The Stuff That Never Happened by Maddie Dawson

The Stuff That Never Happened by Maddie Dawson

The Stuff That Never Happened by Maddie Dawson

Publisher: Broadway Paperbacks, 366 pages

Publication Date: August 9, 2011

Summary: What if you were married to a wonderful husband for twenty-eight years but in love with another man? What if you were in love with them both?

Annabelle McKay knows she shouldn’t have any complaints. She’s been in a stable marriage that’s lasted almost three decades and has provided her with two wonderful children, thousands of family dinners around a sturdy oak table, and a husband so devoted that he schedules lovemaking into his calendar every Wednesday morning. Other wives envy the fact that Grant is not the type of man who would ever cheat on her or leave her for a younger woman. The trouble is Annabelle isn’t sure she wants to be married to Grant anymore. The trouble is she’s still in love with someone else.

In the early tumultuous years of her marriage, Annabelle carried on a clandestine affair with the one person whose betrayal would hurt her husband the most. When it ended, she and Grant found their way back together and made a pact that they would never speak of that time again. But now years later, with her children grown and gone, and an ominous distance opening between them, she can’t help but remember those glorious, passionate days and wonder if she chose the right man.

Then, when called to New York City to help care for her pregnant daughter, Annabelle bumps into her old lover. Offered a second chance at an unforgettable love, she must decide between the man who possesses her heart and the husband who has stood squarely by her side. A journey into the what-ifs that haunt us all, The Stuff That Never Happened is an intricate, heartfelt examination of modern marriage that brims with truths about the nature of romantic love.

Review: Who hasn’t wondered about past relationships? Most of the traffic on Facebook is made up of people looking at the lives of old loves. Admit it, you’ve wondered. Maddie Dawson was inspired to write THE STUFF THAT NEVER HAPPENED after running into an old flame on a train. She turned this tiny flicker of inspiration into a novel that delves into the depths of human emotion, the complication of modern relationships and the age-old question “What If…” What Dawson does beautifully is grab hold of the reader with a hint of secrecy between Grant and Annabelle and then never lets go. Dawson writes believable, real, flawed, and honest characters and her ability to allow the reader to completely relate and immerse themselves in the lives of Grant and Annabelle makes for a truly enjoyable reading experience. This is a thoughtful book reminiscent of Anne Tyler in that it explores the inner workings of real people facing real problems. Her prose is eloquent and poignant and her story flows perfectly. I couldn’t put this one down and highly recommend it.

Update: When I clicked over on Maddie’s site to grab the link, I noticed that she was interviewed on The Book Lady’s Blog about her favorite books…and who does she pick as one of her favorites? Anne Tyler! I’m sure she will be happy to hear that I compared her work to Tyler’s.