Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Review: The Grass is Greener

Title: The Grass is Greener
Author: Loretta Hill
Publisher: 4 January 2016 by Random House Australia
Pages: 400 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: womens fiction, romance, chick lit, contemporary, Australian
My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:
From the author of The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots and The Maxwell Sisters comes a captivating novel about best friends, family and fighting for what you want, against all odds. 

The grass always seems greener on the other side . . . until you get there. 

For generations Bronwyn Eddings's family has thrived in the legal profession and a position at their prestigious firm is hers by right. Only problem is: she does not want it. 

Her best friend Claudia has always dreamed of being a lawyer, but tragedy struck and she took up the reins of her father's vineyard instead. It was supposed to be temporary . . . now there's no end in sight.

Bronwyn wants Claudia's life so badly. Claudia can't imagine anything better than Bronwyn's job. So the friends hatch a crazy plan to swap places.

Both are determined to be the person they always thought they could never be. But achieving your dreams isn't easy - and falling in love with the men who oppose them is not a good idea.

My Thoughts 

I was excited to finally try my first Loretta Hill book - and I loved it! The Grass is Greener by Aussie author Loretta Hill is a clever mixture of fun, family, a little intrigue to keep you guessing, romance of course and friends finding their own path in life.

"If I don't step outside my comfort zone for a minute I'll never find out who I need to be."

What a great story teller Loretta Hill proved to be as her book is not only entertaining but has an undercurrent of real life issues that are subtly addressed. Behind the veneer of chick lit musings you will find a range of characters dealing with real time issues: learning to assert your own identity, family obligations, older generation retirement, family businesses, family fallouts, people with disabilities - just to name a few. 

Why I think Hill is so clever is that she perfectly blends these issues against great Australian backdrops and flavoured with some Aussie sense of fun. The narrative easily flows that made me want to gobble it up in one sitting as I rode along with drama, wit and fun loving moments.

"This was her defining moment. This was the point where she realised it all had to change."

As Hill herself states, this is a book about starting again and that the adage of, 'the grass is always greener on the other side' has some flaws in it. She states in her conclusion that true happiness comes from being our best selves and not from somewhere or someone else. 
 
"The truth is, it was never about swapping our lives exactly. It was always about making the most of our own."

So you can see, if you dig a little deeper into this book you will find that The Grass is Greener has it all. Easy to read, perfect weekend escapism.



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

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