Book Description
When was the last time you put yourself first?
Thirty-eight-year-old divorcee Courtney Downey has no idea who she is any more. She has devoted her life to bringing up her beloved 15-year-old daughter Susan, but Courtney just doesn’t get the celebrity-obsessed, Snapchat-filtered teenage world Susan is part of, and they’re growing apart. When Susan announces she wants to live with her dad and his new, younger girlfriend, Courtney is devastated. But could the end of one life be the beginning of another?
When Courtney is offered a job in beautiful, sun-kissed Cornwall, she and her vivacious best friend Claire follow their hearts and leave their problems behind for a summer of sand, sea and second chances. And when she meets sexy but infuriating builder Tony, Courtney rediscovers her passions for life, for cooking and for love.
But just as Courtney is finally looking to the future, a crisis with Susan pulls her back to Dublin, and back into old habits. Will she ever be able to let go of the past and embrace the importance of being herself?
Thirty-eight-year-old divorcee Courtney Downey has no idea who she is any more. She has devoted her life to bringing up her beloved 15-year-old daughter Susan, but Courtney just doesn’t get the celebrity-obsessed, Snapchat-filtered teenage world Susan is part of, and they’re growing apart. When Susan announces she wants to live with her dad and his new, younger girlfriend, Courtney is devastated. But could the end of one life be the beginning of another?
When Courtney is offered a job in beautiful, sun-kissed Cornwall, she and her vivacious best friend Claire follow their hearts and leave their problems behind for a summer of sand, sea and second chances. And when she meets sexy but infuriating builder Tony, Courtney rediscovers her passions for life, for cooking and for love.
But just as Courtney is finally looking to the future, a crisis with Susan pulls her back to Dublin, and back into old habits. Will she ever be able to let go of the past and embrace the importance of being herself?
Review
I received an eARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.
This book follows Courtney for the most part as she begins to make a new life for herself after her husband leaves her, a fact that she does not feel bad about, in fact wanted him to be out of the picture. While the demise of her marriage is no big thing, the crumbling relationship with her daughter causes her immense despair....or does it? This is one area that I felt like the author wanted to convey but I'm not a true believer. On the surface it seems that Courtney is torn about taking a job promotion that requires relocating to her dream town yet uprooting her daughter. Her best friend Claire has a marital crisis of her own and the two decide to chase adventure together, leaving their problems behind. The title of the book is repeated several times throughout the book as justification for the decisions the two women make. For me, as I contemplate the book, the message is somewhat about accepting who you are and being comfortable with that (which I believe was the author's intention), but there is a very strong theme of selfishness running throughout the book in all the characters. The best example I can give is that as Courtney considers the promotion, all her thoughts center around what it will mean for her and never does she wonder at the implications it will have on her daughter.
The friendship between Courtney and Claire was one of encouragement and honesty. It was written in a fresh perspective compared to some other female friendship focused books I've recently read. While I had issues with the self-centered nature of the characters, I did enjoy reading the story. Grace-Cassidy has an easy writing style that is quick to read and I'd pick up her previous books to read.
The friendship between Courtney and Claire was one of encouragement and honesty. It was written in a fresh perspective compared to some other female friendship focused books I've recently read. While I had issues with the self-centered nature of the characters, I did enjoy reading the story. Grace-Cassidy has an easy writing style that is quick to read and I'd pick up her previous books to read.
I gave this book: ★★★
★ = I did not like it ★★ = It was okay ★★★ = I liked it
★★★★ = I really liked it ★★★★★ = I loved it
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