During the first half of 'Don't Make Me Turn this Life Around' by Camille Pagan I was prepared to give the book 3/4 stars. I found the main character Libby irritating and holding her feelings in too much for someone in a loving relationship.

However, the second part of the book and the tropical storm that hit Vieques while Libby and her family were visiting on a holiday that was supposed to fix everything the book really picked up for me. I'm giving this book 4/5 stars because I really enjoyed the character arch and development of Libby. She managed to fight back against grief and family troubles by coming to terms with it all by herself.

The ending of this book is a tear jerker though - you've been warned!

Sometimes you happen to read the exact book you need at that time in your life. Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around was that book for me. I lost both parents to covid in the past year and it has been really tough. Add in the additional stresses of life, 4 kids, family and a huge home renovation and there are days where I just feel “blah”.

As soon as I started reading this book, I could relate to Libby. Health issues, losing her dad, dealing with marriage and kids…. It all resonated with me. I loved the Puerto Rico setting. I’ve only been there once but I absolutely loved it. Pagan transported me to Vieques with her beautiful writing.

The cover might make you think that this is a light-hearted beach read but that’s not the case. There are some serious issues tackled in the book but it’s done in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. I liked this book a lot and I think so much of it is relatable to so many of us.

This is a sequel to “Life And Other Near Death Experiences” but it is not being marketed that way, and it can absolutely be read as a standalone book.

I recommend this book if
✨ you like a quick read
✨ you are OK with sad stories
✨ you are not bothered by references to disease, divorce and death
✨ you are a Camille Pagan fan (my favorite of hers is “Forever Is The Worst Long Time,” but it will wreck you)
✨ you like the “Friend Zone” series by Abby Jom

Thirteen years ago, Libby was diagnosed with cancer and told she had months to live. But here she is, alive and well with the husband she met when she fled to Puerto Rico after her diagnosis and their twin daughters. She plans a trip back to Puerto Rico to celebrate her “cancerversary” and show her teen daughters the island. But nothing goes according to plan, and in the wake of Hurricane Maria’s destruction, Puerto Rico isn’t the same place where Libby and Shiloh fell in love.

Pagan traveled to Puerto Rico in 2019 (Maria hit in 2017), so her telling of the hurricane damage is based on firsthand reporting. This is probably more meaningful to me than it would be for most readers because Maria hit right after Harvey and Irma (we evacuated for Irma) and I was glued to the news coverage. I really appreciated her author’s note encouraging readers to visit Puerto Rico.

Libby just found out she is cancer free after the ten year mark, but instead of feeling elated, she is dragged down by grief over her father’s death, her daughter’s diabetes diagnosis and the distance she feels from her husband, Shiloh. To reignite her life and marriage, Libby plans a vacation to Vieques where she first met Shiloh, and where her close friend and stand in mother, Milagros lives. The vacation does not turn out as planned, and Libby has decisions to make as to how to go forward. I really enjoyed the book, and feel Pagan always succeeds in representing the realities of life. I recommend and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

I love Camille's books and I always know what I'm going to get once I open one up. She makes me laugh, cry and totally rethink my life. I can always connect to her main character and this book is no different. I loved the main character Libby and I think she captured perfectly how we as woman try to get through life with a smile and determination but in so doing forget to embrace the good with the bad. I always get so happy when I see Camille has another book and I will be patiently (not) waiting for her next one!!

I am a huge fan of Camille Pagan's writing and this book was no different. While I do feel it was a bit darker than her past stories, I feel like she tackled the difficult subjects with such class and clarity.

Her main character- Libby- was one that many moms can relate to. Doing it all, pulled in a million directions, worrying about everyone while dealing with her own personal health scares and struggles, health issues with her daughter, losing her father and keeping "it all together". You are pulling for her the entire time yet knowing things will get much worse before they get better. And is there nothing worse than looking forward to vacation get away to calm your soul....only to have a hurricane barreling down on you and putting your family in the biggest risks of their lives!?!!

Fast-paced with beautifully developed characters....this is a great read for Summer 2021 (and beyond!)

Special thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Apparently this book is a sequel and it also deals with harder life topics than the cover implies. After a year of hardship, I really wanted to read something a little more escapist. Thanks for the opportunity to try it.

The story begins with Libby in her oncologist's office for her 10th year check up and she is sure that the cancer has returned. In the past year her father has passed away, her husband seems distant and her daughter, Charlotte, has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. She feels a family vacation is needed so the family goes to Vieques, the spot where she first met and fell in love with her husband, Shiloh, and developed a friendship with an older woman on the island, Milagros. It's not quite the magical spot it once was and they end up experiencing a tropical storm.

