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A review by nchinnici
In This Moment by Karma Brown
4.0
An intensely emotional and believable story, In This Moment hit a lot of the right notes for me.
This novel opens with Meg Pepper jolting awake one morning to a loud bang that is a bird flying into her bedroom window. Meg realizes she and her husband, Ryan, have overslept since neither set their alarms, and hurries to get ready as one thing after another are thrown her way to be dealt with, including: the coffee carafe overflowing; starting to feel sick; a forgotten dentist appointment for her daughter, Audrey; and an argument with Ryan. All this in less than ten pages in the first chapter. And it just continues, as Meg fights to balance her family, work, and other obligations through the course of the day, never quite managing to keep everything quite right, even with all her phone reminders. Sound familiar? Is anyone else having flashbacks of Mila Kunis in Bad Moms?
And just that quickly, I was pulled into this story. Just that quickly, Brown has not only created a relatable character in Meg, but also pinpointed just how difficult it can be to be a woman in our current culture. While this theme continues to be explored throughout this book, it really is only the jumping off point to dig into other themes of guilt, grief, parenting, marriage, responsibility, and love. And Brown handles all of this with seeming ease to great effect.
The writing throughout this book is simple and effective, painting a vivid picture without being graphic. The characters feel fully fleshed out and dimensional. Even when I didn’t agree with their decisions, I could absolutely understand why they reacted in the ways that they did. And the whole book just flowed so easily, I almost felt like I was hearing the story firsthand from a girlfriend as she was telling me about her life.
"I hear the frustration in his voice, and wish not for the first time he could read my mind. After two decades of being together, I feel like he should be able to - I'm not that complicated."
Ultimately, In This Moment was an absorbing and powerful story. This was the first book I’ve ready by Karma Brown, but it won’t be the last. Definitely recommended.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy via Goodreads Giveaway!
This novel opens with Meg Pepper jolting awake one morning to a loud bang that is a bird flying into her bedroom window. Meg realizes she and her husband, Ryan, have overslept since neither set their alarms, and hurries to get ready as one thing after another are thrown her way to be dealt with, including: the coffee carafe overflowing; starting to feel sick; a forgotten dentist appointment for her daughter, Audrey; and an argument with Ryan. All this in less than ten pages in the first chapter. And it just continues, as Meg fights to balance her family, work, and other obligations through the course of the day, never quite managing to keep everything quite right, even with all her phone reminders. Sound familiar? Is anyone else having flashbacks of Mila Kunis in Bad Moms?
And just that quickly, I was pulled into this story. Just that quickly, Brown has not only created a relatable character in Meg, but also pinpointed just how difficult it can be to be a woman in our current culture. While this theme continues to be explored throughout this book, it really is only the jumping off point to dig into other themes of guilt, grief, parenting, marriage, responsibility, and love. And Brown handles all of this with seeming ease to great effect.
The writing throughout this book is simple and effective, painting a vivid picture without being graphic. The characters feel fully fleshed out and dimensional. Even when I didn’t agree with their decisions, I could absolutely understand why they reacted in the ways that they did. And the whole book just flowed so easily, I almost felt like I was hearing the story firsthand from a girlfriend as she was telling me about her life.
"I hear the frustration in his voice, and wish not for the first time he could read my mind. After two decades of being together, I feel like he should be able to - I'm not that complicated."
Ultimately, In This Moment was an absorbing and powerful story. This was the first book I’ve ready by Karma Brown, but it won’t be the last. Definitely recommended.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy via Goodreads Giveaway!