Review: A Girl’s Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber

24 February of 2016 by ButtonsMom2003

Reviewer's Rating: 5

5.0Overall score

A story of faith and starting over

A Girl’s Guide to Moving On By Debbie Macomber

Women’s Fiction

Released February 23, 2016

Ballantine Books

Series: New Beginnings, Book 2

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

When Nichole discovers that her husband, Jake, has been unfaithful, the illusion of her perfect life is indelibly shattered. While juggling her young son, a new job, and volunteer work, Nichole meets Rocco, who is the opposite of Jake in nearly every way. Though blunt-spoken and rough around the edges, Rocco proves to be a dedicated father and thoughtful friend. But just as their relationship begins to blossom, Jake wagers everything on winning Nichole back—including their son Owen’s happiness. Somehow, Nichole must find the courage to defy her fears and follow her heart, with far-reaching consequences for them all.

Leanne has quietly ignored her husband’s cheating for decades, but is jolted into action by the echo of Nichole’s all-too-familiar crisis. While volunteering as a teacher of English as a second language, Leanne meets Nikolai, a charming, talented baker from Ukraine. Resolved to avoid the heartache and complications of romantic entanglements, Leanne nonetheless finds it difficult to resist Nikolai’s effusive overtures—until an unexpected tragedy tests the very fabric of her commitments.

A story of faith and starting over

I enjoyed this story much more than I thought I would. I’ve read many books by Debbie Macomber and have loved most of them. This is the second book in the New Beginnings series. I read the first one and liked it OK but there were parts that I felt were a bit “preachy.” I know that Ms. Macomber is very open about her faith in God but I don’t recall having faith mentioned quite so strongly before in one of her stories (other than maybe her “angel” series and her Christmas stories). This book brings faith into play as well but somehow it seemed to fit better for me. You don’t need to have read the first book – Last One Home – to enjoy this one but the main characters are introduced in that story.A Girl’s Guide to Moving on is told in first person POV with chapters alternating between Nichole and Leanne. I can’t recall reading any other book by Ms. Macomber that was written in this style.

Nichole and Leanne are starting over. Nicole was married to Leanne’s son, Jake. Both Jake and his father were serial cheaters. When Leanne tells Nichole that Jake has been cheating on her she does so out of love because she doesn’t want Nichole to be like her and turn a blind eye to what Jake is doing. She urges Nichole to break the cycle and not stay with Jake like she stayed with his father which she felt set a bad example for Jake. Nichole vows to leave Jake and set a better example for her son.

When Nichole decides to leave Jake, Leanne knows that she also needs to break with her cheating husband. These two women have a close relationship – Nichole’s parents are deceased – so they become each others support system in the new life they are creating. They develop a list of things to do and not do and that list becomes their “Guide to Moving On.”

I’ve never been divorced but people close to me have so I can sympathize with what these two are going through. I was really surprised by how this book made me feel; I was in tears many times while reading this. Because this is a story of hope and love I was pretty sure that these two would find new loves during the book. The men they meet and fall for are so different from their former husbands but they are good men. Nichole and Leanne’s path to happiness is not smooth – both are faced with very difficult life-changing decisions – but reading the story of how they get there was inspiring. Once I got past the first couple of chapters I couldn’t put this one down.