Book Review: Changing Lanes by Kathleen Long

I received a copy of Changing Lanes by Kathleen Long in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Abby Halladay has the perfect life. Or, rather, she will…as long as everything goes exactly according to plan. Abby never leaves anything to chance—not her job as a syndicated columnist, not her engagement to her fiancé, Fred, and certainly not her impending wedding in Paris (New Jersey, that is).
Unfortunately for Abby, even the best-laid plans often go awry—like when Fred runs away to Paris (France, that is), her column is canned, and her dream home is diagnosed with termites. Forced to move back in with her parents and drive her dad’s cab, Abby’s perfect life has now officially become the perfect disaster.
Then a funny thing happens. Slowly but surely, Abby begins letting go of her dreams of perfection. As she does, the messy, imperfect life she thought she never wanted starts to feel exactly like the one she needs.
Poignant and heartfelt, Changing Lanes celebrates the unexpected joys of everyday life—and the enduring promise of second chances.
Review:
I have also read Chasing Rainbows by Kathleen Long, and absolutely adored it. I was looking forward to reading another offering from her, and am pleased to say I highly enjoyed Changing Lanes as well. I thought it was interesting that we never get a clear picture of her relationship with fiancé Fred. We learn right off the bat that he’s fled to Paris, France claiming “boredom” and Abby doesn’t go into a lot of details about him, or have flashbacks of their relationship. I liked that because I think it kept the story moving without having a lot of back story for readers to grasp. Sometimes I almost forgot that Abby was engaged and weeks away from walking down the aisle, but I still thought that part of plot was well-orchestrated. I loved the family dynamics in the story, from her parents and her dad’s well-kept secret, her grandmother who is also trying to move on, and her sisters – especially Frankie – who give an oomph to the story. I appreciate that the story is about second chances and truly living the life you want to live, and I would recommend this book!
4 stars