I read this book in a paperback edition that I got as a present.
Published: May 21st 2015
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd.
Pages: 560 (paperback)
Audiobook length: 15 hrs and 1 min
Synopsis by the publisher:
‘Name: Stella Sweeney. Height: average. Recent life events: dramatic.’
One day, sitting in traffic, married Dublin mum Stella Sweeney attempts a good deed. The resulting car crash changes her life. For she meets a man who wants her telephone number (for the insurance, it turns out). That’s okay. She doesn’t really like him much anyway (his Range Rover totally banjaxed her car). But in this meeting is born the seed of something which will take Stella thousands of miles from her old life, turning an ordinary woman into a superstar, and, along the way, wrenching her whole family apart. Is this all because of one ill-advised act of goodwill? Was meeting Mr Range Rover destiny or karma? Should she be grateful or hopping mad? For the first time real, honest-to-goodness happiness is just within her reach. But is Stella Sweeney, Dublin housewife, ready to grasp it?
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The Writing
I remember reading her book This Charming Man a long time ago and really enjoying her writing, but I was worried that my taste in literature had changed too much for it to still be a part of my favorite cups of tea. Turned out I was worried for no reason.
Marian Keyes’ writing is so easy going and witty even when they touch on darker and more serious subjects. The dialogue of the characters is done so well and this book had me laughing out loud as well as drying my tears.
The Characters
Oh Stella, my dear Stella! A character that definitely found her way into a special place in my reading heart!
We had our moments where I was pulling my hair out of frustration caused by her choices and reaction, but all in all I just loved her as a character.
I won’t go too much more into the characters because it could possibly spoil you a bit, but this book definitely has a good assembly of original and lovely characters! Some will warm your heart, others will have you laughing and then there are the few that will make you mad!
The Plot
I went into this book very much blind. I didn’t really want to know much more than what the synopsis told me and I’m glad that I did.
This turned out to be a very different story than what I thought it would be, in a very positive way!
It took some twists and turns that I really did not see coming and then there were a few that I had a hunch about but I still felt was the right choices for the direction of the story.
This story captured me from the very first page and had me to the very end, something that rarely happens when it comes to me and “chick lit”.
An amazing story with all the right elements of an interesting summer read!
My Thoughts
This is a book that I would have probably never bought for my self, but I’m so glad that it found its way into my hands because I really enjoyed it!
It was a surprise gift wrapped in another surprise!
A perfect summer read!
Would you like your own copy of the book? Click on the Amazon or BookDepository logo below:
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Christina de Vries 