Category Archives: Eva Woods

January 20, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Inbetween Days by Eva Woods

Title: The Inbetween Days by Eva Woods
Publisher: Graydon House
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: A

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From the author of Something Like Happy comes an uplifting and emotionally compelling novel about a woman in a coma fighting for a second chance at life, love and happiness.

Rosie Cooke is “in between.” In between consciousness and oblivion. Life and death. And though some say that when you’re near death your entire life flashes before your eyes, Rosie can’t remember anything at all—not even how she ended up in a coma. At least not at first.

Then something strange starts to happen. Rosie finds herself revisiting scattered moments from her past: a beach vacation, a play rehearsal, the day her brother was born. But why these memories? And what do they mean?

As each piece of the puzzle comes into focus, Rosie struggles to face the picture of her life that forms. But with every look backward comes a glimpse of what might be: A relationship with her sister. The opportunity to pursue her passion. A second chance at love. And Rosie just might discover that she has much to live for.

With bighearted emotion and comic sensibility, The Inbetween Days is a life-affirming novel about the little choices that determine our fate and our ever-enduring hope for the future.

Review:

The Inbetween Days by Eva Woods is a poignant yet ultimately uplifting novel of healing.

The Cooke family rushes to the hospital after learning Rosie has been struck by a bus and is now in a coma. Sister Daisy and mum Alison are wracked with guilt since they have not spoken to Rosie since she caused a scene at Daisy’s engagement party. Rosie has been estranged from her father, Mike, but he never hesitates to stay by his daughter’s bedside.The doctors have informed her family the next three days are critical for Rosie’s future. 

As Daisy searches for the truth about the circumstances of her sister’s accident, Rosie revisits painful yet pivotal moments in her life. She is guided by a cast of ghostly people who urge her to work out the meaning of these memories so she can wake up from her coma before the three day recovery window closes. Will Daisy gain a deeper understanding of her own life as she gains a better understanding of her sister’s? Can Rosie figure out why she is seeing a seemingly random selection of memories from her past?

Rosie is aware of what is going on around her as she frantically tries to force herself to wake up from her coma.  When her first “visitor” escorts her back to her past, she does not understand the why she is returning to these painful memories. With each subsequent trip down memory lane, Rosie grows more and more distraught as she sees what a mess she has made of her friendships and relationships with loved ones.  Fully realizing her ghostly guides are figments of her imagination, Rosie nonetheless begins to understand what she stands to lose if she does not emerge from her coma at the end of the three crucial days in her recovery.

The Cooke family  has been unhappy for a good number of years but they all deal with their issues in different ways. Rosie speaks her mind and this has lead to a breakdown in her relationships with her mother, sister and father. Her personal and professional lives are a bit of a muddle and Daisy is greatly saddened  by what she finds as she tries to make sense of what happened the day of the accident.  As Daisy uncovers the somewhat sad truth about Rosie, she begins to rethink her own decisions.  But will Daisy find the courage to take the steps she needs to find happiness? And will she find the courage to confront her parents about their role in their family’s dysfunction?

The Inbetween Days is an emotional and thought-provoking novel that is quite captivating. Rosie is an extremely sympathetic character and readers will root for her as she traverses her unhappy past in hopes of discerning why she made so many disastrous choices.  Daisy is desperate to understand her sister and in doing so, she must face the truth about her own choices.  Eva Woods will keep readers on the edge of their seats as she brings this riveting novel to a heartfelt and gratifying conclusion.  I absolutely loved and highly recommend this deeply affecting story.

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Filed under Contemporary, Eva Woods, Graydon House, Rated A, The Inbetween Days, Women's Fiction

September 4, 2017 · 11:58 pm

Review: Something Like Happy by Eva Woods

Title: Something Like Happy by Eva Woods
Publisher: Graydon House
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: A

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

With wry wit and boundless heart, Eva Woods delivers an unforgettable tale of celebrating triumphs great and small, seizing the day, and always remembering to live in the moment.

“It’s simple, really. You’re just meant to do one thing every day that makes you happy. Could be little things. Could be big. In fact, we’re doing one right now…”

Annie Hebden is stuck. Stuck in her boring job, with her irritating roommate, in a life no thirty-five-year-old would want. But deep down, Annie is still mourning the terrible loss that tore a hole through the perfect existence she’d once taken for granted—and hiding away is safer than remembering what used to be. Until she meets the eccentric Polly Leonard.

Bright, bubbly, intrusive Polly is everything Annie doesn’t want in a friend. But Polly is determined to finally wake Annie up to life. Because if recent events have taught Polly anything, it’s that your time is too short to waste a single day—which is why she wants Annie to join her on a mission…

One hundred days. One hundred new ways to be happy. Annie’s convinced it’s impossible, but so is saying no to Polly. And on an unforgettable journey that will force her to open herself to new experiences—and perhaps even new love with the unlikeliest of men—Annie will slowly begin to realize that maybe, just maybe, there’s still joy to be found in the world. But then it becomes clear that Polly’s about to need her new friend more than ever…and Annie will have to decide once and for all whether letting others in is a risk worth taking.

Review:

Something Like Happy by Eva Woods is an emotionally compelling, poignant yet uplifting novel that is quite memorable.

Thirty-five year old Annie Hebden has suffered tremendous loss and heartache in recent years. Unable to move past her sorrow or forgive those who have hurt her, she is absolutely miserable and wallowing in grief and self-pity. The only child of a single mom who has recently been diagnosed with early on-set dementia, Annie is bewildered by the sudden attention of Polly Leonard.  With a quirky style and an effervescent personality, Polly has every reason to be unhappy yet she is instead a shining star whom everyone loves.  She is determined to live life to the fullest and Polly decides Annie is the perfect companion to join her as she embarks on a one hundred happy days challenge.

Annie is mired in negativity as she goes to a job she hates and bemoans her fate living in a dingy flat with a much younger flatmate, Costas. She has let all of her friendships wither and she refuses to join her co-workers in any after-hours activities.  In the aftermath of her mother’s diagnosis, Annie finds herself even more overwhelmed and unhappy than before. She is initially not at all receptive to Polly’s overtures but Polly is not one to take no for answer and Annie suddenly finds herself firmly back in the land of the living.

Despite her circumstances, Polly is relentlessly upbeat and positive, larger than life and determined to live on her own terms. What begins as a begrudging friendship soon turns much deeper as Annie finds herself reluctantly confiding in Polly.  When Polly finds herself at a low point, will Annie be strong enough to offer her friend the support she needs as she faces the truth about her future?

With a wonderfully diverse cast of characters and a clever storyline, Something Like Happy is a heartfelt novel of friendship and healing. Eva Woods deftly blends sorrow and joy in this inspiring story that will linger in readers’ hearts and minds long after the last page is turned. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this enchanting novel.

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Filed under Contemporary, Eva Woods, Graydon House, Rated A, Review, Something Like Happy, Women's Fiction