Book Review - Reach For the Stars by Colleen Coleman

Amazon UK

Title: Reach For The Stars

Author: Colleen Coleman

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 21st September 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

When Evelyn Dooley married her high-school sweetheart, James, she thought she was set for life. Now she’s 28, single, and fleeing to Dublin from her small hometown to avoid the gossip surrounding their break-up.

This was not in her five-year plan.

Then a chance encounter with gorgeous musician Danny leads to an unlikely friendship, and soon the pair are running music nights together. Surrounded by new friends and a welcoming community, Evelyn is building a life that she really loves – and sparks are beginning to fly between her and Danny…

But when her savings run out and home beckons, Evelyn has to choose. The safe, comfortable life she left behind, or a new adventure with Danny? Will Evelyn flee back to the familiarity of her ex, or reach for the stars and take a leap into the unknown?

Such an apt title, as the book is all about Reaching For the Stars, and trying to achieve your potential, oh and the S Club 7 song by the same name does make one appearance too! 

I really took to Evelyn quite early in her book, even while her marriage was falling apart. It was relatively amicable and then her first steps at striking out on her own, by leaving her small town and moving to the big city of Dublin. 

I loved Evelyn's attitude to everything, and was laughing a lot at the scene where she first meets a teaching recruitment consultant! She then makes a rather rash decision and from there the book became even more engaging. 

Danny and Evelyn's friendship was great, in fact I just really liked Danny and his busking, and general good naturedness. I also really enjoyed the other men that Evelyn meets in the pub, as well as the history of the pub itself. 

Reach For The Stars is a charming, and uplifting story, where Evelyn's life changes for the better as a result of her being reminded to reach for the stars. And this message is also carried forward when she starts taking on a mentor role to a troubled teen, which again is a sub plot that I really enjoyed reading. 

This is an entertaining story, written in an easy to follow style, and I really wasn't sure how it was going to end until I got to that point.  

Thank you to much to Netgalley and Bookouture for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.