Paperback and e-book, 340 pages
Published June 1st 2015 by White Star Press
Living With No Regrets Is Harder Than It Seems
Finley isn’t exactly sure when her life began to feel unfamiliar. She suspects the transformation started long before she caught her husband and fellow garden club member doing the white-trash-two-step on her new Bernhardt sofa. Now free from the shackles of a loveless marriage, and with her children off to college, she’s finally able to go searching for the missing pieces of her heart.
Finley’s best friend, Cathyanne, is already working hard to ensure that Finley finds true love this time around. But when Finley is unwittingly tossed into the arms of two men—their sexy trainer and her neighbor, a popular country star—Cathyanne fears finding the right guy will be more complicated than she ever could have imagined.
For Finley, building a new life feels as impossible as flying a paper airplane to the moon. But maybe, just maybe, with the right help, she will find her whole heart—even if it’s in the very last place she thinks to look.
Purchase With No Regrets
I just loved this story. It totally captured my attention and I wish I could have read it in one sitting – that’s how much I didn't want to stop. But I had to stop for, well you know, for things like work and life. But then I also had to stop because I was so emotionally involved in the storyline that I was drawn to tears at one point and had to take a break to compose myself.
The story starts with Finley in a group session for people going through a divorce. The group members are some of the best characters in the story and they pretty much run her through the wringer. By the time they are done grilling her, Finley is determined to be done with group, she can handle this all on her own.
'We all had our lot in life - a vise, or a curse, for lack of a better word - an aspect of our personality that steadily held us back. Everyone had at least one obstacle - whether physical, emotional, or both - that got in the way of their progress, and more importantly, their happiness. For Finley, her curse had always been guilt. The fear of letting people down, especially when it came to her family. And right now that guilt just so happened to bear and uncanny resemblance to her ex-husband.'Between the group, her best friend Cathyanne, and her hunky neighbor Quinton, Finley is forced to make some changes in her life as she tries to figure out what she wants. I loved watching her transformation and sometimes I just wanted to yell at her to get her going in the right direction and to stop her from making a mistake. But she has to figure that all out for herself.
'Sometimes you have to give life a firm shake so it can resettle into a better place next time.'Towards the end of the book, there is a very emotional scene between Finley and Cathyanne. I have a very close friend who is going to the same thing right now and that hit me hard. It was tough to get through it and that’s when I had to set the book aside for a bit. But the author handled it all very well and it was beautiful to read. It touched my heart.
'Live your life with no regrets... Seize each day like it's the last one that you'll get. Don't wait for tomorrow or some second chance, to tell her you love her, or cut in and dance. Live your life with no regrets.'I had read another one of Julie's books several years ago, Countdown to Love, which I thought was great; a wonderful chick-lit story. With the release of With No Regrets, Julie has demonstrated that she is a multi-talented writer who can delve deep into human emotions and drama while tugging at our heart strings. I am going to love to read more from Julie.
'How does one live life with no regrets?'
Praise for With No Regrets
“The imagery is beautiful, the romance very well done and realistic.” Rachel Ann Nunes.
Finley is a spunky and snarky Southern woman with a lot of sass! The romance is swoon-worthy and satisfying. And underneath it all, it's got a great message. Definitely worth a read!
Trailer
Excerpt
She turned her face to the warmth of the sun shining through the sheets of glass enclosing her porch, bright but apparently not yet strong enough to warm the room. With a glance down at the cell phone resting on the corner of her mat, her eyes betrayed her desire for focus, to leave the world behind and center. The screen was dark. A blank void. She was alone, and no one cared. But then the only person she really wanted to hear from today was Finley. It had been nearly a week since the night they’d gone to Tootsie’s, and Finley had yet to return any of Cathyanne’s texts or calls. While Finley had been angry with Cathyanne many times before, she’d never gone more than a few days without a call, and never a whole week.
Breathing in against her discontent, she blew the frustration out, raised her hips, and pushed back into downward-dog. Her hamstrings tightened momentarily before relaxing into the pose. Her rebellious body coerced into submission, a sigh escaped her lips, her mind relishing in a moment of peace. Lowering her knees to the mat, she settled back onto her heels, hands in prayer position in front of her heart. Her gaze drifted over to her phone again. Nothing. Irritation seeped its way back in. She didn’t have time for all this foolishness. One more day. If Finley didn’t call by tomorrow, Cathyanne was going to hunt her down and force her to talk.
Getting to her feet, she walked over to the window and pressed her palm against the glass. The heat from the other side bled into her cold skin and traveled up her arm. She closed her eyes, memorizing the feeling while savoring the breath moving in and out of her lungs. “Come on, Finnie, let me help you,” she whispered. Beyond the window, birds actively called to one another. A dog barked. A golf cart whizzed to a stop.
She opened her eyes to see two of her neighbors setting up to putt on the 12th hole. Her 3,200 square-foot house backed up to the exclusive Bluegrass golf course. She’d played regularly when her second husband had still lived here.
Now, she only watched.
The couple spied her and gave a halfhearted wave. She waved back with matched enthusiasm. Cathyanne wasn’t well acquainted with many of her neighbors. She’d never been good at polite chitchat. Plus, her ideas and opinions always seemed a bit too strong, lingering around the outside of normal. To put it plainly, people generally found her to be a smidge odd. As if there were a glass wall between her and everyone else, she could see them—watch their lips move—but an understanding, a real connection couldn’t be formed. The only time she didn’t feel out of place was when she was working. She was good at transforming people, at making them into more acceptable versions of themselves, achieving for others what she’d never been able to do for herself.
About the author
A graduate from San Diego State University with a BA in Political Science, Julie N. Ford also earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama, which has only made her better able to recognize the unhealthy, codependent relationship she has with writing. Professionally, she has worked in teaching and as a marriage and family counselor.
She is the author of six women’s fiction novels, including Count Down to Love, a 2011 Whitney Award finalist. When she’s not writing, she entertains delusions of being a master gardener, that is, when she’s not killing the unsuspecting plants in her yard with her good intentions.
She lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, two daughters, and the cutest Scottish fold cat you’ve ever seen. She loves to chat with readers.
Connect with Julie
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I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to read and then write a review for my novel. I can imagine you get a ton of requests for reviews and I am grateful you chose to review mine. My thoughts and prayers go out to both you and your friend. Julie N. Ford
ReplyDeleteThank you, Julie! And thanks for stopping by.
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