Initially, I wasn't 100% sure about this novel. It wasn't because of the theme and what I knew (or thought I knew) was about to transpire. It was because within the first few pages, the characters are going camping. I can't state quite how much I dislike camping. Lucky for me, the camping trip soon transitioned elsewhere and I quickly got caught up in the love triangle between Chris, Kathryn and Emily. There was just something very captivating about each of them as individuals and then their group dynamic.
Chris and Kathryn were together for nine years. Chris rescued Kathryn from an emotionally abusive relationship and they'd been the loves of each others' lives ever since. They lived together and knew each other better than anyone else. They had their own secret language, the kind that slowly develops over years of synchronizing with another person. They really understood and respected each other and wanted only the best for one another.
Then one day free-spirited Emily enters the picture. Chris meets Emily at the laundromat and they develop a friendship. Fairly soon, they develop feelings deeper than friendship. Kathryn encourages Chris to ask Emily out on a date. She encourages Chris to sleep with Emily. And she too develops a friendship with Emily.
This arrangement can be difficult to wrap your head and heart around if you, like me, are drawn to monogamous relationships. It was definitely difficult for Chris and Kathryn's friends and family members to accept. They all thought Kathryn must be hiding her true feelings just to make Chris happy. That Chris must be a selfish creep who only cares about himself. That a relationship is meant to be two people, not two people and a sidepiece.
But for Chris and Kathryn, the opposite appeared to be true. They carefully thought through every decision as a couple. They planned everything together and really seemed to have each others' best interests at the forefront. Chris volunteered to stop seeing Emily at the drop of a hat any time Kathryn displayed any type of unease. Chris and Kathryn were both deeply sensitive people who oozed empathy and thoughtfulness. Unfortunately, because they were constantly looking out for others and reassuring each other that they weren't in jeopardy as a couple, they didn't always make the best decisions for themselves. They had to figure things out as they got more deeply rooted in their new lifestyle and decide how much others' judgments and perceptions affected their decisions.
This is a book about trying to find true happiness, following your heart and seeing where it can take you. It's about taking a leap of faith when it comes to love and seeing where you land. In this case, where these characters landed wasn't anywhere I predicted.
Book cover rating: 3/5 (but the artwork title "Unnamed Affection" fits perfectly)
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