Blog Tour: The Friendship List

I've only read a couple of Susan Mallery's novels throughout the years but she is pretty big in the romance world. She's written a bananas number of novels (seriously, I tried counting on her website, got to 40, and gave up) and, now that I've read her latest, The Friendship List, I've read just four of them. And one was a cookbook. And...I hate to say it because I know she's well-loved but...I think I'm done. Between this book and the last one I read (Meant to Be Yours, which I reviewed here), I haven't been thrilled. 

Here's the synopsis:

Ellen and Unity have been best friends basically since birth, but they couldn’t be more different. Unity married her childhood sweetheart just after high school and became an Army wife, moving from base to base…until her husband's shocking death in the line of duty leaves her a widow. Grief-stricken, it’s time for Unity to come back home to Ellen—the only person she can trust to help her rebuild her life. But Ellen has troubles of her own. Boys never seemed to notice Ellen…until one got her pregnant in high school and disappeared. Her son is now 17 and she’s wondering what to do with herself now that he’s heading off to college and he's literally her entire world.

But now that Ellen and Unity are reunited, they’re done with their stale lives. It’s time to shake things up and start living again, knowing that they'll always have one another to lean on. So they create a list of challenges they have to accomplish--everything from getting a tattoo to skydiving to staying out all night. And whoever completes the most challenges is the winner. But with new adventures and love just around the corner, there’s no such thing as losing…

As I said, Mallery is known in the romance world. But like a lot of romance authors, she's been writing a few more titles that are being marketed as women's fiction. I don't like to use that genre term these days but I have yet to figure out a better descriptor. Contemporary is the best I've come up with. Some of these authors are doing pretty well with writing stories that aren't "simply" romances (Sarah Morgan is one whose contemporary novels I'm enjoying as well as her romances). And some? Not so good.

This story is supposed to be about two friends who have realized they're stuck and create a list to push themselves out of their comfort zones. The list means less as the novel goes on, and that's fine, because they realize that getting a tattoo or going skydiving is really the least of their issues. Unity, especially, has a lot of baggage to take care of. My problem was how much the romantic relationships took over the story. Romance and dating is a part of life and I'm a big fan of love stories in every single thing I read or watch but something about the romances played out in this novel drove me up the wall. Keith and Ellen have been friends for years and it's always been platonic. But as soon as Ellen buys some new clothes that don't hide her figure, Keith is all, "Holy shit, she has a body and breasts and now I can't stop thinking about sleeping with her." Just because she wore clothing that fit her body and made her feel good. That's a whole lot of nope from me. Thaddeus, the love interest for Unity (and what is that name? Sorry to anyone who is or knows or birthed a Thaddeus but I just can't do it as a male hero name), is gorgeous and super duper successful and could sleep with any super duper attractive woman and he just can't understand why Unity, who's "pretty enough", has gotten under his skin. In both instances, Ellen and Unity, who are great women, are reduced to their looks and I couldn't get over it even though both men are, for the most part, really good men. 

Ellen and Unity are both 34 which is just a year older than I am. Now, I did not have a child at 17 (or any age after) and I haven't been married and then widowed. So I don't really know how much those incidents would mature a person. I do know that these women did not act like 34 year olds. That's part of their problem and the reason they're making their lists but I felt like I was reading about characters who were a good decade older and I had to constantly remind myself that, nope, they're basically the same age I am. I could be in the minority but it really felt like the story should have been written for older characters but that age is the only one to really work for a young pregnancy and then also being able to have more children, if the character(s) chose to. It's a hard one to explain but I would love to know what other readers who are in their early thirties felt about the portrayal of Ellen and Unity.

The characters Mallery created were ones I wanted to read about and that pushed me to finish reading this book. I really did like Ellen and Unity. I could feel their pain and frustration even if I had never been in their shoes before. Ellen's son, Cooper, and Keith's daughter, Lissa, were wonderful and I would totally read a YA book about their side of the story. And Dagmar, Unity's friend and Thaddeus's great-aunt, was a total joy and I want to be like her when I'm in my seventies. 

I really wanted to love The Friendship List. The cover and initial description of Susan Mallery's latest novel really intrigued me. The end product though? Left a lot to be desired. For me, anyway. Sometimes books just don't click for a reader and that's why there are so many different kinds of books out there for us to read. 

