Synopsis

When Mar Meyer’s husband divorces her for another woman, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it’s not easy to start over, Mar is young-looking, fit, and ready for new adventures – as long as she can keep things casual.

With each passing month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next. Among them: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical consultant, a kindly older gentleman . . . and Charlie, a handsome best-selling novelist who wants more from Mar than she’s able to give. She learns something new from each encounter. But can she change enough to open herself up to happiness and true connection?

Surrounded by an ensemble of quirky, endearing characters, Mar follows a tortuous and unpredictable path as she navigates the first year of her reinvented life. My Year of Casual Acquaintances is packed with laugh-out-loud moments mingled with scenes of loneliness and self-doubt that will put a lump in your throat.

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

Review

“Who can I call for you?”

This line resonated with me because if I was in an accident or trouble, who would I want someone to call for me? This is a book that many women can relate to, even for just that line. Margaret has recently divorced and is starting her life over. As can happen with relationships, sometimes friends choose the other person. This leaves the remaining party to seek out new friends and acquaintances, which can be a daunting task for some people. She meets a variety of people at the fitness center, and we have an inside look into some disaster meetings and some that really take off. I loved the interactions with the various women and even the men that Margaret thinks about having a potential relationship with at different times.

This book is also about discovering who we are, figuring out relationships with those around us, and what we want from life. Margaret learns a lot of this as she experiences these brief relationships. One of her lightbulb moments was visiting with her former neighbor and learning some truths about her son and ex-husband. In the first half of the book, her relationship with her son Michael is tense. You can see the animosity from him leaping off the pages. However, when the truth comes to light, it changes their dynamics. I was glad to see this because I did not appreciate Michael’s attitude towards Margaret.

I thought that Margaret was a little self-centered and absorbed in herself, but this year of self-discovery made her a more aware woman, changing the relationships around her for the better. I think we can all take away a little something from this book and apply it to our own lives.

I really enjoyed the book, and we give it 5 paws up.

About the Author

Ruth F. Stevens likes to create stories that will make readers laugh and cry. A former public relations executive in New York and Los Angeles, she is a produced playwright and author of a previous novel, Stage Seven, which was a featured selection of a national online book club and Alzheimer’s awareness organizations. Ruth is a proud member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and the Dramatists Guild of America and serves as a volunteer and acquisitions editor for AlzAuthors.

Ruth lives in Torrance, California, with her husband. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, hiking, hip-hop and fitness classes, yoga, Broadway musicals, wine tasting, leading a book club, and visiting her grandsons in NYC. Visit Ruth’s website and consider signing up for her monthly newsletter to receive publishing updates, book reviews, and special offers.

Website * Instagram * Facebook * BookBub