She's Up to No Good: a sudden trip leads to life changing events

She’s Up to No Good by Sara Goodman Confino is a story of a sudden trip that leads to life changing events for two women. After four years of marriage, Jenna is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. With time on her hands and her life at a crossroads, she agrees to accompany Evelyn, her eccentric maternal grandmother, on a road trip to the family’s seaside Massachusetts hometown. As they hit the road, Evelyn begins a story of her star-crossed teenage romance with a young man named Tony. A story that she has hidden deep in her heart for seventy years as the events had changed the course of her life. When they arrive, Jenna meets Joe, Tony’s great-nephew. As their new friendship grows, Jenna begins to gain the confidence to find a new perspective and put her broken life back together. She learns that healing can come at the unexpected moments in a woman's life. 

I purchased She’s Up to No Good as a part of Amazon’s First Reads program. I love stories that intertwine past and present relationships. It was described as a “funny, poignant, and life-affirming novel about family, secrets, and broken hearts” However, a few chapters in and I was bored. I didn’t care for Jenna and Evelyn. Jenna is so annoyingly whiny for a woman who is supposed to be 34 years old. Evelyn is described as feisty but it comes across as downright mean. She doesn’t care who she hurts or manipulates. I did not find any of the situations funny that were supposed to be “funny.” If anything I was cringed more than I laughed. The story is also way too long. Sixty-two chapters of drawn out drama and family secrets. Overall, I was bored and did not care for either woman and her personal journey. I do not recommend She’s Up to No Good. 

She’s Up to No Good is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook