Feeling decidedly un-lovely at the moment and snidely thumbing my nose at romance, I was nonetheless  taken with today’s review of “A Vindication of Love” by Cristina Nehring in the Sunday NY Times book review. Here’s a snippet from reviewer Katie Roiphe:

“Nehring sees in the grandeur of feeling a kind of heroism, even if the relationship doesn’t take conventional form or endure in the conventional way. For Nehring, one senses, true failure is to drift comfortably along in a dull relationship, to spend precious years of life in a marriage that is not exciting or satisfying, to live cautiously, responsibly. Is the strength of feeling redeemed in the blaze of passion even if it does not end happily? she asks. Is contentment too soft and modest a goal?”