When one decision seems to be the catalyst of everything

Synopsis

Everyone has secrets but some are bigger than others.

Wendy Walker can count on two fingers the number of birthdays until she’s fifty.  She can also count on six hands the number of years she’s been married to controlling Derek.  Whatever happened to the boy she used to lark around with in the back of a Ford Escort? Just like Derek’s hairline, that lad has gone.

Wendy yearns for freedom but is resigned to her lot.  After all, there are others to think about.  Like daughter Ruby who – as a teenage single mum still at home – needs supporting, especially since abandoning her hopes of being on Love Island and achieving fame as a reality star.

But secrets dare to spill at the most inopportune moments.

Ruby is nurturing a mystery romance that she dreads her mother discovering, while Derek finds himself under the spotlight in the most disastrous of circumstances.

But just when Wendy thinks her world is falling apart, she discovers that sometimes unexpected joy is just around life’s corner…

My review

Wendy Walker cannot remember the last time she was happy in her marriage. The man she once truly loved and had so much fun, has turned into a controlling, commanding, obnoxious man. But no matter how often Wendy dreams of getting away from Derek, she still has too many responsibilities, even if she is nearing her fiftieth birthday. Like their daughter Ruby, a teenage, single mother still living at home.
However, when Freedom calls, it’s too hard to ignore the call. And when Wendy finally finds the courage to listen to her own desires and is taking the necessary steps, she for sure didn’t expect that the secrets Derek is keeping would be revealed in the most disastrous ways.
But no matter how Wendy’s world is falling apart, Wendy will realize that her desired freedom brings also joy, much closer than she realized. 

In the past I have always enjoyed reading Debbie Viggiano’s books, so I knew what to expect. Or at least I thought so… 

From the start, I felt truly sorry for the life Wendy was living. She is a kind woman, absolutely loving her family and being a rock for her daughter (after the initial shock of discovering that Ruby was pregnant).
Even the smallest kind of deception (you’ll understand when you are reading the loaf of bread part) will make her feel guilty.
But it’s also her kindness and sense of loyalty that is preventing her to live a happy life… 

And reading about her miserable marriage, the way Derek treats and belittles her, made me angry. Because no one should be feeling the way Wendy does…
So when she decides she finally had enough, I was happy for her, as she deserve to be happy! 

I am not going to give away too much about the plot, because it would take away several shock for you, but I can assure you that there were several twists that left me both flabbergasted as having tears in my eyes from laughing at loud.
Not only some encounters Wendy has are so cringe – worthy as hilarious, even when Derek’s secret is out, more detailed revelations were not something I saw coming! 

I also enjoyed discovering the depth of the mother – daughter relationship between Wendy and Ruby too. like I said before, Wendy truly is Ruby’s rock, having her back all the time, supporting her in every decision Ruby makes.
But it also warmed my heart to see how those roles were switched at moments. Where Ruby supports Wendy in her own decisions.
The love between mother and daughter is so obvious, and anyone who has an equal amazing parent/ child, will completely understand that precious bond, where you would to anything for each other. 

But this story also shows us it’s never too late to start all over again, no matter what your situation is. And that people in your life, old friend and new ones, will stand by your side every step of the way.  

While this is truly a hilarious book to read, it also shows us that just living your life and not having any joy in it, isn’t a good life. We only have one life, so why should we spend it being miserable? So it’s okay for every one of us to figure out what will make us happy and chase that.