One Pink Line

Read this and other reviews at [...]. Disclaimer: I need a thesaurus for this review, because I really can't think of any other words to describe how awesome, beautiful and amazing this year. Bear with me as you read this word vomit caused by extreme love! I am IN LOVE with One Pink Line by Dina Silver. Reading this story (or really, devouring it in no time) was the perfect breath of fresh air for me. I had felt in a bit of a slump. Not that I wasn't enjoying books I was reading - I just haven't been blown away. This story, though, BLEW ME AWAY! It's a completely different story than what I have been reading lately, and it couldn't have felt more perfect. It's a story everyone should read. This isn't your typical love story. It's a love story that spans decades, for one, and it is a love story about some of life's biggest hurdles and how these are not only overcome, but expectations are far exceeded. Told between two POV; one is Sydney, a soon to be college grad, ready to start life, hopefully with her amazing boyfriend by her side, is unexpectedly pregnant. The other POV is from Grace, and her realization over time that her coming into this world is much different than what she always thought. What unfolds is an amazing parallel and one of the most beautiful love stories ever. "I still loved him. I never stopped loving him, and never stopped hoping that he would fall back in love with me as well." I don't want to give away too much on the story because it would be easy to do and it's better to figure it all out as you read, but it is SO worth experiencing. I must mention Ethan, though, because really I'd be crazy not to. Every woman in the world deserves an Ethan and knowing that this story is inspired by Dina's friend's real life, makes my heart soar. To know that there's someone out there like Ethan is beyond remarkable. His love for Sydney is nothing sort of amazing - and of course more supportive than you could ever imagine. "I have loved you since the very first day we met, and if I had my way, we would never be apart." While reading this, at first you want to be very agitated with Sydney. She clearly screws up a good thing - and so willingly. The reality, though, is she's young and life is full of changes. What's more important is what comes from her "errors in judgment." While not easy, or ideal this is what made her life so wonderful in the end. One Pink Line is about every kind of love you can imagine: young love, turbulent love, love between and parent and child, love for a grandchild. You name it, it was covered and felt in this story. "There are times in life, that no matter the circumstances, a girl needs her mom." I recently read an interview that Dina gave where she said she's currently working on a sequel/spin off to One Pink Line and that literally made me almost tinkle myself. I cannot WAIT to see Grace further navigate through life, as well as meet whomever else Dina might introduce to us. I give One Pink Line 5 stars for its poignant storyline that is so beautifully told. This could be read by girls and women alike, as there is literally something for everyone to gain from reading this. It's a beautiful story about compassion, trust, understanding and most of all a love that truly can conquer all. PLEASE, if you haven't read this book, pick it up today! You will absolutely not regret it!

Goodreads Description- Can the love of a lifetime be forever changed by one pink line? Dina Silver's tender, absorbing novel, One Pink Line, is the warmhearted, wry story of love, loss and family, as seen through the prism of one singular, spirited young couple who find themselves in a predicament that changes the course of their lives, and those closest to them. With heart, humor and compassion, this debut work of women's fiction is certain to stir anyone who relishes a good laugh, can stand a good cry, and, above all believes in the redemptive power of love. This unique, contemporary story gives readers a dual perspective. Sydney Shephard, a sweet-tempered, strong-natured college senior is young, in love with an exceptional man, and unexpectedly pregnant. Faced with a child she never planned for, she is forced to relay this news to her neurotic mother, relinquish her youth, and risk losing the love of her life. Then there's Grace, a daughter, who believed she was a product of this great love, grows to realize her existence is not what she assumed, and is left with profound and puzzling questions about who she really is. Spanning generations and every imaginable emotion, One Pink Line reveals how two points of view can be dramatically at odds, and perhaps ultimately reconciled. Simultaneously deeply felt and lighthearted, One Pink Line deftly mines how the choices we make are able to alter so many lives, and how doing the right thing and living honestly can bring unexpected, hard-won happiness. It's a must-read for anyone who relishes a great love story, absorbing characters, and plenty of laughs along the way. This was a fantastic book! The author did an excellent job telling the story of Sydney and Grace using alternating chapters for their individual point of view. She not only focused on the difficulties of an unplanned pregnancy, the ups and downs, and did a great job portraying the varying emotions both characters felt throughout their lives. I really liked how she focused on the joys of having a baby, just as anyone would for a planned pregnancy, and didn't constantly describe the negatives of unplanned pregnancies, as books about this topic mostly focus on. The characters were well developed and I really felt like I knew Sydney and Grace. Silver did a good job at keeping the father's identity questionable until the middle of the book. She threw me for a loop when I finally read the chapter about when Sydney got pregnant. I wasn't expecting that! The ending was wonderful and was written in a very realistic way. I am so glad Silver didn't take the soap opera plot path and kept it real. Excellent book! I would recommend it for anyone looking for a chick lit book with depth. 4 stars!

