The View from Alameda Island

Written by Robyn Carr

Narrated by Thérèse Plummer

A poignant and powerful story about how one woman's best intentions lead to the worst of situations, and how love helps her to heal and ultimately triumph. From the outside looking in, Lauren Delaney has a life to envy-a successful career, a solid marriage to a prominent surgeon and two beautiful daughters who are off to good colleges. But on her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary Lauren makes a decision that will change everything. Lauren won't pretend things are perfect anymore. She defies the controlling husband who has privately mistreated her throughout their marriage and files for divorce. And as she starts her new life, she meets a kindred spirit-a man who is also struggling with the decision to end his unhappy marriage. But Lauren's husband wants his "perfect" life back and his actions are shocking. Facing an uncertain future, Lauren discovers an inner strength she didn't know she had as she fights for the love and happiness she deserves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980000167

Robyn Carr

Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women's fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan's Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at www.RobynCarr.com.

Reviews for The View from Alameda Island

[valerie carra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really love this book! Great story. I learn a lot from this book. A must read.

[amyhutto · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another wonderful book by Robyn Carr! Her characters are always deeply developed.

[simplykelina · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.This may have been my favorite Robyn Carr read yet.This does have triggers for abuse and family violence. This really hits on emotional, psychological, and physical abuse. You get a lot more manipulation and emotional abuse which I really enjoyed seeing as most stories will only focus on the physical abuse. I think it is great to bring awareness to other types of domestic violence as so many only think it means physical. I could have done without the extra romance with the other couple (I will not spoil who it involved). I just did not care about this one and almost wanted to skim through these sections. They really had nothing to do with anything going on. This also went a little far-fetched when bombs and such came into play. Overall, this was a really fast read though and I enjoyed it.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The View from Alameda Island by Robyn Carr is an enjoyable novel of new beginnings, healing and love.

For the past twenty-four years, Lauren Delaney has put up with abuse from her surgeon husband Brad. He is verbally, emotionally and physically abusive and she has finally mustered the courage to take back her life.  Having carefully planned her escape, Lauren sets out to rebuild  her life but will her daughters, Lacey and Cassie, understand why she is divorcing their father? And what will Brad do to Lauren once he learns she is divorcing him?

Lauren has tried to leave Brad before but he always managed to browbeat her into returning. She has many regrets about her choices and looking back, she clearly sees all of the warning signs she ignored.   Now having left Brad, Lauren is rightfully concerned that staying with him might have sent the wrong message to her daughters.  She is surprised by Lacey and Cassie's reactions to her news and she works hard to maintain her relationship with both young women. Having believed she is safely out Brad's reach, Lauren is stunned by his reaction once she is out of his clutches.

Beau Magellan is also in the midst of a messy divorce from his soon to be ex, Pamela. Having dealt with her mercurial moods and manipulative behavior throughout their relationship, he has been separated from her for quite some time. Although she is hopeful for a reconciliation, Beau is done with his marriage.  But Pamela is not making it easy for their divorce to progress.

After a chance meeting, Beau and Lauren form a fast friendship in which they support each other through their divorces.  Neither of them are ready for a relationship so both are surprised when they realize their feelings for one another are deepening. But their path to happily ever after is littered with obstacles. Their soon to be exes are making their respective divorces difficult.  And both Beau and Lauren are concerned about how their adult children will react to a romance between them.

Despite a little predictability, The View from Alameda Island is a engrossing novel about starting over and finding love when it is least expected. Lauren is lovely woman who stayed in an abusive marriage for far too long. Beau is a laidback, easygoing man who has finally had enough of being taken advantage of by his soon to be ex-wife. The romance between Beau and Lauren grows organically from friendship and it is incredibly uplifting watching them fall in love. Robyn Carr deftly tackles difficult subject with a great deal of sensitivity. Despite the somewhat dark storyline, the novel is ultimately uplifting as Lauren, Beau and their families find well-deserved happiness. A must read for fans of the genre.

[mchwest · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful, like all Robyns books. I loved the setting of this one, Alameda Island, and the plot kept a nice pace.

[jkj94 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been a longtime since I have read a book by Robyn Carr and I am happy to announce that I was given the opportunity to do so by reading her newest book The View From Alameda Island coming out in April. Carr shows us her passion for writing in her books, and she did not disappoint in this one either.From the outside looking in, Lauren Delaney has a life to envy, a successful career, a solid marriage to a prominent surgeon and two beautiful daughters who are off to good colleges. But she knew the day she married Brad that it was a mistake.They say "opposites" attract, and it is true in Carr's writing of the turbulent marriages that Lauren and Beau share in common. Lauren has planned her escape from her abusive husband of twenty four years very methodically. How much more of the abuse could she take?Ms. Carr takes us right there on the island with some beautiful characters, and some very ugly ones. And tells the story of how two beautiful people cross paths at a very turbulent time in their lives, and fall in love. But their stories are not all champagne and roses, their stories touch on mental and emotional abuse as well as physical abuse. A touching story of how two families overcome the hardships and scars that their ex's leave in their lives, as well as their kid's lives.I enjoyed this book very much. I could see the island and the homey town, she describes. Oh and how the flower gardens must have looked, Carr makes them sound so amazing. There are going to be a lot of people that will be able to relate to their stories, as I did myself.Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC of Robyn Carr's book

[pam50627 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Robyn Carr writes with such passion & emotion that you can’t help but be drawn deeply into her stories. From the very beginning, my emotions were tied to Lauren & her thoughts & feelings. How does someone stay in a marriage filled with verbal & emotional abuse? Why do they think kids are oblivious to it? What does an abuser do when his favorite target is taken away? This story explores these questions & answers. It delves into the patterns & arrogance of the abuser & how it can make the strongest person feel week & needy. Robyn Carr not only shows the reader the typical story of the husband abusing the younger wife but the second storyline follows Beau & his angry, unhappy, absent wife. Beau is farther along in his thought pattern & divorce than Lauren but is totally unprepared for the depths his wife takes to hold on to him. She’s the one that has left time & again for a break & another man but she expects him to stay put & always let her back in. Ms. Carr has written another deeply emotional story that will affect all readers in some way.