There were moments when this book dipped into two-star territory -- and other moments when it edged close to four-star territory -- which is why I decided on three stars. I liked the book's premise (a woman begins to question everything about her life after the death of a much-loved family member and as she inches toward a milestone birthday). The book's greatest weaknesses were repetition (yes, we get it: the heroine is really, really struggling with grief) and some moments when the characters acted in ways that didn't quite seem believable. Overall, the book was a good read and kept me company on the treadmill for a couple of hours. I got this ebook from NetGalley, it was the first time I'd received a book this way and was excited to dig into this book that sounded so intriguing. In some ways I really enjoyed this book, but unfortunately, most of the rest of the time was spent hoping I was almost at the end. It was interesting, but the main character's struggles with grief just got so monotonous that it got a bit wearing. I know that sounds harsh, people grieve in their own time and I know that. Its just that I don't feel the author fully explored Lucy's journey. It felt redundant, as if we just saw the same pain manifested in slightly different ways. I don't know, maybe if I hadn't just finished a really fantastically well done novel about the journey through grief, I would have liked this piece more, but as it is, this one just couldn't hold up in comparison (I'm talking about "Tell the Wolves I'm Home" by Carol Rifka Brunt,which you should most certainly read if you haven't already). Lucy is a fastidious financial planner who loses her dear Aunt Maren, her only remaining family and a woman who we find out was really her anchor and probably best friend in life. Lucy soon discovers that her aunt left her a house, the only financially responsible decision the spontaneous, fun-loving, Maren made, apparently. Lucy moves in at the insistence of her hippy, free-spirited boyfriend, Oliver, who follows not far behind her. The two embark on renovating the house and begin planning their lives together: getting married, having kids, being a family.It sounds very clean and happy, but Lucy has a really difficult time finding her way after losing Maren. Eventually she begins to question some of the things she assumed were set, namely becoming a mother. I think this is where Lucy really starts to develop as a character. Up until this point she really just goes along with life, letting others make decisions for her. Now though, she begins questioning and evaluating. She actually starts to show a little bit more of who she is, getting out of her rut and moving forward. Now, I'm not 100% sold that this was an intentional shift on the author's part, to have Lucy's development as a character mirror her progress through her grief. It would be clever, but I still don't think it would be entirely effective, since most of the novel I just found Lucy to be sad and rather flat. So many of the other characters are so much more developed than Lucy. I felt like I knew Maren better - and she's dead the entire novel. I did have a few moments where I could relate to Lucy, but that really only came at the last quarter or so of the book when she finally gained some agency and stopped being so whiny. Part of this is also hard for me because I have experienced grief like this, I know that pain, but I felt like she wasn't fighting it at all. She gave in to her pain and everyone around her allowed her to. It was irritating to watch her fall apart and I didn't have the sympathy I think the author was counting on. I'd be interested to read about Lucy after she gets past this point in her life and finds who she is. But this section of her story just didn't do it for me.
What do You think about The Sock Wars (2012)?
Must say it was a book I read and I went "Meh... I should have read the other one I downloaded.".
—1990
This was an ok book. It was a good lesson on how to stay true to yourself and know yourself.
—willel99
Great cover/title along with clever chapter titles.
—mamabug
Loved this book. Great read. Really enjoyable.
—mrpg115
