‘Sometimes life can be bittersweet . . .
Between tending to the whims of her seven-year-old and the demands of her boss, Viv barely gets a moment to herself. It’s not quite the life she wanted, but she hasn’t run screaming for the hills yet.
But then Viv’s husband Andy makes his mid-life crisis her problem. He’s having an affair with his (infuriatingly age-appropriate) colleague, a woman who – unlike Viv – doesn’t put on weight when she so much as glances at a cream cake.
Viv suddenly finds herself single, with zero desire to mingle. Should she be mourning the end of life as she knows it, or could this be the perfect chance to put herself first?
When life gives you lemons, lemonade just won’t cut it. Bring on the gin!’ (Synopsis courtesy of HarperCollins UK.)
I’ve enjoyed several of Fiona Gibson’s novels over the years, they’re reliably good, funny and relatable. So it’s no surprise that I was happy to review Fiona’s latest release, When Life Gives You Lemons.
As outlined above Viv is going through change, both in terms of her marriage breaking down as well as "the change", she feels a mess, unattractive as well as under-valued and uninspired at work. So what is Viv going to do about it? Thankfully a lot, but in a very organic way!
Viv is such a strong character, pragmatic, relatable, loving and a good friend and mother. I enjoyed Viv’s journey in managing the breakdown of her marriage, certainly not easy but it was far from doom and gloom, this is very much a book about someone putting themselves back together and becoming happier than they perhaps ever were. It’s certainly a hopeful book and felt very mature in its coverage of relationships where children are involved.
I particularly enjoyed Viv’s friendships with Penny and her neighbour Claire, who appears to be raising a very difficult child alongside a newborn. I loved how that element of the story evolved; I found it quite moving and could relate to the sentiments experienced.
One element of the story related to the creation of a show. I admit I wasn’t completely enthralled by this part but in terms of plotting it made perfect sense in how things culminate in the closing chapters.
The characters make this book; it’s a gentle, pleasant, feel-good book which I really enjoyed. Looking forward to the next one, Fiona!
Thanks to Avon for the book in exchange for an honest review. Visit all the stops on the blog tour.
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