The Me List

The Me List is a great book for people to start valuing themselves and their own hopes and dreams. I know a lot of readers are going to find a piece of themselves in this novel and I cannot wait to share it with readers. Will be sharing a full review very soon.

Wow, this is a book that is meant to be shared, and it came at just the right time. Once you read the book, you will understand this, the few friends I have, and I have been talking about not being valued, taking responsibility for someone else's poor decision-making. Why we allow someone to treat us bad, over and over again. I received this book from Black Rose Writing through NetGalley, and this book was insightful, and it is the story of a woman, Olivia, who had finally had enough, and was determined to change, and she started with making The Me List she learned from her neighbor. I will leave it at that, but when you read the book, you will learn what Olivia learned from the neighbor.
The reason I loved this book and I think my friends, and many will enjoy reading this book, is because I too have had enough, and so has my friends. When the book is released January 25, 2024, they will each get a book. I think we got to the point we have had enough, but didn't know how to change it. You can't change people, so instead of getting frustrated, I can see where there are things I can do to change the situation from reading this book. There is hope my future will be different, just like Olivia is trying to do. Olivia is at the start of this, and maybe in the future there will be a book 2, and we will see how it worked out for her. But I am at the beginning like Olivia and I think my friends and I will enjoy reading this book, and we already know we deserve better, but maybe some of the things in this book, will help us to get to what we are looking for.

I’m so thankful I had a chance to read this book. It’s a perfect book for the end of the year. The main character, Olivia inspired me so much! I appreciated the storyline with Olivia and her mother and found it very relatable. I truly enjoyed seeing her relationship with Patricia change and grow. This book has so much character growth, I love it! In the book, Olivia creates a “Me List”-a list of 10 items she wants to do specifically for herself that year. I absolutely will be making a me list in the next week or two! I will be looking for more of Julee Balko’s books, I want to read them all! It’s no exaggeration to say this book truly touched me.

Olivia, in her attempt to mitigate the shortfall of the relationship with her mother and her sense of abandonment and lack of emotional connection, gives herself selflessly to Steve and Sammy. However, she completely forgets what she likes and what she needs in order to be fulfilled and proud of her capabilities. Like her sweatpants that she wore over a period of time, she is just tired. Yes, her relationship with Patricia certainly had its ups and downs but it is Patricia who introduced her to the me list. It is a list dedicated to what Olivia wanted to achieve for herself with no excuses. She joined a book club where she met Divy, she fostered a dog who just needed love, and she traveled to Belize. Most importantly, she did this for herself. Sure, she had her doubts which often were traced back to her mom, but she persevered. As a result, Olivia became happier and more confident. She relished in the family she built and the friends she chose to be around. She chose to be happy.

This was the perfect book to read as the year is winding down and I'm looking toward 2024 with the hopes that I can have my own Me List (the beginnings of one is at the end of the book!).
The story revolves around Olivia who, at the beginning, has not been taking good care of herself since her daughter was born. She's been a stay at home mom for years and now that her daughter is in school, she's finding the days a little lonely. When her neighbor surprises her in Target and suggests Olivia work as her assistant, she reluctantly agrees. Becoming Patricia's assistant ends up being a godsend to her as Patricia suggests Olivia make a "Me List" of things she wants to accomplish. At first she has trouble with the tasks including a rather disasterous karoke night, but little by little, Olivia regains her confidence in herself and starts to find her own happiness.
I really enjoyed this book and really related to Olivia's problems with her mother and difficulties making friends. The book ends on a very hopeful note and you'll be thinking about your own list and activities after.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved seeing the character development of Olivia and Patricia as individuals and their relationship. Marven was and added bonus as what story doesn’t need a dog. Steve and Olivia’s mother got on my nerves a bit and Olivia deserved a bit more from both of them. Overall a good feel book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A book that delivers all - emotions aplenty and food for thought. Olivia, the proagonist, tries to change her life with the help of "The Me List" - a list of things that she would like to work on or change in her life. She isn't succesfull in everything (and that's also good and potentially inspiring), but some things in her life definitely improve. Plus, there's a lovely dog.

What a fabulous read!

Neighbours Olivia and Patricia, couldn’t be more different. Perfect Patricia has it all together, while Olivia has lost her identity somewhere along the way of motherhood.

An unlikely friendship, formed over a salad and very fragile, enables both women to find out who they really are and how to live their lives for themselves. Acceptance and empathy are running themes here, and I particularly resonated with Olivia’s struggles around her difficult mother.

Off to write my “me list”, brb…

5⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Julee Balko and Black Rose Writing, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Olivia is a SAHM, and when her uptight neighbour Patricia ask her to be her assistant she jumps at the chance because she needs the money, even if she is afraid to work for perfect Patricia. They start building a friendship, and Patricia tells Olivia about the Me List, a list about doing things that scare you or are not easy for you to do but will improve your life and wellbeing.
I liked that the characters are flawed and not everything ends happily, but even so Olivia improves her life and learns how to priorize herself and her feelings.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **