by Karen (link)
Genre het, drama
Pairings Isaac/OFC, Taylor/OFC, Zac/OFC
Length 36 chapters in 12 parts
Status Completed (fourth in a series)
A trend amongst early authors was the trilogy. You know the one. The trilogy that gives each brother his perfect match so that everyone gets a happy ending. Karen seemed to be writing that, but she changed it up a little bit by including a fourth story that focuses on all three brothers. I’m very curious to see how this wraps up the whole series, which I can certainly say has improved with each installment.
Unlike the previous stories, And So It Goes is in third person. I don’t think Karen’s writing is actually as strong in third person; she shifts tenses often and there’s a lot more tell than show. The latter is a real problem when new characters are introduced and a big part of the story’s premise is the struggles that all three boys’ relationships/marriages are experiencing. It’s difficult to connect to their emotions when I’m just told what their problems are rather than given time to see those problems.
There are other problems besides just the domestic drama, though. Unfortunately, none of them are rendered with much grace and it all varies between bland and over the top. That combination shouldn’t be possible, but it is. There are a few too many coincidences in the plot, but I do like the way all the stories sort of connect together. By the end, the drama level is a little more reasonable, and while I don’t feel that connected to the characters, I’m not rolling my eyes anymore. Karen made no secret of the fact that she was a huge soap opera fan, but And So It Goes was the only part of the series that really shows that influence. That isn’t necessary a bad thing, but it isn’t my favorite of the series, either.
Review by Bethany (website)