#BookReview: Girls’ Weekend by Cara Sue Achterberg

Reviewer: Michelle

I received a  review copy

girls weekendSummary:

Dani, Meg, and Charlotte have bonded over babies, barbeques, and backyards, but when they escape for a girls’ weekend away, they can’t bring themselves to return to lives that don’t seem to fit anymore.

Harried Dani can’t explain why she feels so discontented until she meets a young gallery owner who inspires her to rediscover the art that once made her happy.

Dependable Meg faces up to a grief that threatens to swallow her whole and confronts a marriage built on expectations.

Flamboyant Charlotte, frustrated with her stagnated life and marriage, pursues a playboy Irish singer and beachside business opportunities.

All three of these women thought they would be different. None of them thought they’d be facing down forty and still wondering when life starts. What they do when they realize where they’re headed is both inspiring and wildly entertaining.

GIRLS’ WEEKEND is a fun, yet poignant romp through the universal search of who we are, why we love, and what makes us happy by an author who is quickly emerging as one of our most incisive storytellers.

Review:

In Girls’ Weekend, three women spend some much needed time in a beach house trying to figure out what went wrong in their marriages. All three have problems that many women can relate to. Meg, Charlotte and Dani are all running from something.. but will they run back to their husbands?

Meg lost her son as a toddler and can’t figure out how to get past the grief. It consumes her life. She does crossword puzzles to pass the time and has an immaculate house. Always trying to find ways to distract herself from feeling. Her husband and family seem to have gotten past it. Will Meg find a way to get through the pain she goes through every day?

Charlotte has a rough relationship with her husband, Brett. The love has gone stale and at times she believes he cares much more for their son Will than his marriage. A wealthy woman in her own right, Charlotte distracts herself with her job and soon an Irish man named Martin. Is her marriage worth saving, or will she throw it all away for a new man?

Dani is tired of her day to day life. She works from home and feels as if she just goes through the motions taking care of her two children. She wishes for the love her and Joe had when they were younger. She gave up her art when they got married, but soon finds herself selling her creations at a local store to a handsome art dealer. Can she find a way to use her creative ideas elsewhere?

I really liked this book, although it was tough to read at times. It can be hard to read so much drama about marriages and children, but this author does a great job of adding in some happiness as well. I’ve never been married before but I felt a lot of empathy for these women. I recommend this to anyone who wants to read a drama filled book about overcoming marriage woes.

4 stars