I have never read such an amazing book before reading this one. It was so entertaining and had many jaw-dropping moments. I felt an emotional connection to the story, almost like I was the main character or like I knew Sydney. The book really came to life. I never expected it to be so great. I cried during every tear-jerking moment, I laughed during the funny moments, I smiled and cried during all of the happy moments. I love how the author wrote in Sydney's perspective and then her daughter Grace 's! It really entertained me when Sydney would talk about her life before Grace and everything that was happening when Grace was little, and the next chapter was Grace either in school age or all grown up. The story never had a dull moment. I loved the whole story line. I cried so much during this book. It is so intriguing. I wish that their was a second book, that deals with Sydney And Ethan when they are even older and grandparents, and Grace through college and having her own family. The author should definitely write a second add on to this book! I cried when I finished reading it! I connected so well to the book. When I started reading it, I honestly said I would not wAnt to be Sydney. But now reading the whole story, I think that Sydney was so lucky to have her family, and especially her mother (Sydney) and Ethan ( "her true amazing and supportive dad") he truly was like a father to her. I wish I had Ethan on my life. I can honestly say that this is the most amazing book ever!!!!!

Yes, I admit it. I liked the cover and that's why I bought this book. Anyways, I really enjoyed reading it. This is for people that haven't read it yet: if you are looking for some light reading, an entertaining story with some ups and downs and a cute love story, I think you might like this one. Now, stop reading this review here because it has SPOILERS. I was saying, I enjoyed reading it. However, there were some things that just made me roll my eyes: 1. I think I've been reading a lot of chick-lit over the years, and I think the heroine with conflict relationship with her mother topic is something I have seen in most of them. 2.Taylor and Jenna: almost the same character. Same personality, almost same looks. Both rich, both hot, both move to NYC. They could be best friends. Or twins. 3.Again, the main character that has a super hot friend, rich and successful that moves to NY...seen it way too many times. 4.Grace and Sydney: You can tell their "thoughts" have been written by the same person. 5. Kendra and Ethan are perfect, they have no defects at all. Just not human! 6. The long life bonds of college: Sydney talks in more than one occasion about her friends for life that she made in college. That is Jenna, Kevin, and Rocco. Jenna is not mentioned in the book ever again after they finished college except to say that she moved to NYC and works for her father law firm. Never says Sydney saw her again or even speaks on the phone with her. Rocco, never heard about him again. Never knew Sydney was pregnant? Never called again, never mentioned again. Kevin, well he ended up being a complete a***ole. But he cared very little for his college "sisters". So...The story is told in a flashback style. Those are the long lasting friendships, life time bonds the main character was talking about? 7. At the end of the book, Taylor apparently lies when she tells Sydney that Ethan left the wedding with that girl Robin. Then Ethan calls Taylor "a two faced bitch" when Sydney asks him about it. Never explained why Taylor lied, and why Ethan called her that. And apparently they kept friends afterwards and nobody talked about it again... 8.Sydney spending her first week after she gave birth in sweatpants, "no bra". I don't think someone that just gave birth could go around bra-less. 9. Sydney finds out she's pregnant. Wants to relax and forget about it. So what better idea than going out and get totally wasted?? Then, when she tells her mom. Her mom tells her to remember that she's not supposed to drink alcohol. And Sydney: "My jaw dropped". Come-on! infuriated me. 10.And lastly and most importantly: Sydney gave up on her relationship with Ethan because she wanted to have FUN. "Ethan won't ruin my fun", " "I won't give up my fun because of Ethan" etc etc etc. She deserted him only for the sake of being partying around. So, that is why is so unrealistic that when she finds out she is pregnant, it's like "yeah, I'm totally having this baby!" She doesn't even consider having a abortion. It would have been more believable if she had just grown apart from Ethan because of the distance and daily obligations, if she had been the good student who for once got drunk and slept with a guy and got pregnant, instead of the party girl. OR, if she had gone to the doctors to have an abortion and changed her mind at the last minute. But really, I was just reading and thinking "are you serious??" Has some typos like "Though" instead of "Through" -more than once-, but I won't make a big deal about it. Anyways, I did like and enjoyed the book except for these facts I mentioned before. And I liked that Ethan ended up being the loving dad. I loved that. :)

