Reviews
Izzy is happily married to Luke. They’re settled or so she thought. One evening Luke drops the bombshell he wants kids, something they’d agreed wasn’t happening many moons ago. And so Izzy watches as her life implodes. Will she back down on her child free stance to save her marriage or will Luke accept Izzy and give up his dream of having children?!
I am a parent and we both wanted kids all along. I have friends who have no desire to have kids. I also have a friend who was totally out of sync with her husband at the time when it came to children. There is no right or wrong answer, just the right decision for the couple in question whatever that may be. I felt for Izzy as Luke reneged on their agreement. A marriage is a partnership, built on love and communication. Luke’s approach wasn’t the right one in my book and he annoyed me!
Crossroads is a short emotional read. Robertson managed to get over how heart wrenching Izzy’s situation is and how despite everyone having an opinion on what she should do, they couldn’t accept Izzy’s decision. There is a lot packed into Crossroads and I felt like I’d been through the ringer in the short time I spent with Izzy.
- CLAIRE
It's great to see a childless character who isn't cast as a villain for wanting to be childless. The author does an excellent job of presenting all sides of the coin. None of the protagonists are portrayed as the narrative's antagonist, which is fantastic. The author has given all sides of whether or not to have children, but in a way that neither is right or bad, which I found work in this book. This is a relatively common topic in everyday life. It shows how choices can be made and how much social pressure it puts on us as women to have a family and children.
-PIPER
Though she may be tiny, this book is FIERCE with heart wrenching gut punches. This is sad but thought provoking story with sad elements. I cried A LOT and I felt for Izzy as well as Luke. Such a good short story!
- HAILEY FISH
This was a super quick read - but at the same time held so much within it.
Izzy and Luke have been together for years and have a very happy marriage. They don't have kids and have always agreed on not having or wanting any.
That is until one day, Like decides he's actually like them to try for a baby.
Highlighting the importance of good communication in a relationship and the change in dynamics, as a couple, as we each grow older and change.
Circumstances, life, thoughts, bodies, even just the way we feel can change over the years and I think this book deals with this well.
I really liked both characters. They were relatable and the situation was one that happens for many couples.
The added pressure from outside with people assuming and asking when you'll start a family is often constant after marriage.
I totally could understand both sides of the argument and it was really interesting to view this and explore how it made both the couple and their families feel about the situation.
A great little quick read.
- SONJA CHARTERS
Crossroads is a contemporary genre and is 77 pages long. Crossroads did not take me long to read and once I started I could not put it down. The story is about Izzy who married Luke and they decided they didn't want children but now Luke changed his mind and Izzy's head is in a spin because she is still adamant that she does not want children. This obstacle changes their relationship. I thought Izzy was a brave person to stick with her guns not wanting children and not changing her mind just because people are trying to. I feel P. Robertson has found a very good topic that does not get mentioned in books very often about women not wanting children. The world has changed from what it was a long time ago when women had no choice but to have children and now we get the choice. I felt like this was a brilliant read and wished it was longer. I liked how she didn't just have Izzy's point of view but you heard how Luke was feeling too. I strongly recommend 5 stars.
- EMMA BOOK BLOGGER FITZGERALD
My Thoughts: how could I give this one anything less than 5 stars?! It was raw and honest, I really felt for both Luke and Izzy whilst reading this, having children has to be a mutual decision unfortunately and if one doesn’t want them then it can’t happen.
>For such a short book this stirred up some deep feelings in me, I just wanted to hug both of them whilst telling them both their reasons and feelings were both valid. But the author was very clever not to make either one look like the bad guy, which I loved because it didn’t sway the readers opinion in any way!
I laughed, I cried and I smiled all within less than 55 pages 🤣
I adored that Izzy found comfort and friendship in the unlikeliest of places and there was no judgement whatsoever.
Big shout out to Izzy’s dad too, what a man he was!
I could shout about this book for ages, but then I may as well just tell you the whole thing 😅
It’s emotional and impactful but absolutely worth the read.
- PATRICE GOTTING
In short, Izzy has always said she didn’t want children, but when her husband Luke suddenly drops the bombshell that he does, she has to re-evaluate not just her life, but the life they have together. Crossroads is a very short book (about 50 pages) but because of this, each chapter has a big impact. I could really sympathise with Izzy and almost applauded the way her father behaved with the situation she faced. I’m still in two minds about Luke though. On the one hand I did feel sorry for him in a way but I really wasn’t impressed with how he behaved. This is a story which really made me think about the importance of communication in a relationship, but it’s also a story of being true to yourself and in the end doing the right thing.
- PAULINE RENDER
Izzy has never wanted children and her husband, Luke, has always known this.
Nine years into their marriage and now into their thirties, Luke has decided that they should have a child together but Izzy is horrified at the idea.
This was an interesting and thought provoking read, to see things from the other point of view. Not everyone wants children, yet for some reason, people seem to think that they do really and will change their minds .
A great little novella that I enjoyed. I felt for both Izzy and Luke and it was interesting to see the wider effect around the whole family.
My thanks to the author and to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
-DEE GROOCOCK
Oh my goodness, this book got me. It’s about a husband & wife, they have been wed many years. Then out of the blue, Luke decides he would like a child. Izzy however really doesn’t want one, she thought they were happy as they were. I felt so gutted for Luke, he should’ve gone about asking in a different way. I am so torn between the both of them, I can understand why Izzy doesn’t want to do this, but then on the other hand, I totally understand Luke’s feelings.
Even though this book was under 100 pages, the depth in this is incredible, the emotion really got to me. This book was an emotional, (good) read.
- LAYLA PENFOLD
Izzy decided long ago that she didn't want any children and Luke her husband had agreed with her or did he? The author has shown both sides of having children or not, but has done it in a way that neither is right or wrong, which I found worked in this book. This is a topic that comes up so much in everyday life. You also find that the questions are also always asked...when you start a family, why aren't you having children. I have seen this first hand, as my brother never wanted children growing up he always said no children, but people still asked why. This is a quick read but a good one.
- PAULA LEARMOUTH
I am finding it challenging to summarise how beautiful & honest this novel was. Having read the author’s note, I can truly see the amount of emotion poured into this masterpiece.
The narrative followed Izzy & Luke, a couple ten years strong, and their clearly contrasting views surrounding beginning a family. This has always been a worry of mine, so reading about how this relationship dealt with these views was so challenging in the greatest of ways.
As a woman, I loved how Izzy was not feeling obliged or giving in to societal expectations of her & that is what MADE this book so fantastic. Despite the external pressure, she held her head high and knew what she wanted.
I don’t want to spoil too much about this short novel, but I really recommend reading it.
-MILLS