What a super book. So nice to read a good love story and have so many laughs to go with it all. Good old fashioned read and I can't say enough about it.
A fun story of what happens when a cheated-on woman decides to take charge of her life. In a funny, but also emotional scene, Trudy is at her Aunt Gert's funeral when a trip to the ladies' room results in an unexpected revelation. Any woman can empathize with Trudy's trials involving pantyhose and bathrooms, which made the first part of the scene pretty darn funny. Laughter turns to tears though, when Trudy overhears her gossipy cousins talking about her husband's frequent infidelities. It seems that everyone in town except Trudy knew about them, and no one bothered to tell her. When the reading of her aunt's will provides Trudy with a slightly rundown house, and the funds to do something about it, she wastes no time dumping Drew for a new start.
I liked Trudy a lot. She's almost forty years old, not in the best of shape, but accepts herself the way she is. After twenty years of Drew putting her down and stifling her personality, she's ready to break out, and she does so with great enthusiasm. I loved watching her do her makeover, from hair to clothes, to please herself and to hell with anyone else's opinion. I laughed out loud when she stood up to her blustering bully of a husband, especially when he came to take back her car. I liked how she stood up to the people who had hurt her or made her mad, but she also didn't hold a grudge for long (except for Drew). Her determination to restore Gert's house to its former glory was great. I loved the parallels between the house and Trudy herself, as the true beauty of each were revealed. A big part of those transformations was Billy Lee.
Billy Lee was Gert's next door neighbor and a childhood friend of Trudy's. He's very laid back and friendly, and most of the town thinks he's weird and a bit slow. He'd had a close relationship with Gert, who left him the money to fix up the house if that's what Trudy wanted to do. As the book went on, it became clear that there was more to Billy than anyone suspected, even Trudy. He has a kind and compassionate heart, which is especially evident in his dealings with Trudy's mother.
I loved seeing the relationship between Trudy and Billy blossom right along with the house. It starts slowly as a friendship that deepens as time goes on. I loved their insistence on honesty with each other, believing that burying issues would only lead to resentment - as Trudy well knew from her marriage. I loved watching how Billy's belief in her abilities and support of her actions gave Trudy new confidence in herself. It was easy to see how much he cared for her in the things he did, from the "Gone With the Wind" trip to the motorcycle rides to the furniture he made for her. I thought he had the patience of a saint as he waited for her to feel the same way. I loved how Trudy stood up for Billy to the people who talked badly about him. As their friendship grew, Trudy realized that she had also been one of those who underestimated him before she got to know him, and knew she'd never look at him the same way again. She didn't realize how her feelings for him had changed until a New Year's kiss opened her eyes. It was fun to see her frustration as she wanted more and Billy went back to normal. The tension built to a sweet ending as they finally came together the way they were meant to be. I loved the epilogue, especially the surprises that it revealed.
The secondary characters were terrific. Trudy's mother was a sweetheart, and I ached for her and for Trudy as they dealt with her Alzheimer's. Her good days did a great job of showing the loving relationship that they had. There were some lovely scenes with her and Trudy. I also loved seeing her with Billy, especially the scenes at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I didn't like Trudy's cousins at all during the first parts of the book, especially with the way that they treated her. But Trudy's changes helped motivate some changes in them, and by the end they redeemed themselves quite nicely. Trudy's daughter, Crystal, started as a whiny, spoiled brat. I definitely didn't like the way that she talked to Trudy, especially when it came to Drew. I cheered when Trudy laid down the law to her, firmly but kindly. The changes in her by the end were very impressive, thanks to Trudy and Billy's compassion and support. Drew, on the other hand, was a complete ass from start to finish. He deserved everything he got.
I liked Trudy a lot. She's almost forty years old, not in the best of shape, but accepts herself the way she is. After twenty years of Drew putting her down and stifling her personality, she's ready to break out, and she does so with great enthusiasm. I loved watching her do her makeover, from hair to clothes, to please herself and to hell with anyone else's opinion. I laughed out loud when she stood up to her blustering bully of a husband, especially when he came to take back her car. I liked how she stood up to the people who had hurt her or made her mad, but she also didn't hold a grudge for long (except for Drew). Her determination to restore Gert's house to its former glory was great. I loved the parallels between the house and Trudy herself, as the true beauty of each were revealed. A big part of those transformations was Billy Lee.
Billy Lee was Gert's next door neighbor and a childhood friend of Trudy's. He's very laid back and friendly, and most of the town thinks he's weird and a bit slow. He'd had a close relationship with Gert, who left him the money to fix up the house if that's what Trudy wanted to do. As the book went on, it became clear that there was more to Billy than anyone suspected, even Trudy. He has a kind and compassionate heart, which is especially evident in his dealings with Trudy's mother.
I loved seeing the relationship between Trudy and Billy blossom right along with the house. It starts slowly as a friendship that deepens as time goes on. I loved their insistence on honesty with each other, believing that burying issues would only lead to resentment - as Trudy well knew from her marriage. I loved watching how Billy's belief in her abilities and support of her actions gave Trudy new confidence in herself. It was easy to see how much he cared for her in the things he did, from the "Gone With the Wind" trip to the motorcycle rides to the furniture he made for her. I thought he had the patience of a saint as he waited for her to feel the same way. I loved how Trudy stood up for Billy to the people who talked badly about him. As their friendship grew, Trudy realized that she had also been one of those who underestimated him before she got to know him, and knew she'd never look at him the same way again. She didn't realize how her feelings for him had changed until a New Year's kiss opened her eyes. It was fun to see her frustration as she wanted more and Billy went back to normal. The tension built to a sweet ending as they finally came together the way they were meant to be. I loved the epilogue, especially the surprises that it revealed.
The secondary characters were terrific. Trudy's mother was a sweetheart, and I ached for her and for Trudy as they dealt with her Alzheimer's. Her good days did a great job of showing the loving relationship that they had. There were some lovely scenes with her and Trudy. I also loved seeing her with Billy, especially the scenes at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I didn't like Trudy's cousins at all during the first parts of the book, especially with the way that they treated her. But Trudy's changes helped motivate some changes in them, and by the end they redeemed themselves quite nicely. Trudy's daughter, Crystal, started as a whiny, spoiled brat. I definitely didn't like the way that she talked to Trudy, especially when it came to Drew. I cheered when Trudy laid down the law to her, firmly but kindly. The changes in her by the end were very impressive, thanks to Trudy and Billy's compassion and support. Drew, on the other hand, was a complete ass from start to finish. He deserved everything he got.