About the author

SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship and romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations," and readers seem to agree—forty million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.

Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She's passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two Ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as Mom.

Connect with the author

Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * Website

Buy the book
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-a-Million * Indie Bound 

Kindle * Nook * Google Play * Apple Books
Kobo * Walmart * Target * Bookshop.org

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for a review for the purposes of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: In Five Years

I'm sure you've been seeing Rebecca Serle's In Five Years everywhere. And it's for a good reason. This book contains a story unlike any I've ever read and packs an emotional punch that left me crying my eyes out. But it was good - I promise!

Here's the synopsis:

Where do you see yourself in five years?
When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Cohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend's marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan.
But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future.
After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.
That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision.
Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.

As soon as I read the book's description, I knew I needed to read it. I don't read fantasy or magic realism much these days but I absolutely loved the time travel blip element to the story. (I've always been a fan of time travel stories from a book I loved as a kid to now with Outlander.) It really is a blip though (and the only fantasy element to the entire novel). It happens, she freaks out internally,  decides to forget about it, and the story fast forwards to almost five years later. Except...she clearly doesn't forget about it. You would think her life would have been just as she expected when we settle back into the story with her but it's not. That blip had clearly thrown Dannie, whether or not she wanted to admit it, and I was interested to see what was going to happen next. Just who was that other guy?

I have seen a lot of readers mention they were surprised and/or put off by the turn the story took or because it wasn't as much of a romance as they expected. I'm sure I've felt the same with other books that didn't quite live up to my expectations but...I don't get it with this book. Maybe it's because I went into it expecting it to be about Dannie's life. You know, her life as a whole. Not just who she's falling in (or out) of love with. Or into bed with. Maybe it's because I read a lot of romances and understand that the story is usually about more than the romantic relationship (if it's not, it's an incredibly boring book). Everyone's allowed their opinions, of course, but those comments just baffle me.

Of course, that being said, I wasn't expecting this book to be as much as an ode to friendships as it was. And I think it's really because I just don't see stories like that nearly enough these days. At least, not like the one Serle wrote. Now I want more. I want more friendship love stories. Though...I will say I wish Bella had been a bit more...substantial in this book. Especially at the start. I only got to know her from Dannie's perspective and it didn't quite seem like enough.

In Five Years was one of those books that I wouldn't necessarily say was great but I really freaking loved reading it. The story completely grabbed me and I was 100% into it from the minute I started reading.

I enjoyed In Five Years and I encourage readers looking for something a little different to pick it up. And to keep an open mind. Rebecca Serle's novel, and the characters in it, aren't cookie cutter people or stories and we need more books like that. No one is perfect and life is hard. But it can be pretty beautiful, too.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: On a Beautiful Day

Life can change in an instant. It's something we all know but tend not to keep at the forefront of our minds as we go about our day to day business. In Lucy Diamond's latest book, On a Beautiful Day, four friends watch a terrible car crash right in front of them and it makes each woman reevaluate where her life is heading. While the novel isn't groundbreaking, it's a sweet story of friends who try to deal with their issues alone and end up realizing they're so much stronger when they're together. 

Here's the synopsis:

It’s a beautiful day in Manchester and four friends are meeting for a birthday lunch. But then they witness a shocking accident just metres away which acts as a catalyst for each of them.
For Laura, it’s a wake-up call to heed the ticking of her biological clock. Sensible Jo finds herself throwing caution to the wind in a new relationship. Eve, who has been trying to ignore the worrying lump in her breast, feels helpless and out of control. And happy-go-lucky India is drawn to one of the victims of the accident, causing long-buried secrets to rise to the surface.
This is a novel about the startling and unexpected turns life can take. It’s about luck—good and bad—and about finding bravery and resilience when your world is in turmoil. Above all, On a Beautiful Day is about friendship, togetherness and hope.

As I alluded to at the start, each woman - Jo, Laura, India, and Eve - spins off into her own private battle after the accident. I don't think this is a spoiler, as anyone who  has female friends will know this, but no woman is an island. You can't handle everything on your own and it's ok to rely on your literal or figurative sisters if you're having trouble. 

The women in this book have to deal with a lot of things on their own but they kind of forget to allow their friends in. From a story perspective, I could understand that. From a structure perspective, I found that even though the women were supposed to be so close and such strong friends, I didn't really get that feeling except for a tiny bit at the start and then at the end when everything had been, for the most part, resolved. 

