For Once in My Life - Colleen Coleman

Date of Reading: 09/03/2019

Author: Colleen Coleman

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: November 20, 2018

Source: NetGalley 

Rating: 4.5/5

 

About the book:

 

Twenty-nine-year-old Lily Buckley planned to be happily married and in her dream job by now. Instead, she’s been single since being left at the altar three years ago, and works at her local paper, writing about giant vegetables at the village fete and a dog who looks exactly like Chewbacca.

Not quite what she was dreaming of.

So when Lily’s given the opportunity to write her own column it’s exactly what she’s always wanted – except what she has to write about. She has to do one thing every week that scares her.

With encouragement from her sexy colleague – and adrenalin-junkie – Christopher, Lily agrees. From sky-diving to haunted houses, Lily is going to be pushed to her limit. And since heartbreak has left her afraid of falling in love again, her growing feelings for Christopher might just push her past it…

But then her mum has a crisis, her column is the only thing keeping her – and her colleagues’ – jobs afloat, and Christopher’s ex arrives with her sights set on a romantic reunion.

Suddenly jumping out of a plane is the least of Lily’s problems… Can she save her family, her friends, and her heart – or will Lily let her fears hold her back?
An uplifting, feel-good story about friendship, romance, and finding the hero inside yourself. 

 

Fans of Marian Keyes, Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Kinsella will love Colleen Coleman!  

 

My Review:

 

          I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner. Well, you know what they say . . . better late than never. But one thing is for sure; Colleen Coleman has got a very devoted fan.

        So what are the bits I loved? Absolutely everything -- the language, story, characters and the inspiration that emits from each and every page. Seriously, if you are on a writing slump, this book will surely guide you back to your desk. As Lily takes charge of her life and also her role as the new editor of the newspaper with each article, we feel that itch to transfer something to the paper along with her. Her columns are great by the way. They are funny, personal and evocative of the challenge she has gone through.

         While Lily encounters her past demons with each challenge set as inspirations for her columns, it is hard not to be uplifted. In spite of all the misfortunes she has suffered, fate is finally offering her a chance. So pick it up guys, to know how she meets it head-on.

 

Something to ponder . . .

 

"And that's the funny thing about beginnings, you often don't realise that they've already started"

 

"Because we can't control how others treat us, sometimes we don't get what we deserve, but it's how we respond that really defines us."

 

"I feel this is what my story was meant to be all along. I want to go wherever life leads me, without fear. And this time, I know I'll be strong enough"

 

Meet the author:

      Colleen Coleman is an Irish- Canadian novelist. She is the winner of the much-coveted Novelicious Undiscovered People’s Choice Award which launched to find the next ‘chick-lit star’. She spent over ten years working as a teacher of English and Philosophy before finally taking a deep breath, scrunching her eyes shut, putting her pen to paper and vowing not to lift it again until she wrote the words The End. As a result, her first novel was born. Colleen lives between London, Ireland and Cyprus with her very patient husband and very chatty twin daughters.