Book Review - Annie's Autumn Escape by Debbie Viggiano

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Title: Annie's Autumn Escape

Author: Debbie Viggiano

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied Copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 1st October 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Annie’s big birthday is looming. Sixty! She feels half that age, even if the mirror tells her otherwise. Hubby Keith promises her a birthday to remember, and doesn’t let her down, but packing his suitcase to shack up with a forty-something isn’t quite the memory Annie wants to make. Suddenly she’s single and – as an empty nester – very, very alone. The Bucket List she and Keith had promised to work their way through is but a dream, until besties Bella and Caz rally around Annie and whisk her away for a trip that will be remembered for ever. Dubai. But it’s not all skyscrapers, bling, sand dunes and sheikhs. As the sun sinks over the horizon of Jumeirah Beach… might there also be love?

A totally gorgeous romantic comedy with a twist!

Easily Debbie Viggiano's funniest book by far. 

I kept giggling and laughing out loud at various points in the story, and there was just a great sense of humour throughout. 

There is also a wonderful sense of place and I was enchanted from the moment Annie and her friends boarded the plane to Dubai.  The descriptions of Dubai, the heat, the excursions, the wealth etc.. all felt so vivid and real at least as far as my limited knowledge of the Emirate goes. 

If you have seen Sex and the City 2, there was that sort of vibe to some of the book, although let's just say the hotel rooms weren't quite at that sort of standard, but the ability to if you go to the right little corner to get hold of excellent fakes was reminiscent. 

And I loved that the various cultural differences were mentioned between Dubai and the West, with regards attitudes to men and women having any sort of meetings outside of marriage, use of swear words and other such things. 

But it's not just a book set in Dubai, there is a story there two, with Annie being our main character who is about the turn the big six-oh, when her husband drops a massive bombshell, and his new fling is twenty years younger!   Annie slowly uses it as a chance to reinvent herself, get herself out of rut and with wonderful consequences. 

There may just be a man that she keeps coming across in Dubai, in a set of amusing circumstances.  Ah back to the humour there are memorable scenes including the one with the banana, the one with the shower rail, the one with the swimming race and many other memorable scenes!   Not to mention Annie's daughters amusing text messages. 

Annie's mum is clearly suffering from dementia and although her parent's don't feature much, it is touched on how tricky life is for them, and Annie's mum although she may not mean to be, has some incredibly funny lines, especially with regards Annie's soon to be ex-husband! 

It's an all around entertaining and fabulous read and transported me to Dubai and back. A real triumph! 

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.