Synopsis:
Rose Parker's husband has been lying. About everything.
When a conversation with her husband triggers questions, Rose Parker uncovers alarming answers that shatter her perfect life. But it is only when she shoves her belongings in her SUV and drives off that Rose realizes just how far from perfect her life actually was. She has nowhere to turn.
While debating between distressing sleeping arrangements-her mother’s house full of questions or a hotel room with too much solitude-Rose bumps into an acquaintance from her gardening class and allows bubbly, exuberant Becky to indulge her in a wild night full of whiskey, weeping, and whispered confidences. Suddenly, Rose has a new friend, a roof over her head, and two gorgeous men moving her out of her marital home.
As Rose struggles to settle into her new life, she remains determined to comprehend her past. And with time and distance and especially wine, comes knowledge. Frank wasn’t the only one lying to her. Rose was lying to herself.
When a conversation with her husband triggers questions, Rose Parker uncovers alarming answers that shatter her perfect life. But it is only when she shoves her belongings in her SUV and drives off that Rose realizes just how far from perfect her life actually was. She has nowhere to turn.
While debating between distressing sleeping arrangements-her mother’s house full of questions or a hotel room with too much solitude-Rose bumps into an acquaintance from her gardening class and allows bubbly, exuberant Becky to indulge her in a wild night full of whiskey, weeping, and whispered confidences. Suddenly, Rose has a new friend, a roof over her head, and two gorgeous men moving her out of her marital home.
As Rose struggles to settle into her new life, she remains determined to comprehend her past. And with time and distance and especially wine, comes knowledge. Frank wasn’t the only one lying to her. Rose was lying to herself.
My Thoughts:
Rose Parker is not having a good week. After learning that her husband, Frank, lied to her, Rose decides to dig a little deeper and see just how far his lies go. Unfortunately, what Rose finds is far more than she ever expected. Desperate and destroyed, Rose finds herself agreeing to stay with Becky, a woman she barely knows. Soon Rose is examining not only her marriage, but her entire life. Will she forgive Frank and start over? Or will Rose discover that her life is headed in an entirely new direction?
I've struggled with this review for the past few days because this book was so good that I worry that I won't be able to put into words how special it is. There's so many different things I want to talk about that I am going about this review a little different than I usually write them and I'll be breaking it down into parts.
The Characters:
Rose - It was pretty much impossible not to love Rose right away. Within two pages her life has been ripped out from under her and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. But even though her own life is a mess, she still has the heart to help her mother and friends, especially Becky, when they need it. She was funny, kindhearted and genuinely lovable.
Becky- Becky is that friend that every girl wants. Loud, snarky and not afraid to get a little crazy. Having just gone through a messy divorce herself, she took Rose in without question and was there to support when she needed it most.
Scott - Scott is Becky's brother and another great friend to Rose. He and his best friend Adam just met her and they go out of their way to help her move and keep her nights busy. He also has a little bit of a crush on her, which is not necessarily a bad thing (he is very dreamy!).
Frank - There isn't really much I can say about Frank. You'll have to experience this piece of work all for yourself to get the full picture.
The Writing:
There is no doubt that Lydia has a passion for writing. You can feel it in the way the story just breezes by seemingly effortlessly. Her characters are realistic and not stereotypical, I felt like I knew them personally.
The Plot:
There is so much more to this story than just a wife struggling with a divorce. Even though yes, the separation is hard on Rose, discovering that she has somehow lost herself over the last few years is even harder. This is something that I think a lot of people struggle with when in relationships. How do you maintain your self image and be your own person when you are also part of a couple? Keeping your own identity is something that you have to work hard at and something I struggle with myself. Not only could I sympathize with Rose but her story helped me realize that I need to make a better effort to be my own person and not to rely on my husband to keep me happy all the time.
Then there's the friendship between Rose and Becky. We all have that one friend that seems to disappear every time they start a new relationship. You never see them, they spend all of their time with their new partner. I'm guilty of doing this and I have friends who are too. Becky and Rose both fall into this category. This was one of my favorite themes in Redesigning Rose because I loved seeing how they handled their new friendship with each other and also their new relationships with men. I really learned a lot from them on how to handle this situation in the future (although I hope I don't actually have this happen to me again).
Lastly, this is also a story about patterns. Rose has found herself married to a man who is just like her father. She is constantly gravitating towards the one thing she wants to avoid the most. Becky too. Becky also keeps finding herself in the same situations and both women are determined to stop it from happening again. But how do you stop yourself from falling into the same trap and routine? I was desperate to see these two ladies come to terms with their destructive behavior and find a way to fix it. I wanted nothing but happy endings for them.
Overall, Redesigning Rose is truly a remarkable read about love, friendship, and forgiveness. I could probably talk about it for hours more but I don't want to spoil the read for you. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone, especially lovers of Chick Lit and gardening!
About Lydia Laceby:
Lydia Laceby is the co-founder of Novel Escapes, a chick lit and contemporary women’s fiction review website. Since 2009, she has read and reviewed as much women’s fiction as humanly possible while designing, organizing and expanding the website from two reviewers to five.
In her spare time, she knits cute baby hats, would pick cheese over chocolate–if she had to choose–and regularly cheats on her allergy free diet.
Lydia has always wanted to write and began her career writing a soap opera at the tender age of thirteen. It never aired. Redesigning Rose is her first novel.
Where to find Lydia:
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Giveaway:
Because I loved this book so much, I want to share it with you! This giveaway is open to anyone who can receive a Kindle gift from Amazon. One winner, ends 9/27.
Good Luck!
*I received this book for free in exchange of an honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.
What an interesting story line.....lies always come out in the end and perhaps without knowing it we all lie to ourselves just a little bit. Having everything, then getting in the car and where do you go and what do you do???? Sort out life past, present & future. DRIVE AWAY AND INTO A NEW FUTURE.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance of winning this exciting book. Xxxx
Great review! I've already got this on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Tiffany, for this incredible review! I'm so thrilled you enjoyed Rose's journey! xo
ReplyDeleteBook looks like a great read, it is on my list!
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