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What's it about?
Kate Forrest is invisible… Ned, the husband she adores, doesn’t seem to know she’s alive, and her two charming children have grown into stroppy adolescents. Her boss is suddenly shunting her towards career Siberia, and her demanding mother is never off the phone. With her fortieth birthday fast approaching, all Kate wants to do is run away from the lot of them. And so she does. On impulse, Kate walks out of her job, her family and her life, and gets on a plane to Italy. With no ties and no responsibilities, she soon finds herself deliriously caught up in La Dolce Vita – and the arms of a man barely half her age. But when the unthinkable threatens her family, Kate is brutally forced to choose between her past and the future.
My review
Not being a big reader of womens fiction I wasn't sure what to expect with this book or even if I'd like it but it turned out I had nothing to worry about! Not only did I really enjoy it but I related to the character of Kate a whole lot. Right from the first pages I could feel her frustration and understand what it is that drives her to that airport and run away. I have three children myself, and like Kate try to do it all and some days it drives me crazy, I could never imagine throwing a full time job into the mix as well!
I loved the way the author told this story from everyones point by having mulitple narratives between Kate, her husband and their two kids, it really gave me an insight into all the dimentions of the story and what everyone was thinking.
I enjoyed all the sub-plots and the gasp-out-loud shocking moments, that all rounded together in the end to make for a clean finish, and the descriptions of Rome and the landmarks Kate visits really made me feel like I was there.
I have to say I really didn't know what would happen at the end of this book until I was actually reading the end, though I did have my fingers crossed for a particular ending.
It was well written and I found I read the book much quicker than I thought that I would, racing to get to the end to see what life Kate would choose.
The wife who ran away is an emotional, well written journey of a woman just trying to figure out who she is and what she wants and I loved making that journey with her.
My thoughts on the cover
The first thing I notice about this cover is of course the turquoise colour of the dress and text, it's a gorgeous colour, I also love the backdrop of Rome and Kate looking at it with her suitcase, it really gives the feel of the book and I really like it.
Favourite quotes
'This is a mistake. I shouldn't have come. Once Julia sees me, it'll all be real. I need to go back home to my children, to Ned.... 'Kate,' Julia calls across the moonlit lawn. 'I've been expecting you.'
'I never stopped loving Ned. I just lost sight of it for a while.'
Find the author Goodreads
looks interesting :)
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