The Engagements - J. Courtney Sullivan

From the moment I picked up this book I was hooked. It is beautifully written and each chapter is a different character which is a structure I love. The book primarily is all about the concept of marriage and the all important engagement ring. You are transported through time and through different eras, learning about the different attitudes to marriage as well as learning in detail the 5 characters which have been chosen to tell this evolving concept.

As you are reading each chapter, you can tell that J. Courtney Sullivan has conducted an awful lot of research into a variety of areas to enable her to add credence to her notions. I was aware while reading, the passion Sullivan has for her writing and also the subject she had chosen. The characters are lovingly developed and the twists of each story are wonderfully delivered.

However, like most books which are about love and marriage, the story of some of the characters were predictable but this was contradicted brilliantly by the developments that Sullivan had carefully woven into the stories which you did not expect.

Not to be cliché or cheesy but this book had me gasping in shock, laughing out loud and, more importantly, it made me question whether marriage is really as important as it used to be. I guess this is Sullivan’s aim; to draw attention to the evolution of marriage and how future generations may feel about such an old tradition in comparison to what previous generations believed.

As cliché as it is, I could not put the book down and found the entire 379 pages to be an absolute delight. It is a book I will read again and again and would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a pick-me-up.

Although cheesy in places, this book will provide you with information regarding marriage and the production of the diamonds in those all important engagement rings that you never knew before. It will also open your eyes to the other options you have in relation to marriage. Sullivan even dares to go as far as discussing gay marriage which I commend highly and this added a higher level of respect for the up and coming writer.

As previously stated, Sullivan’s writing style is beautiful and will keep you captivated until you suddenly realise the book is about to end. 

What are your thoughts?

Thank you for reading my review.

Next book review: "The Secret Keeper - Kate Morton"