A Girl's Guide to Moving On - Debbie Macomber

I love clever book titles, I like book titles that make you think, and I like book titles that let me know from the start that inside the pages of that book are some inspirational words. A Girl's Guide to Moving On is one of those inspirational books, the fictional story of two women learning to be on their own after divorce is so close to reality you might think you're reading about to of your own friends. Reality isn't pretty, and sometimes this book isn't either, but the characters and their goal of moving on is beautiful and definitely inspiring. In just 5 days, you too can have Debbie Macomber's newest release and find yourself wrapped up in the story of A Girl's Guide to Moving On. Pre-order is available now.

Rating: 4 Stars
Published: February 23, 2016
Many thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Nichole and her mother-in-law, Leanne, are new divorcees. After confirming her husband was indeed cheating on her Nichole filed the papers and soon after Leanne followed, having lived with her cheating spouse for years. Away from the pretentious country club and with a simple list in hand, the two must learn be on their own again, all while balancing the precarious situations with their exes and the children they share.

Debbie Macomber has an easy writing style that helps you immediately connect with the characters, in this case Nichole and Leanne are more relatable than you would imagine. I enjoyed the two main characters and the relationships they find when single again, both with friends and partners. The ex-husbands were more than just background characters to bash, they brought depth to the story and a different perspective to the relationships. While I didn't like them, they did indeed make me understand Nichole and Leanne as they were before and who they became after. Both girls also have new men in their lives, though the men know they are important far before the women realize it. I really liked Nikolai and his Ukranian ways, his old fashioned outlook on love, and his attempts at wooing. There's also Rocco, the opposite of the men at the country club the women left behind. He has a past, tattoos, and belongs to a motorcycle club. However, his general enjoyment of life and willingness to bend how his life works was nice to see. On top of new relationships, I really enjoyed both women taking on new tasks, like work and hobbies. It would have been easy for Macomber to hide this hard part of divorce, but she made it shine and I appreciated that.

While the book does not revolve around the list, once you read them you can easily connect them to what the women are doing in their lives. As they grow, move on, and forgive they find themselves, happiness, and strength. I really liked A Girl's Guide to Moving On and though I haven't read the first book in the New Beginnings series I do plan to go back to it. This is a standalone and if are looking for a heartwarming story of independence, personal growth, and love this is for you.