A Diamond is Forever…. and what stories could a diamond tell if it could talk…..

J. Courtney Sullivan’s The Engagements tells the tale of 4 different people- 4 people who have experienced the range of emotions a marriage can provoke. The happiness, the sadness, and more. Each person in this book has a story about marriage- a reason for it, a reason for marriage and love not working, or a reason for never wanting to experience the life of being married. In between each story, we, the readers, meet Frances Gerety- a young ad writer for De Beers- who wrote the game changing line- A Diamond is Forever.

Evelyn has seen the bittersweetness of a a marriage and also the joys of one. Delphine learns that while passion may be hotter than a predictable man, passion fades and what is left is not always enough to sustain the long term. James, a paramedic, who has made some mistakes in life; but is trying to make life the best possible for his wife. And Kate- a woman who has watched countless friends get married- and yet has no desire to experience it herself.

J. Courtney Sullivan takes these stories, these experiences of marriage- the white- hot passion, the predictability, the love, the sadness, and all the good, bad, and ugly- and writes a story that is entertaining and heartwarming. J. Courtney Sullivan connects these characters, these characters that experience marital highs and lows, and connects them in surprising and satisfying ways.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Fantastic book. Loved how J. Courtney Sullivan revealed her master plot with The Engagements piece by piece to create a story that was smart, funny, heartwarming at times, and highly entertaining. Plus, I loved how she inserted Frances Gerety into the story- it was very interesting to hear more about role in the A Diamond is Forever tagline. Recommended.

* I won this book in a giveaway from the effervescent Sarah McCoy. Thank you Sarah for sending me a copy of The Engagements!