The worst of times calls for the best of friends in this
sassy novel about starting over, from New York Times bestselling author Carolyn
Brown.
Dear friends and army wives Diana, Carmen, and Joanie
have been through war, rumors of war, marital problems, motherhood, fears, joy,
and heartache. But none of the women are prepared when their daughters decide
to enlist in the army together. Facing an empty nest won't be easy. Especially
for Carmen. With emotions already high, she suffers an even greater blow:
divorce papers. Diana understands the fury and tears. She's been there.
With nothing to lose and no one at home, the girlfriends
impulsively accept an unexpected offer from their elderly neighbor. The
recently widowed Tootsie has an RV, a handsome nephew at the wheel, and an aim
for tiny Scrap, Texas, to embrace memories of her late husband. Still grieving,
she can use the company as a balm for her broken heart. So can the empty
nesters.
Embarking on a journey of hope, romance, and healing,
Diana, Carmen, and Joanie are at a turning point in their lives. And with the
open road ahead of them, it's just the beginning.
Terrific story of friendship, healing, and love. The
story opens in the past as Tootsie and her husband Smokey watch three young
families move into houses on their block. All three are military families, each
with one young daughter. Tootsie immediately senses that these people will
become good friends. The prologue spends some time introducing each of the
characters and their personalities. It also shows the depth of friendship that
already exists between Diana, Carmen, and Joanie, as they finish the prologue
by sending their men off, hiding their heartbreak behind cheerful faces. The
story picks up thirteen years later, as all three women watch their daughters depart
for Army basic training, leaving them with empty nests. That's not the only
life-altering event either. Tootsie's husband Smokey recently passed away,
leaving all of them feeling his loss. To make matters worse, Carmen unexpectedly
receives divorce papers from her husband. As the women come together to support
Carmen, Tootsie invites them all on her road trip as a way to get away from it
all.
Tootsie: Tootsie is a warm-hearted woman who was deeply
in love with her husband. She is devastated by his loss, but the other women's
presence in her life helps her deal with her grief. Helping them through their
problems provides a needed distraction. I loved her down-home country wisdom
and her straightforward way of delivering it. There are some hilarious times
ahead for them, as well as some profoundly emotional ones. Smokey's loss isn't
all Tootsie has to deal with on this journey, and the other women repay
Tootsie's support with some of their own. I loved Tootsie's conversations with
Smokey. They gave a good look at the type of man he was and the relationship he
had with her.
Carmen: I loved Carmen and ached so much for her. The
unexpected arrival of divorce papers on the day her daughter left for boot camp
made it especially devastating. She's always been a little bit insecure thanks
to her feelings of being not good enough for Eli (reinforced by her witch of a
mother-in-law) and immediately starts thinking about what she must have done
wrong. I loved seeing her journey through denial, grief, and anger, and seeing
her come out stronger on the other side. I detested her husband, Eli, whose true colors
were revealed in his phone calls to her. There was a funny scene in which
Carmen contemplated emulating a book character's revenge on a cheating spouse.
I laughed because I recognized that revenge from an earlier book by the author.
Joanie: After witnessing Diana's divorce years earlier,
and seeing what Carmen goes through now, Joanie experiences some guilt about
the solidity of her marriage. But recent phone calls from Brett have been
disturbing, and she wonders if the bonds are as strong as she thought. I ached
for her and her fears. Brett turned out to be the best of the husbands, and I
liked how he came clean about the issue. I especially liked his understanding
of her bond with the other women. Joanie impressed me with her realistic look
at the proposition and consideration of all the ramifications.
Diana: Diana's life has revolved around raising her
daughter. Mostly by herself, as first her husband was gone so much, then later as
a single mother. She showed little interest in dating, not ready to trust
another man with her heart. Having already been through it, she is in an
excellent position to help Carmen. What Diana did not expect was to feel a
connection to Tootsie's nephew Luke, who is their driver on this road trip. She
is a bit freaked out about their age difference since he's a few years younger.
I loved the friendship that grew between them as they discovered things they
had in common and how that friendship grew and changed. There were some sweet
moments between them, and some very steamy ones. Diana has some issues she has
to deal with before she lets herself even consider a future with Luke in it. I
liked the fact that they kept the lines of communication open, even when they
were at odds.
Luke: The lone man on this road trip. Luke is a
self-professed geek who claims limited social skills. He spent most of his
adult life immersed in the software company that he built. Luke recently sold
it and now must decide what he wants to do. He loves his Aunt Tootsie and looks
forward to the memories of his Uncle Smokey on this trip. He is taken by surprise
by his connection to Diana, especially as he usually is shy and awkward around
women. I liked how the age difference meant so little to him and loved how he
explained it to Diana. I liked his patience as he didn't try to push Diana past
where she was comfortable but still left her in no doubt about his interest. Luke
also helps each of the other women through some of their problems with some
practical advice and/or viewpoints from the male perspective.
I loved the journey these five made together, with the
love, friendship, and respect that helped each of them through some rough
times. I loved the end of the journey as they attended their daughters'
graduation and saw the changes that they, too, had experienced. I enjoyed the
glimpses of each mother/daughter relationship, as well as the friendships
between the three girls. I got a kick out of Rebecca's comments to Luke. There
was also some insight into the three women's husband and how the men's
relationships with each other compared to their wives' relationships.
The epilogue was great. I liked seeing them all a few
months down the road and how things have worked out for them. I loved seeing
Luke and Diana together, and the unexpected twist that capped off the book.
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