I didn't read the first book in the series, Life and Other Near-Death Experiences, so maybe I missed something. It was brought up numerous times what an optimist Libby was but I didn't see it. It was more like she was voicing what she thought an optimist would say but didn't really feel it. She had no more passion for her job, was convinced her husband wasn't attracted to her and was ready to leave her and Charlotte and her diabetes was a disaster waiting to happen. I didn't like her much because it felt like she was complaining all the time but I loved the rest of the characters.

Other that the storm Vieques sounded wonderful with lush landscapes, the ocean nearby. I could almost envision the kayaking on the bioluminescent bay.

I will go back and read the first book and from the way the story ended my sense is there will be another book involving this family.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union for providing me with a copy of this book.

Libby is one of us. She's a wife, a mom, a sister, a friend. She could easily be anyone we know. As a mom she's pulled in so many different directions, always worrying about everyone in her life and then herself. She's a cancer survivor, she worries she and her husband are coasting through life and marriage, her daughter was recently diagnosed with diabetes, her father passed away. It's all too much. So, her family embarks on a vacation to Puerto Rico to get away from it all. While it is not the relaxing trip she has in mind, it becomes so much more.

Camille Pagan has written a story that pulls at your heart. She's created a character who you are pulling for while simultaneously waiting for the floor to fall out from under her. While this is a perfect summer, beach read it is so much more that really captures your heart in the pages. Grab a copy and take it with you to the pool or beach this summer!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sharing this ARC with me.

I have read quite a few of Camille Pagán’s novels and loved each one. She writes wonderful, relatable characters, full of heart and humor and her newest, DON’T MAKE ME TURN THIS LIFE AROUND, is no exception. I loved this book and Libby especially.
Thirteen years ago, Libby was told she had terminal cancer, but now she’s just been given the all-clear: it’s her 10-year-Cancerversary. Though she is always the optimist in her family, she was convinced she was going to get bad news and now can’t summon the joy everyone expects. With everything her family has gone through in the past few years, it’s just too much. Even the job she loved so much is draining her. Maybe a trip to paradise is what the whole family needs to get it back on track. Puerto Rico, specifically Vieques and Milagros, the woman who is like a mother to her, should be just the ticket, right? From the moment they arrive, things don’t go as planned, but ultimately, the trip has its own lessons to teach, and despite the disasters they face, those lessons turn out to be just what each family member needs.
Pagán has written a story about a real family, their dynamics, and the messiness that comes with it. She doesn’t gloss over the difficulties Libby and her family face. You will root for Libby and Shiloh, the twins, and everyone in their extended family. I adored Milagros and her view on life and how she imparts her wisdom to Libby. With DON’T MAKE ME TURN THIS LIFE AROUND, Pagán continues to shine.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#DontMakeMeTurnThisLifeAround #CamillePagán #LakeUnionPublishing

This is a wonderful novel of a family that goes on vacation to Puerto Rico, where Libby and her husband met, in order to get their family back on track. She’s celebrating ten years cancer free, while dealing with grief from losing her father, her twin daughters are fighting and her husband seems distant. I felt for her as she thought going back to where they met would fix things... how was she to know there would be a tropical storm heading for the island? While this seems like a light beach read from the cover, it is so much more. It is a tear jerker, unputdownable, beautifully written novel full of lovable characters. Would highly recommend if you enjoy emotional, hopeful family stories. Made me want to visit Puerto Rico.

Nothing like a huge-sized natural disaster to pull someone out of their gloomy doldrums! 

Libby was really irritating me initially with her whiny "poor me's". I just wanted to smack her and say "snap out of it"! But then disaster hits and Libby is forced to stop internalizing everything. She has already had insurmountable challenges in her life (see previous book Life and Other Near-Death Experiences) so she is no stranger to the tough aspects that life can deal. And when a tropical storm hits the island while Libby and her family are on vacation, she has to pull all her reserves from deep down to make it through.

And of course, a huge dose of what I call Milagros-wisdom is a key ingredient. I highlighted many sections of dialog which contained wise words and perspective from Libby’s dear friend Milagros.

Don’t Make Me Turn This Life Around is a wonderful read! It’s a perfect beach read, and goes a bit deeper, exploring life and its roller coaster twists and turns and ups and downs. Camille Pagán is a fantastic go-to author for charming and thoughtful prose!

So I am guessing this author is one of those hit or miss reads for me. This one was mostly a miss. I missed Ms. Pagan's subtle witty humor that kept topics from being too depressing. I mean, she deals with some serious issues! Here we have cancer, the loss of loved ones, and the aftermath of a hurricane. Those aren't light subjects. After reading the book and reading the author's notes at the end, I wonder if perhaps Ms. Pagan was too close to the topics to be able to treat them in her normal light manner? That would be thoroughly understandable. And on the whole the story was a good one and I liked the different characters. I'd like to follow them along for a sequel, just to check in and see how things are going. This book just missed the spark that I've come to expect from this author.

