A fantastic tale of female friendship on a road trip of discovery.
I’ve always enjoyed Caroline Bond’s books thanks to her beautiful storytelling and creation of characters who I really care about, and felt the exact same reading this one!
I loved how the story opened with a short prologue which told of a road trip Thea and Denise were on before taking us back in time, to show us their lives and struggles before their paths cross and a friendship develops between them. It was clear from the prologue that Denise already feels more alive and that she and Thea have learnt so much about each other and supported each other to grow and feel revitalised during their days away from home. In only a few short pages my attention was piqued and I couldn’t wait to find out more about these two women!
I really enjoyed learning about Thea and Denise’s lives before they became friends and of their respective family dynamics. In chapter one when we meet Denise we learn of the various things she is worried about both in her work life and in respect of her sons, her father-in-law and her mother. It’s the middle of the night and her husband Simon is laying beside her, oblivious. Denise will readily admit to herself that she is lucky so is struggling to understand why she feels so off kilter.
In chapter two we meet Thea whose teenage daughter Ella is staying with her father again. It has been five years since the breakdown of her marriage to Marc. Thea has returned home to her apartment after a first date and I was intrigued about the hidden flaws referred to as she is dissecting/reliving her evening. The end of that chapter also describes a scar on Thea’s stomach and how it is a marker of how close to death she once came. There is also a big secret that Thea is keeping which I was wondering about constantly at the story progressed and didn’t guess at all before it was revealed!
I was fully invested in Thea and Denise’s friendship and couldn’t wait to see what they would experience next on their road trip together. They had so many fun adventures and I couldn’t believe there is actually a real life ‘The Rage Rooms’ when I googled it! I particularly loved the time they got to spend with a third wonderful woman (I don’t want to say more so it’s a surprise) and how the time they spent with this person really benefited them all.
Family relationships and friendships, and all the difficulties they can entail, were so brilliantly explored in this book and I loved seeing the different dynamics. I thought it was a really empowering read! I also absolutely loved the ending! It was a perfect final chapter and really made me smile!
I loved how the story opened with a short prologue which told of a road trip Thea and Denise were on before taking us back in time, to show us their lives and struggles before their paths cross and a friendship develops between them. It was clear from the prologue that Denise already feels more alive and that she and Thea have learnt so much about each other and supported each other to grow and feel revitalised during their days away from home. In only a few short pages my attention was piqued and I couldn’t wait to find out more about these two women!
I really enjoyed learning about Thea and Denise’s lives before they became friends and of their respective family dynamics. In chapter one when we meet Denise we learn of the various things she is worried about both in her work life and in respect of her sons, her father-in-law and her mother. It’s the middle of the night and her husband Simon is laying beside her, oblivious. Denise will readily admit to herself that she is lucky so is struggling to understand why she feels so off kilter.
In chapter two we meet Thea whose teenage daughter Ella is staying with her father again. It has been five years since the breakdown of her marriage to Marc. Thea has returned home to her apartment after a first date and I was intrigued about the hidden flaws referred to as she is dissecting/reliving her evening. The end of that chapter also describes a scar on Thea’s stomach and how it is a marker of how close to death she once came. There is also a big secret that Thea is keeping which I was wondering about constantly at the story progressed and didn’t guess at all before it was revealed!
I was fully invested in Thea and Denise’s friendship and couldn’t wait to see what they would experience next on their road trip together. They had so many fun adventures and I couldn’t believe there is actually a real life ‘The Rage Rooms’ when I googled it! I particularly loved the time they got to spend with a third wonderful woman (I don’t want to say more so it’s a surprise) and how the time they spent with this person really benefited them all.
Family relationships and friendships, and all the difficulties they can entail, were so brilliantly explored in this book and I loved seeing the different dynamics. I thought it was a really empowering read! I also absolutely loved the ending! It was a perfect final chapter and really made me smile!