Love and War. Shae Sanders. 2020. 56 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.]
This short-and-sweet novella is a blast from the not-so-recent past. Covid-19 just started to wreak havoc on the world, and that includes Jade’s home and work life. Her job is newly remote, her kids have switched to homeschool, and the cherry on top is that her estranged husband wants to move back in so he won’t have to quarantine away from their young sons.
Seeing this as an opportunity to lighten her load, Jade agrees with reluctance. Unfortunately, she’s not prepared for the physical and emotional toll of sharing a household again. The tension of trying to coexist with a former partner while figuring out if she even wants him to be her former partner is thick. Travis is clear that he’s down to fix their issues, and Jade often seems like she’s just in her own way.
Love and War is a very quick read; clocking in at under 60 pages, you can probably get through it in under 90 minutes. Despite its short length, it packs a lot in the way of reflections about relationships, honesty, and accountability. Jade is set on ending the marriage, blaming Travis for a breach of their vows. But as the story unfolds, it’s clear that Jade is likely just as much to blame for the troubles in the marriage. Frankly, there were times where she came off as incredibly spoiled and petty – overall emotionally immature and selfish – so it was hard not to roll my eyes at her. Travis, on the other hand, seemed far more mature and capable of speaking his truth, taking accountability, and focusing on real solutions.
I enjoyed Love and War; Sanders fit a lot into this story, but it didn’t feel particularly rushed. I’d definitely be interested in a longer format book or some kind of revisiting of these characters because their issues were not fully resolved within the story.
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