There is a lot packed into this novel, from a woman finding herself, alcoholism, trauma, loss and healing a marriage. 6 months of solitude in a cabin in the south of France sounds idyllic, for Wendy it’s a dream come true. Everything that she wanted. That is until she truly discovers who she is and what she has been hiding. You won’t always like Wendy, yet she’s real and relatable land for that reason you will root for her, you will feel empathy for her, and you will celebrate her victories. It was heartbreaking and healing story at the same time. I love how author described that everyone always have second chance and it’s not always some magic, sometimes we can help ourselves. Accompanying someone in denial on a slow and painful journey to rock bottom is an emotional experience and the author skillfully leads us through the process. Many thanks to Bookouture Audio, the author and NetGalley - definitely recommend

I requested this book from Netgalley thinking I was in for a fun romcom, maybe with some more serious commentary about midlife and marital crises thrown in. This was not what I got but you'd be forgiven to think this should have been a fluffy uplifting book based on the synopsis and the book cover.

So, if you're looking for a light read, pass this one by. However, as long as you know your trigger warnings (please check them out, cause these abound), and are ok with reading a more serious book about (SPOILERS INCOMING) alcoholism, trauma, blocking and numbing trauma down with substance abuse, marital troubles, pandemic anxiety, the impact of the pandemic on medical staff's psyches, then this is a wonderfully written book on these topics. While there is a clear redemptive arc and post-traumatic growth, I wouldn't call this book a romantic comedy by any stretch of the imagination, so using a typical romance cartoonish book cover was extremely misleading,which was then compounded by no mention being made about the heavier topics dealt with in the synopsis.

I honestly think the writer, the book illustrator and the marketer all did a wonderful job, but it seems like they didn't coordinate about the type of book this is.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC.

This really should’ve been a 4 🌟 for the story and the narration. There were parts that were a bit clunky and disjointed/confusing, especially the conversational pars. The use of initials for characters felt like I was privy to the script rather than hearing the end result, which was a real shame because overall the premise and the story were excellent.

6 months of solitude in a cabin in the south of France sounds idyllic, for Wendy it’s a dream come true. Everything that she wanted. That is until she truly discovers who she is.

You won’t always like Wendy, yet she’s real and relatable land for that reason you will root for her, you will feel empathy for her, and you will celebrate her victories.

A moving and poignant tale that I half expected to say was too long, but actually it gave the whole story. It gives us multiple perspectives to Wendy’s story, which we don’t always get. 3.75 🌟

Eilidh Beaton narrates beautifully.

Many thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