Book Review: Shake Down the Stars by Renee Swindle

I received a copy of Shake Down the Stars by Renee Swindle in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
When you’re in trouble and sinking fast, whom do you call?

Piper Nelson is stuck. She can’t quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isn’t always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that she’s been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Piper’s mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, who’s immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Piper’s angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?

When Piper’s ex-husband announces that his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that it’s time for a change is one thing, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper can’t do it alone Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most and show her how to live and laugh again.
Review:
Whew, this book is quite the read! When I first started reading I didn’t realize how deep and intense Piper’s journey would be. Losing her daughter in a car accident has clearly scarred her, her divorce from her husband took an emotional toll, and not being able to connect with her mother and sister really impacts her life. We see Piper turn to alcohol and men to fill the void, and the story only becomes more absorbing as it continues. It is easy to empathize with Piper, easy to see how she fell into such a self-destructive path, and it’s impossible not to cheer once she finally realizes how she has been destroying her life and works to make it better. The love interest is a great angle because he seems to be such an unlikely candidate (and unlikely love story really) and I thought that made the story even more fresh and relatable. One I highly recommend.
4 stars