Love is a Mix Tape

Above all, they loved music. Rob Sheffield and his wife, Renee, met over a conversation about a song and music was a central part of their relationship. So Rob begins each chapter with a mix tape that he and Renee listened to as he describes their marriage and her sudden death from a pulmonary embolism. Renee does not come across as a saint but as a complex, lively woman and the best chapters are how Rob copes after her death, when that spark is gone from his life. Music both soothes him and causes more pain, as he realizes there are songs he will never again be able to share with Renee. Be prepared to take a trip down memory lane at the songs on each mix tape and the popular culture references thrown in. (This was a couple that loved The Cutting Edge as much as I irrationally do--Toe-pick!). Though Rob is a music critic by trade, he is not a music snob and his and Renee's eclectic tastes will have you jotting down lots of songs to check out.