Once Upon a Time There Was You (Large print)

This is the story of a contemporary family. Divorced many years, John and Irene are both active in their teen-aged daughter’s life. They lead separate lives, each having a career. For the most part, life is good.

Sadie is now 18, and also wanting her own life. She is restless and eager to break

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away from her parents. This fuels her increasing emotional dependence for her boyfriend, who her parents who not know about. Often it takes a crisis to remind us what and who is really important. As life unfolds for Sadie a tragedy brings her parents back together in support and love for her.

Having written many books, Elizabeth Berg is a master storyteller. Her characters are genuine and believable, living lives we can all relate to. She never disappoints.

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Surprised me a little. The author avoided pushing the crisis to the obvious point, making the family reactions and interactions the focus of the story. Liked it.

For a popular fiction writer of chick lit she continues to produce interesting stories. A change.

not my favorite. young characters "scripts" not believable. didn't like the reader's voice.

John and Irene have been divorced a long time but share their love for their 18 year old daughter Sadie although they live far apart on opposite sides of the country. A crisis occurs affecting Sadie, bringing John and Irene back together to share their common concern.
This is a favorite author who

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makes her characters come alive. I really enjoyed this book.

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Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors, but I've been disappointed in her books as of late, but this one was a pleasant surprise. Written well, enough action, psychological intrigue, and not a perfect "happily ever after" ending added to my enjoyment. Some of her most interesting content are

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the the small comments or events that she hands to the reader. Quotes she likes, descriptions of photos, memories, makes me think that there is a little bit of Elizabeth in her character Irene. Who among us wouldn't love the perfect childhood, marriage, family and career? It's just not always possible, and her characters discover just that. A really nice book that inspires contemplation.

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As always, Berg speaks right to the human heart via her character's inner thoughts and feelings. This is a bit of a departure from her other books with a darker theme of kidnapping but still explores the complexities of relationships between ex-spouses, parents and children and more. One of my

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all-time favorite authors, I enjoyed this one but prefer her earlier works.

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I enjoyed reading this, the latest novel by Elizabeth Berg. I've read quite a few of her novels and really enjoy her writing style (extremely readable) and her stories. Her characters are always so authentic and sympathetic. I must admit to finding it difficult to decide on Berg's theme this time,

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however. I wasn't sure whether it was meant to be a coming-of-age story about the young Sadie, or a story about marriage and all of its challenges. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it and it held my interest and I did find myself compelled to read to the end to discover the fate of Irene and John.

I'm not sure whether or not the more dramatic events surrounding Sadie were beneficial to this storyline. In fact, I would have enjoyed a novel solely about what had happened to Sadie and all of its ramifications. I also found some of the transitions between events and characters a little blunt. However, in general, "Once Upon a Time There was You" was a quite enjoyable and certainly quick read which I would not hesitate to recommend to fellow Elizabeth Berg fans.

Three out of five stars.

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This is not the usual type of book I read. It is more of a fast page turning novel for a plane flight, a beach day, a vacation, but it is a poignant, even tender tale that covers many of life’s ups and downs, pitfalls and horizons. It is almost a fairy tale and it is a love story, among other

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things and too my surprise, it was very well written and much better than I thought it would be since it is not the type of book I would have picked up to read, if I had not won it.
When you get about 80 pages into the paperback, the book begins to tackle some very serious life issues and it meets the challenge of presenting a very traumatic event which almost made me close the book and put it on a shelf, by dealing expertly with it, implying what had to be implied but not overdoing the ordeal that followed or overloading the story with gory details. The suggestion of what was possibly going to happen was enough to entice the reader to read further without being scared off. It is a very good book for anyone liking this romance genre and it contains no gratuitous sex.
So many everyday issues we all could face in marriage, parenting and our day to day life, are discussed in a comfortable, conversational style. I feel certain that anyone reading the book will know someone who can probably identify with some issue these families are dealing with; someone who could be having the same types of conversations with their child or spouse, but hopefully, not someone who will identify with the near tragedy that almost occurred.
The characters are very well developed, even the minor ones, and although sometimes the dialogue seemed a little unnecessary and trite, the reader can easily imagine a situation where it might actually take place. Each particular issue seems to fit in with the telling of the tale at the time it was brought up. At times, though, it felt as if almost too many issues were covered: extramarital sex, unrequited love, homosexuality, divorce, parenting, rebellion, deception, illness in young and old, lying, and widowhood. Even though she does it well, it was overwhelming, at times.
This book is a love story for the old and young. It is a story about the damage secrets can do and how in some instances they can protect. It is a story about the things that can happen to anyone when they least expect it. It is a story about love gone bad, teenage mistakes and parental “helicoptering”.
One day all is right with the world and the next, there is a life-changing event from out of nowhere. We all develop different coping skills and how we face and handle our problems is a huge message of the book as well as the need to learn to love, to give it and receive it. It is a story that could be dissected and because of all the themes, it would be great for a book club.

