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Read advance reader review of Leaving by Roxana Robinson, page 4 of 4

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Leaving by Roxana Robinson

Leaving

A Novel

by Roxana Robinson
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (8):
  • Readers' Rating (27):
  • First Published:
  • Feb 13, 2024, 344 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Mar 2025, 352 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Reviews


Page 4 of 4
There are currently 25 member reviews
for Leaving
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  • Jennie R. (Plymouth, MN)
    Left me a bit flat…
    This book had its highs and lows for me. By the end of the book, I couldn't stand any of the characters, especially Warren and his horrible daughter, Kat. The part of the story I enjoyed the most was while Warren and Sarah were happy together again, in spite of the fact that their relationship was an affair between a married man and a divorced woman. There were parts of the story that felt too drawn out, then parts that felt too abrupt. The ending was more than I could take and made me want to throw the book across the room. Sorry, but I don't recommend this one.
  • Michele N. (Bethesda, MD)
    Leaving
    Who doesn't think about running into an old flame years later and wonder "what if"? I was hooked from the first line. As Sarah and Warren got to know each other again, I followed along, sometimes pulling for them to re-unite, other times wanting to tell Sarah to run for the hills. Robinson does a nice job of describing the dilemmas of the choices we make, both in our youth and later in life. I liked her premise but had trouble getting through the book – it just went on and on, making me want to "leave" on more than one occasion. While I stayed until the end, it was disappointing…Warren's decision just didn't seem in character. That being said, this would be a great read for a book club. Plenty of issues to discuss.
  • John A. (Austin, TX)
    Leaving Believability
    Leaving is a very well written book with interesting characters and events, but it has a major flaw in my opinion. The male lead is true to form in the first half of the book, but behaves in an increasingly unbelievable manner as the book progresses. The character change would have impressed Paul of Road to Damascus fame, although here we are on the Boston to NYC metropolitan areas route.

    This would be a decent book club offering for discussion, because its characters are otherwise quite memorable and others might disagree with my characterization of this book's main man.
  • Mary W. (Mesa, AZ)
    leaving by Roxana Robinson
    The advance praise for "leaving" is glowing. I just wish the book had lived up to those reviews. The prose is good, the plot plausible. However, the book is too wordy. It's like going to a movie and half-way through the film you say to yourself "Just get it over with." Repetition of similar scenes and repeated avowals of motive stifle the story. The author tries to force the reader to accept her interpretation of character and motive. Let the reader decide. We are adults.

Beyond the Book:
  Puccini's Opera Tosca

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