Review: How to Change a Life

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

A dare between friends leads to startling revelations and simmering tensions in the latest novel from the author of Wedding Girl.

Eloise is happy with her life as a successful private chef. She has her clients, her corgi, and a recipe for the world’s most perfect chocolate cream pie. What more could she need? But when her long-lost trio of high school friends reunites, Eloise realizes how lonely she really is.

Eloise, Lynne, and Teresa revamp their senior-class assignment and dare one another to create a list of things to accomplish by the time they each turn forty in a few months. Control freak Lynne has to get a dog, Teresa has to spice up her marriage, and Eloise has to start dating again.

Enter Shawn, a hunky ex-athlete and the first man Eloise could see herself falling for. Suddenly forty doesn’t seem so lonely–until a chance encounter threatens the budding romance and reveals the true colors of her friends. Will the bucket listers make it to forty still speaking to one another? Or do some friendships come with an expiration date?

Readers Guide and Recipes Included!

Rating: 4-stars

Review: 

How to Change a Life by Stacey Ballis is an entertaining heartfelt read. It was definitely all about women and their lives. One of the main female characters, Eloise, was the star of the book. The other two women were just there to add a bit of a challenge and a start to Eloise’s new journey. Eloise is turning 40 and is single. She reconnects with two older high school buddies and make a pack. They each have something to accomplish.

Eloise’s goal is to get back into the world of dating. For a woman like Eloise, dating is harder than when she was younger. Finding a man who can handle her and whatever life dishes out, will be a challenge. Unexpectedly, she finds one who sparks her interest in more ways than one. Only it turns out, this man is also the ex-husband of her oldest friends.

Drama, love, and friendships are tested. But I loved the realistic touch of life that always seems to butt in whenever things seem to be going well. Stacey Ballis kept the book interesting and well-told. I enjoyed the feelings of emotion created from both Eloise and Shawn. Shawn is a charming man who is full of surprises. He’s not just a hot hunk with muscle. Overall, I would recommend this contemporary women’s novel to all.