Comment

Apr 05, 2020knechtdskm rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this novel about finally being brave enough to look at your past and see how it has affected your present. While the cover and synopsis make this novel look like a typical rom-com, the book actually spends more time looking at the psyche of the heroine. I enjoyed the wide cast of quirky characters. I find that well-rounded side characters lend an air of authenticity to stories, since most people do not live in a vacuum in which we only interact with 2-3 people everyday. Georgina's struggles to communicate with and connect with her family, her friends, her co workers, her former school mates, and her roommate gave her story a more realistic feel and made it easier to relate to as a reader. I was moved by her insights into her own motivations and choices, especially as she opens up about a painful event in her past which she hadn't even shared with her therapist. While she seemed to be self aware and in charge of her own life at the beginning of the story (even while admitting that it was a bit of a mess), her journey to self knowledge in the book led her to realize that she was more reactionary than proactive. This novel is the second book by Mhairi McFarlane that I have read and both books were a pleasant revelation to me. I especially enjoy the fact that Ms. McFarlane writes heroines who find their own way to happiness and only after achieving that happiness on their own do they truly embark on meaningful and fulfilling romantic relationships. The men in the two books I've read are also three dimensional characters, even if they do possess swoon worthy characteristics that may be too good to be true. Although the ending of this novel was lovely and did bring a sense of completion to the story, I think it would be very interesting to read a sequel to one of Ms. McFarlane's novels. After the heroine starts on her chosen path to happiness and begins this new romantic relationship, then what happens? Does she continue to find fulfillment and enjoy this new relationship, or are there more bumps in the road ahead? All in all, this story was a pleasant diversion and I enjoyed it. I also found it to ring true to the experience of sexual assault survivors. Although the topic was handled well, it might prove provoking for some readers.