One Pink Line hit me right in the feels. It is a vivid reminder that family is so much more than blood. It also shows us no matter how bad the blood is, relationships can be fixed if both parties are willing to forgive and actions change. These truths are constants in relationships and life. Dina Silver has beautifully told the story of Sydney and her daughter, Grace. Theirs is a pretty typical mother - daughter relationship until Grace tries to put two plus two together during a fifth grade sex education class. For Grace these two simple numbers do not equal four. What ensues is a story that revolves around two men: one who manages to cause turmoil with just the suggestion of his name and another who constantly smooths that turmoil with his consistent acts of selfless love. Sydney and Grace must decide how to resolve their relationships with not only each other, but also these men. This story tests the relationship bonds of friends, parents, siblings, and lovers. It is as realistic as fiction gets and should be required reading in every household. All decisions have consequences. One Pink Line is a stark reminder that we should always be conscious of this fact and choose carefully.

This book is amazing! It is midnight and i just started this book today and i had to finish it! It was funny, moving, inspirational and sad. I know all too well about an unplanned pregnancy at a young age. I didnt have the courage to make the choice Syd did at that time, but i made up for it a few years later and it has best the best decision i ever made. I got pregnant at 19 from a one night stand, had an abortion and wept my eyes out afterwards. I knew what it felt like to be madly in love with a guy from a long distance relationship yet make the mistake that changes your whole life. Unfortunately, the live of my life and i both moved on, he is happily married, im a single parent to a beautiful 6yr old and coincidentally just last yr reconnected with the one night stand guy. Who knows what may happen! As far as the story line, i absolutely LOVED the characters! Ethan was a charming wonderful man with an awesome upbringing and we couldnt have asked for a better leading man. Syd was a breath of fresh air, beng able to watch her grow into a wonderful mom. And even Grace. I could understand her frustrations in the beginning but in the end i loved the way she appreciated her family and her upbringing. She was surrounded by lots of love from sooooo many ppl and thats the best you could hope for in that situation. I loved all the secondary characters and the roles they played no matter how big or small. I loved how she had different friend thru every stage in her life and they reflected her growing maturity level. Overall this was a wonderful and beautifully written story!

