Member Reviews

This month I’ve really tried to make a dent in my (huge) Netgalley queue and this was another one I found as a bargain on audible! I seem to be getting quite good and scouting out some deals. This is the second novel from Fiona Gibson that I’ve read recently and I do have a few others in my queue including When Life Gives You Lemons - which is the saying behind Kirsty and my matching tattoo! 🍋

This one is all about main character Charlotte and her family life. Charlotte’s life is settled she has her husband Will and 2.4 children - 2 kids and a bunny! Things are all too settled though and opportunity for Charlotte’s daughter and new neighbours moving in really make Charlotte start to question her life, and if this is as good as it gets.

In the end Charlotte is probably quite relatable for everyone at some point or another in their lives, questioning if there’s something missing from their lives or something more that they should be chasing after. Will comes across as a pretty lousy husband at the best of times but is also going through his own sort of mid life crisis.

If you’re a fan of Chrissy Manby and Jill Mansell I reckon you’ll probably enjoy Fiona’s novels so give them a go!

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Well I am up to date with Fiona Gibson's recent books but I was behind on her back catalogue so imagine my delight when I discovered this beauty. This has solidified my opinion that Fiona Gibson is the queen of writing what women think after the babies have grown and their marriage has reached a certain point in its existence, I feel like she could help me navigate through that point in my life and I am in awe of her because of it.



Charlotte is such a great character to spend the book with because she is so easy to relate so and you can almost feel yourself rolling your eyes with her over a cuppa before suggesting that you both switch to win instead, she is just that find of a person. Poor Charlotte though, this writer puts her through so much in this book and yet she deals with everything that is thrown at her, not necessarily with grace, but like an abolsute trooper and in the best way she knows how! I did fall a little bit in love with Charlotte and her life whilst reading this book!



The idea of someone going through life not knowing their child is not a novel concept but the way it is written in this book, it is like Fiona Gibson has put a new twist on it and funnily enough I am watching a similar storyline in a Gimore Girls rewatch and they are dealt with completely differently. So if you are looking for a fresh take on this storyline, you'll find it right here.



Similarly, the trope of the husband having a midlife crisis is present here but is done in a completely different way and so I really laughed at some of the things Will said and did and found myself despairing at others. I did feel a little sorry for him whilst still siding with Charlotte all the way obviously. I really enjoyed this book, it was fresh, it was fun but it was also brutally honest, something with Fiona Gibson does so well. I can't wait to discover more of her back catalogue!

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