Author: Susanne O’Leary
Narrator: Melanie MacHugh
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 2018
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Have you ever wanted to press the escape button?
Maddy and Leanne are in need of a miracle.
Maddy can't bear to wash another pair of her husband's Y-fronts and if he continues to drone on about golf she might just scream.
Leanne can't stand living with her overbearing mother for a second longer and she's one disapproving eye roll away from a nervous breakdown.
But their luck changes when they win the lottery.
Setting off from Dublin, Maddy and Leanne lease a red convertible, winding through Europe and heading for the sun-drenched French Riviera.
But the pair have their own reasons for their adventure. Maddy has never forgotten her summer romance of twenty years ago with a gorgeous Frenchman and Leanne plans to track down the father who abandoned her as a child.
Amongst glorious sunsets and buckets of bubbly, Leanne and Maddy are searching for answers after years of wondering 'what if?'. But there might just be some surprises in store along the way…
A hilarious and heartwarming story about friendship, living life to the full and making the most of every moment. Fans of Fiona Gibson, Carole Matthews and Lucy Diamond will adore this uplifting, fun-filled read.
My Thoughts: When we first meet Maddy and Leanne, we learn they are part of a group of schoolteachers who have hit the lottery and have each won GBP200,000, so how awesome is that? This windfall couldn’t have come at a better time in their lives. Leanne’s life is under control by her mother and Maddy’s life consists of children who no longer need mothering and a husband who values his bloody golf clubs over his wife. Both of these women need a fresh start in the worst way. They keep the win to themselves and decide to go on a holiday. Leanne is on the search for the father who left when she was a child and Maddy is searching for the man she fell in love with when she was a student in France over twenty years ago.
Along the way from Dublin to the French Riviera, they meet many interesting characters, secrets are revealed, truths are told, tears are shed and life is lived with many humorous moments.
I liked Maddy and Leanne and their decision to take off on a massive holiday adventure was very exciting. Blogging it as they go also holds great appeal to me. We’ve all entertained the question of ”What is the first thing you would do if you hit it big in the lottery?” and for these two ladies, the answer is simple and I really liked that.
I went with the audiobook format of this story and I absolutely loved the narration performance of Melanie MacHugh. The story starts in Dublin and Maddy and Leanne are Irish, so obviously, listening to this book, one would expect Irish accents and this one didn’t disappoint. Ms. MacHugh’s narration was excellent. The voices of each character were distinct and brought them to life, giving me a better understanding of their personality, which enabled me to connect with them.
This was the first book for me by this author and I have the second book in this series, A Holiday to Remember which sees Maddy and Leanne’s adventure continuing. I am looking forward to reading that one as there are several loose threads in this story and I am curious to see how it all comes out.
My Final Verdict: I recommend this story to readers of women’s fiction, chick-lit and stories that feature exciting locale settings.
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