Two Fun Reads From Author Lian Dolan

 by Susan Roberts

I recently read a book by Lain Dolan and enjoyed it so much that I had to read another book by her.  I have several of her other books on my to-be-read list.  Here are reviews of two of her books.

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The Marriage Sabbatical

April 2025; William Morrow Paperbacks; 978-0063270695
audio, ebook, print (288 pages); women's fiction

What if you could take a vacation from your marriage? A couple decides to give it a shot in this fun, adventurous novel

This book is an interesting and intriguing look at a married couple who, after 23 years of marriage, decide to take a break and follow a suggestion by their neighbor -- the 500 Mile Rule - enjoying life with no holds barred and no recriminations when they are more than 500 miles apart.  The couple is pretty conservative, so even considering following this rule is a big change for them.  How will it change their marriage and their relationship with each other?

Jason has worked hard all of his life and has been planning a sabbatical from his job for years.  He wants to ditch work for a nine-month-long motorcycle trip through South America. He thinks that it will be a fantastic idea for him and his wife Nicole to spend time together now that they are empty-nesters and their children are both studying abroad.  The only problem is that Nicole has decided that this is NOT her dream vacation - she wants to go to Santa Fe and learn jewelry design, plus immerse herself in the art scene in that beautiful city.

Jason is very hurt at first, but the more he thinks about it, he realizes that Nicole really wouldn't enjoy the trip he has planned, so they decide to both follow their dreams and take separate trips for 9 months.  While they are making plans, their neighbors tell them about the 500 Mile Rule - their policy of enjoying themselves however they wish—and with whomever they wish—when they’re temporarily far apart. It seems like the perfect solution: nine months pursuing their own adventures—with a bit of don’t-ask-don’t-tell—and then a return to their shared lives.  Neither one of them really plans to take advantage of the new rule, but will that change when they are spending time with other people far away from each other? They both meet new people and make new friends and the reader begins to wonder if that may change their view of the 500 Mile Rule.  And if they do, how will it affect their relationship after their sabbatical from their jobs, their marriage and each other?

The story is told in alternating chapters by Jason and Nicole and is an interesting, though to me unrealistic, look at how change can help make a relationship more important and treasured.

Buy The Marriage Sabbatical at Amazon

Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding

May 2025; William Morrow; 978-0063270657
audio, ebook, print (288 pages); women's fiction

Everyone loves—and hates—a big fancy wedding! From the author of The Marriage Sabbatical comes a champagne-sparkling summer read about two very different women planning their children’s wedding in glamorous Montecito, California.

You’re invited...to a delightful modern comedy of manners about two moms, the best-laid plans, and one very memorable wedding.

This is a story about a wedding told by the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom in alternating chapters.  These two women couldn't be more different from each other, and in the beginning, it looks like there may be hard feelings between them before the wedding date.

Alexa is Penny's mom.  She lives in California and is a travel agent and comes from a large family in Greece.  She never had a husband and just doesn't understand why any woman even needs a husband.  Despite her views, she throws herself into wedding preparations.  Alexa has worked hard at her job and is financially very well off.

Abigail is Chase's mom.  She's thrilled about the wedding, but she and her husband are struggling financially, and she works hard to hide that fact from her country club friends and the other Connecticut daughters of the American Revolution.  She wants Penny and Chase to get married at her country club, where she feels like she can control the costs, and is not happy when the wedding is planned for Montecito, California, where Penny grew up.  She and her husband have been married for years, and she is as dependent on her husband as Alexa is dependent on herself.

Penny and Chase both work at stress-filled jobs and pretty much want their mothers to arrange the wedding by using their very specific plans and lists.  Can Abigail and Alexa work together enough to plan the wedding and make the kids happy, or will their animosity affect the wedding plans?

This book definitely looked at a wedding from a different perspective.  The MOB and MOG were the main characters, and the wedding couple was not as much a part of the story.  Interspersed throughout the book were articles from Aunt B, who wrote an advice column for weddings and managed to bring a lot of humor to the storyline.

This book was fun to read with the MOB and MOG, who were very different but had one important thing in common - their love for their children!

Buy Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.   

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