I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the novel and the story line. I felt that the characters accepted disappointment in life unrealistically graciously, but it is a good novel.

The parts of this book that really drew me in when I read the description was the double life idea of a housewife that had felt bored and trapped with her life. I loved that idea and I think I might have formed expectations based on the plot that set me up to be disappointed.

For such an interesting plot, I felt like the Margaret's character felt unexciting and flat. The writing didn't pop the way I had assumed it would and while I read this quite quickly, the plot was a lot more unexciting than I expected it to be. I just felt kind of unmoved by the whole book. I would still read more from this author, but this was just not for me!

This was a bit of a disappointing read. I was drawn in by the premise, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. There seemed to be a lack of detail and emotion and I didn't really connect with any of the characters.

This book was ok. And sadly, books that are ok aren’t really ok.
The novel lacked depth, especially in the characterisation, lacked direction in that it jumped around especially through time without seemingly any rhyme or reason and it felt unsettling to the narrative. It also lacked pace; mostly slow but at the end throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the last 20% of the book. I saw the end coming and was willing it not to be so predictable. Alas, it was completely predictable.
I finished all of the novel but didn’t find myself picking my kindle up throughout the day because I wanted to read on nor did it keep me up at night the hallmarks of a great read.

This story chronicles the life of Margaret Wilcox Hill, a woman who has recently found herself feeling trapped by the every day monotony of her life as a homemaker. She was married at a very young age (only 17!) and found that, for the most part, she has been playing her assigned role in her husband’s life as opposed to playing the lead in her own.

I found this story to be a very lighthearted read, which is a welcome distraction these days. The prose was quick and snappy, with memorable quotes scattered throughout. The story itself was a very real take on what it means to be a mother and a housewife all while feeling like you’re fading into the background. I really enjoyed Margaret, I thought she was incredibly interesting and familiar in a way that made me feel like I had known her for years. Admittedly, it was a bit cliché (which is not always a bad thing), but I was very pleased with the ending and the general pace and structure of this book, although I did find a few editing and continuity issues.

The process of reading this story was enjoyable, as it didn’t elicit any exhausting emotions or reactions from me, although I was glued to the metaphorical “pages” these past few days. It was interesting enough to make you want to continue reading, but light enough to really feel like you were taking a break. Very fast read that will be great for summer vacations or long weekends!

Keep an eye on the shelves for when this debuts in mid-August!

DNF at about 80% completed. I just found myself not really caring what happened, but at the same time figuring that the ending would be cliche, as the rest of the story was.

Admittedly, I did not finish this book. I can’t get into it and am not connecting with the characters after reading about 20%.

Advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.