Author: Debbie Macomber
Title: A Girl’s Guide to Moving On
Series: New Beginnings (#2)
Genre: Women’s Lives and Relationships
Publication Date: February 2016
ISBN: 978-0553391923
Number of Pages: 352
Geographical Setting: United States of America
Time Period: Present
PLOT SUMMARY
Nichole thought she lived a perfect life with her husband, Jake,
and their little boy, Owen. When Nichole learns that her husband isn’t
faithful, her world comes crashing down. Leanne, Nichole's mother-in-law, has been married to Jake’s dad
for 35 years and has been the victim of his constant cheating. When Nichole files for divorce, Leanne too
decides that enough is enough. The two women bond together through their
divorces and figuring out life on their own. To help them move on, the
women create a list of steps to help them and begin seeking new adventures.
Just as life is starting to get into a rhythm, new men come into
Nichole and Leanne’s lives. Rocco is everything that Jake isn’t, and Nichole is
falling head over heels. He’s a bit rough around the edges but shows Leanne how
a woman should be treated. But... when her relationship with her son is at
stake, will she take a chance on love?
Leanne has found a new passion for teaching English as a Second
language to adults in her community. One of her students is Nikolai, an
energetic widower who has a love for baking bread and his new country. Sparks
fly as Nikolai shows Leanne the love she has been missing. But
when a tragedy strikes, Leanne must decide where her commitments lie.
A story of life, love, and hope, the journey that Nichole and
Leanne take will teach readers to believe in the power of love and perseverance.
Tone: Tone is one of the most prominent appeals that
define this genre. Wyatt & Saricks (2019) write that “these are comfortable,
supportive, sympathetic novels that have a gentleness about them (p. 196).”
This novel did leave a sense of comfort in the reader and the tone emoted feel-good,
heartwarming, and sweet emotions.
Story Lines: Relationship Fiction
novels “relate stories of overcoming obstacles, getting second chances, finding
one’s self, and starting anew (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 196).” A Girl’s
Guide to Moving On has all these elements because it tells the story of the
protagonists overcoming their difficult divorces, getting a second chance at
love, and finding out who they really are. This novel also leaves readers satisfied
with the ending, which is characteristically accurate for this genre.
Characterization: The characters of Nichole
and Leanne are ones that readers can relate to and see aspects of themselves in
their actions and feelings. They are portrayed as real women with real-life problems
that many people are facing in the world. This character duo is authentic, relatable,
and likeable.
FICTION READ-ALIKES
*Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts- Lucy Dillon
*The One and Only- Emily Giffin
*Monarch Beach- Anita Hughes
FICTION READ-ALIKES
*Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts- Lucy Dillon
*The One and Only- Emily Giffin
*Monarch Beach- Anita Hughes
*The Breakup Bible: The Smart Woman's Guide to Healing from a Breakup or Divorce- Rachel Sussman
*When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times - Pema Chodron* How to Sleep Alone in a King-Size Bed: A Memoir of Starting Over - Theo Pauline Nestor
BLOGGER'S OPINION:
I really enjoy Debbie Macomber novels, so I was excited to
get into this one! A Girls Guide to Moving On was not what I expected from
this author at all. Usually, her novels are clean with no inappropriate
language or sexual innuendos, but this book had both. Not an incredible amount,
but enough that I questioned if this was truly written by Debbie Macomber since
it isn’t on brand for her. That being said, I did enjoy this book. I felt that
the characters were ones that were relatable, and I was able to feel sympathy
for their heartache and cheer for their happiness. This was the second book in
the series, but you absolutely don’t have the read the first one to follow this
story. Other than the existence of the sisters from the first story, there was
no references so readers could start with this one and not feel like they are
missing anything. I felt that this novel fit the characteristics of the genre
perfectly and would be enjoyed by many readers!
What an interesting concept of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law bonding over their divorces. I couldn't imagine any mother-in-law encouraging their daughter-in-law to divorce her son. But in this case, it looks like each knows what the other is going through. Your summary tells me exactly what I need to know before reading the book. Thanks for your own opinion, very professional.
ReplyDeleteWomen's fiction are not typically my type of reads but you made this one sound appealing. I too like the in-laws bonding over a common strife even for the same reason. Sounds like you picked a good book!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that the author broke her mold of clean reads for this book. It seems that her followers read her for that reason and those who don't read Macomber will not know that this book is different. Your summary is thorough and sounds like something I'd read on a book jacket! Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteI have read several of hers books as well and so I was surprised by your note of the bottom that says she has strayed from her typical format. I am wondering if her straying from her typical format would be important to include in the annotation and if it might draw non Debbie Macomber readers? I don't know- just curious to your thoughts on it. :)
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! Thanks for your kind comments!
ReplyDeleteJennifer, in regards to the different format, I think that the general story is still the heartfelt Debbie Macomber stories that readers have come to love, it just included more references to sexual things and language than I would have expected. Non-Debbie Macomber readers who like more gentler reads would enjoy it, but if readers are wanting a lot of explicit scenes, it still probably wouldn't be for them.
Macomber is a popular author for my Christian readers so I'm particularly happy to read your opinion of the book. Your summary and recommendations are great, but I'm always happy to hear how an author varies his/her writing for my readers that devour everything that comes out.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so good! There's so many divorce empowerment kind of stories but I don't think I've ever seen an inter-generational one before. This review kind of makes me curious about what happened in the first book of the series, though. Was the first one about them finding out their husbands are cheating and this is where they go from there? Great review!
ReplyDeleteHi Shelby,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your detailed review! I've read Macomber before and enjoyed her books without absolutely loving them because sometimes they seem a little too formulaic. This one, though, sounds really interesting because of the way that the mother in law and daughter in law join forces, contrary to the popular trope. I think I'm going to have to read this one!
Excellent job on your detailed summary! I've only ever read one Debbie Macomber before but your making me want to read a second! Great job emphasizing the elements and wonderful job on your personal note. I loved that you included information about Macomber breaking from her squeaky clean mold. How intriguing and good to know for RA! Full points!
ReplyDelete