This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite
Fifty-year-old Margaret Meyer, or Mar, is divorced after twenty-eight years of marriage. Her ex-husband, Henry, has another woman. Mar wants to change her life radically. She moves to a small apartment with an ocean view. A professional editor, Mar works from home. She spends a lot of time at a club named Seaside Fitness. Mar meets different people, hoping to find new friends as the old ones walk away from her. A novelist named Charles Kittredge, or Charlie, is a regular at Seaside Fitness' yoga class. Mar and Charlie feel a mutual attraction, but Mar is not ready for a serious relationship. Also, her relationship with her son, Michael, is strained, and an old neighbor, Mrs. Ostrowski, keeps trying to reach Mar for an unknown reason. Every month brings something or someone new into Mar's life.
My Year of Casual Acquaintances by Ruth F. Stevens, the first book in a series, will appeal to fans of women's fiction, romance, and family drama. In this novel, the author studies the real meaning of changes in our lives. Mar tries to make her life as simple as possible. She avoids deep relationships because they often lead to pain and disappointment. But Mar is not shallow. She is smart and caring. Ruth describes Mar's sometimes awkward attempts to find herself with humor and compassion. The novel also has a realistic romance theme. Charlie is honest and chivalrous. He and Mar perfectly complement each other, even if Mar doesn't realize it yet. I appreciated Ruth's immersive prose, the witty first-person narrative, and the excellent editorial work. The novel is fast-paced and offers many surprises as the story unfolds. I highly recommend it to those readers who prefer character-driven novels with compelling protagonists.
