This proves that you are never too old to start again it just takes a bit of courage. There must be hundreds of wives who would love to hop into their cars and do exactly the same, love, laugh find friendship along the way and what more could you ask

This was my first book by this author, and I can positively say that I really enjoyed reading this one. Its captivating. For sure I will be checking other books written by this author.

This was such a lovely, feel-good read!

Fed up her mundane life and her role of solving everyone else's problems, 66-year-old wife Connie makes the brave decision to jump in her trusty car and take a road trip. Heading off towards Scotland to visit places both familiar and new, Connie navigates her way across the country with the help of new-found friends, and new-found confidence.

I absolutely loved Connie, a woman who has become bored of the routine, of feeling as though she only exists for the needs of others. Deep down she harbours a desire for a bit of spontaneity, and goes for it. This is such a nice, heartwarming and funny read.

This is a hilarious, uplifting and downright wonderful book about self-discovery, adventure, and going after the life you deserve.

Perfect for every mom out there that was absolutely done and needing to take a break, check out, or just run away. I really needed this and as a mom it was unbelievably relatable and funny to boot.

This is the perfect light read to escape into for anyone, especially a mom, that just needs o get away.

I absolutely loved this hilarious story. What a fantastic adventure Connie has when she decides to leave home. She is in her sixties and packs up her little green car. Taking time away from her boring life, husband and grown children. We journey with her as she travels Britain meeting new friends and visiting old ones. Pure escapism!

A different read with twists and surprises throughout from author Dee MacDonald.
Review copy received from Bookouture via Netgalley

Don't we all wish we could run away at some point? Connie is in her 60's and has been a good wife, mother and grandmother but she is now asking is that all there is to life? Does she still love her husband? One day she decides its time to find out so off she goes travelling. Along the way, she discovers who she really is. A likeable character who I could find myself relating to.

Wow! Every woman should read this book. Even a man who wants a better relationship should read. What an insight into life. Don’t loose life to a boring existence. A delightful story. Reward yourself and pick up this book.

Connie is a 66-year-old woman, who is tired of others taking advantage of her and decides to go on an adventure. On her journey she visits long-lost friends and makes a lot of new friends along the way.Will she return home?

Connie was such a nice character- she’s caring, sweet and funny. I loved following Connie’s journey and the people she met. It was a fun book that makes you yearn for a trip of your own.

Oh Connie. Taken for granted by her husband and adult children — and not done a thing about it for years. Finally she and her little car set out find freedom on the open road, but of course they find so. much. more. I can’t really say all of what she finds because that would be giving away the good stuff, but let’s just say she has quite a few adventures and makes some new lovely friends who really appreciate her. Connie also meets up with some old friends who remind her how much they value her.

One big surprise is the ending. I don’t mean the ending ending, but like the last few chapters. I didn’t realize I was going to be reading such heartwarming stuff… but be forewarned and have a tissue ready.

Apart from a little morality misalignment (but that’s just me personally), I really just loved the entire book. Maybe because I sometimes feel taken for granted or ignored, like Connie did, I could truly relate. Or maybe because I’m feeling the itch for a good road trip, I was happy to live vicariously through Connie. And it could even be that I so loved this book because it provides a helpful perspective on seeing people and situations in a hopeful, positive light.

The end of the book mentioned a future sequel, so I’ve now added Dee MacDonald to my “regularly search for this author on NetGalley, Amazon and Overdrive” list.

https://randombookmuses.com/2018/05/27/review-the-runaway-wife-by-dee-macdonald/

Yikes. I had high hopes for this book and was very disappointed, especially because it just wasn't as funny as it was hyped up to be. I actually found it fairly depressing and severely drawn out. I mean, this is a woman in her 60's trying to get back her spark for life! There's so much you could do to make her adventure engaging and fun to read! Connie McColl, the main character, was likable, but I found her road trip to be too all-over-the-place and less based on self-discovery and growth. The scenarios were just so random and involved lots of tea and wine drinking...which I guess is very British, but isn't that entertaining to read about 50 times in one book. The most entertaining bits were the reactions from Connie's family members and the emails sent back and forth during her absence. I though the ending was ridiculous as well. It felt contrived, like Macdonald was trying to give Roger a pass for his bad behavior as a husband, when really, Roger was a selfish wanker, end of story. Really sad to say it, but I would not recommend this read :(

