Harper Collins Audio UK sent me a free audio-copy of Welcome to Your Life by Bethany Rutter via NetGalley.
It's been a while since I picked up an audiobok, I've been listening to a lot of podcasts on my commute instead. But then I saw that Bethany Rutter's adult debut was on Net Galley and I couldn't resist.
No, I really couldn't resist. I was supposed to save this for Monday morning, but when it landed on my phone on Friday afternoon I ended up listening to it all in a single sitting. It's amazing.
This is a love story…
Serena Mills should be at her wedding. But she’s not.
Instead, she’s eating an ice cream sundae and drinking an obscenely large glass of wine in a Harvester off the M25.
Everyone thinks she’s gone mad.
She’s left the man everyone told her she was ‘so lucky’ to find – because Serena wants to find love. Real love. A love she deserves – not one she should just feel grateful for.
So, she escapes to the big city and sets herself a challenge: 52 weeks. 52 dates. 52 chances to find love. It should be easy, right?
Source: NetGalley | Review Copy
5 Word Review: Love, friendship, acceptance, belonging, growth.
This book. It's a balm. It's amazing.
From the very first words, I was hooked. I had a massive smile on my face because this book? It's exactly what I needed and the writing style is just so gorgeous and accessible and the narrative voice feels so familiar. It was easy to read because it felt comfortable, even as the story itself was challenging. Especially in how it had me confronting myself and my own self-belief (or lack thereof).
I loved Serena's journey, how she found herself and started to truly love herself. I loved seeing her grow through her insecurities and see past what she thought people thought of her. I loved her genuine care for other people, she's such a good person. Serena's generosity shone out. Sarah is my kind of person. I loved her creativity too, how she made her own clothes - I could never.
This book had me cackling. Right from the start when it all kicks off, I was there with Serena, part of me like "oh no!" and the other part like "yes girl!". I was so glad when Serena started to look at her relationship in those first pages, and the realisation she came too.
The disastrous dates had me cringing at times because of how real they felt. Anyone who has dated will recognise the situations.
The friendships were amazing, I loved Nicole and her influence on Serena. I loved how it rubbed off on me a little too, I feel better for having read Welcome to Your Life.
The audiobook is narrated by Ell Potter and they did the most amazing job bringing Serena to life. I loved their performance and thought it fitted Serena's character and the tone of the book perfectly.
This book begs to be read with a cold glass of wine on a warm evening. It is uplifting and soul restoring, and the perfect balm to a bad week. I loved the themes of hope and acceptance and personal growth, and how the characters tackled the bad things.
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