I received this ARC from Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.

This is chick lit.  I have never been known to read chick lit, but boy did I (guiltily) enjoy this!

Nichole has recently left her philandering husband, inspiring her mother-in-law-Leanne- to do the same.  It seems like father, like son held true in this case.  Moving into the same apartment building in downtown Portland, the two create a guide to help them start their new lives-a guide to moving on.  Nichole starts teaching and volunteering part-time and Leanne puts her Master’s degree to use at last and becomes a volunteer ESL teacher.  Both finally have purpose and as their broken hearts mend they endeavor to weather oncoming storms and even find love again in unlikely places.  These women are bent but not broken and have a dash of spunk thrown in for good measure.  I especially enjoyed Leanne as she came to terms with ending a 35 year marriage and being alone for the first time ever.

He told me I was no longer alone and I believed him.

This book is not particularly imaginative and it is not a tale you’ve never read before but it is feel-good, earnest and cute.  I enjoyed reading it and I’m sure my constant “awww” could be heard all over Kurdistan.  I would not turn down another Macomber galley.

How blessed I was to have found the courage to move on.

Three stars.

Expected Publication: February 23, 2016