Bradeigh Godfrey

I have been a big Kristan Higgins fan for years! I love her romances and her women’s fiction: they make me laugh and cry, and I always finish with a contented smile on my face. .

I was thrilled to get an advance copy of her latest, Life and Other Inconveniences, from the publisher. Like her recent novels, this is women’s fiction/family drama with an element of romance. The story centers on the relationship of Emma London with her grandmother Genevieve, a fashion mogul who raised Emma but then kicked her out when Emma got pregnant at the age of 17. Now Genevieve is dying, and her last request is for Emma to bring her daughter (now a teenager herself) to spend their last summer together.

The narrative alternates primarily between Emma and Genevieve, and I liked getting to know prickly Genevieve and the slightly neurotic Emma. We also have chapters from other characters, including Emma’s teenage daughter, Emma’s self-centered father, and Miller, a hardworking widower who ends up being Emma’s love interest.

Higgins has a knack for writing relatable characters and keeping the reader engaged. I just enjoy hanging out in her stories; it’s like chatting with good friends. This one felt perhaps a little cluttered with the multiple points of view and all the issues we confront (Child abandonment, entitlement, teen pregnancy, aging, suicide, mental illness, tuberous sclerosis, grieving, missing children, parenting). Still, it’s very well done, and overall, I LOVED the book. Kristan Higgins remains one of my go-to authors for engaging, emotional women’s fiction.

This released August 6!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my gifted advanced copy. Opinions are my own.