Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins

Title: Life and Other Inconveniences

Author: Kristan Higgins

Publisher: Berkley Books

Release Date: August 6, 2019

From the New York Times bestselling author of Good Luck with That comes a new novel about a blue-blood grandmother and her black-sheep granddaughter who discover they are truly two sides of the same coin.

Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London. The regal old woman came from wealthy and bluest-blood New England stock, but that didn’t protect her from life’s cruelest blows: the disappearance of Genevieve’s young son, followed by the premature death of her husband. But Genevieve rose from those ashes of grief and built a fashion empire that was respected the world over, even when it meant neglecting her other son.

When Emma’s own mother died, her father abandoned her on his mother’s doorstep. Genevieve took Emma in and reluctantly raised her–until Emma got pregnant her senior year of high school. Genevieve kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back…but Emma took with her the most important London possession: the strength not just to survive but to thrive. And indeed, Emma has built a wonderful life for herself and her teenage daughter, Riley. 

So what is Emma to do when Genevieve does the one thing Emma never expected of her and, after not speaking to her for nearly two decades, calls and asks for help?

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Kristan Higgins is my favorite author. I own all of her books in digital, paperback and hardcover forms. I think she's an amazing writer and she seems to be an awesome human being too. 

When I received a copy of Life and Other Inconveniences, I was ecstatic! As a book lover, nothing feels as great as getting a book by your favorite author. Then, something happened. I didn't want to read it. Why? because she writes a book a year and if I started it too soon, I was going to have to wait a long time for her next one. Finally, this weekend, I couldn't postpone it any longer. So I prepared for my weekend. I asked my husband to take care of the puppies, breakfast and household chores while I took the morning off to read. No interruptions, no breaks.

Life and Other Inconveniences is narrated in multiple points of views. The main three characters are: 

Emma, a single mother who has abandonment issues. When she was very little, her mother committed suicide and her father Clark, left her with her grandmother and never looked back. When Emma meets the first boy/man who shows her some love, she dates him for three years and just before she graduates high school, she learns she's pregnant. Her grandmother, Genevieve is not happy and pretty much kicks her out. Emma goes to live with her maternal grandfather. Years later, she's starting her career as a psychologist and her daughter, Riley is a teenager.

Genevieve had a perfect marriage. She loved her husband, Garrison with all of her heart. She also had two boys, Sheppard and Clark. She loved Sheppard, her oldest and when he goes missing at a very young age, she loses part of her heart. Then, Garrison dies too and when he dies, Genevieve loses the ability to love. She's never the mother that she should be to Clark (her youngest son) and when years later, he delivers his daughter, Emma to her doorstep, she thinks this is her chance to make amends. Yet, When Emma gets pregnant, she can't be flexible.

Last, we have Riley. Emma's daughter and Genevieve's granddaughter. A smart young woman with a good heart. Riley's having problems at school and when Genevieve's invitation to spend the summer with her is given, Emma and Riley agree it could be a good time to leave town.

Life and Other Inconveniences felt different than her prior novels. I had a hard time concentrating on the story. I felt there was too much inner dialogue by Emma and Genevieve. I missed the humor I've come to expect from KH. I missed the embarrassing moments, I've come to feel for the characters. I missed the romance, I've come to adore. 

I like to clarify that ANY time there was a dialogue, I was 100% immersed in it. Even though, the dialogue was so scattered, when it was there, I craved it.

These are my opinions but I hope this doesn't deter you from reading this book. 

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins

Title: Good Luck with That 

Author: Kristan Higgins

Publisher: Berkley Books 

Release Date: August 7, 2018 

Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults.

For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it's coming to terms with the survivor's guilt she's carried around since her twin sister's death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it's about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother's and brother's ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her.

But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson's dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves. 

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Wow, what a tough topic to write about!

I’m not going to lie, parts of Good Luck with That were hard for me to read. I felt an immense amount of empathy for the gut-wrenching pain these heroines had and were going through. 

There were so many things which resonated with me. Body image and weight are two things that do affect me. I love food and I tend to eat more when I’m under stress. I never had to worry about weight until I was in my twenties. If anything, I grew up too skinny and people always commented on this fact which made me uneasy. At present, the opposite is true. Counting calories, carbs, eating healthy, and exercising are all part of my daily routine. I seem to be in a constant fight against gaining weight. I blame this on my lazy metabolism.

Good Luck with That brings to our attention obesity, a very real epidemic affecting this country.  Emerson, Georgia, and Marley are at the center of this novel. All are in a different stage of obesity. 

First, there's Emerson who’s always been the heaviest of the three girls. We get to have a first-row seat to her constant fight against her weight and how her weight starts affecting her health.  In the end, obesity is a major contributing factor to her death. By way of a diary, we learn how she got there and who helped her. 

Then we have Georgia who has suffered from an eating disorder closer to bulimia than anorexia since her teenage years. We see her at three different stages of her life. During her time at fat camp where she first meets her other two friends. Then, during her time in law school, when she falls in love for the first time and when she ultimately marries Rafael. And five years later, when she’s now divorced and living in the same building as Marley but has never forgotten Rafael. She has left her job as a lawyer and is now a teacher.

Last, there’s Marley. I’m not sure if she’s obese or morbidly obese (Kristan never gives us their sizes or actual weight). Yet, she’s the one who over time has become more comfortable with her body. Maybe because her family has always been supportive while Georgia's family has enjoyed fat-shaming her. Marley's life was marked when her twin sister died at four years of age. Her emptiness and survivor's guilt were components which influenced her weight. Ultimately, she’s the daughter Who Survived. The one that should be happy that she is alive. 

Kristan Higgins does an amazing job in Good Luck With That. She had me crying or laughing as per her usual. I will say that the hardest passages for me to read were about Emerson. Those were devastating. This doesn’t mean I didn’t identify with Georgia and Marley. I did.

My favorite parts included a piggyback ride, a spa event, and of course the ending. There was one cringe-worthy scene--> The magic show. I was dreading turning the pages over. But, by the end, I was laughing out loud. Classic HG!

In conclusion, I believe the message Kristan Higgins is sending is one of acceptance. Acceptance about your body, acceptance that not everyone is going to be thoughtful or nice about your weight but that you can continue your life, preferably without them in it. 

I'm not sure everyone is going to love this book (no book is for everyone) but I do believe in not criticizing a book without reading it.

Many thanks to Berkley and Kristan Higgins for providing me with an early review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs