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smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
Love this cover so much but it is another case of a seemingly "beach read" book masking much heavier subject matter. This was a great continuation of Libby's story from Life and other near death experiences and though told with humor it's definitely not a light fluffy read. In this book Libby is feeling lost at work, dealing with her grief over her father's death, coming to terms with being in remission, helping her 12 year old daughter handle having type 1 diabetes, witnessing the breakdown of her brother's marriage and feeling lost and a bit alone in her own marriage. This book is a perfect look at a life that is messy but oh so real, dealing with many of the things people go through all the time. Definitely worth reading, especially if you are a Camille Pagan fan or love a good women's fiction story. Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced readers copy.
Favorite quotes:
"Reading was a perfectly healthy way to cope with the dumpster fire that was reality."
"That's the best part of marriage - in a world full of unknowns, you have a known."
Favorite quotes:
"Reading was a perfectly healthy way to cope with the dumpster fire that was reality."
"That's the best part of marriage - in a world full of unknowns, you have a known."
nicollettereads's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book SO MUCH, but Libby was complaining the whole time and most of the dilemmas she was facing could have been solved by simple communication.
I also could not have given less of a damn about her twin daughters as there was no character development for them.
No much bad happens to ONE family either, so it made the end all the less believable.
I will say that this is the only Pagán book that I have not enjoyed. I love most of her books, and I loved Life and Other Near Death Experiences.
I also could not have given less of a damn about her twin daughters as there was no character development for them.
No much bad happens to ONE family either, so it made the end all the less believable.
I will say that this is the only Pagán book that I have not enjoyed. I love most of her books, and I loved Life and Other Near Death Experiences.
ashleykritzer's review against another edition
4.0
This is a sequel to “Life And Other Near Death Experiences” but it is not being marketed that way, and it can absolutely be read as a standalone book.
I recommend this book if
✨ you like a quick read
✨ you are OK with sad stories
✨ you are not bothered by references to disease, divorce and death
✨ you are a Camille Pagan fan (my favorite of hers is “Forever Is The Worst Long Time,” but it will wreck you)
✨ you like the “Friend Zone” series by Abby Jom
Thirteen years ago, Libby was diagnosed with cancer and told she had months to live. But here she is, alive and well with the husband she met when she fled to Puerto Rico after her diagnosis and their twin daughters. She plans a trip back to Puerto Rico to celebrate her “cancerversary” and show her teen daughters the island. But nothing goes according to plan, and in the wake of Hurricane Maria’s destruction, Puerto Rico isn’t the same place where Libby and Shiloh fell in love.
Pagan traveled to Puerto Rico in 2019 (Maria hit in 2017), so her telling of the hurricane damage is based on firsthand reporting. This is probably more meaningful to me than it would be for most readers because Maria hit right after Harvey and Irma (we evacuated for Irma) and I was glued to the news coverage. I really appreciated her author’s note encouraging readers to visit Puerto Rico.
I recommend this book if
✨ you like a quick read
✨ you are OK with sad stories
✨ you are not bothered by references to disease, divorce and death
✨ you are a Camille Pagan fan (my favorite of hers is “Forever Is The Worst Long Time,” but it will wreck you)
✨ you like the “Friend Zone” series by Abby Jom
Thirteen years ago, Libby was diagnosed with cancer and told she had months to live. But here she is, alive and well with the husband she met when she fled to Puerto Rico after her diagnosis and their twin daughters. She plans a trip back to Puerto Rico to celebrate her “cancerversary” and show her teen daughters the island. But nothing goes according to plan, and in the wake of Hurricane Maria’s destruction, Puerto Rico isn’t the same place where Libby and Shiloh fell in love.
Pagan traveled to Puerto Rico in 2019 (Maria hit in 2017), so her telling of the hurricane damage is based on firsthand reporting. This is probably more meaningful to me than it would be for most readers because Maria hit right after Harvey and Irma (we evacuated for Irma) and I was glued to the news coverage. I really appreciated her author’s note encouraging readers to visit Puerto Rico.
motmoove's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
spowers2627's review against another edition
4.0
I was immediately drawn into Libby's story. When we meet her she has just received great news, and yet she is examining why she doesn't feel more joyous. The more I got to know Libby, the more I related to her internal struggles, her worries as a mother and her fears as a woman. When her brother delivers news that shocks her, Libby takes action to shake up things for her family. She plans a trip to Puerto Rico, where she and her husband met and fell in love. Libby has grand hopes that this trip will be a relationship reset and infuse joy into her family be reliving wonderful memories in a beautiful setting. Instead, the trip has one mishap after another and Libby is forced to confront some hard truths. She realizes she has been repressing many emotions and that pretending everything is alright is actually causing harm her relationships.
I liked so much about this story and these characters. This is my first by Camille Pagan, but won't be my last.
I liked so much about this story and these characters. This is my first by Camille Pagan, but won't be my last.
emilyisoverbooked's review against another edition
4.0
Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around by Camille Pagánis the sequel to Life and Other Near-Death Experiences, but it can also be read as a standalone novel.
Libby has been cancer-free for thirteen years, but is still dealing with the anxiety of a possible remission, grief from the loss of her father, shock over unexpected news from her brother, sadness over a husband who seems to be distancing himself, and all the frustrations of having twin 12-year-old daughters, one of whom is a type 1 diabetic. Life is hard, and at this point, it isn't quite looking like Libby expected. So, naturally, she books a trip back to the magical Vieques, Puerto Rico, where she met her now-husband Shiloh. A tropical vacation revisiting the places that formed their romance with the girlswill turn everything around, right?! But what happens when a tropical storm starts moving toward the island? You'll just have to read to find out ;)
I love the important message in this book that trying to glaze over all of the tough things in life and just focus on the positive is not always helpful. Yes, a sunny outlook is great, but you also have to deal with the tough situations in life and really process and work through them with open communication with family, friends, and/or a therapist.
Thank you to Camille Pagán, Suzy Approved Book Tours, and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!
Libby has been cancer-free for thirteen years, but is still dealing with the anxiety of a possible remission, grief from the loss of her father, shock over unexpected news from her brother, sadness over a husband who seems to be distancing himself, and all the frustrations of having twin 12-year-old daughters, one of whom is a type 1 diabetic. Life is hard, and at this point, it isn't quite looking like Libby expected. So, naturally, she books a trip back to the magical Vieques, Puerto Rico, where she met her now-husband Shiloh. A tropical vacation revisiting the places that formed their romance with the girlswill turn everything around, right?! But what happens when a tropical storm starts moving toward the island? You'll just have to read to find out ;)
I love the important message in this book that trying to glaze over all of the tough things in life and just focus on the positive is not always helpful. Yes, a sunny outlook is great, but you also have to deal with the tough situations in life and really process and work through them with open communication with family, friends, and/or a therapist.
Thank you to Camille Pagán, Suzy Approved Book Tours, and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!
notinjersey's review against another edition
4.0
This book continues Libby’s story which was first told in the book Life and Other Near Death Experiences (Pagán’s books have the best titles!). I did not read that one and didn’t feel that I needed to have read it to get the most out of this one (though I would probably not go back to that one now as I now know what happened in it!). Libby is found to be cancer free but she feels lost in her life. She and her husband decide to take their twin girls (one of whom has diabetes) to Puerto Rico, where basically everything goes wrong. However, the family is able to get closer while getting past everything that happens. Hurricane Maria is mentioned with regards to all the destruction on the island and it was certainly hard to read about but important to know. I also loved the side characters, including Libby’s lovely friend Milagros and a one eyed dog.
jennrobyn's review against another edition
4.0
This book was such a pleasant reading experience, for me. It had me in my emotions constantly. And many, many parts of it hit close to home.
Though is sits at less than 300 pages, Pagan had me connecting to the characters right from the get-go and I was compelled to read as quickly as possible to see what happened.
I loved that their was humour sprinkled throughout. I love that each family member had their own “a-ha” moments which ended up bringing them all closer together. In many ways the Velasquez family reminded me of my own.
This was my first novel by Pagan, but I find her writing so addicting and quick that I’ll be sure to pick up more of her work in the future!
Though is sits at less than 300 pages, Pagan had me connecting to the characters right from the get-go and I was compelled to read as quickly as possible to see what happened.
I loved that their was humour sprinkled throughout. I love that each family member had their own “a-ha” moments which ended up bringing them all closer together. In many ways the Velasquez family reminded me of my own.
This was my first novel by Pagan, but I find her writing so addicting and quick that I’ll be sure to pick up more of her work in the future!
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
(Kindle Unlimited) Sigh. I loved all of Pagán’s other books and was SO excited for this one. And there were redeeming qualities, the most notable being the attention it brings to the devastation of Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria and the unacceptable relief response by the US government. Another being the message about the harm that toxic positivity can cause. However, the rest of it felt so bleak and relentlessly stressful. And maybe that was the intent, but it just wasn’t for me.