The Life She Deserves (Granite Springs Book 1)

👍👍😍Author Maggie Christensen really creates true-to-life women protagonists, with all the complexity and worldly cares that come with maturity and a growing family. I love to read her romances, which are just as much about dealing with children, exes, and the challenges of growing old as finding love with a new partner.👥In this story, the new partner for Jo is Col, a widower she has known for decades and with whom she spent the last few years sharing the care of his sick wife. But their second chance romance is impeded by all the drama going on in Jo's family and her grown children's selfish expectations of what she can and should do for them. At 60, it's obvious that most of her family members think she's too old to undertake new ventures and enjoy a life unburdened by their constant demands! And romance? At her age? At least half of her family expects her to fall in with their wishes and forget about what she desires and deserves after a lifetime of putting them and their feelings first.It's an added bonus that, rather than telling the story from just the heroine's point of view, Christensen also alternates to Col's viewpoint on occasion. It's helpful and interesting to get his thoughts and feelings and learn what he, as an outside observer, learns about Jo's ex and his peccadillos.This is a great story, well-written, easy to read and based in real life. The romantic interludes are clean, implied rather than explicit, and that's refreshing when so much romance these days is centered on steam. It's another winner for me and, though the author shared an advance copy with me, I had to buy it to add to my collection. Definitely recommended.👍👍😊

Jo has been divorced from Gordon for five years. She has started seeing Col after his wife died. But just as they were about to go public with their budding romance her ex decided that he wants her back. This story was fascinating and a great read. The family had their own ideas on how she should behave or live. What happens when she finally gets them all to listen to her is the best part of the story line.

As a woman of a particular age I simply could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. This is a new author for me and I definitely will be reading more of her books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely read. I did have to look some terms up on Google regarding some of the food! Lol. There was one thing that I would change and that was when the pregnant woman knew she was pregnant and had a glass of wine. That's a major no-no with me! Loved everything else about this book. Great characters.

The first chapter had extramarital sex. That is not clean or wholesome. I did nit finish the book because I was so disappointed.

This book reminds me of MacLeod’s daughters - minus the horses & cattle, of course. It has the same family feel to it. I liked reading about Jo and her getting a second chance at love.

Absolutely adored this book by Maggie Christensen! I'm so happy it is the first in a series and hope we see Jo and Col appearing in future books. Wonderful characters, brilliant setting descriptions - a joy to ready. One of my favourites from this author which I highly recommend.

Once again Maggie has written a wonderful book. I found the story easy to get into and didn’t want to stop reading. The characters were relatable and interesting. I highly recommend reading this book.

Families, eh? We are so lucky to have them and love them, but they do throw up the “inevitable pitfalls”, as the heroine, Jo admits. She’s in a pickle: a divorcee, she’s fallen for one of her best friends – a widower called Col, who is also her ex-husband’s best friend…Two of her three children don’t like it and this leads to a threat to the lovely couple’s happiness.As a mother and grandmother, there is an awful lot of my own life I can identify with in this contemporary novel. It’s hard to split oneself. Having spent most of life working and bringing up children, now, in the twilight years, it’s time to grab onto the good times we’ve earned. Children find it difficult to realise that energy levels aren’t what they used to be – that we can’t manage all the babysitting requested; find it impossible to believe that a sex life might be possible for us; can’t understand we want time for ourselves and our hobbies. And we may be at fault too - because we find it hard to say no. But no is such an important word. Will Jo say no? Can she and Col find happiness? Read and find out… it’s quite a journey.I wondered why Col was such good friends with the awful Gordon. He even says “he’d always known his friend was devious, but this was taking it too far…” (No spoilers, but he is an unpleasant man: “He was like a bull at a gate when it came to getting his own way” …). And Jo’s daughter-in-law and even her own daughter come over as spoiled brats to me. I didn’t like them at all and I’m glad they aren’t my children.I’ve read a description of Maggie’s books as being like drinking a cup of tea, but I think this book is stronger than tea. A lot of wine is enjoyed in the story (and my mouth watered at some of the dishes consumed). I’d say reading Maggie Christensen’s book is more like enjoying a glass of sparkling white.Never having visited Australia, I enjoyed being taken there in the pictures the author painted. I even learned a few new words – and that’s always good for the little grey cells (Let’s call them silver cells, shall we?) ”Furphy”, “Tim Tams”, “fossicking” are some of these words.Pour yourself a glass of sparkling wine and enjoy this easy read.

This is the first book in the Granite Springs series and it brought a whole new set of characters and the story brings each one to life and bringing realistic problems we can all relate to along with an engaging storyline. I have read quite a few of Maggie Christensen books and cannot recommend them enough and look forward to the next one in this series as they are easy reads and always has a good storyline.

A great read , looking forward to the next one in the series , I always enjoy Maggie's books and this was no exception , definitely 5 stars

First book I'd read from this author and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be reading more . . .

A charming small town love story revealing the complexity, frustration and joy that comes with families and relationships later in life. So many relatable moments.It was nice to spend a few hours as a fly on the wall, watching the path that Jo and Col had to follow until they achieved their HEA. Look forward to reading other books by Maggie Christensen. Jane Ellyson, Author of Over Byron Bay