I loved this book ! It was humorous, heartfelt and the perfect afternoon escape.
Connie is a wife to a man obsessed with golf, a Mother of three grown ungrateful kids and Grandmother to demanding Grandkids she is tired of caring of. She is also (like most women in marriages) unappreciated and fed up with being the work horse for her family. After a particularly bad day she gets in her car and drives toward Scotland taking herself on holiday leaving her family to fend for themselves. The experiences she has are hysterical, from a heist to skinny dipping. She soon rediscovers herself sleeping under the stars, meeting new people and exploring who she really is . She digs deeply into her soul to find what truly makes her happy .
This is a delight from beginning to end. i loved the writing, the humor and her bravado at taking herself on a "Eat Pray Me Trip" that changed her life. We can all relate to Connie. She is someone we would love to be friends with. This is laugh out loud fun. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you for the ARC that does not affect my personal review.

Connie is sixty-six years of age with three grown children, a husband and a seeming never-ending list of things to do – all for others. While mashing potatoes as she makes yet another dinner that will be received without thanks, she decides that she’s had enough. Enough of being taken advantage of, being ignored, unthanked and hunting down her husband on the golf course. So she packs up her stuff into Kermit, her little green car – and drives off, destination Scotland. Eventually.

What a clever combination of outrageous moments, self-discovery and a travelogue through the highways and byways of England: starting in Sussex and heading out on her own adventure to find herself, and perhaps some recognition of the years of effort she’s put in to keep everyone’s life running smoothly. Connie is the heroine for all of us – those moments when finding ‘me’ time is steadily moved down the to-do list as housework, children, grandchildren and the myriad of demands pile up, without regard for the one who makes it all happen. Tired of being the one who is expected to be ‘there’, she’s chucked that all in and reconnects with old friends, meets new ones, and with a not-so-subtle pushing to see her family more self-sufficient and for them to recognize that she is important, needed, and above all – deserves the right to be asked if she ‘wants’ to help out, babysit, shuttle the grandchildren to and fro…..

Throughout the book, MacDonald brings us England and Scotland: from descriptions of sights and people to moments with food, Connie’s sheer excitement in encountering the new and different, and the people she encounters and welcomes along the way. Connie is open and generous with her time, her friendship and with readers as she shares her thoughts about her history and life, past and present, and tries to find just ‘who’ she has become in the meantime, as she works toward being the person she wants to be. Sure, she has moments that are bittersweet, if not downright morose, but she’s ultimately a cheerful and thoughtful person, even in moments that alternate from hilariously awkward to potentially dangerous – her zest for discovering things, and by extension, herself, make this hard to put down.

Best of all are the emails from home – first worried and concerned, then testing the limits with ‘guilt inducing’ statements like “how will Dad manage the vacuuming” – she’s without waver – simply responding to queries about her return with “I’m having a wonderful adventure and will return soon enough.” Unfortunately for readers, soon enough comes far too quickly as I could have traveled with Connie far longer – and spent more hours in her company. For she becomes a friend, an example and a lovely character all around. I can’t wait to see more from this author.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=”https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9Lw/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

What fun! Run away from the people who take you most for granted... But before you do, have one of them check your tires.
Just what every mom needs for mother's day.

Solid chick lit…doesn’t take itself too seriously! You’ll laugh, cry, and say “Oh! No!” Definitely a fun weekend read :c)

When Connie packs up her trusty car, Kermit she is bound and determined to have an adventure and escape her life. So fun, funny, and well written. I love that Connie is so relatable.

It was the front cover that initially drew me to request this book. Its cartoon-like illustration made me think I was going to get a light, humorous and uplifting read that wouldn’t be too taxing and it definitely lived up to those expectations, but it was oh so much more on top.

