling and being scared, is why I divorced my husband, when I was in my young twenties. I don’t know why a spouse once married think they own you, with trying to control everything you do, and further more bullying you to do what he demands.
About author Catherine Riley
Catherine Riley is a writer, and the director of Primadonna Festival, a weekend of books, ideas and inspiration based in Suffolk. Primadonna platforms established and emerging voices from across the arts, in particular those who have traditionally been disadvantaged by their background or circumstance.
Catherine has published two books on contemporary feminist publishing in the UK and contributed chapters and articles to edited collections on this topic, as well as teaching at universities in London and the north of England.
Catherine’s debut novel, Is This Love?, was published by Serpent’s Tail in August 2022.
https://www.catherineriley.co.uk/
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