I sometimes struggle with stories that are told from multiple perspectives like this, with each chapter focusing on another friend. I was able to let that issue go for the most part but there were times when I wish the stories didn't seem quite so disjointed.

The women were interesting enough to read about though. They each had a distinct personality (though I bet their personalities could have shone more had there not been so many threads throughout the novel) and different family circumstances. Their dramas were similar (average issues for white females in their late thirties and early forties) but they each had a distinct problem to deal with, which kept things from being boring. 

While the details of this story will probably fade with time, the overall message Diamond wanted to get across will (hopefully) stick with me. It is important to seize the day because you never know when it might be your last. You should always trust those closest to you. They are there to help you when you need it and celebrate with you when you deserve it. Your close friends and romantic partners were chosen by you for a reason and you should know you can lean on them when times get tough. Do something you love every day. Let your friends know you're thinking of them even if you're not able to coordinate schedules to get together in person. Be kind to one another.

On a Beautiful Day was my second Lucy Diamond novel and, even though I wasn't super thrilled with it, I don't think it will be my last. She wrote a lovely story with a message that goes much deeper than the cover might suggest (side note: I'm so over the a woman's back on a cover aesthetic...especially when it's one woman and the story is about four...). This is one to pick up if you love stories about female friendships.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: City of Friends

Joanna Trollope is one of those authors who I've heard of for what seems like forever. But...I've only ever read one of her novels (the updated Sense & Sensibility for The Austen Project...my review is here if you're interested). When her latest, City of Friends, showed up in my mailbox I was immediately intrigued and fell head over heels in love with that cover. I was in the mood for a contemporary tale so it moved itself right to the top of my TBR list. And was it worth it? Yes! It was a delightful story that kept me interested and I knew right away that I'd be passing it on to my mom to read too.

Here's the synopsis:

The day Stacey Grant loses her job feels like the last day of her life. Or at least, the only life she'd ever known. For who was she if not a City high-flyer, Senior Partner at one of the top private equity firms in London?
As Stacey starts to reconcile her old life with the new—one without professional achievements or meetings, but instead, long days at home with her dog and ailing mother, waiting for her successful husband to come home—she at least has The Girls to fall back on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby. The girls, now women, had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives, and through all the happiness and heartbreaks in between.
But these career women all have personal problems of their own, and when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits...

City of Friends takes the typical format when multiple characters are the focus of the story. Each chapter of this novel follows a different friend - Stacey, Melissa, Gaby, and Beth - as they each deal with the fallout of Stacey losing her job. I sometimes have problems with books like this but it didn't bother me as much as it normally does. It took awhile to get into and really get a sense of each woman but it flowed better than other novels like this I've read in the past.

That being said, I think I wanted more from each woman. The story takes place over the course of a year or so (I think? That was another issue...I wasn't totally sure how much time had passed.) and each woman had a lot going on that had to be fit into one chapter. There were gaps but I think that's just kind of how life goes. You're going to have days that are of great importance to your life, and those are the ones we got with this novel, but there are also the other days when you're just putting one foot in front of the other and everything is ticking along as usual.

Speaking of being like real life, I thought the friendship between the four women was realistic. They may be in their forties and I'm just in my twenties (hoo boy...can only say that for another month or so!) but female friendships are similar at all ages. I did love the following quote because I knew exactly what kind of "crossed wires" Trollope was referencing. It makes me look forward to even more solid friendships in the future:

"Even when they couldn't meet, they rang each other, or texted, or tweeted. The inevitable crossed wires of their twenties and thirties had mellowed into a much less judgemental support system in their forties." (page 12)

They have such a great friendship that they know they are always there for each other even if they don't see each other for a few weeks at a time.

I loved how successful all four women were (yes, Stacey lost her job but she definitely didn't deserve it). They were proud of their successes because they worked hard to get where they were. This hit pretty hard as I was reading this book back on International Women's Day.