I fell in love with Connie immediately. Any woman who has run a family (and let’s face it, that’s most of us) for any length of time are going to recognise aspects of themselves in Connie. Completely taken for granted by her neglectful husband, Roger and three grown up children, she finally snaps and takes off in her battered old car heading for who knows where in search of respite and excitement – who hasn’t dreamed of doing that from time to time? (Go on, admit it, the thought has crossed your mind!) You have to admire Connie for having the guts to do it and we are rooting for her from the start.

With no plan in mind, Connie goes where the whim takes her and, by a series of fortuitous accidents plus as a result of her warm and approachable nature, she makes some great new friends along the way, has some mild adventures and generally enjoys herself. Seeing her discovering herself as a individual along her journey and watching her blossom is heart-warming and you can’t help but privately cheer her on.

Meanwhile, back at home, her self-absorbed husband and spoilt children start to realise how much Connie has done for them in the past and how lost they are without her. However, they are still more concerned about the inconvenience to themselves that how she must have been feeling and this just made me feel even happier that Connie had left the selfish bunch behind and was finally having some fun. Consequently, whatever naughtiness Connie gets up to on her trip (and there is some, she is a feisty woman), you can’t possibly blame her, given what she has put up with over the years!

The one aspect of this book I was not expecting, and where I totally under-estimated it, was the real depth and poignancy that the storyline took on towards the end. This novel deals with some really serious issues in a way that was very unexpected from the cover. I don’t want to include any spoilers in the review so I can’t really say too much but I can say that the author has managed to weave these into an otherwise humorous story very deftly and it did not feel at all unbalanced or off kilter. I was really surprised and impressed with the subtlety of how this was done and, in my opinion, it took the book to a level I was not expecting when I started it.

Connie, of course, finally returns home – a new woman and ready to confront the issues she has with her husband and family. I thought I knew where this was going but, just when I was complacently settled in for my predicted ending, the author blew me out of the water again with a twist I did not see coming at all.

This book is a delight. It is really refreshing to see a book with a main character over the age of 40 and I enjoyed every minute of it. Pick it up, I promise you it delivers more than you might expect.

I enjoyed this book with its entertaining plot and memorable cast of characters. I loved the heroine from the very start and I was pleased to see that she was strong enough to change her life. A very entertaining picaresque novel written in a lively and captivating style.

What woman, as a wife or mother, has not wanted to just hop in the car and drive away at some point, tired of being everything to everyone and just emotionally depleted? I know I have! Well, that is exactly what Connie McColl does in #TheRunawayWife. Readers follow her on her adventures as she makes friends and gets in touch with what she wants her life and future to be, Some of the situations she finds herself in require suspension of belief, but it is a fun read just the same. Lighthearted with moments of poignancy that many women will identify with in their own lives.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to #netgalley for the chance to review this ARC of #therunawaywife! All opinions are solely my own.

What a beautiful adventurous book on self-discovery and finding inner happiness. I loved it from start to finish!!

A 66 year old woman Connie, suddenly realizes that she has been taken for granted by her husband and family and just decides to leave it all and run away. She packs her green car Kermit and off she travels.... From Sussex to Scotland meeting some lovely people and having her own adventures, mayhap a bit of love...

I loved Dee MacDonald's style of writing, there is humor interspersed with introspection along with various fun filled occurrences, a jewelry heist, and a movie set too. Connie sees it all and experiences it all. The author Dee MacDonald kept me laughing at the various antics, kept me thinking about my journey of discovering my creative side, kept me sighing at the idea of love.

Connie's journey down an unknown, unplanned road led her to meet some old friends, some new friends, some unusual protests, a movie set, some foxy characters. There is humor in the situations she finds herself, along with the emotions and love for her family who are initially confused about her leaving, but later understand.

She meets some wonderful people who teach her something about themselves and something about herself. An impulsive drive to freedom to revisit the places of her childhood, ultimately leads her to the decisions of her life. What a journey she has, and what a journey Dee MacDonald took me on!!

Dee's book made me realize that life begins today and there is only one shot at life, and one shot of happiness. And that is NOW!!