Book Review + Guest Post = Shelfie Bomb
Let's Take A Shelfie
With all of the Canada Reads craziness over the past couple months, I knew my time to read anything outside of the 5 short listed titles would be limited. Luckily, my long time friend (I just publicly declared that we're friends, it's official now!) and colleague has come to my rescue.
I present to you, J.M.'s very first Shelfie Bomb...
Title: A Girl's Guide to Moving On
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Format: Hardcover
Format: Hardcover
Source: From Publisher
On Sale Date: February 23, 2016
Rating: ★★★★
Rating: ★★★★
In this powerful and uplifting novel, a mother and her daughter-in-law bravely leave their troubled marriages and face the challenge of starting over. Leaning on each other, Nichole and Leanne discover that their inner strength and capacity for love are greater than they ever imagined.
When Nichole discovers that her husband, Jake, has been unfaithful, the illusion of her perfect life is indelibly shattered. While juggling her young son, a new job, and volunteer work, Nichole meets Rocco, who is the opposite of Jake in nearly every way. Though blunt-spoken and rough around the edges, Rocco proves to be a dedicated father and thoughtful friend. But just as their relationship begins to blossom, Jake wagers everything on winning Nichole back—including their son Owen’s happiness. Somehow, Nichole must find the courage to defy her fears and follow her heart, with far-reaching consequences for them all.
Leanne has quietly ignored her husband’s cheating for decades, but is jolted into action by the echo of Nichole’s all-too-familiar crisis. While volunteering as a teacher of English as a second language, Leanne meets Nikolai, a charming, talented baker from Ukraine. Resolved to avoid the heartache and complications of romantic entanglements, Leanne nonetheless finds it difficult to resist Nikolai’s effusive overtures—until an unexpected tragedy tests the very fabric of her commitments.
J.M.'s Thoughts:
Having read many of Debbie Macomber’s novels in the past, I was pleased to have the opportunity to read “A Girl’s Guide to Moving on” before it was released to the public. While this novel is written a bit differently than her other novels it is just as enjoyable and kept my attention throughout. I really enjoyed the interaction between the two main characters. Nichole and Leanne have both just recently left their cheating husbands. What makes the connection interesting is that Nichole is divorcing Leanne’s son for cheating and getting another woman pregnant. Leanne feels responsible for her son’s actions because she stayed in an unfaithful marriage for 35 years, showing her son that it was okay to behave this way in a marriage. Together; Nichole and Leanne forge new beginnings, friendships and relationships as they continue to deal with the ramifications of their divorces and Ex-husbands.
I really connected with Nichole’s character and found her believable and I was able to sympathize with her and the situation she was in. While I enjoyed the interaction and relationship between Nichole and Leanne, I had a harder time empathizing with Leanne and understanding some of the decisions her character was making. I loved following the new relationships these ladies were building and enjoyed how they tentatively accepted new men in their lives!
Unlike Debbie Macomber’s other stories, this is a great stand-alone novel that doesn’t require background or additional reading. Overall I would recommend this book to any Debbie Macomber fans or for anyone looking for a light and uplifting read.
Disclaimer: A finished copy of A Girl's Guide to Moving On was provided by Penguin Random House Canada for review purposes. All opinions are our own.
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