While the title didn’t resonate with me for this one—the second I saw the cover I was interested in reading it.
I’m not sure why, but the title just didn’t stand out to me , I mean it totally should have because it was a fun little library play on words, but for some reason it just didn’t.
Thank god for interesting cover art! This cover totally caught my eye and made me excited about reading it even if the title didn’t. I picked this book up on a random sunny day and instantly fell in love with Amy Byler.
Summary
Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City.
Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and—with a little encouragement from her friends—a few blind dates. When one man in particular makes quick work of Amy’s heart, she risks losing herself completely in the unexpected escape, and as the summer comes to an end, Amy realizes too late that she must make an impossible decision: stay in this exciting new chapter of her life, or return to the life she left behind.
But before she can choose, a crisis forces the two worlds together, and Amy must stare down a future where she could lose both sides of herself, and every dream she’s ever nurtured, in the beat of a heart (summary from Goodreads).
Review
I can’t sing the praises of this book enough. Amy is 100% relatable and interesting and even if she martyred herself more than I ever would, I could completely understand why she did. I am NOT a single mom, but I think like many mom’s that thought is always in the back of my mind. Not that I’m worried that my husband of 15 years will run off to Hong Kong never to return, but more like I worry that he will randomly get hit by a bus or something.
However crazy it sounds, I do worry about those types of things and with a young child at home and myself being a stay at home mom, I constantly worry about what could happen if our apple cart became upset. That’s why Amy’s story completely hit home. I also worked in education for a number of years and I loved reading the curriculum aspect (which I totally want to put into action should I return to the work force someday) in conjunction with Amy’s story. I thought it was observant and made me pause to consider some of the issues facing educators (especially librarians).
But Amy completely stole the show. I was so envious of her ‘momspringa’. I think this should literally be a thing for all moms. I would love a week off to eat cold pizza in bed at a hotel and read all day long……but I would also love a complete mommy makeover too. My ‘mom-iform’ is yoga pants and a t-shirt (not even a cute women’s one…..like a boxy men’s one), pony tail with hair that was maybe washed that morning, but most likely full of 3 days worth of dry shampoo) and no makeup. So I desperately need some changes to my wardrobe and appearance. Reading about Amy made me have hope that maybe I too could have my own little momspringa and makeover but also to redefine who I was as a person, not just a mom.
It’s so easy to slip into that role—mom—never to return to who you were before kids. I think that’s why Amy’s story was so inspiring, relatable, and real. I think this book will ring true for just about any mom. If I didn’t have a kid, I don’t know that this book would have left such an impact on me. So readers without kids may not enjoy it to the degree that reading moms do.
This book is incredibly real and full of interesting characters with realistic lives and motives. I absolutely adored this book and have been recommending it to everyone I know…..easily 5 stars!
The Lit Bitch 
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