Current read is great for #InternationalWomensDay - 4 women who have worked HARD&moved up in male dominated business world. #IWD #amreading pic.twitter.com/cYXKcXWx0h

— Kaley Stewart (@KaleyS23) March 9, 2017

The fact that they've had to fight to get where they are, and had to fight much harder than their male counterparts, is referenced throughout the novel. Also, all four women are so supportive of other women in their workplaces and, in Gaby's case especially as she manages so many people, will do whatever they can to make sure other women are able to succeed. As much as I loved this whole female success storyline...I think it shows a lot that I even needed and wanted to reference it. We've come so far but there's still more work to be done!

Final note...I already mentioned how much I love this cover. I'm not sure what it is but all of the elements together work for me. This cover is, from what I can tell from my (admittedly not very thorough) Internet sleuthing, for the paperback. There is another cover for the hardcover that I also really love. It has a very different feel but it also fits the story so well. Each woman has a house and lifestyle that suits them, or so they think, and so this cover is lovely. (This is actually making me realize that Trollope spent a lot of time discussing their houses and living arrangements. Interesting that I hadn't noticed it until now.)

City of Friends is a book for you if you love (or are in need of) contemporary novels. Joanna Trollope has written a story of four smart, realistic women that you will thoroughly enjoy reading about. You'll drop into their lives and, at the end, emerge with the desire to text, write to, call, or visit some of your own best friends.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Rereading Sarah Dessen: Someone Like You

Welcome this month's edition of the I Eat Words Sarah Dessen Read/Reread Challenge! Check out this post that explains the details about the awesomeness that is this challenge. This month my best friend Sandy and I reread Someone Like You, Dessen's second novel. This one has a soft spot in my heart because it was the first one I read. I found it randomly while working at the library when I was in high school. I was shelf reading, thought the title sounded interesting, read it, told Sandy to read it, and a love affair was born.

Synopsis:

Halley has always followed in the wake of her best friend, Scarlett. But when Scarlett learns that her boyfriend has been killed in a motorcycle accident, and that she's carrying his baby, she's devastated. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Their friendship may bend under the weight, but it'll never break--because a true friendship is a promise you keep forever.

About the Story

Main  Character: Halley Cooke

Age: 16 (fun fact: Halley would now be 33...we know she was born in 1980)

School Year or Summer?: Both...the novel starts with two weeks of summer left but the majority takes place during the school year.

Boy: Macon Faulkner

First description of the boy: "His blond hair, cut short over his ears, stuck up in tiny cowlicks. In one ear was a row of three silver hoops." (page 30) "He was in a white T-shirt ripped along the hem and dark blue shorts, those clunky boots on his feet. He was tall and wiry, and tan from a summer working landscaping." (page 32)

Crushable?: Maybe...if you like the bad boys.

Big Secret?: In a way, yes.

Heavy Storyline?: Yes.

Parents Together?: Yes.
Sibling(s)?: No.

Takes Place In: Lakeview.

Cameos: None that I could tell. This was her second book, after all.

About the Book

Released: 1998

Epigraph?: No.

Format (of the copy I read): Paperback

Own?: Yes.

Signed?: Yes.

Read or Reread: Reread.

Age when first read: Oh man...15? 16? 

New cover vs older cover: I'm actually torn. I don't get the jar and butterflies but at the same time I don't get the sand, flip flops, and drawn heart. 

