A Girl’s Guide To Moving On
New Beginnings #2
by Debbie Macomber
Why did you choose this book? I won a copy and it looked interesting
When did you read this book? November 2016
Who should read this book? Fans of Debbie Macomber and women’s fiction
Source: Debbie Macomber newsletter contest win
My Rating: ★★★ ½ 3½ Stars
In this powerful and uplifting novel, a mother and her daughter-in-law bravely leave their troubled marriages and face the challenge of starting over. Leaning on each other, Nichole and Leanne discover that their inner strength and capacity for love are greater than they ever imagined.
When Nichole discovers that her husband, Jake, has been unfaithful, the illusion of her perfect life is indelibly shattered. While juggling her young son, a new job, and volunteer work, Nichole meets Rocco, who is the opposite of Jake in nearly every way. Though blunt-spoken and rough around the edges, Rocco proves to be a dedicated father and thoughtful friend. But just as their relationship begins to blossom, Jake wagers everything on winning Nichole back—including their son Owen’s happiness. Somehow, Nichole must find the courage to defy her fears and follow her heart, with far-reaching consequences for them all.
Leanne has quietly ignored her husband’s cheating for decades, but is jolted into action by the echo of Nichole’s all-too-familiar crisis. While volunteering as a teacher of English as a second language, Leanne meets Nikolai, a charming, talented baker from Ukraine. Resolved to avoid the heartache and complications of romantic entanglements, Leanne nonetheless finds it difficult to resist Nikolai’s effusive overtures—until an unexpected tragedy tests the very fabric of her commitments.
An inspiring novel of friendship, reinvention, and hope, A Girl’s Guide to Moving On affirms the ability of every woman to forge a new path, believe in love, and fearlessly find happiness.
My Review
I read this book about a year ago, but never wrote my review. It is well past time! I’ve read Debbie Macomber in the past and while I enjoyed the books well enough, they were nothing special; just fun, quick reads with a happy ending.
This one is a little different. It is a relatively happy and quick read, and the ending is satisfying, but there is more depth to this book than the Debbie Macomber I’ve read in the past.
In this book, Leanne has been married to her serial-cheating husband for years, and has chosen to just put up with it. Nichole is married to Leanne’s son. When Nichole discovers her husband has cheated, she leaves him, taking her young son with her. This inspires Leanne to finally leave her husband, and the women move into apartments across the hall from each other. This is convenient as Leanne gets to see her grandson often, and Nichole has a ready and willing babysitter! They also have each other as a support system.
In a way it feels a little odd that Leanne would take her daughter-in-law’s side over her son’s side, but then again, it would be very hard to justify her son’s infidelity. Obviously there is are schisms in the family as a result. The book deals not only with the family dynamics after Leanne breaks up the family, but also the new love interests of both Nichole and Leanne and the resulting fall-out.
Yes, the book is a little predictable, but beneath the surface are many issues that can make for great discussions by book clubs. Some of these would be the differences in the way the women dealt with infidelity in their marriage, and why this might be. Other topics might be how infidelity affects the family and the examples it sets, as well as the loyalty a person continues to feel towards family. I think this would make a great book club selection for groups that are looking for a quick, fun read that is a little light, but still has some discussion value!
This book is part of a series, but I have not read any other books in the series and didn’t feel like this was an issue. You can enjoy this one as a stand-alone!
I received my copy of this book as the winner of a contest for Debbie Macomber newsletter readers.
I feel like I've read maybe one or two of her books but it's been ages. I like a good women's fiction book and this one sounds like it could be an enjoyable read!
ReplyDelete