July 18, 2025
Lila used to think she had the perfect life, but then, just two weeks after she publishes a self-help marriage book, her husband leaves her. Now, following the death of her mother, Lila lives with her stepfather, Bill, and her daughters, a moody teenager and a precocious eight-year-old. Their old house needs constant and costly repairs. Adding to the chaos, Lila's birth father, Gene, reappears after a 35-year absence and joins the household. Lila needs money. Her editor is eager for her to write about being a newly single, swinging woman, but she hasn't even gone out for a drink with a man. After a series of bumps and bruises, the household begins to come together into something positive. As Lila figures out what she wants and how to achieve it, the true meaning of friendship and family comes into focus. Bestselling Moyes (The Giver of Stars) crafts a sweet, if predictable, tale about love, loss, change, and resilience. Jenna Coleman narrates with a pleasing British accent, highlighting the frustration and conflict each person feels. She is especially effective at voicing the teenage Celie's eye-rolling snark. VERDICT A charming, familiar tale of family, ending on a happy note.--Joanna M. Burkhardt
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