BLOG TOUR: Maggie's Turn by Deanna Lynn Sletten

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers…the place to be if you’re bookish, you know it, and you DEFINITELY aren’t afraid to show it!  Oh and if you are for some reason, no worries…we’ll break you of that habit soon enough.  ^_^

So, what DAY is it?

WEDNESDAY!

For those of you that answered something else…I suspect you’ve watched a WEE bit too much television as of late, or at least commercials…though I did find the one that takes place in the movie theater amusing.  Anywho…yes, it’s WEDNESDAY and time for another BLOG TOUR to land here on the site.  This one comes to us from Pump Up Your Book Tours and stars a title that will sit well with readers of the Women’s Lit category as well as those of general Fiction.  It stars a leading lady taking life by the horns and giving it what for…in her own due time.  Trust me, she DESERVES this chance.  Why?  Oh, you’ll see…

Let’s give a great BIG warm welcome to today’s blog tour guest and book of choice…

Maggie’s Turn

by

Deanna Lynn Sletten

About the book…
Sometimes you just have to walk away…to rediscover who you are.

Maggie Harrison is a devoted wife and mother, always putting the needs of her family ahead of her own.  Then, one day, without planning to, she drives away, leaving behind an indifferent husband and two sulking teenagers.  Maggie goes off on a quest of self-exploration, enjoying adventures, meeting new people, and rediscovering her passions.  For the first time in years, she dreams about what she wants out of life, and she realizes that her deteriorating marriage can no longer continue as it is.  Can she and Andrew repair their floundering relationship, or is their marriage over?

Andrew Harrison likes his life to be in perfect order.  He enjoys his work and status in the community, leaving Maggie to take care of everything at home.  He knows his marriage isn’t perfect, but after twenty-three years and two kids, whose marriage is?  When Maggie leaves without a word, he is forced to start paying more attention to his home life and his almost grown children, and he begins to do a little self-exploration of his own.  Slowly, he begins to understand what drove Maggie away and how important she is in his life.  Is it too late to resolve their differences and save their marriage? Or will Andrew lose Maggie forever?
 

So, this is a mid-life crisis meets the volcanic eruption of a union falling apart at the seams with a big dose of taking-people-for-granted thrown in for good measure.  For me, it was really character driven as we were guided through the story from both the perspective of Maggie and that of Andrew.  Now, speaking of him...

Andrew (the “husband” - - there’s a reason for my quotation mark usage there) is clueless, utterly so, the extent of which he doesn’t realize until things REALLY start to break down.  I mean, the dude can’t even launder clothes let alone keep a family running smoothly, despite it being his OWN family.  Let's not even talk about the things he's done in the past too.  *glares at Andrew*  He has A LOT to learn and I'm not even sure he's capable of getting the lesson.  You see him stagger into the vicinity of humanity and then WHOOPS!  There goes his selfish nature rearing its ugly head.  He was exasperating and totally deserved what was coming his way.  I can honestly say, I didn't feel bad for him...nope.  Not. One. Bit.  *humpf*

Maggie, on the other hand, is the super glue that holds everything together.  From schedules to dinner, community work to homework time, comfort for broken hearts and guidance on the path of life, she’s there for everyone through thick and thin…but are they there for her? The community has her back as they seem to appreciate her the most (though the secret they kept from her was pretty darn mighty).  Those she works with definitely know the gem they have in this fair lady.  Her family...not so much.  Again, let's not even talk about Andrew here.  There's a lot of lessons to be learned in this story, mostly for others but also for our leading gal...and anyone who says learning about your own heart's needs is not a lesson, doesn't know what they are speaking of.  Moving forward...

I also enjoyed the myriad of Bob's that ran through the story.  When Maggie took off unexpectedly, Bob Seger was her musical companion.  He led her through emotional patches in life both good and bad and he was there to help her find her way back to herself..in more ways than one.  You see, along her journey she meets Wild Bill, a character straight from the old West now in teacher clothes (loved him!), Bobbi, the eccentric hairdresser with a heart of gold (ridiculously fun!), and Rob, the man that could possibly be her new beginning (amazing gent...truly).  See?  Bob (in some variation) was there with her the entire way.  It's a running joke to a degree but it works and each person she counts as friend (or maybe more) is another piece of her life's pattern that go into creating the final glorious product that is her self.

So you see, while this is the story of a mother/wife/friend that one day has had enough and seeks to find the light at the end of her dreary tunnel as a means of starting again not calling it quits, it is also a story about us all.  Whether you've been in her shoes or may be one day, we can all relate to the matters of the heart it presents.  No one likes to be taken for granted.  No one deserves to be swept aside, feeling unheard and unloved.  It reminds us to cherish the ones in our lives for all they bring to the table and to share ourselves with them in equal measure...all while entertaining us along the way.  A win win in my book...how about yours?

Review copy received courtesy of author Deanna Lynn Sletten in conjunction with this Pump Up Your Book tour.  (THANKS!)  For more information regarding this title as well as her other works, be sure to stop by her official site.  To continue the bookish celebration as the author makes her way through the blogosphere, be sure to stop by PUYB tour page to see where she’s heading to next.  This title is available now in print and ebook formats from CreateSpace, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf near you.

Until next time…happy reading!