I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Victoria is in her mid-thirties, and has a lot of the boxes checked for a satisfactory life - yet, she feels unsatisfied, but can't put her finger on what is missing. She spends some time with friends and decides to be active in her life to make some changes. But it turns out she doesn't have to make any changes, as something transpires in her life that is traumatic (she gets an HIV diagnosis). It is after this that her network of friends and family work to uplift her, but Victoria must learn to allow happiness to grow.

This book took a topic that is not normally written about, HIV, and showed that, yes, the light can shine through - which can be applied to a lot of traumatic situations. The author did a great job of depicting the shock and emotions that I would think someone would go through with this diagnosis; the reality of this was well researched, in terms of how one approaches their relationships thereafter. The secondary characters in this book were a nice touch for Victoria, although that may not always be the reality for others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is messy but I kind of here for it. The main character, Victoria, can’t seem to get herself straight. She’s trying to figure out what she wants for her life, career and in love, but she keeps sabotaging herself with every move she makes. On a night out she makes a rash decision that changes everything. Forced to deal with the consequences, she finally begins to reassess who she really wants to be. The author, Nikola May, explores sensitive topics thoughtfully as the main character Victoria pushes through adversity to take ownership of her life and find her happiness. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this opportunity to review this arc copy and provide my honest review.

This was a fabulous story about Vic who feels like she’s coasting at life and can’t work out what the exact issue is however when she suspects her long term friend of being unfaithful she has a one night stand at her friends hen party with unexpected consequences. I love the direction this book took however there was a quote at the start of the version I read which was a total spoiler for me sadly as I would have loved to feel Vic’s reactions more viscerally. That said this was a mature, thoughtful and very well researched book with some fabulous characters and a few interesting twists and turns thrown in along the way.

This is a lovely story with a lot of heart and soul, that will leave you
happy and fulfilled. I did not know the story was going to be
about the journey of our main character,,whom I love to call, “Queen V”
and her life journey. We are going to meet her entire family, one
ar,a,time, and become entwined in their lives and their unbreakable
bond, before and after Vik’s story take shape. This is a perfect
coming of age story that is so well written that no matter a
one’s,life experience, you’ll be there for the friends and feel
they will all find their way. do not miss this story!
My thanks to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for the
download copy of this book for review purposes.

A very thought provoking story of a woman in search of her happy.. I have read many books where it takes a drastic event to get the character out of a rut and fully living life, but this is the first taken from this angle. The delicate subject matter is handled deftly with lots of levity interwoven and I came away with a more informed view. The endurance of friendship, the complexity of family, social stigmas and the struggle to find purpose, love and happiness in the face of adversity and fallibility coalesce into a beautiful example of the tenacity of the human spirit.

Such a heartfelt story! I enjoyed May's writing and found the book to be entertaining. While not an all-time favorite, it was still a good book to read in between the mysteries I've been into lately. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.