CJsMommy's Full Review: Allison Winn Scotch - Time of My Life
Jillian has the perfect life. She's got a husband who makes good money and adores her. She has a beautiful daughter. She's got a wonderful home, wonderful friends, wonderful clothes. Get the picture? Everything about Jillian is cut straight out of the many magazines she reads (Redbook, Better Homes, Parenting, etc.). Everything seems great. Great, that is, until her best friend tells her Jack is getting married.
Jack is Jillian's ex-boyfriend. They were together for a few years before Jillian settled down with her husband, Henry. Jillian feels that Jack may be the one that got away, especially considering that her perfect life may not be so perfect after all. Jillian and her husband don't talk much, don't see each other much, and certainly don't do anything in a romantic sense. Jillian feels like her whole life (although "perfect") is not what she wants. Why did her husband make her quit her job in advertising when she was pregnant? Why did he make her move out of the city to the suburbs?
Jillian is in the middle of a massage, supposedly getting help unlocking her "chi", when something strange happens. She wakes up seven years in the past! In a bed she shared with Jack! In a life including her old job, her messy closet, and her best friend, Meg! Meg had died in a car accident a few years back (or was that a few years in the future?). Jillian looks at this as a chance to right the wrongs that happened to her, and create a life that she knows she deserves. What Jillian doesn't realize is that coming back to the past will not only change her life, it will change the lives of those around her....for better or for worse. And why does she keep running into Henry when she is meant to be with Jack?!?!? Not only that, parts of her "new" life start to resemble her "old" life! And boy, does she miss Katie, her daughter. Will she ever get to see her again?
I thoroughly enjoyed Allison Winn Scotch's novel Time of My Life. It is funny, heartwarming, and yes, even has a good message. I know I'm not the only one out there who looks at my life and wonders how it would be different if I hadn't done this, or had stayed with such and such guy. All it takes, though, is one look at my kids and my fiance (would I have even met him if I had chosen another path?) to know that I'm right where I want to be.
My only problem with the book is the ending. Although it was nicely done, I have seen it before. In fact, I just finished reading another book with a similar ending. Although I don't want to give anything away, let's just say it's not original. Well written, just not original. Scotch does a nice job letting us into the head of Jillian. She does swear to herself a lot, which at first was a little off putting, until I realized my inner voice swears a lot too! I loved seeing the growth this character went through in the book. It gave me pause to think about my own life. Scotch has definitely created a relatable character. Although there are many other characters in the book, we really only get to know Jillian deeply. All the others are seen pretty much through her eyes. That helps in making this a much more personal journey, I believe. After all, if the focus is on Jillian, we really can only know what she knows, right?
Overall, this is a very good book. I think women may get more out of it than men (only because it's really a woman's journey...sorry men!), but it is a good read, regardless. Definitely worth checking out. Scotch is also the author of The Department of Lost and Found, which is now on my must read list.
Jillian Westfield, a young wife and mother, gets a chance to find out what life could be like if she had made different choices. With hindsight, Jilli...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Jillian Westfield, a young wife and mother, gets a chance to find out what life could be like if she had made different choices. With hindsight, Jilli...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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