Going into this book I can't say my attitude wasn't a little judgmental. Once you've read one book about an unexpected pregnancy you've pretty much read them all right? Wrong. I was pleasantly surprised when One Pink Line took a completely unique take on unexpected pregnancy and not only did I finish the book in a few hours, but I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. The main character of the book, Sydney Shephard, was marginally popular in high school, had a rich and popular best friend and a neurotic Mother who made it clear in no uncertain terms that Kendra, Sydney's older sister, was her favorite child. One Pink Line starts off with Sydney finding out she's pregnant and you can't help, but feel for her especially when you find out that the baby in question is not her boyfriend's. Speaking of boyfriends, Ethan, let me take a minute to tell you how much I love this character that Dana Silver created. There was not a second throughout this book that I could not feel Ethan's love for Sydney. Even though they had gone to high school together they didn't really meet until Sydney's best friend Taylor's graduation party during a game of spin the bottle. Yes I know high school seniors don't typically play that anymore, but ignore the cliché and keep reading. There was an instant connection between Sydney and Ethan and while there isn't too much detail between chapters there is enough to get across what this budding romance is becoming to both of them. Ethan is the kind of guy you want to bring home to your Mother. He's got an amazing sense of humor; he's bright, handsome, polite and completely inappropriate when it counts. His love for Sydney literally took my breath away. The first time they had to leave each other to head off to their respective colleges after spending their first summer together and falling in love, tore at my heart strings. The fact that they stayed so close and so in love over the course of four years of college, only to have it ruined by one mistake, and when I say mistake I'm referring to the one night stand, not Sydney's daughter Grace, was just heart wrenching. One of the things I love about Silver's characters in One Pink Line is that they aren't perfect and the situations are portrayed in a realistic manner. Being in a long distance relationship with someone is bound to take it's toll on you no matter how much you love that person. It would be ridiculous to think you don't grow and change as a person over the years and the fact that Ethan and Sydney had trouble and some emotional distance between them is all kinds of realistic. When she told Ethan about the baby he wasn't happy, but he didn't cut her off completely because they still had that connection and even though they were both hurting, Ethan because the love of his life cheated on him and Sydney because she had made the biggest mistake by hurting Ethan, they were still there for each other when it counted. I like how Silver portrayed Sydney's baby daddy, I honestly don't remember what his name was, I think it was Kevin, but who cares. He was an idiot, but alas his response is often what some women hear when in this situation. While I want to do nothing more than gush about how amazing Ethan is, he was not the only thing I loved about this book. Throughout the chapters as Silver switches between Sydney's point of view and her daughter Grace's point of view we see growth between family and friends. We read as Sydney has to put aside her youth and become a responsible adult to take care of her daughter. We see the bond between Sydney and her Mother grow as well as her relationship with the other characters in the book. The theme here isn't just about romantic love, but familial love as well. I can't tell you how many times I teared up while reading this; then again apparently I cry at commercials these days so who knows. But Sydney's Mother was there to help her for the first few weeks and you could tell she was proud of her for the decisions she had made. Choosing to raise her daughter wasn't easy, but she never once regretted it. Plus she had Ethan there when he was in town and not working, which of course grew more frequent as time went on because he's wonderful. [Swoons] Another aspect of One Pink Line that I thought was incredibly distinctive was seeing things from Grace's perspective. When she found out Ethan wasn't her biological Father I just wanted to reach into the book and hug her. She was so distraught and seeing what she was thinking and feeling was a great addition to the book. Not many author's go into that aspect of things, but Silver lets us see the confusion and anger going through Grace and the struggle that knowing this information has put on her. I loved seeing these snapshots into the important parts of Sydney and Grace's lives and when Ethan proposed in the end I'm pretty sure I let out a very undignified, girly squeal at that point. I give Sliver major props for taking what could have been a very boring story and spicing it up so it would appeal to a contemporary audience. I swear this book made me fall in love with love again and if you know me personally you would know that's not easy to do. Overall this was a heartfelt and warming story and definitely something you should read if you have the time and inclination.

This was an incredibly moving read. Sydney had the perfect boyfriend back home but, like many college coeds, she got restless (and drunk) and had a one-night-stand with a boy "friend" that resulted in a pregnancy. Sydney wants to keep the baby but the baby daddy wants nothing to do with either of them. The author writes from both Sydney's perspective and Grace's (the baby). From Sydney's perspective, we see how she dealt with having a child at such a young age while unmarried and how it affected her relationships with her family and the boyfriend she left at home. From Grace's perspective, we feel her confusion at discovering that the man who raised her is not her birth father and we understand her desire to meet her biological father. Although the book focused more on Sydney than Grace, I didn't mind as I found Sydney's story more compelling. I especially enjoyed the complex relationship between Sydney and her mother. I initially disliked Sydney's mother but loved the way the author redeemed her once Grace was born. While I thought Ethan was a bit too good to be true, I also loved him and was touched by his loyalty to Sydney. I did have a few issues with the book. For one, Sydney's sister Kendra, who was such a big part of Sydney's life, was not mentioned once in the Grace segments. The only relatives mentioned in Grace's segments were from her birth father's side. I found mentions of Nanna Lynne and Aunt Sharon a bit confusing in Grace's segments since the author did not explain who they were until much later in the story. Also, while I was happy with how things turned out, I would've enjoyed a more drawn-out ending. Finally, *Spoiler altert* - I wished the author had explained why Taylor told Sydney that Ethan had reunited with Robin when it was not true. Was it a purposeful lie or just a miscommunication? In sum, however, this was a very compelling read. I would definitely read more from this author.

