Falling in love is easy. Creating a life together is another story. . . Joined is a real-life read, a true confession, a compelling story of life's many challenges and its few choices. This is the fifth in Barbara Carter's memoir series, Barbara by the Bay (Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia). It stands well on its own, not requiring the reader to have read any of the earlier books, although certainly knowing about her earlier life will enhance the experience of travelling with her into marriage and motherhood. This is a story of the perseverance a woman needs while trying to make marriage work through a surprising barrage of adversity. A 5-star Readers' Favorite: A hard-hitting memoir. Provides an unbridled telling of the daily struggles of a difficult marriage. The book takes the reader through emotional highs and lows, all the while holding out for her to find happiness and for Mike to face his demons head-on. Recommended to anyone involved in a relationship where conflict is the norm rather than the exception