AUTHOR: Jules Moulin
PUBLISHER: Dutton
PUBLISHING DATE: August 25, 2015
FROM GOODREADS: Life isn’t easy for single mother Ally Hughes. Teaching at Brown, her class load is huge and her boss is a menace. At home, she contends with a critical mother, a falling-down house, and a daughter who never misses a beat. Between taking care of the people she loves, teaching full time, and making ends meet, Ally doesn't have time for a man. She doesn’t date. She’s not into flings. But then she meets Jake, an eager student, young in years but old in soul, who challenges his favorite professor to open up her life, and her heart, to love. It doesn't work. In fact, his urging backfires.
Ten years later, Ally's still single. Jake reappears and surprises her in a brand-new role: He's dating Ally's now-grown daughter. In this hilarious, heartrending tale, Ally is finally forced to concede (not only to herself) that an independent, "liberated" woman can still make room in her life for love.
MY THOUGHTS: I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I requested this book from the Penguin First to Read program. However, I read so much horror and paranormal, that I sometimes need a contemporary or a cozy mystery to cleanse my palette. That is exactly what this book managed to do.
Ally is a single mother, college professor and writer for women's magazines. She has spent her entire life focused on raising her daughter Lizzie, and has often out her needs on the backburner. During one "mad" weekend, she meets Jake, a current/former student and has the ride of her life. She then returns to her regular routine of caring for her daughter and ignoring her own wants and needs. 10 years later, Jake reappears, and so do all the feelings they had for each other, and Ally's world comes tumbling down.
I really like this novel, but a few things did bother me. The whole books rotates between current times, and what happened 10 years ago. This was not well done in the beginning and I found it quite confusing at first. However, this gets much better after the first 50 or so pages. Second, there is some insta-love in the book, but as the novel progresses, the reader finds it not as instant as it appears so I found it tolerable.
Overall, Moulin creates a face-paced read. Her characters are likable, and while the story is at times unbelievable, it sure is a lot of fun. I enjoyed learning more about Lizzie, her obsession with getting a nose job, and her best friend Weather. Moulin also did a great job portraying various family dynamics such as Ally's relationship with her own mother, her relationship with Lizzie, and Lizzie's involvement in Ally's dating life. If you like romances, especially those with some steaminess, combined with a decent plot, give this book a chance!
RATING: 4 PAWS
COYER SCAVENGER HUNT CHALLENGE #12: Read any type of romance novel
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