My Thoughts
Just as I remembered, Someone Like You is pretty heavy. Right away we learn that a classmate of Halley's, Michael, has died and that her best friend Scarlett had been dating him. Then we find out that Scarlett is pregnant with his baby. Around this time Halley, a quiet good girl, has also started hanging out with Macon, Michael's best friend, who has quite the reputation. It's a lot to deal with and I think Halley gets through it all the way most sixteen year old girls would - by shutting out her mother, confiding only in her best friend, and continuing to date the bad boy.
It was really hard to read as Halley fell in deeper with Macon - especially since I knew what was going to happen. Since I've got ten years on her, it was like watching your little sister or niece date a loser or jerk who you know is no good for her but you can't say or do anything. You just have to wait until she figures it out for herself and be there when she needs you. In the book, Halley has Scarlett who is trying to be the voice of reason. She tells her to be careful but, of course, Halley's not listening. Being a true best friend, Scarlett helps her through the inevitable mess near the end of the book.
As I'm writing this I'm realizing that I think I liked Scarlett more than Halley. Not that I disliked Halley. She is a great character and I loved reading her story. Maybe it goes back to what Halley says about feeling like she's an outline of herself and is just waiting for the colours to be filled in. Scarlett already has most of her outline filled in - with reds and golds - so you can't help be drawn to her just a little bit more. She's got a good head on her shoulders (even though she did end up getting pregnant...but "it came off"!) and is a great secondary character and an even better best friend.
I know it's been a long time since I had read this book (at least ten years, I'd say) but I had completely forgotten Cameron, the new kid, existed. He shows up about halfway through the book (and school year). Halley is hanging out with Macon more and more but Scarlett's pregnancy is moving along and she needs someone to be there for her. Cameron comes along at just the right moment. He has a few sweet scenes where it's clear he cares for Scarlett but we don't get to know how much and I'm left feeling like their story is unfinished. I just wish things had been a little clearer with the two of them.
I'm glad I got the chance to reread this one because I always get confused due to the movie How to Deal, which combined That Summer and Someone Like You. The movie really softens both the relationship between Halley and Macon, and his personality. While I like that better, I think the book version is, sadly, a lot more realistic. Is this one of my favourite Dessen books? No, not really. But I do think it's worth the read. It's a fabulous young adult novel.
I'll finish with a quote that really stuck out for me:

"Because life is an ugly, awful place to not have a best friend." (page 23)

I completely agree. I'd be lost without my best friends!

Sandy's Thoughts

My first impression of Someone Like You is the movie it helped spawn in the early 2000’s (How to Deal, starring Mandy Moore). The first time I read it was after I was already in love with the movie. It interests me how the movie powers that be decide which parts of a book make the movie cut and which don’t. All book fans wish that the entire book could become the film adaptation but that is rarely so. There are always changes. How to Deal combines the pregnant best friend (Scarlett), Halley, and Macon of Someone Like You with the main character parents and sister with a wedding of That Summer. I have always wondered why the script was divided in this way. Of course to me every Sarah Dessen book should be a movie, so I am not the most objective critic.

I do, however, have the ability to separate book and movie and love them equally if not differently if they are both good. The one thing I can’t stand is killing off a character in a movie who does not die in the book (ie. In The Bourne Supremacy Marie dies in the movie but not in Robert Ludlum’s novel). So enough ranting and onto Someone Like You proper.

Someone Like You is a fantastic example of a strong teen angst coming of age novel. It showcases the typical friction between a mother and daughter that have been close until the dreaded teenage years. Halley and her mom are practically twins until she begins to resent the way her mother is constantly controlling her life and her decisions. Growing means becoming your own person, an entity outside of your parents desires. The resentment gets stronger throughout the book and reaches the point where Halley feels that everything her mother says has a double meaning, a condescending one. It takes years of future maturing to realize that not everything your parents say is a slight against you. Some advice is granted out of the pure need to protect you, some is to keep you from repeating their mistakes, and some is just to test you. Halley begins to realize this and take the pieces of her mother’s advice that suit her.

Sarah Dessen introduces an interesting theory at the very beginning of the book. On page 23 she tells us, “…life is an ugly, awful place to not have a best friend.” This is a wonderful quote and I could not agree more. (Blogger note: We did not coordinate our reviews! Clearly Sandy and I are BFFs!) Adolescence is scary enough to experience without the added benefit of someone going through it with you. Halley and Scarlett fall into their friendship and never look back. Each has their own uniqueness that helps the other during different difficult times of their lives. Scarlett can make friends with anyone, she is outgoing and strong but Halley is sympathetic and loyal enough to stand by a friend no matter what the consequences in her own life may be. There is a certain peace to having a best friend and knowing that they understand you and you belong with them.

It helps you develop a better sense of self. For example, when Halley is considering having sex with Macon she is aware that he is being persistent and a little pushy and she stands up to him. When she wavers and reconsiders it is Scarlett that reminds her that girls like them do not have sex without saying I love you first (page 202). This point stays in the back of Halley’s mind and helps to guide her to the right decision for herself. That is what a best friend is for. To help you see things differently and be there when you stumble anyway. Scarlett and Halley are there or each other no matter what. Even an unplanned pregnancy cannot divide them, though Halley’s mother would like to try.

