Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Spotlight + Review: Life in Plan B



BLURB:



When twenty-eight year old Haley Simpson, a sales associate for her best friend’s clothing boutique in Columbus, Ohio, begins a secret affair with the boutique’s potential New York City business partner, she digs a cavernous hole of deception that not only threatens to end her blossoming career, but to destroy a life-long friendship. 
Jennifer Vessells's debut novel, LIFE IN PLAN B, encompasses everything classic chick lit should: the dynamics of friendship, the nuances of high-reaching career aspirations, and the struggles – both usual and unique – presented by romantic and familial relationships. An entertaining story at every turn, LIFE IN PLAN B is identifiable for readers of any age. In short, Ms. Vessells hits her debut novel out of the park!


 After what seemed like a century of silence, Lindsay pulled into a parking garage downtown within a few blocks from the registration tents.  It had taken us thirty minutes to drive two and a half miles, leaving us an hour before the start of the race.  An hour was plenty of time to register and, if we were so inclined, to find Nick’s group.
            “Okay team, time to wake up and get our walk on!”  Lindsay announced, turning off the car.  Lost in thought for the last fifteen minutes, I hadn’t realized that both Dom and Patrick had dozed off in the backseat.
            “I’m up,” Patrick claimed unconvincingly, fluttering his brown eyes and yawning.  Although Dom was stirring, he still had his eyes closed.
            “Do you think they have vending machines somewhere?”  Dom asked, his eyes remaining tightly shut.  I laughed.
            “Probably not,” I responded.  “You’ll have to survive without your daily dose of Mountain Dew.”
            “Gross!”  Lindsay exclaimed from my left.  “If Haley’s not joking, that is an awfully unhealthy habit.”  Dom opened his eyes to shoot Lindsay an irritated glance.  They had only met a couple of times; I’m sure he didn’t appreciate being scolded by someone he barely knew.
            “Okay then,” I interjected, trying to diffuse the tension.  “We better get moving – brace yourselves.  It probably isn’t any warmer out there than it was thirty minutes ago.”
            Unfortunately, I was right.  As I climbed out of the car, the cold weather instantly pierced through my clothing.  If anything, it seemed colder than it had been while we were waiting in front of the boutique.  Shivering next to the car as the rest of the crew followed my lead, I turned to survey the mass of people in the parking garage.  Lindsay had been right about the size of the crowd attending the race.  It was unbelievable.  There were hundreds of people in every direction of all ages, shapes, and sizes.  Some groups had matching t‑shirts like ours, some groups decked themselves out in matching outfits from head-to-toe, and others carried inspirational placards with messages to struggling loved ones or in memory of loved ones passed.
            As we grouped together to head to the registration tents, a small family walked by holding hands.  Dressed in pink t-shirts with “Beat Cancer” bedazzled on the front, my heart melted.  The father balanced his small daughter on his shoulders as she held a sign that said, “Walking for Mommy.”  Waddling proudly next to them was a waif of a woman wearing a camouflage handkerchief, her eyes glistening with tears.  She would have been ninety pounds had she not been nearly nine months pregnant.  As my eyes began to water, I felt someone grab my hand.  Looking sideways, I smiled at Patrick who was biting the inside of his cheek to stifle his own tears.  Winking back at me, he motioned for me to head out.
            “Let’s do this Hale,” he said softly.  Nodding in agreement I walked ahead, patting his hand as I let it go.

            None of us talked as we walked toward the registration tent, silenced by the inspirational messages surrounding us.  They made my trouble with men seem petty and unimportant.  And it made me feel ridiculous for having been so dramatic about my situation with Keegan.  I knew what it was like to lose a loved one; I could relate to that pain.  No one could understand the agony and hopelessness that follows the tragic loss of a loved one until they’ve experienced it themselves.  I wanted to hug everyone around me in support, but I wouldn’t have made it a block before the race started; there were so many people walking in someone’s memory.



Review Rating: 4 LIGHTNING BOLTS

Review: Do you ever have a plan, a dream for your life? Most do, right? Well, what happens when it's time to swtich to plan B?

That's what the heroine of this story, Haley, is dealing with. She's not living the life she imagined. So it's up to plan B. But even then, that takes a turn for the more...uhh shall we say, interesting?

This is a great, easy read. It's full of elements that make up a good story. The one thing I do have to say is there's a bit overly detailed moments at times, but that's okay. Still a story that held my attention with characters that I could relate to and rooted for. Haley has a lot of changes to deal with, as always in a book such as this, and I love the way she handles things. She's someone I could spend a day with and have a blast! 

Life in Plan B is a great modern day story for all to sit back and enjoy. I know I did. 






Bio:


After practicing law for nearly three years, Jennifer Vessells decided to leave the practice to pursue her dream of being a novelist. After an intensive year and a half of writing, Ms. Vessells is proud to finally present her debut novel to the world - a story that's been marinating since her early college days.

Passionate about women's fiction and children's chapter books, Ms. Vessells plans to enjoy a long writing career. Keep your eye out for more exciting publications from this author in the future!

Connect with Jennifer!



Twitter Account: @JVessells

Buy the Book!





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