My So Called LIfe, J.D. Hollyfield

J.D. Hollyfield’s books just keep getting better and better. I honestly can’t remember how I was introduced to her novels – it might have been from another, much larger blog. Who cares? Bottom line, any author that describes herself as a “Reader, Writer, Wine Abuser” is A-OK in my  book! I really enjoy her writing and find that each book is better than the one before it. As a fan of her Facebook page, I was able to get an Advance Reader Copy on the day of the release and really should have posted this review last week. Except…finals. Sorry. Real life and that evil thing called work got in the way. 

Her newest release “My So Called Life” is about Christina Daniels, a twenty-something art dealer in San Francisco. She’s living the fabulous life, with her not so fabulous fiancé, when she gets a call that she needs to go home. Home to the town she ran away from and never looked back. She didn’t have it easy as a child:  

“Grow up struggling for everything, it allows you to build early hustling skills to fight for everything”

Living with her older sister and abusive, alcoholic mother, she runs from that life as soon as she can. She is forced to return to deal with a family tragedy and learns that she has a niece that she never knew about. Going back, she has to deal with not only the death of her sister and her husband, but a child that she has full custody of and has no clue what to do. 

“Vomit in a handbag, I am in official freak-out mode”

She arrives at her sister’s home to meet her niece…and also finds her first love Ian there waiting. The rest of the story has her confronting old memories, consequences of her past and current actions, and looking forward at a life that she didn’t envision. 

“Sometimes life doesn’t take you down the road you wish it to. Sometimes life reroutes you down a path that forces you to take a bit longer to find your way to the perfect ending.” 

At first I wasn’t sure I really liked the character of Christina/Chrissy. I quickly found I loved her for the same reasons I’ve liked the author’s other female characters: they’re flawed, they’re funny, and they’re big dorks! The author takes you on an emotional ride and there were a few moments in this one that I felt right in the gut! Add this one to your summer reading list, and while you’re at it, grab the others in this series: Life Next Door and Life in a Rut. Each can be read as stand-alones.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dKdCer
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1JiNbcI

About the Author:

 J.D. Hollyfield is a creative designer and first-time author. When she’s not cooking, event planning, or playing around with her husband, son and three doxies, she’s relaxing with her nose in a book. With her love for romance, and her head full of book boyfriends, she was inspired to test her creative abilities and bring her own story to life. Life in a Rut, Love not Included is her first novel. Hollyfield lives in the Midwest

Follow her on all the usual places:
Facebook,  Twitter: @jdhollyfield
http://authorjdhollyfield.com/