3 out of 4 stars
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“It was like a bolt of lightning out of the sky, striking the very core of me, waking me from my meaningless, although not entirely unpleasant existence. I never believed a love like it could exist, let alone that it would happen to me.”
The Seven Year Itch by Lyndsey Gallagher is a stand-alone love story. Lucy, the protagonist, has a well-rounded and active life. She loves her job as a dental hygienist, has a great group of friends, and is a self-proclaimed member of the Wednesday Wine Club. Lucy is sensible and smart. Her biggest problem is that she’s not in love with her husband. In fact, they lead separate lives and act more like roommates than husband and wife. After seven years of marriage, twenty-seven-year-old Lucy admits to herself that she is not as happy as she claims.
At a party for her future sister-in-law, Lucy never expects to fall in love, but that is exactly what happens when she meets John. He makes her feel things she has never felt before. Her friends think that she suffers from the seven-year itch, but Lucy knows that what she feels is more significant. Now Lucy must decide if she is ready to admit that her mundane marriage is over. She must also find the courage to explore her feelings for John, but several obstacles stand in her way. Lucy and John are from different worlds. She is a city girl and John is a farmer, and they live in different countries. Also, she would have to get a divorce. Can Lucy and John overcome their difficulties and be together?
The story is written from Lucy’s perspective. I like this because I feel that I understand why Lucy acts and reacts in certain ways. I also like the emotional and physical awakening that Lucy goes through. It is as if meeting John sparks something inside of Lucy that enables her to examine the parts of her life that she didn’t before. Prior to meeting John, Lucy puts up a confident and self-assured façade. However, her inner turmoil and feelings of inadequacy limit her. As the story progresses, and as Lucy regains her independence, she embraces what she really wants in her life and strives to make it happen.
I particularly like the moral of this story. At the heart of the novel is a woman learning to trust her instincts and live a more authentic life. She yearns to follow her heart and longs to be with John, but fear holds her back. It is only when she faces her fears that she can live a happy and fulfilled life.
One part of the book that I found a bit off-putting is the excessive amount of drinking. Lucy and her friends joke about how successful she is at being a functioning alcoholic. She drinks excessively and puts herself in uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situations. Further, Lucy hesitates to examine her past and her relationships with her parents, and she seems to use alcohol as a way to avoid her feelings.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. This is a good read for people who like a character-driven novel with a slow-burning love story. It contains grammatical errors throughout and needs another round of editing, which is why I deducted a point. People who avoid sensitive topics like emotional affairs, functional alcoholism, and inebriated driving shouldn’t read this book. There is some sexual content as well. Though the scenes are not overly graphic, I wouldn’t recommend the book to younger readers. This novel will appeal to readers who like the contemporary romance genre.
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The Seven Year Itch
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