Really Good, Actually

⭐️⭐️🌟

I read this as part of a read along for tandem collective. Thank you to the publisher and author for having this available.

Mixed feelings on this book from the get go. I had a hard time getting into the actual read. It seemed like that for a few of us in the readalong. I’m giving this a generous 3 but it’s more like 2.5-2.75

What I can appreciate is the author’s writing style and build up of the character Maggie. I personally didn’t like Maggie and found her annoying because she was not self aware and her obliviousness to her obnoxious attitude when it came to life and friends bugged me.

As she came to accept her divorce, I kept wondering if maybe she was the problem. The ramblings suggested that and the incessant need to contact Jon was a bit too much. I was thankful for the therapist scene as we found out just how overbearing she was.

I guess this is a book of self discovery. How you can go from being attached to someone and then have the hard task of actually navigating life on your own. I can’t relate to Maggie as I actually listen to friends and family when they are talking and genuinely care about their lives. It seemed like Maggie never did this and only wanted to talk about herself, so I can’t relate to how self-centred she is. I just wouldn’t be friends with someone like her. It’s as if she holds judgement for anyone she encounters.

I was happy that she got therapy and actually grew as a person in the end. Also liked how it was left open ended with any real possibility and she didn’t just end up with another guy, embracing a single lifestyle and actually being comfortable with herself.

Where Wild Peaches Grow

⭐️⭐️🌟

Thanks NetGalley, the author and publisher for my ARC copy.

I definitely have mixed feelings on this book as I was close to DNFing purely because of the story. I’m giving this 2.5 stars.

Let’s start with the positives:

- I thought the book was well written

- The overall message about making amends and leaving the past behind is something we can all learn

- I was happy that the characters grew at the end

I don’t read blurbs and the cover intrigued me. As I read the opening chapters, I thought to myself, what grudge would you have to not talk to your family for 20 years? It’s got to be something particularly bad right? When it was about halfway through the book (or more), that we find out Nona’s grandmother and Ruby that meddled with Nona’s plan to elope, only for Nona to blame her dad and sister, I was like whaaat? I thought to myself, why wouldn’t Nona just take the time to listen to her dad when he came to Chicago? Why would she not talk to her family because of that? Also, why didn’t she contact Marcus and figure it out when he didn’t meet with her? It just doesn’t make sense. For grandma Opal to not reveal the truth over all the time they talked on the phone… it just all could have been avoided without miscommunication and misunderstanding. I’m not sure I particularly like this trope. It makes the characters come across as immature.

There was too much back and forth of - should I / shouldn’t I talk to her and should I avoid them between the sisters. Some parts of the story felt repeated because of it. The ending felt rushed and it was left open ended in parts. It would have been good for Julia to see Cat and for the sisters to meet their brother Ben together as I think it would have wrapped up the story a little better.

I’m still trying to get over the fact Nona wouldn’t speak to her sister for 20 years because she thought Julia revealed her elopement secret to their dad, which didn’t happen. It seems too far fetched to me. I definitely understand Julia’s point of view of feeling abandoned and that’s why she couldn’t pick up the phone, but because it impacted Nona THAT much, she could have unleashed her anger through a conversation and realised what she knew was wrong.