Forever, Interrupted

A Novel

By: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Soon to be a Netflix limited series!

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo—"Reid is seriously a genius when it comes to stories about life and love" (Redbook). "A stunning first novel” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

“Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending.

Critic reviews

"Julia Whelan narrates this portrait of love and grief with raw emotion that immediately pulls listeners in. Weeks after a meet cute, Elsie and Ben are in love. Five months later, they’ve eloped. Nine days after that, Elsie’s world is shattered when Ben is hit by a truck and killed. Elsie not only has to face a new reality, but also a mother-in-law who doesn’t even know she exists. A recently recorded conversation between Whelan and the author follows, in which the two reflect on how their careers have evolved. As Whelan describes a memory of her experience with this book, originally published in 2013, fans will recognize it as the likely inspiration for a moment she wrote into her own book THANK YOU FOR LISTENING."

I can’t stand the protagonist… but I get it

I love me some TJR+Julia Whelan collars FOR SURE. Grief was definitely addressed in many thoughtful and comprehensive ways throughout. That said, I just wanted to throw my phone AT ELSIE halfway through, but I get it… death and loss and grieving are hard. TJR did her job here. Overall, must read.

Heart wrenching

So good. So much crying. I love everything she writes. And the narration is excellent as always.

It was good

It was good. There were some pibes were felt like a filler. Overall it was good read.

Love with this author and Julia Whelan

Even though the book was sad, I enjoyed it thoroughly and it did feel good at the end. Well done.

Emotionally moving

I listen to a lot of books and I have to say that ‘Forever Interrupted’ was deliciously moving. I laughed, I cried, I was shocked and amazed. I could not stop listening! If you are a person who needs to feel something, because you have become numb, this book will breathe life into you again.