Time of My Life...Review

About the book:
Jillian Westfield has the perfect husband, the perfect baby, and the perfect home in the suburbs, but sometimes she finds herself wondering about the life she left behind. A few short years earlier, she was living with her undeniably attractive but unreliable boyfriend Jackson, working a demanding job at an ad agency, partying too much, and living in a less-than-perfect New York apartment. But those days were full of possibility and free of diaper changes, trips to the grocery store, and endless days fulfilling only the needs of her daughter and husband. Now, discontented in her faltering marriage, Jillian can’t help but think about what her life would have been like if she hadn’t married Henry, quit her job to be a stay-at-home mom, or spurned her mother’s own attempts to reconcile after two decades of silence. What if she’d stayed with Jackson in their run-down apartment and tried a little harder to make their relationship work? What if she’d answered her mother’s letter? What would her life be like now?


One morning, Jillian gets a chance to find out. She wakes up in her old apartment, right in the middle of her life as it was seven years ago, before she’d left Jackson and her job and ignored her mother’s letter. With twenty-twenty hindsight, Jillian has the chance to discover “what if” once and for all—and to decide which life she really wants.Jillian has made herself into the perfect Martha Stewart-like wife and mother. The pressure she puts on herself to be perfect is amazing. Realizing that her life is a bit mundane and feeling like her marriage is stale, Jillian finds herself thinking back to her former life and wondering what would have happened if...


One morning, Jillian wakes up in that past life, 7 years away from her current life, husband and daughter. Armed with the chance to find out what might have happened, she takes the chance to experience life with her different perspective.

While a light, easy read, I was surprised at the depth. The exploration of how and what you would change about your life, if you could, was interesting. It wasn't just about staying with an old boyfriend: it was conversations--what to say to help that friend in need; it was the choice of reconnecting with the mother who abandoned you; it was choosing to avoid pointless arguments.

The story was a fast read, for the most part, and the characters were mostly likeable. Parts dragged though and it was very apparent, very early that Jackson wasn't her true love, Henry was. I found myself skipping over some parts that seemed redundant and slow: Jackson is selfish and has a smothering relationship with his mother; and yes, it's hard seeing Henry with someone else and we know you're drawn to him, we get that, get over it already. I just wanted Jillian to realize for herself that returning to Henry and Katie was the right choice.

An easy, interesting read about finding yourself and who you are and what you want from life. While one could argue that it fit the characters there was still moderate, unnecessary profanity.

Thanks to Lisa Munley at TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Allison Winn Scotch here.

You can check out these other tour stops here for additional reviews

Read 8/09

* * *
3/5 Stars

Comments

  1. The premise of the book sounds good - sounds like it could have been edited a little more carefully.

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  2. This sounds like a fun novel. I loved your review -- it definitely piqued my interest.

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