Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Starting Now (Blossom Street Series #10) by Debbie Macomber

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber returns to Seattle’s beloved Blossom Street in this heartfelt tale of friendship, renewal, and discovering what’s truly important in life.
 
For years Libby Morgan dreamed only of making partner in her competitive, high-pressure law firm. She sacrificed everything for her career—her friends, her marriage, her chance at creating a family. When her boss calls Libby into his office, she assumes it will finally be good news, but nothing can prepare her for the shocking reality: She’s been let go and must rebuild her entire life . . . starting now.
 
With no job prospects in sight, Libby reaches out to old friends and spends her afternoons at A Good Yarn, the local knitting store. There she forms a close bond with Lydia, the sweet-natured shop owner; Lydia’s spirited teenage daughter, Casey; and Casey’s best friend, Ava, a shy yet troubled girl who will shape Libby’s future in surprising and profound ways.
 
As A Good Yarn becomes a second home—and the women a new kind of family—Libby relishes the different person she’s become. She even finds time for romance with a charming and handsome doctor who seems to be her perfect match. But just as everything is coming together, Libby must make a choice that could forever change the life she holds so dear.
 
Warmly told and richly textured, Starting Now is filled with the promise of new beginnings and the unending delights of companionship and love.
 
My thoughts:
I haven't read a Debbie Macomber book in a while, but they always feel like a cozy warm blanket.  The characters feel like friends and I love that some of these Blossom Street characters have been weaving in and out of her books for years.  It is like catching up with old friends!
 
Libby  has been so focused on the career aspect of her life that she has been neglecting the other areas of her life.  In working towards her goal of making partner she has been thinking that when she achieves that goal she will have time for friends, relationships and hobbies, but her life is passing her by.  When she is let go from the firm she has worked for for many years it feels to her that life is over, but the advice her boss gave her keeps coming back until she reaches out and leaves her comfort zone.  She finds that the knitting that gave her comfort when her mother was dying of cancer, still has the power to relax her.  She finds comfort in rocking babies and starts going to the gym and connecting with friends.  As she makes changes in her life she finds that it is so much more full and rich than it was when she was totally focused on her law career.
 
What I took away from this book is that without meaningful relationships and connections to other people, we are just going through the motions.  I think too many businesses are expecting more and more of their employees, but if they gave everyone the chance to have a well rounded life with time for fulfillment both at home and at work there would be more satisfied employees overall and less problems.  I think some of the problems businesses encounter is caused by asking people to give more and more of their time to a job, instead of allowing for a balance that might make people  more productive overall instead of dreading long hours.
 
I hope to not wait so long until I read another Macomber book!

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780345528810
  • Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 4/2/2013
  • Series: Blossom Street Series , #10
  • Pages: 352

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