Only One Life by Ashley Farley

☆☆☆
ebook, 298 pages
Expected publication: April 23rd 2019 by Lake Union Publishing
About the Book:
Julia Martin grew up wealthy, but it wasn’t until she met her husband, Jack, that she knew true happiness. He made her feel worthy and loved. Their marriage was also an escape from her sister’s bullying, her father’s scrutiny, and her chilly and enigmatic mother. But when tragedy strikes on the night she gives birth, Julia’s happiness is shattered. She has no choice but to return home to her family’s South Carolina mansion, where the grief and guilt buried in her mother’s past await her. As a young woman trapped in a bitter marriage, Julia’s mother, Iris, once needed her own means of escape. In Lily, she found a best friend. In the flower shop they opened, she discovered independence. Then came a transgression—unforgivable, unforgettable, and unresolved—that changed Iris’s life forever. Now, in Iris’s most desperate hour, her only hope is to regain the trust of the daughter she loves—and to share the secrets of the heart that could rebuild a family’s broken bonds.

I absolutely loved Nell and Lady by Ashley Farley so when I saw another of her books on Netgalley I had to have it. Unfortunately this one didn't live up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad book but it just fell a little flat for me and everything just came too easy for the characters. I didn't appreciate the light it shone on mental illness, how easy it was for one character to get better. It doesn't happen that way in real life.

I did really enjoy reading about Iris's backstory. Those chapters were my favourite part of the book. Only One Life under general women's fiction for me. It's told from 2 separate points of view and encapsulates the vulnerabilities, pride, and strength in each of the female characters. It holds a spark here and there of romance but in not in a way that they romance dominates the story or the characters. I enjoyed it and fans of women's fiction will too.

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Ashley Farley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#OnlyOneLife #NetGalley