I think that this novel is a wonderful divergence from the usual teen pregnancy story line. Scarlett and Halley are the goody-goodies of their high school. No one expects Scarlett to become pregnant, not even Scarlett, but it happens and she deals with it in a rational and very adult like manner (no doubt because of having to raise her own mother). Scarlett stays in school, keeps her baby and adapts her future. The loss of Michael is too great to lose his child as well.  In many other tales, especially television shows, the pregnant teen becomes such because she was at risk in the first place. Sarah Dessen throws a twist into the regularly used plot by taking the father of the child out of the picture in such a tragic manner that the reader sympathizes with Scarlett’s decision to keep the child. Much like Halley, the reader never questions the decision again. 

This novel is an excellent “role model” for teen girls in my opinion. I know that seems strange due to Scarlett’s pregnancy but it is the strength of the characters that I admire.

Halley knows her own mind when dealing with Macon after the honeymoon period is over. She knows what he wants and what it will take to keep him but she also knows that she is not ready to give in. By the end of the book she realizes what someone like her deserves because she realizes who she is. We all deserve to be ourselves and be loved for it, if not by a guy or our friends then we deserve to be loved by ourselves. Halley realizes that and it helps to make her life a little more peaceful. 

Next month

October's book of choice is Keeping the Moon. I don't really remember much about this one so I'm interested to see what I think about it now.

Just Finished: Forgotten

Catherine McKenzie is one of my favourite authors - she gets bonus points for being Canadian - so I was very excited when I learned she would be publishing a new book this spring. Forgotten (published May 1) is McKenzie's third novel (I've reviewed her first two on this blog, Spin is here and Arranged is here and both made it on my top books I read in 2011) and I was lucky enough to snag a review copy from NetGalley.

Here's the synopsis for her new release:

When everyone thinks you’re dead, how do you start your life over again?
Emma Tupper, a young lawyer with a bright future, sets out on a journey after her mother’s death: to Africa, a place her mother always wanted to visit. But her mother’s dying gift has unexpected consequences. Emma falls ill during the trip and is just recovering when a massive earthquake hits, turning her one-month vacation into a six-month ordeal.
When Emma returns home, she’s shocked to find that her friends and colleagues believed she was dead, that her apartment has been rented to a stranger and that her life has gone on without her. Can Emma pick up where she left off? Should she? As Emma struggles to recreate her old life, everyone around her thinks she should change – her job, her relationships, and even herself. But does she really want to sacrifice everything she’s working so hard to gain?

It's quite the interesting premise, isn't it? I can't know exactly what Emma was feeling during this insane/tumultuous/stressful time but because of the way McKenzie writes I was better able to imagine it. I did think that Emma was crazy because she assumed she could just plop herself back into her old life without any issues whatsoever but I didn't think she needed to change something about her life, as many others believed she should. If you like your life, why should you bother changing things just because you've gone through a traumatic event? Makes sense to me. It was tough to read when Emma realized that things were not going to be as easy as she hoped. It's a brutal situation but she handles it well and I was so happy with the way things turned out for her.

Even though this book deals with some pretty serious issues there are still some light and humorous moments. For example, there is a scene that involves Emma wishing she could use the Marauder's Map incantation from Harry Potter. This would be most hilarious to Harry Potter lovers but even those who don't know which spell I mean can appreciate the humour in an adult female lawyer wishing she was able to use the same magic as teenage boy wizard.

I don't want to give anything away (and, ok, I didn't make specific notes) but I just want to say - I love love love the New Year's Eve scene. It's sweet, fun, and a little heartbreaking all at once.

I adored Emma's best friend Stephanie. The two were childhood best friends who continued to grow closer as they got older. Stephanie has been with Emma through it all and is able to provide a family-type link when Emma is left alone after her mother's death. She knows just when to push Emma and when to leave her on her own, and is always there for her. In short, she's an amazing best friend - and a well written character. In fact, I would love to learn more about Stephanie and find out what she's up to now. At the end of Forgotten she's launching a new business that I think would be quite entertaining. What do you think, Catherine - care to write a sequel that focuses on Stephanie? :)

I could probably continue gushing about this novel but I won't. Instead I will say: I cannot recommend Catherine McKenzie's books enough. If you want to check them out and wonder what order you should read them in, I would personally suggest starting with Spin, moving on to Forgotten, and finishing up with Arranged. By then, I would hope that you'll be just like me - already eagerly awaiting her next novel.

Happy reading :)