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I didn't enjoy Once Upon a Time, There Was You as much as I hoped I would. In truth though the premise of Elizabeth's Berg's books always sound like something I would love I haven't had much success with her novels. It doesn't stop me from trying again though because I am sure it's just a matter of

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reading the right one at the right time.
Even though I didn't particularly care for Irene I liked how Berg explored the bond between a mother trying hard to hold on to her child and a daughter determined to become independent. I do empathise with Irene, as any mother of a teenage daughter knows, it is a constant tug of war between allowing her the independence she needs and wanting to protect her from poor decisions. While I was tempted to consider Sadie a brat, I also recall the scorn I felt for my mother when she deemed something inappropriate and the lengths I went to in order to avoid the hassle I expected if I chose to do something I knew she wouldn't approve of. Irene holds on just that bit too tight though so that Sadie at eighteen is lacking maturity which results in a nearly fatal crisis from an impulsive decision.
While Sadie's drama would seem to be the focal point of the novel, so much of this story is about Irene and John's relationship post divorce and a sort of post mortem of their marriage. I think I know what Berg was aiming for with this but for me, because we never really see any of their marriage, I don't much care about their divorce or really get any insight into what went wrong. The characters of Irene and John themselves are much more well developed than their relationship.
On reflection, Once Upon A Time, There Was You seemed oddly disjointed and I felt as if parts of the story were missing. It also seems to be crowded with themes that don't really go anywhere and the plot is stretched rather thin in places. I think the book would have been stronger if Berg had kept Irene in focus instead of trying to share the story with John and Sadie. For me Once Upon A Time, There Was You has weaknesses that just out balance the strengths.

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As usual, Berg develops multilayered characters you would like to know. This is basically the story of a divorced couple, their 18 year old daughter in crisis and the thoughts and feelings Irene and John have. I cared about the couple, felt like I understood less about the daughter Sadie. I've said

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before that Elizabeth Berg cannot write a bad book and she can't. However, this was my least favorite.

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I’m a sucker for relationship novels. I love romance, I love the idea of love. I love all aspects of it, the good and the bad. As you all know, I read with my heart and this novel had a lot that made my heart very happy.

The novel focuses on three separate relationships: Eighteen year old Sadie

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discovering love for the first time, her mom, Irene mending a broken heart (sort of) after a recently ended relationship, and John, Sadie’s father, cautiously stepping back into the dating game. Not only does Ms. Berg deal with romances for each character but with their relationships with each other.

Once Upon a Time, There Was You is pretty much a coming of age stories with Sadie, Irene and John each coming into their own. Sadie’s growth was sweet but forgettable, and John’s was a matter of timing. Irene is the story that I related to the most. Hers took the most courage. It has to be hard to be in your mid 50s starting over again. And she does it with style. By style, I mean she is the classic case of F.I.N.E.: Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional. I loved Irene. I think I fell in love with her when while placing a personal ad, she wrote this:

I believe in defacing books. I think one’s personal library should be full of books with broken spines and meaningful passages underlined, with pages marked by chocolate or coffee or grease stains. If there are comments or questions in the margins, even better.

I loved this, and this alone is one of the major reasons I will never abandon tree books for ebooks. Irene was kooky, a bit odd, funny, passionate. Her neurosis brought great humor to this novel that probably wasn’t meant to be funny. I guess I saw a bit of myself in her. Kind of trying her best, hoping for a good outcome, but scared to death of actually receiving that good outcome.

The other passage I had to underline was about marriage. As a single person, I think I’ll take this piece of advice to heart. It was the one thing that failed me in the past, and the one thing I am changing in my current relationship.

“You know, sometimes marriage is iron. Sometimes it’s tissue paper. And I think the times it’s tissue paper are when you need to keep things to yourself. Or you can end up making a mistake that you’ll regret forever.” Valerie to Irene.

Once Upon a Time, There Was You focused mainly on how well do you know someone, what to keep to/for yourself, and when you start to lose yourself (your authentic self) in a relationship. I really enjoyed how each character found a peace in their situation. They had to grow apart in order to be together. I was beautiful to read, and to experience along with the characters.

