Book Review: "That's Not a Thing" by Jacqueline Friedland

Can a relationship survive when old love walks back in? That's Not a Thing, Jacqueline Friedland's new novel, has its own ideas.

Meredith is happy. She’s engaged to Aaron, a handsome pediatric neonatologist, and while her job as a corporate lawyer doesn’t quite satisfy her, it does give her financial security and the occasional chance to work on a human rights case. Sure, she'd rather do something more fulfilling, but maybe someday.

One night when she and Aaron are at dinner with friends at a hot new NYC restaurant, Meredith discovers the chef is Wesley, her ex-fiancé. Their relationship collapsed spectacularly four years before and left her reeling. It took a while for her to trust and love again, but Aaron seems so right for her.

Seeing Wesley again, however, reawakens her feelings for him, and Meredith is unsure what to do. And when she learns about the challenge Wesley faces, she makes a split-second decision that has significant ramifications for her, Aaron, and Wesley.

I thought this was a pretty fantastic book, and given what happens, it’s surprisingly not too maudlin. There’s a lot to think about here and how you would react in the situations that occur in the book. (I’m being more vague than the description of the book on Amazon and elsewhere because I didn’t know about some key plot points.) At the start, the book shifts narration between Meredith's relationship with Wesley and the present time.

The course of love never runs smoothly and that certainly was the case here. But That's Not a Thing was poignant and powerful, and romantic in its own way. And you've got to love a book that can deliver lots of emotions without leaving you a sobbing mess!