Review: The Unbreakables by Lisa Barr

Title: The Unbreakables

Author: Lisa Barr

Published: June 2019, Harper Paperbacks

Format: Paperbacks, 352 pages

Source: Publisher via GetRed PR

Summary: 

A delicious, sharp novel
about a woman who jets off to France after her perfect marriage
collapses, putting the broken pieces of herself back together while
rediscovering her own joie de vivre—a lust for life, art, and steamy sex. 

The worst birthday ever might just be the gift of a lifetime…

It’s
Sophie Bloom’s forty-second birthday, and she’s ready for a night
of celebration with Gabe, her longtime, devoted husband, and her two
besties and their spouses. Dinner is served with a side of delicious
gossip, including which North Grove residents were caught with their
pants down on Ashley Madison after the secret on-line dating site
for married and committed couples was hacked. Thirty-two million
cheaters worldwide have been exposed…including Sophie’s “perfect”
husband. To add insult to injury, she learns Gabe is the top cheater in
their town.

Humiliated and directionless, Sophie jumps into the
unknown and flees to France to meet up with her teenage daughter who is
studying abroad and nursing her own heartbreak. After a brief visit to
Paris, Sophie heads out to the artist enclave of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
There, for the first time in a long time, Sophie acknowledges her own
desires—not her husband’s, not her daughter’s—and rediscovers her
essence with painful honesty and humor, reawakening both her sensuality
and ambitions as a sculptor.

As she sheds her past and travels
the obstacle-filled off beaten path, Sophie Bloom is determined to
blossom. Allowing her true self to emerge in the postcard beauty of
Provence, Sophie must decide what is broken forever…and what it means
to be truly unbreakable.

My thoughts: Every once in a while a book comes across your path that hits all the right marks and this book absolutely does that and more. There has been a ton of hype around this book and while that sometimes can work against a book for me, luckily this time it was well deserved.

The one thing I would advise when it comes to this book is to just dive straight in. Don’t spend too much time reading about it, especially any in-depth book synopses because I personally think they give too much away. Just go into the book as blind as you can and enjoy it for what it’s worth.

I loved this book. I connected with Sophie right from the start, not that I have experienced what she has in any way, but I just felt her character was very relatable and down-to-earth. I felt like she could have been someone I knew. And I totally appreciated having a character in her 40’s. Let’s face it – there aren’t too many books that feature characters around my age, and so when I find one that does, and I like the character, it’s a home run. 

If you think this book is going to be a light-hearted, chick-flick type of book, you would be mistaken. It is so much deeper than that. This is about the journey Sophie finds herself taking after the unthinkable happens. It will have you thinking what you would do if god-forbid you were ever to find yourself in this position. Yes, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but there are just as many poignant, heartbreaking moments and some real life affirming moments, too. 

I loved taking this journey with Sophie. I loved seeing how she handled everything and I loved that it made me think. A quote by A.A. Milne kept coming to mind as I read this, “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” This quote seems fitting for our beloved Sophie.

This book is one that will definitely stay with me for a long time. I strongly recommend adding this to your summer reading list…it’s a quick read for sure, but one that will having a lasting impact.

Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

A. A. Milne

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/a_a_milne_402613