Blog blitz three of the day and it’s for Dee MacDonald and ‘The Runaway Wife’. It was really difficult not to fall in love with this one! Big thanks, as always, to Bookouture for the blog blitz invite, as well as the ARC. Here is my review:
One evening in early August, while mashing the potatoes for dinner, Connie McColl decides she’s had enough…
Connie is tired of solving one family crisis after another – usually involving her unruly grandchildren – while her husband Roger spends all day at his beloved golf course. Surely it must be time for her to shake off her apron and start living again?
So Connie packs a bag, gets in her little green car and drives off…
As Connie journeys from England to Scotland on an unexpected adventure, she finally begins to rediscover herself. And she starts to wonder, will she ever be ready to return home? Or will this summer change her life forever?
The Runaway Wife is an inspiring and joyously uplifting novel about being true to yourself. If you loved The Kicking the Bucket List and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry this book is for you.
What does TWG think?
What a wonderful little read this was! Connie is sick and tired of feeling like a housekeeper, a babysitter, and a slave to her family. She’s had enough and after careful deliberation whilst bashing the potatoes for dinner into next week, Connie decides to do something for herself and live. No more being her husbands personal driver. No more having no plans to fit in with her daughter-in-law’s ever-expanding social life so that she can babysit for her. No more! Instead, Connie packs a few essentials and sets off in Kermit to a destination she hasn’t decided yet. You go girl!
Connie is the type of character you will pretty much fall in love with straight away. She reminds me of the sort of grandmother who, should she ever go to a posh dinner, would sit there and talk about sexual positions in great detail. Such a brilliant character.
I loved how the book mentioned Galashiels (which is where I live), and I loved how much detail the author went into when she was describing Edinburgh. It was so lovely to read a book and be all ‘I’VE BEEN THERE. I KNOW THAT’ like you’re the local city groupie or something!
Connie’s adventure had me laughing out loud, sitting with tears in my eyes, as well as becoming emotionally touched by who she met along the way. Sometimes in life we lose sight of who we are whilst other people take us for granted, with us having no confidence to tell them to shove off. I’m sure we have all been there. The fact that Connie was determined to not live the rest of her life in a shell, living life for everyone else, really did make me think. I mean, living life for YOU is in no way selfish, so why are people made to feel that way?
I disliked Roger from the get go and my opinion didn’t change in a positive way, the more of him I got to know. In fact, I actually disliked him more by the time I got to the end of the book. What a self-absorbed man!! If he looked like Channing Tatum then yeah, I could see why he would think his bowel movements don’t stink, but he isn’t. Selfish dweeb!
For me personally, Connie was the star of the show and I was so glad she decided to go on her adventure the way that she did. At the age of 66, Connie knew fine well that she needs to live with no regrets in the time of life that she has left. Just look at Jeannie, bless her heart. It really brought home just how short life is and how we need to grab it by the Kermit before it’s too late. I know that sometimes it’s easier said than done, but like Connie proves, there is no wrong time to do something for you, as long as it isn’t too late.
‘The Runaway Wife’ really warmed my soul and that ending, well, I think I snorted into my cup of tea more than once! Despite being a laugh out loud, carefree type of read, Dee MacDonald included some deep and meaningful topics along the way, making my mind think all that bit more.
I really do hope that Connie returns sooner rather than later as I cannot wait to follow her on yet another life-changing adventure. This book is truly something special, just like Connie, Jeannie and Kath. A wonderful, wonderful book that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Buy links:
Amazon // iBooks // Kobo // GooglePlay
About the author.
Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of British Airways) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years.
She has worked in Market Research, Sales and at the Thames TV Studios when they had the franchise.
Dee has since relocated to Cornwall, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70!
Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.
The Writing Garnet 