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Oct 29, 2014StephFurlan rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been waiting for a book to come along that didn’t have a perfect representation of women but a realistic one. Mating for Life gives readers a sneak peek into the lives of several women: mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends, but mainly focuses on Helen, a mother and a free-spirited feminist, and her three adult daughters, Fiona, Ilsa, and Liane. The story explores various types of relationships, such as, friendships, mother-daughter relationships, father-daughter relationships, flings and one night stands, and married and divorced couples. Marissa Stapley gives an honest depiction of what life is like or what it can be like for some people. No one’s life follows a steady course; everyone is just trying their best to navigate through their own lives, trying to make sense of it or learning from their mistakes. The story gives readers access to the personal lives of these women. It’s beautifully descriptive that I was able to imagine everything so clearly and became understanding of their choices, no matter how calculated or poorly made. I wanted to keep turning each page, wanting to learn more about the characters and what made them tick. The only drawback I found, which is strictly a personal preference, was chapters and paragraphs felt too long or dragged out. Sometimes several characters’ dialogue sat in sentences side by side in the same paragraph, which took me out of the story, trying to figure out who said what. However, this is a very small, and the only, criticism I have about the novel. I also loved how each chapter started out with an animal and their mating habits, and even made an appearance in the chapter, being mentioned or spotted by the characters. Complete Review: http://feistylittlewoman.wordpress.com/2014/06/17/review-mating-for-life/