The Runaway Wife: A laugh out loud feel good novel about second chances

This is an escapism treat about a wife who does just that and this tells her adventure as she revisits memories throughout the uk. You will need to suspend some belief, as, all men fancy her and all women want to be her friend....and....the promised “laugh out loud” moments are there, but, it’s no side splitter of a tale and, in my opinion, the better for it. I enjoyed it. A refreshing opportunity to share a mature woman’s adventure and I look forward to more! Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for the opportunity to preview this book.

A whole bunch of pages not working correctly, just one letter in the top left page. Thus happens at the beginning. Anything that can be done to solve this please? Many thanks.

Connie is sixty-six years of age with three grown children, a husband and a seeming never-ending list of things to do – all for others. While mashing potatoes as she makes yet another dinner that will be received without thanks, she decides that she’s had enough. Enough of being taken advantage of, being ignored, unthanked and hunting down her husband on the golf course. So she packs up her stuff into Kermit, her little green car – and drives off, destination Scotland. Eventually. What a clever combination of outrageous moments, self-discovery and a travelogue through the highways and byways of England: starting in Sussex and heading out on her own adventure to find herself, and perhaps some recognition of the years of effort she’s put in to keep everyone’s life running smoothly. Connie is the heroine for all of us – those moments when finding ‘me’ time is steadily moved down the to-do list as housework, children, grandchildren and the myriad of demands pile up, without regard for the one who makes it all happen. Tired of being the one who is expected to be ‘there’, she’s chucked that all in and reconnects with old friends, meets new ones, and with a not-so-subtle pushing to see her family more self-sufficient and for them to recognize that she is important, needed, and above all – deserves the right to be asked if she ‘wants’ to help out, babysit, shuttle the grandchildren to and fro….. Throughout the book, MacDonald brings us England and Scotland: from descriptions of sights and people to moments with food, Connie’s sheer excitement in encountering the new and different, and the people she encounters and welcomes along the way. Connie is open and generous with her time, her friendship and with readers as she shares her thoughts about her history and life, past and present, and tries to find just ‘who’ she has become in the meantime, as she works toward being the person she wants to be. Sure, she has moments that are bittersweet, if not downright morose, but she’s ultimately a cheerful and thoughtful person, even in moments that alternate from hilariously awkward to potentially dangerous – her zest for discovering things, and by extension, herself, make this hard to put down. Best of all are the emails from home – first worried and concerned, then testing the limits with ‘guilt inducing’ statements like “how will Dad manage the vacuuming” – she’s without waver – simply responding to queries about her return with “I’m having a wonderful adventure and will return soon enough.” Unfortunately for readers, soon enough comes far too quickly as I could have traveled with Connie far longer – and spent more hours in her company. For she becomes a friend, an example and a lovely character all around. I can’t wait to see more from this author. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.