The Girl in the Corner: when it's time to step out of the shadows

The Girl in the Corner by Amanda Prowse is a story of one woman’s journey to discover the life she wants but is it the one she already has? Rae-Valentine and Howard were childhood sweethearts. A relationship orchestrated by his loud and vivacious sister, Dolly. They celebrate 25 wonderful years of marriage when Howard drops a bombshell that leaves Rae questioning everything she knows about her husband, their marriage and even about herself. Heartbroken, Rae takes Dolly with her on what should have been a romantic anniversary trip to Antigua. As they drink, dance and talk like old times, Rae realizes that her choices weren’t made by her, they were made for her. Is she really the pushover everything sees her as? As Howard comes looking for a reconciliation, Rae has a choice to make: keep the peace as she always has and is expected to or will she put herself first and rock the boat for the first time in her life? 

Amanda Prowse certainly has a talent to bring a difficult situation to light and make it relatable. The Girl in the Corner is a moving story about one woman’s realization that she has always been there for her family but questions have they really been there for her? Rae has always been the shy, dependable one in her family and when she met Dolly, her polar opposite, in high school, she wanted to be like her. Thirty years later, she is still the quiet, dependable one. When the facade in her life suffers a crack, she questions who am I? I related the most to Rae. The shy, dependable one who stepped in when something needed to be done, usually before someone asked. And like Rae, I too had to learn to stand up and say “no,” although it is still hard sometimes. Overall, I enjoyed Rae and her journey. The supporting characters played their roles well and added to the complexity of the story. I recommend The Girl in the Corner. 

The Girl in the Corner is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

Deconstructed: sometimes you need to tear apart to make something better

Deconstructed by Liz Talley is a story of tearing down to rebuild something better. Catherine “Cricket” Crosby is an antique store owner whose seemingly perfect life is about to turn upside down. After overhearing a gossipy conversation, she learns that the rumors about her husband Scott’s affair are true after all. She sets a plan into motion: hire a private investigator, find an attorney and, with the help of her assistant, make her husband pay. Ruby knows all too well how quickly life can change. Trying to leave her dicey past behind her, she is determined to build a better future by working for Cricket and establishing herself as a designer of deconstructed vintage haute couture. Cricket is determined to use her newfound sleuthing to find the truth, no matter how hurtful or dangerous it gets. Can Cricket repair the life she had or will tearing down and rebuilding lead to the life she always wanted? 

Deconstructed caught me by surprise. At first, I wasn’t sure I would like Cricket. She seems like a typical stuffy high society lady who doesn’t want to rock the boat. But as she digs deeper into her husband’s secrets, she dries her tears and feels the anger burn. She’s ready to rock the boat. She goes from uptight lady to the sassy Southern woman I have come to love in movies and books. I loved Ruby who helps Cricket embrace her inner woman scorned and helps her along with her plan as she recruits a couple of less than savory cousins. I laughed with them as they planned and plotted to make sure her husband Scott gets his comeuppance. I cheered alongside Cricket when she finally confronts Scott. Deconstructed is a great book with fun, relatable characters. It’s The First Wives Club (1996) meets Steel Magnolias (1989) with its sassiness, comedic moments and camaraderie between Cricket and Ruby. I highly recommend Deconstructed. 

Deconstructed will be available February 1, 2022 in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

Evelyn, After: a story of one woman's path to rediscover herself

Evelyn, After by Victoria Helen Stone is the story of one woman’s journey after she discovers that her husband is cheating and may have been involved in a terrible accident. Evelyn Tester is a 41 year old wife and mother whose whole world has been torn apart. Her husband, Dr. Gary Tester, a psychiatrist, has been sleeping with a patient. Evelyn does the unthinkable, she looks up the woman which leads her to her husband, Noah. Evelyn finds herself befriending Noah without telling him who she really is. The news breaks about a young girl’s death and Evelyn begins to suspect her husband’s involvement. She carries secrets that could blow everyone’s lives apart. Will she tell the police about her suspicions? Will Noah ever find out who she is?

Evelyn, After is told in alternating timeline with events before and after a certain incident. The incident isn’t clear until the end of the book. However, the reader sees two Evelyns. The before Evelyn who is reeling from her discovery of her husband’s infidelity and the after Evelyn who decides enough’s enough and she to go down a dangerous path. I found the story to be a typical story of a woman who discovers her husband is cheating and she seeks out all information about the woman and her life and discovers the person she was before she became someone’s wife and mother. Despite the typical storyline, I enjoyed Evelyn, After. The story did have a few twists and turns to keep me intrigued and turning page after page. I recommend Evelyn, After.

Evelyn, After

is available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and Audible

and

on Barnes and Noble in paperback and Audiobook