Wednesday, February 17, 2016

No Ordinary Life

I seem to be on a kick of books with a parenting theme this week, huh? That's OK because we all need to get out of the norm once in awhile!

No Ordinary Life - Suzanne Redfearn
Suzanne Redfearn delivers another gripping page-turner in her latest novel, a story about a young mother's fight to protect her children from the dangerous world of Hollywood. Faye Martin never expected her husband to abandon her and her three children . . . or that she'd have to struggle every day to make ends meet. So when her four-year-old daughter is discovered through a YouTube video and offered a starring role on a television series, it seems like her prayers have been answered. But when the reality of their new life settles in, Faye realizes that fame and fortune don't come without a price. And in a world where everyone is an actor and every move is scrutinized by millions, it's impossible to know who to trust, and Faye finds herself utterly alone in her struggle to save her family. Emotionally riveting and insightful, NO ORDINARY LIFE is an unforgettable novel about the preciousness of childhood and the difficult choices a mother needs to make in order to protect this fragile time in her children's lives.

I will tell you that if you are looking for a book that you will fly though, this is your pick. And for me to say that about a book with about 400 pages is really something. I was engaged and hooked from page one because I really identified with Faye. She's got three children, her moron husband has seemingly picked up and left and doesn't seem like he's ever going to return. She works a dead end, low-paying job, she has a teenager being a teenager, a son who has "selective mutism" and she can't afford the therapy to fix it so the school has called CPS, and she has just a little toddler who doesn't understand the world around her because she's busy being a toddler. She reluctantly packs the children up and moves in with her mom who makes it very clear she knew that guy was a loser and if you'd just listen to your mom (and stop having babies) you wouldn't find yourself here.

But alas. There Faye is, in Hollywood, barely making ends meet with her three kids and unsure of where life is going to take her next. All of a sudden, her super cute toddler is seemingly discovered online and all of a sudden she becomes the key to the family getting out of their rut. But of course, nothing is ever as easy as it seems and Faye is quickly learning about the dark side of show business and her family's happiness and normalcy is at stake. Every single stereotype you can think of in Hollywood is represented in this book and you cringe when you can see them coming but Faye can't. She's too nice, too naive, too trusting, and in her case, it's basically her being confronted with every fear she has. She has to go against everything she has ever done for her family to pull through. And then of course we have the dad, Sean, and he's a serious piece of work and you really hope Faye just pops off at him and really gives it to him.

I won't tell you if she does, of course, or how it winds up for the family. But it was a really great book that I sailed through on the weekend. It's just a really great book of a mom who doesn't think she's good or strong enough for her family but deep down she can do it. She's so easy to identify with as a mother.

You can get your own copy of No Ordinary Life on Amazon as well as Barnes & Noble.  While waiting for your book to arrive, check out Suzanne Redfearn's website, Facebook and on Twitter! She has another book out that you may also be interested in called Hush Little Baby.

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