When 70-year-old Charlotte Perkins submits an essay to the 'Become a Jetsetter' contest, she dreams of reuniting her estranged children: Lee, an almost-famous actress; Cord, a handsome Manhattan venture capitalist; and Regan, a harried mother who has never forgiven Charlotte for buying her a Weight Watchers gift certificate for her birthday.
But when she wins the cruise, the reality is not quite as she expected. As they sail from sun-drenched Athens, to glorious Rome, to tapas-laden Barcelona, lovers old and new join the adventure, and long-buried secrets are revealed.
Can four lost adults find their way back to themselves, and to each other?
I was really happy when I was approved for this title from NetGalley, even though the publication date had passed. It had been a book club pick by Reese Witherspoon and I had seen many rave reviews on the GoodReads and the socials.
Sadly, I was about 25% in when I came to the realisation that I was going to be disappointed. But I persevered, thinking that I must be missing something, there must be a twist, an epiphany…something.
I should be clear here, in no way was I displeased with the story. This novel was really well written, and I liked how it was told from each of the 4 protagonists point of view. Even though Charlotte’s 3 children were in their late 30s, this felt very akin to a coming of age story. Each character had to find their path before being able to come back together as a unit. Unfortunately, the problem lays with everyone who has been mooning over this book.
If you’re looking for a story full of sunshine, set against the wonderful backdrop of Europe, with some family drama thrown in…you’ll really enjoy this book. But I wouldn’t go into it expecting that it’s going to change your life.
** Thanks to Penguin Books (UK), via NetGalley, for this ARC **
Comments