As much as I enjoyed this novel, the one major flaw was the abduction of Sadie. It served no purpose other than to reunite John and Irene to deal with the aftermath. I felt it was unnecessary. I kept waiting for more to come from that plot that never arrived. It left me feeling wanting.

Overall, this is another good Elizabeth Berg novel and a solid example of why she is one of my favorites.

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One day Sadie makes the decision to get into a car. It is a poor decision that will change her life and those of her divorced parents, Irene and John. Living in separate states, Irene and John come together to help their daughter through the family crisis and in the coming together, relive their

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own marriage and the reasons for its failure.

Once again the author brings forth characters that are believable. While I’ve read reviews that felt they were flat, I found I could relate to Irene and John. And I could understand what happened to their marriage. And the daughter, Sadie, seemed like a level-headed young woman who makes some very grown up decisions about her life and pointed observations regarding her parents. I always enjoy what Elizabeth Berg chooses to write.

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On their wedding day, even John and Irene had doubts about their marriage. Years later, divorced, dating other people, and living in different parts of the country, they seem to have nothing in common—nothing except their spirited eighteen-year-old daughter, Sadie. When tragedy strikes, Irene and

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John come together to support the daughter they love so dearly.
Berg is one of my favorite authors. She is a master at plotting, pacing and character development. Once started, it is usually impossible to put one of her books down. So, I was surprised at how disappointed I was with this book. The plot was disjointed and anti-climactic on many levels. I didn't like even one of the characters in this story, so it was hard to care how it turned out. I struggled to finish it.

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Elizabeth Berg readers may be disappointed in this one. Between its unrealistic plot and its self absorbed characters, there is little to keep the reader's interest, except the hope that it will improve. Spoiler alert: it doesn't.

Although many of you didn't seem to care for this book that much, I read it in 2 days, NOT my usual pace of reading! I thought it was a good depiction of a marriage gone wrong, but parents who work to pull together for their child. However, I have to say that with such a loving Dad, I'm surprised

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that the joint custody agreement left his with so little time with his daughter, who seemed to be closer to her Dad even with the limited interactions they had. Worth reading...

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Although many of you didn't seem to care for this book that much, I read it in 2 days, NOT my usual pace of reading! I thought it was a good depiction of a marriage gone wrong, but parents who work to pull together for their child. However, I have to say that with such a loving Dad, I'm surprised

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that the joint custody agreement left his with so little time with his daughter, who seemed to be closer to her Dad even with the limited interactions they had. Worth reading...

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Although many of you didn't seem to care for this book that much, I read it in 2 days, NOT my usual pace of reading! I thought it was a good depiction of a marriage gone wrong, but parents who work to pull together for their child. However, I have to say that with such a loving Dad, I'm surprised

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that the joint custody agreement left his with so little time with his daughter, who seemed to be closer to her Dad even with the limited interactions they had. Worth reading...

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Although many of you didn't seem to care for this book that much, I read it in 2 days, NOT my usual pace of reading! I thought it was a good depiction of a marriage gone wrong, but parents who work to pull together for their child. However, I have to say that with such a loving Dad, I'm surprised

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that the joint custody agreement left his with so little time with his daughter, who seemed to be closer to her Dad even with the limited interactions they had. Worth reading...

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I read this book before meeting the author at a library program. This is not the typical book I would choose for myself. But, I enjoyed the story immensely. The relationship between the main characters was emotional and intense. I thought the book felt very realistic. I also liked that the story

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did not end the way I anticipated. The characters were developing right up to the last page.

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Elizabeth Berg, the N.Y. Times bestselling author, has written a light , humorous, novel. A perfect "vacation" book.

First Elizabeth Berg book I read and didn't like it. Characters were boring and one dimensional. Book was predictable and boring. Thought there would be more of a twist with Sadie's abduction.

Not my favorite, of this author's novels. The mom drove me crazy, and for a Berg novel, the daughter went through too much for me.. I expect something like that out of Kathy Reichs, not her. But all in all, it ended as it should have.

Very disappointing read. I usually really like Elizabeth Berg and the sweet comfy characters she writes. This time, none of the characters came alive or were remotely interesting. The first few chapters were quite good, and then the plot line took a serious downward turn with the handling of the

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traumatic event. The traumatic sub plot wasn't beleivable and it's aftermath was not dealt with in a realistic, or even interesting way. Irene ends up focusing/complaining/interfering/obsessing over Sadie's go forward life decisions, - without a thought for any damage Sadie may be dealing with internally after the trauma, which is barely mentioned again. The only sub plot that I thought had some good writing were the conversations between John and Irene, as annoying as they were, as they really rang true for a divorced couple who have no idea how to communicate with each other.

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