The Wildwater Walking Club

I'm almost embarrassed to admit how long this one has been on my to-be-read shelf.... since 2010ish. I know, it's embarrassing and Matt would maybe have a stroke if he knew that, but to be fair, I got it on a major sale so that makes it better in my reasoning.

Anyways.

I picked this up because it was right around the time that I was starting to really try to lose weight and if you're a long time reader of this blog you might remember my love/hate relationship with the fuckmill... the name I so lovingly gave my treadmill. It seemed only fitting that I pick it up now because I'm trying to get back into that motivational spot I was in. Trying.

The Wildwater Walking Club - Claire Cook

After losing her boyfriend and her job in one fell swoop, Noreen has no idea what her next step is. So she puts on a new pair of sneakers and a seriously outdated pair of exercise pants, and walks. Before long she's joined by two neighbors as lost as she is and figures out time flies and fitness is actually fun when you're walking with friends. Throw in a road trip to Seattle for a lavender festival, a career-coaching group that looks like a bad sequel to The Breakfast Club, some terrific romantic comedy twists and turns, a quirky multigenerational cast of supporting characters, and the result is a tribute to female friendship that will inspire you to pick up the phone and call all your old friends--or maybe even start your own walking group.

Alright, from the book description alone, this book sounds intriguing. I'm going to be upfront and wish that there was more between Noreen and her loser boyfriend, I think that would have really made the book a better read for me. I'll just toss that out upfront. The book centers primarily around Noreen, freshly unemployed and dumped, she is a gal "of a certain age" so it isn't like she's got a spring in her step (you see what I did there??), she isn't that fresh face anymore. Though her resume is spectacular, she doesn't know who she is outside of that piece of paper so she's using her 18 months of paid unemployment to do that. Her last (and only) act of rebellion is to purchase a bunch of shoes from the company who unceremoniously kicked her out and decides she may as well put them to good use. She meets two neighbors who not only offer to help her with a clothesline and lavender garden, but they go on these walks with her. All of the women are at different stages of their lives but all are at a crossroads of sorts, and that's basically all they have in common. None of the women seem to actually like each other so, from my own experience with walking groups, if you don't like the people it isn't going to last. It's really like dating, I give you one shot, that's it.

Aside from the three women not liking each other (or so it seems), I didn't like Noreen's attitude towards her mother, and I could NOT stand Tess. I know it's billed as fast an easy read, and I suppose it would be but I had a hard time picking it back up to keep continuing. Put it this way, it doesn't make me eager to find the next book (I guess it's a two book series??) or anything else by this author. It's going in my donate pile. It was.. 2/5 stars. I didn't hate it but I definitely didn't love it, it was just blah.

Also? If you're keeping tabs- this is book 102 of the year for me. Two over my goal!