Saturday, September 9, 2017

How to change a life by Stacey Ballis

4 Star

Eloise is happy with her life as a successful private chef. She has her clients, her corgi, and a recipe for the world's most perfect chocolate cream pie. What more could she need? But when her long-lost trio of high school friends reunites, Eloise realizes how lonely she really is.

Eloise, Lynne, and Teresa revamp their senior-class assignment and dare one another to create a list of things to accomplish by the time they each turn forty in a few months. Control freak Lynne has to get a dog, Teresa has to spice up her marriage, and Eloise has to start dating again.

Enter Shawn, a hunky ex-athlete and the first man Eloise could see herself falling for. Suddenly forty doesn't seem so lonely--until a chance encounter threatens the budding romance and reveals the true colors of her friends. Will the bucket listers make it to forty still speaking to one another? Or do some friendships come with an expiration date?




Kathryn - 4 Star

I really have enjoyed the last few novels I’ve read by Stacey Ballis.  There’s something about the way she creates current, realistic personalities that immediately draws me into the story and I always find something in each character to relate to.

How to change a life focusses mainly on Eloise who is private chef to a charming family with a bunch of kids.  She’s happy enough being wrapped up in their family and catering to her other private clients on the side until she realises part of life really is passing her by…the man part. The reappearance of her high-school girlfriends at a teacher’s funeral cements the notion that none of them has reached their life plans that they’d set out in high school.  Both Lynne and Teresa are also struggling a bit, they’ve accomplished some of their goals but some things are still lacking- the three women’s promise to kick their lives into gear sends them all on their own personal life missions.

While the narrative sticks mainly with Eloise, her dating exploits and her hilarious mother & auntie we also do have some insight into Lynne and Teresa’s lives.  There’s a fair amount of conflict between the women as they try to make their bucket lists before they turn forty but for women who had led separate lives for the past 20 plus years this wasn’t really a surprise- it’s hard enough having someone who knows you well be critical of your choices let alone someone who hasn’t seen you in that long.

My only stumble was Eloise’s past relationship left in France- I felt there was so much stock given to this man and she deserved to not have had to drag that baggage around with her. It didn’t feel entirely realistic that she would have still been afraid to date.


Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for our review copy. All opinions are our own.

Connect with Stacey Ballis:
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