This was a great read. Overcoming hurdles, life learning, love story. ( )

Recommended: yes!
Good for a light read, like a beach day - though for this one, I probably won't recommend it as airplane reading.

Having finished this, the title is delightful in context. I'm not usually big on medical dramas and books that take place mostly in a hospital, but this was a quick enough read that it didn't drag me down or bore me as they usually do. I'm not terribly qualified to judge (thank my lucky stars), but the depiction of grief in this book felt real. The ups and downs that Margaret-now-Maggie detailed seemed reasonable for her situation.

I wasn't sucked in to the romance line, really at all. The whole idea of the stoic mean guy that later reveals his soft side doesn't appeal to me: I don't want a jerk as the main guy in the story! It also felt like a very standard procedure of falling in love, with one big grand gesture at the end that felt... contrived, I suppose. At best. I was rolling my eyes a bit and skimming through those last parts.

Was it predictable? At times, yes. The main question was one I was unsure about, however, so I'm grateful for that.

Is it good? Eh. It's entertaining, if it a little common. Nothing wildly unique about the story, based on what I've read before.

Did I enjoy it? YUP! I plowed through this mostly in one day that I had off, where I lounged in the sunshine until I finished it up.

Pretty dang good, especially since I had no idea what it was about when I accidentally bought it. I approve of the ending. A good read for a day off. 😊 ( )

Easy romance novel with some family drama and a recovery thrown in. KIRKUS REVIEWA woman faces a new life after surviving a plane crash in this moving story from Center (Happiness for Beginners, 2015, etc.).Margaret Jacobsen has always been afraid of flying¥which is why she?s extra hesitant to get in a plane flown by her pilot-in-training boyfriend, Chip, on Valentine?s Day. When Chip proposes in the air, Margaret has everything she?s ever wanted: an MBA, a great job lined up, and now the fiance of her dreams. But then Margaret?s biggest nightmare becomes a reality: The plane crashes. Chip walks away without a scratch while Margaret has severe burns on her neck and a spinal cord injury. Suddenly, everything about Margaret?s life has changed: Her job offer is rescinded, Chip can?t cope with her injuries, and she may never walk again. Now, Margaret has only her family to depend onÂ¥her well-meaning but controlling mother, her loving father, and her black-sheep sister, Kitty, who returns to town after years of estrangement. As her family members try in their own ways to motivate Margaret, she also has to get through physical therapy with Ian, the world?s grumpiest Scottish physical therapist. He has a prickly exterior, but Margaret slowly begins to realize that there may be more to him than she initially thought. A story that could be either uncompromisingly bleak or unbearably saccharine is neither in Center?s hands; Margaret faces her challenges with a sense of humor that feels natural. She has days when the reality of her changed life hits her and she can?t get out of bed, and she has moments where she and Kitty laugh so hard they cry. What she ultimately learns is that while her life may be much different than she expected and she may never be fully healed, as Ian puts it, ?It?s the trying that heals you.? Margaret learns to take control of her own life in the wake of loss and change, trying to form a life she wants instead of a life everyone else wants for her. Center?s characters, especially Margaret and Kitty, leap off the page with their unique voices, and their relationships evolve slowly and satisfyingly. Although this is largely the story of Margaret learning to make the most of her life, it?s also a touching and believable love story with plenty of romantic-comedy flourishes.A story about survival that is heartbreakingly honest and wryly funny, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Elizabeth Berg.

Fiction is usually not my favorite type of genre, unless it is well-written. How To Walk Away is very well-written. I don't want to give away spoilers, especially since this is a new book, so I will describe it in generalities. It is about the human spirit, even when life is not fair. It is about family and deep love. It is about persevering until you overcome. This book could be easily be read by both male and female and enjoyed. I could see this easily turning into a movie. And when you think you can predict what will happen next, something unexpected always seems to happen to keep you still guessing, so very suspenseful! I was given this book to read as part of a She Speaks assignment. I am very glad I was chosen. The author is very skilled in writing, and even though this is fiction, I feel like by reading this story and gleaning information from it, I have come away as a better person. Very little objectionable language was used. When you write a really good book, you don't have to do scandalous things to make the reader pay attention. At times, the book made me laugh or made me cry. It truly was a good representation of the ups and downs of life. Even the forgiveness that occurs in this story ends up being very satisfying. A special thanks to @StMartinsPress and @SheSpeaksUp for allowing me to read and review this book. ( )

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book.
It is a well-written story that takes a traumatic event and shows how determination, love, humor, and perseverance can lift you out of said trauma to make the best of your life. Great characters and sub-plots too! ( )