3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Poignant Look at "What Could Have Been", Nov 3 2008
By Jodi "languagejunkie" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Another Mother's Life (Paperback)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for several reasons. Firstly, it was very well written and easy to read. The plot moves along smoothly and all the loose ends are neatly tied into pretty little bows.
Secondly, I found the plot to be interesting and creative. Something similar happened to me in high school, which probably means I was somewhat biased before I even started reading this book, but that doesn't change the fact that this was a terrific story.
Thirdly, the characters were all very well rounded and believable. I got a huge kick out of "Kirsty" and her crazy antics and I would absolutely LOVE to come across her in a future book. I wanted to strangle Alison, but I guess that makes her a well-written character as well, otherwise she wouldn't have irritated me so much.
Fourthly, the book ended the way I was really hoping it would. I won't give anything away, but the ending was sweet and exactly what I was wanted. This book gave me a bittersweet trip dowm Memory Lane and I truly enjoyed the ride!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What If You Got Someone Else's Life?, Dec 1 2008
By Tamela Mccann "taminator40" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Another Mother's Life (Paperback)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
Catherine and Alison were the best of friends from a very young age, sharing everything and sticking up for one another at all times. They assumed their relationship would never change and it didn't; that is, until the age of seventeen when shy Catherine meets the mysterious, sexy Marc and decides to keep him to herself. Alison, unused to being left out, follows Catherine to one of her trysts with Marc and in a decision that changes everything, entices him not only into bed, but away from Catherine completely. When the two run off together, Catherine is left behind in their small Farmington community, alone and pregnant, to pick up the pieces of her life.
Fast forward fifteen years: Alison, mother of three, finds herself returning to the scene of the crime when Marc persuades her to bring their family back to Farmington. He is hoping for a new start after his affairs and the problems their oldest son is facing; Alison is wary as she sees her dreams for the future evaporating with Marc's loyalty. Catherine, who has never left the area, is separated from her husband Jimmy, and raising two young daughters of her own, and still trying to come to terms with her own identity. When their paths cross, the women must decide if they can bury the past or if they will allow it to continue to affect their futures.
Coleman has a gift for pulling you into the lives of her characters, and I found myself drawn to both women, despite my negative feelings for what Alison did to her former best friend. While I could see what would happen a long way off, I still enjoyed the story and the characters' reactions to uncomfortable situations. There's no new ground broken here; this is a relationship book that unfolds predictably, yet somehow you care deeply for all of the people involved, especially the defenseless children. Coleman helps us to understand motivations that perhaps aren't always so clear cut, and she uses gentle humor to bring out the best in her characters. While at times a bit cliched, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will continue to look for more works by this author.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An ok read, but not an enjoyable read, Nov 13 2008
By M. McQueen - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Another Mother's Life (Paperback)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
I found I didn't much care for the characters in this novel, and in fact outright disliked most of them. Both husbands cheated on their wives, and one of the wives was also looking to stray with an old flame. The story line started out intriguing--a teenager runs off with her best friend's boyfriend and then returns to the town years later. Then it starts to go downhill. The jilted best friend ended up marrying the other girl's biggest crush. So these two women imagine what it would be like to have the other's husband. Both couples have kids now, and surprise, surprise, they end up in the same school and become friends with one another. And then as the marriage of the elopers begins to crumble, events come into play that make the interactions between these characters seem as though the only people who live in this town are these four people and their children.
All in all, it was an ok read, but I probably would not read it again because it was just too far-fetched, and I thought the ending tried to bring closure to these people's lives too quickly, so much so that it seemed very unrealistic given the amount of hurt these characters suffered over the years...