Ordinary Miracles [Kindle Edition]

This is a 3.5 out of 5 review, bit better than a 3 and not quite a 4 as it just didnt quite hit the spot. I was perhaps a little misled by the blurb and jacket for this - I was expecting something a lot more chick lit, fluffy and bubbly with more humour in it, whereas I found it a much more deeper, heavier read. It is the story of a woman, Jasmine, who turns 40 feeling that there must be more to life than a 19 year old marriage and a life of housework interspersed with animal rights causes, only to find out that her husband has been having an affair for the past year. The book then deals with the aftermath of separation, and is a very up and down read as we go through the roller coaster of emotions experienced by Jasmine as she rebuilds her life, with the help of her best friends Susan and Charlie. Any reader who has experienced divorce will certainly identify with Jasmine and what she goes through, and her feelings, and in particular the marriage guidance counseling which was very sad and moving to read.

It did get a bit confusing at times, at the start of a chapter we would be told that Jasmine was feeling upset, angry or confused etc about something that had happened already, but we wouldn't find out what exactly until a few pages later, so you really needed to concentrate quite hard at times when reading it.

As I said, not the read I was expecting, and I did have to put the book/kindle down quite often and read it in fits and starts, but I was determined to see it through to the end because I really wanted Jasmine to have everything she deserved!

Grace Wynne-Jones isn't an author I'd heard of before, but I'll definitely be looking out for her books in future, because I really enjoyed this one. Ordinary Miracles is the story of Jasmine Smith, a married almost-forty-year-old, who fantasises about wild sex with film stars. She likes her husband but isn't 'in love' with him, and she's very dissatisfied. Jasmine craves change.

The change comes about, but not in the way Jasmine expected. She finds out her husband is having an affair, and leaves him. She moves in with a long-term friend, Charlie who provides a nice muscular shoulder to cry on, and some security. After a while, Jasmine realises he'd like to provide her with much more than just friendship. What frightens her is the fact she feels the same. Not willing to let herself trust another man, only to be cheated on again, she retreats into herself and wonders whether she should give her marriage another try.

And as if she didn't have enough on her plate, Jasmine's daughter has announced that she thinks she may be a lesbian. Muddling through things as best she can, Jasmine slowly begins to get her life back on track and look forward to a glittering future. But will it be alone... or will she allow Charlie into her heart?

Apologies for sounding cheesy, but this is a beautiful book. It's chick-lit, but not your typical kind. The characters are older and the storyline is deeper. There's heartache, loneliness, friendship, hot sex and scandal in this novel - it has everything! I was completely hooked from start to finish, and found myself dabbing away the odd tear. However, I found the ending a little bizarre. But other than that, an ace read and one I'd recommend to fans of funny and heart-warming novels.

If you buy only one beach read this year, buy this. Jasmine's story is funny, heart-warming and tender. After the shock of finding a jewelled hairgrip in the marital bed, Jasmine tries to adapt to the single life with varying degrees of success. Her descriptions of learning to drive are hilarious, as are her attempts to convince herself that she doesn't really fancy the lovely Charlie. And how can anyone not love a pig that likes watching soap operas?