Escape [Kindle Edition]

I was lucky enough to win this book from a giveaway on The Little Reader Library. I liked the sound of the synopsis but I had no idea how much I would enjoy this book - I quickly found myself sinking into the plot and I just couldn't stop reading in my quest to find out what Emily would decide to do with her life.

Emily had a busy life with lots of pressure, not just from work but from friends and family too. She got to the point where she couldn't take any more and to be honest just reading about what her life was like made me feel claustrophobic, I completely understood why she felt the way she did and I absolutely loved the moment when she decided to walk away from it all.

There were a few things that were not fully revealed straight away, just little hints of past events which made me keen to find out what they were. There was also a lot about coyotes and I couldn't really figure out the significance of them.

I enjoyed reading about the refuge and Emily's time with the cats, having done something similar in my own life this was a part of the book that I could relate to and it brought back many memories.

It was great to see the change in Emily as the story progressed, she began to figure out what direction she wanted her life to go in and I have to confess that I predicted a different outcome but felt happy that the right decision was made. I never really figured Jude out, he was clearly a wanderer but I felt there was something hidden that he wouldn't show. James grew on me throughout the book, at the beginning I really didn't like him but the more I found out about him the more I warmed to him.

There were moments that made me smile and moments that made me cry, the last few pages in particular left a big smile on my face and that is how I will remember this book.

A thought-provoking read that completely drew me in.

Escape is the 41st stand-alone novel by popular author, Barbara Delinsky. One Friday morning, New York lawyer Emily Aulenbach takes stock of her life and realises it has strayed so far from her dream that she needs to escape. She takes off her watch, turns off her Blackberry, leaves behind her laptop and, without telling anyone or having any firm plans, heads north. After a few days, she finds herself in Bell Valley, New Hampshire, a place where her life changed radically one summer, ten years ago, and a place where she hopes to, once again, find herself. In Bell Valley, she renews a neglected friendship with Vicki Bell, submits to the healing powers of the Animal Refuge and reconnects with the mystical coyote of that long-ago summer. But an old lover, Vicki's brother Jude, has also returned to Bell Valley; Emily is wedded to James, but the problems she ran away from include her unfulfilling job, her demanding family and friends and her dysfunctional marriage, so is Jude's presence a help or a hindrance? In this novel, Delinsky gives the reader characters with depth, spirit and integrity and a plot that is original and unpredictable, with an exciting climax. Delinsky touches on a range of topical subjects: the pressure of modern-day life; damage claims against large corporations; animal refuges; trust funds; intimidation and stalking; infertility and life balance. I had not read any Delinsky novels for quite some time, so I had forgotten what a pleasure these are to read. I really enjoyed this one.

I was recently contacted by the Publicist as asked if I would be interested in reviewing this book which will be published by Corsair. Having never read any of Barbara's books before but was intrigued by the story so I jumped at the chance. I am always keen to try new Authors to me.

Maybe just me but I am sure if we are really honest, we all in our lives at one point have woken up one morning and thought, what the heck am I doing and where am I heading? This is exactly what happened to Emily the leading lady in this story. Setting out and leaving for whole life behind her (even if just for a short while) she heads off to `find herself'. Her timing couldn't be better as it's not just her that is having this crisis and Emily is able to help old friends along the way suddenly giving some focus to her life.

The book is very well written and very easy to get into. The characters are believable and this helps with the flow of the story. I really grew to like Emily and respected her for taking a stand and doing what she needed. Sometimes going back to the past is not always a good thing but this was the right thing and I was very pleased with the way the story progressed and ultimately ended.

Overall, a very worthwhile read!