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Friday, February 9, 2018

Book Review and Giveaway - The Story of Our Lives by Helen Warner

Book Synopsis
They think nothing can tear their bond apart, until a long-buried secret threatens to destroy everything. 

Every year they have met up for a vacation, but their time away is much more than just a bit of fun. Over time, it has become a lifesaver, as each of them struggles with life’s triumphs and tragedies.

Sophie, Emily, Amy and Melissa have been best friends since they were girls. They have seen each other through everything—from Sophie’s private fear that she doesn’t actually want to be a mother despite having two kids, to Amy’s perfect-on-the-outside marriage that starts to reveal troubling warning signs, to Melissa’s spiraling alcoholism, to questions that are suddenly bubbling up around the paternity of Emily’s son. But could a lie that spans just as long as their friendship be the thing that tears them apart?

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble


My Review 
The Story of Us tells the story of four friends over the years.  Sophie has a wonderful relationship but struggles with post-partum depression.  Amy is in a perfect marriage - from the outside.   Emily is a single mother raising her son alone.  Melissa struggles with drinking and self esteem that leads her to choose the wrong men.  

This book spans the years from 1997 to 2012.  Each section begins with a quote about what is happening in the world at that time.  Events like Princess Diana's death, the Queen's Golden Jubilee, and the divorce of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills are included as touchstone memories.

I really enjoyed the way this book moved back and forth through time.  As the women move along in life we see flashbacks to their pivotal college years and their 20's.  This was an interesting way of getting to know the characters better.

The author, Helen Warner, does a wonderful job of delineating these very different characters.  Within the first few chapters I felt I had a good understanding of the different women and what motivated them.

I found The Story of Our Lives a real "can't put down" novel.  I read it in about 3 days because I enjoyed the book so much that I kept sneaking in extra reading time to find out what happened next!   I really enjoy novels about women's friendship, and this was an enjoyable read.  

I recommend this book to fans of women's fiction. This would be a great weekend read or vacation book!

Author Bio

Helen Warner is head of daytime for Channel 4, where she is responsible for shows such as Come Dine With Me and Deal Or No Deal. Previously she worked for ITV where she launched the daytime talk show Loose Women and was editor of This Morning. She lives in East Anglia with her husband and their two children.

Connect with Helen

Website | Goodreads


Giveaway  

Win a $25 gift card!

I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Trish - I entered. If it is a U.S. only contest, I will have the book shipped to a friend. Thanks! Sounds like an interesting book. Brenda

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