This story is energetic, entertaining and humorous , while also tackling many very serious subjects. There are situations we can all relate to and the family is very realistic in it’s humanness . I may think twice about going to puberty Rico during hurricane season.

This was really good Women's Fiction novel with a different take on the cancer storyline than I was used to. Following the main character of Libby after she realizes she is 10 years cancer-free, this book examines her relationships with her kids and especially her husband after coming to terms with her positive prognosis. On top of this, she is attempting to work through the grief of losing her father. She is a great example of a work in progress at mid-life and I liked the honesty the book provided regarding this.

While at times, I truly wanted to yell at Libby for acting immature, especially when it came to her lack of communication with her husband, Shiloh (who actually seems very sweet by the way), I feel like I became more tolerant of her and her behavior by the middle of the book and on through the end. I also appreciated the addition of her daughter having diabetes, which adds a lot to the story in many ways.

I could've used more time spent delving into the relationship between Libby and her late father but this may have been something that was broached in the previous novel with Libby called Life and Other Near Death Experiences which I haven't yet read. I also wanted more of her brother Paul because he seemed like such a gem of a human being. Again, he may have been more present in the previous book so I can't hold it against this one.

This turned into a quick read for me as it is wonderfully written and I enjoyed the story overall. I am curious if there will be any follow up novel to tie up loose ends relating to Shiloh and would love to see that storyline continue.

Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5


Don’t Make Me Turn This Life Around is about Libby and her life after officially becoming cancer-free. Even with this great news, she doesn’t feel very alive. Her father recently passed away, one of her daughters has diabetes, and she feels like her husband is not attracted to her anymore.

Libby’s situation and the things that happened all throughout the book made me put it down several. I really don’t like it when things go wrong. I’m good with a few moments of unluckiness but mannnnn this book has A LOT of them. The characters can be super annoying and it made the moments were they were NOT annoying better. So I guess that’s one good effect? The first half was pretty slow but once they got to the island, I started to enjoy the book.

It’s a great family book! Although the main character is on the age range of my own mom, I felt a little connection with her in the way she felt like she’s not excited about her life and about anything at all. It’s just we all feel like that sometimes, right?

The story of a middle aged woman Libby who is now almost 10 years cancer free, a mom of twin girls, and a wife. Everything seems to be a mess, so in order to rebuild her family she takes them on a family trip Puerto Rico to try to put it back together. Her worries about one of her daughters diabetes, her grief over her dads passing, her other daughters fighting with her twin, her marriage and its lack of affection, and a general feeling of staleness at work are all the things she hopes will be fixed by a week in Vieques - the island of Puerto Rico where she met and fell in love with her husband Shiloh. She's got really high hopes for this vacation, and ultimately a storm on the island brings out all sorts of feelings and issues. In addition, the island is where her friend Milagros lives - the woman who helped her put herself back together again 10 years prior. Milagros was my favorite, she was so honest and funny. I wish I had my own Milagros to help me fix my life. I also really liked Libby's brother, he was an interesting character who was well-developed in a short amount of time.

I've read all of Camille Pagan's books, and this one I think is one of my favorites. The middle aged mother worries about kids, marriage, and her career were something pretty relatable to me (though I'm younger than Libby). Thanks to Lake Union Publishers and Netgalley for the advanced copy. It's also out now (as of May 11) and available on Amazon and in bookstores I believe.

Love this cover so much but it is another case of a seemingly "beach read" book masking much heavier subject matter. This was a great continuation of Libby's story from Life and other near death experiences and though told with humor it's definitely not a light fluffy read. In this book Libby is feeling lost at work, dealing with her grief over her father's death, coming to terms with being in remission, helping her 12 year old daughter handle having type 1 diabetes, witnessing the breakdown of her brother's marriage and feeling lost and a bit alone in her own marriage. This book is a perfect look at a life that is messy but oh so real, dealing with many of the things people go through all the time. Definitely worth reading, especially if you are a Camille Pagan fan or love a good women's fiction story. Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced readers copy.

Hopeful book. Thought provoking read. The power of positive. Second chances. Deciding what is important...family. Loved this story.

I love the cover of this book, it’s so vibrant and fun! But it almost feels like I just read a completely different book! It was quite heavy and somber. I really thought I was going to love it but unfortunately it was a bit of a miss for me. I thought it was ok overall and I did enjoy the ending but I didn’t really connect to any of the characters and I didn’t feel invested in the story. It might have been a mood thing but I was annoyed and bored for most of the book. It makes me sad because I can see why people love it and I really encourage you to seek out other (more positive) reviews of this book! I think it has the possibility of being a hit for a lot of people!.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.