Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Book Review: Things Are Looking Up

 

By Sara Steven

Milly has been waiting for this moment forever and finally it’s just an hour away – an interview with Vogue magazine and the opportunity to get her Louboutin-clad foot in the door. There’s just one problem – totally engrossed in her mobile phone, Milly doesn’t see the bus that is fast approaching – until it’s too late…

When Milly next opens her eyes, the consequences of her accident become clear. Everything she has worked for and dreamed of suddenly feels out of reach. But there is one bright spot on her horizon – the reappearance of her ex Jed, in all of his six-foot-four, broad-shouldered glory, with the most piercing ice blue eyes Milly ever saw.

Once used to working in a whirlwind, Milly now has the chance to reconsider how to live. Will she rush back to the treadmill, get her head down and back to business, or is there a whole other life waiting for her, if she’ll just look up to see it? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

Milly is a self-professed workaholic, and rightfully so. She’s put in the time and effort needed to earn her interview with Vogue magazine, and just when she feels as though she’s reached the pinnacle of her career is when the rug, and her feet are literally pulled out from under her in a bus accident. 

This becomes the catalyst in helping Milly re-evaluate her life, and what’s important to her. I really appreciated the balance that is highlighted here, within her story. There is nothing wrong with working hard and becoming successful. That mindset is highlighted when we meet and learn more about Milly’s brother and sister-in-law, as well as her ex-boyfriend, Jed. Where it becomes an issue is when Milly becomes blinded by ambition and lets the rest of her life, and world, fall away, losing track of her relationships with family, friends, and those who want to love her. In hitting rock bottom and in essence, starting over, is when she can begin to see what priorities are most important to her, opening her eyes to a new way of living.

So much of it is trial and error. It was fun to walk alongside Milly as she tries to find a new place to live, or devises ways of earning money because the connections she once had in her former life are no longer there for her. Her interactions with elder characters reminded me of my years working for a 55+ active retirement community, those moments special; you can learn so much from someone who has lived a lifetime more than you have. It’s a situation Milly would have never found herself in, had she not had her life trajectory changed forever.

Along with character evolution are Milly's reflective moments regarding Jed, and where he might potentially fit. Could they ever really “go there” again, or is he merely there as a support system in the here and now, better left as friends? It was nice to see how that relationship plays out, but it was even better to see how Milly’s self-reliance develops, along with a much-desired urge to become the woman she always knew she could be, but she never really knew she wanted to be. A much-deserved five-star read!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links: 
Amazon UK * Amazon US

Maxine Morrey is a bestselling romantic comedy author with ten books to her name including Winter’s Fairytale and the top ten hit The Christmas Project. Her eleventh book is being released by Boldwood in 2021. She lives in West Sussex. Her first novel for Boldwood, #No Filter, was published in November 2019.

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1 comment:

Maxine said...

Thank you so much for your gorgeous review ��I'm so thrilled you enjoyed the book and Milly's journey.