Great read

Zuerst dachte ich: Noch so ein Buch in Pink, wie schrecklich, und fand die College-Episode deutlich zu lang. Aber dann hat der Perspektivwechsel ab Kapitel vier mich gepackt. Die Multiperspektive ist eine gute Wahl, auch die Zeitsprünge, die anschließend gewählt werden, straffen die Erzählung deutlich und die Gegenläufigkeit sorgt für echte Spannung und Einblicke. Glücklicherweise kann die Autorin mit Überraschungen umgehen, auch wenn man ihr für manche überraschende Wendung einfach nur dankbar ist, selbst wenn sie einem nicht ganz plausibel wird. Aber das ist eine Stärke des Buch,meine ich, dass Dina Silver den Mut aufbringt, manche Antworten nicht zu geben. Die Fragen, die sie stellt (oder die Figuren stellen lässt), sind dagegen hoch relevant und werden Eltern vermutlich noch in Generationen von ihren Kindern gestellt werden, vielleicht ohne, dass man jemals zu befriedigenden Antworten gelangt. Was die Sprachlosigkeit mit den Menschen macht, zeigt die Autorin wunderbar erzählt auf. Und ich liebe ihr Ende. Ja, wirklich. Kitsch hin oder her.

I loved this book. It's sweet without being schmaltzy, it's a beautiful story, and I really like the style of writing. It's gems like this that keep me subscribed to the Amazon Daily Deal mailing list whenever I contemplate unsubscribing. The front cover has the tagline `a novel' but throughout the book I was hooked by the confessional - rather than dramatic - tone. It really felt like I was reading a memoir, even though I knew I couldn't be because the novel combines two stories from two different protagonists. The writing style is very straightforward, confessional and honest rather than the more melodramatic, often slightly flowery, narrative style I'd expected of an American author of contemporary romance. One strand of the novel follows Sydney, from her late-teenage years when she meets and falls for Ethan, through her college years when she balances love and a social life, and into early adulthood as a young mum after not following her own mother's advice to `be smart'. The second strand follows Grace, a little girl with a happy home life who realises after a sex education class that her dad can't really be her dad. It follows her as she grows up, constantly curious about the circumstances of her birth, who her real father is, and what implications this has on who she is. One Pink Line is described as contemporary romance, even by the author herself, but I think this slightly belittles it - it's more than romance. This is a novel about relationships and love on so many levels: between romantic partners, yes, but also between parents and children (especially mothers and daughters), between friends, between extended families. It's not a happy-ever-after portrayal of love, either: it acknowledges that love is complicated, sometimes dangerously close to hate, that it is as painful as it is wonderful, and that sometimes you have to make a hard choice between one type of love and another. It's really a pleasure to read. There are moments that will make you smile, or even laugh, without the humour being overstated. There are other moments that will move you, without being soppy or overdone. In particular, I found I really empathised with Sydney and the decisions she had to make based on one lapse in judgement. But I also admired her, for the decisions she did make and for the uncomplaining, level-headed, focused way in which she dealt with the consequences of those decisions. I felt less attachment to Grace - perhaps partly because I haven't ever been close to a situation like hers, but also I think because she is younger and therefore a bit more selfish. There are no big twists or revelations, no big dramatic scenes. I've read reviews that say the ending is predictable, which I didn't agree with. I felt everything was moving steadily towards the ending and, while I had an idea of what that ending might be, the pace and the lack of a big unpredictable twist was in keeping with the matter-of-fact style. This is just real life, experienced by normal people, sensitively and authentically portrayed. One Pink Line is probably more suited for female readers, but I'd recommend it to any men looking to explore female relationships and dilemmas. I realised at the end that it's based on real events - I don't know how loosely, and undoubtedly this alone isn't responsible for the excellent style and tone adopted in the novel, but it goes some way to explaining the sense I had of it being a memoir. Dina Silver has a real talent, I think. I can't think who I would compare her to, but I will definitely revisit this book in years to come and would recommend it heartily.

Great read! Loved it!

I enjoyed this book, but thought the ending a little bit rushed. The narrative flips between the story of Sydney's pregnancy and the resultant daughter, Grace, when she's hitting adulthood. It's well written and I found I cared about the characters. The reason I gave it four stars rather than five is that I think it a little rushed in places.Grace's biological father turns abruptly from likeable to villainous without any grey in between, and Sydney's Mum also changes rather tack suddenly - it would be good to see the working behind that, unless I missed something. Definitely an enjoyable read, I'd buy more from this author. But shouldn't it have been entitled two pink lines? That would have reflected both the dual story and the reality of Sydney's situation. Picky, I know, don't let it put you off, I found it an enjoyable story and will probably read it again.