Book Review for The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan

 

The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan

Published:  April 2, 2024 by William Morrow

Taken from Goodreads:  What if you could take a vacation from your marriage? A couple decides to give it a shot in this fun, adventurous novel by Lian Dolan, the popular author of The Sweeney Sisters and Lost and Found in Paris.

After twenty-three years of building careers and raising kids together, Jason and Nicole Elswick are ready for a break from their daily lives. Jason has spent years planning his dream sabbatical—ditching work for a nine-month-long motorcycle trip through South America. Problem is, that’s Jason’s dream, not Nicole’s. After years working retail and parenting in Portland, Nicole craves the sun of the Southwest and the artistic community in Santa Fe, where she wants to learn jewelry design.

A chance encounter at a dinner party presents a surprising—and intriguing—way out of their dilemma. Over a little too much wine, Jason and Nicole’s married neighbors sing the praises of 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. It’ll be a sabbatical from their marriage as well as their day jobs. As Jason bikes his way across a continent and Nicole reclaims the art she’s long neglected, they discover the pleasures and pitfalls of the 500 Mile Rule, confronting temptations of all kinds, uncomfortable truths about themselves, and gaining new perspective on their partnership. But all sabbaticals come to an end…then what?

My Thoughts:   What if you and your spouse took a nine-month marriage sabbatical?  A no strings attached, no tell free pass, as long as you are five hundred miles away from each other, would you take it?  Jason and Nicole do just that.   They follow their own paths for nine-months. I was worried when I started this book that it would be a free for all…it was not.   Actually, there was less free for all and more about finding themselves on their own.   It was not about the extra affairs but more about what they wanted from their lives going forward.

The Marriage Sabbatical is very much a book about finding yourself.   Being married is hard.   There is work involved and it is easy to lose yourself.  Priorities change, family comes first. I am not sure it is the right way to do it for everyone, it would not work for me, but I do not judge those who would chose to try this path.    Jason and Nicole came back together and I could see how their relationship was stronger and it worked well for them. 

Thank you Wunderkind for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author(taken from her website):  Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She’s the USA Today Bestselling author of The Marriage Sabbatical, a People Magazine Best Book of the Week, published by  William Morrow in April 2024.  Her other books are Lost and Found in Paris, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife- all LA Times bestsellers. She’s written regular columns for O, The Oprah Magazine, Pasadena Magazine and Working Mother Magazine. She’s also written for TV, radio and websites.  In 2024, she was inducted into the Vroman’s Walk of Fame for her contributions to the literary and philanthropic life of Pasadena. Her next book, Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding, will be published in May 2025.

Lian is the producer and host of Satellite Sisters, the award-winning talk show she created with her four real sisters. Satellite Sisters began life as a syndicated radio show on ABC Radio, bringing lively talk and interviews to the airwaves. The Satellite Sisters interviewed everyone from Nora Ephron to Big Bird. The show was honored with 13 Gracie Allen Awards for Excellence in Women’s Media. From 2009 to 2023, Satellite Sisters remained a top-rated podcast for women. In 2017, Lian was honored as a Podcast Pioneer by Women in Podcasting.

A speaker who combines humor and heart, Lian has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Today Show and many local TV stations. She’s been a featured speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books, the Santa Barbara Celebrity Authors Lunch, the Literary Guild of Orange County Festival of Women Authors and dozens of other events at libraries, book stores, schools and women’s organizations across the country.

Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband Berick Treidler and two adult sons who live nearby but don’t come over as often as they should.