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Beach Read Alert! Out of The Clear Blue Sky is a laugh-out-loud women’s fiction novel about a woman whose husband leaves her and the other woman. Lillie, a nurse-midwife, thought her marriage to Brad was solid until the day he tells her that he is leaving her for someone else. Left alone after her 19-year marriage implodes, she struggles to find herself. Then there is Melissa, Brad’s
mistress, a young rich widow who has relied on her looks to get ahead. She will stop at nothing to get what she wa Out of The Clear Blue Sky is a laugh-out-loud women’s fiction novel about a woman whose husband leaves her and the other woman. Lillie, a nurse-midwife, thought her marriage to Brad was solid until the day he tells her that he is leaving her for someone else. Left alone after her 19-year
marriage implodes, she struggles to find herself. Then there is Melissa, Brad’s mistress, a young rich widow who has relied on her looks to get ahead. She will stop at nothing to get what she wants, even stealing another woman’s husband, but when she has to take in her niece, a wrench is thrown in her plans. The chapters alternate between Lillie and Melissa. It’s easy to root for Lillie, but I was surprised by the end how much Melissa grew on me, especially since I hated her character
in the beginning. Both characters are well-developed and go beyond the cliches of their roles. Lillie’s revenge tactics against Brad and Melissa were hilarious, but the relationships between all of the female characters were my favorite. I had so much fun reading this! Some parts had me laughing out loud. My favorite character was Ophelia, Melissa’s niece. She has some snappy one-liners, and her nickname for Brad made me smile. It’s a little too long, and I could have
lived with fewer midwifery-focused chapters, but overall, I was immersed and wholly entertained! After Higgin’s last book, Pack Up the Moon , which had me crying my face off, it was nice to read a lighter book from her. I can’t remember the last time a book made me laugh so much. It also explores themes of family, friendship, and love. I highly recommend this for a summer read or for any time when you need a pickup! Thank you to Elisha Katz and Berkley Books for sending me an
ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Shortly, Lillie’s life will drastically change forever. As her son prepares to travel cross-country to begin college, she too is preparing for the next stage of life with her husband as empty nesters. But he has plans of his own…and they sure don’t include Lillie. “Y Shortly, Lillie’s life will drastically change forever. As her son prepares to travel cross-country to begin college, she too is preparing for the next stage of life with her husband as empty nesters. But he has plans of his own…and they sure don’t include Lillie. “You plan and the universe laughs.” That’s right, Mr. Wonderful has left her
for a wealthy, young extremely attractive woman who recently arrived in their quaint Cape Cod town. Can Lillie manage to get over the shock and move on? “People can be ripped out of your life for all sorts of different reasons. Sometimes you’ll never see it coming…” This book provides all the feels we want and hope for. I adored Lillie and how she so bravely handled the devastating turns in her life. Her husband was an absolute 💩, but his obnoxious behavior
begrudgingly made me laugh. Oh, and lest we forget “the other woman.” Well of course I hated her outright! But, that may have softened (just a tiny bit). Once again, Kristan Higgins hit it out of the ballpark for me. Hands down a five-star contemporary novel. Yup, that’s right…Straight to my favorites shelf it goes!🤩 A buddy read with Susanne Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing
When my favorite romance writer writes a novel, I request it. But not only do I request the ARC (thank you Berkely and NetGalley!) I also preordered the e-book and preordered my signed physical copy from her local bookstore too. Why? because I like to have all of it. If Kristan Higgins writes it, I buy it. Although I mentioned earlier that she is my favorite romance novelist, in the last few years,
she has transitioned to women's fiction. Do I mind? not in the least! Why? because her stories are a Why? because I like to have all of it. If Kristan Higgins writes it, I buy it. Although I mentioned earlier that
she is my favorite romance novelist, in the last few years, she has transitioned to women's fiction. Do I mind? not in the least! Why? because her stories are always interesting and they leave me with a smile. In Out of the Clear Blue Sky, we meet two very different women. One is our main protagonist, Lillie Silva. She is of Portuguese descent and loves her family, cooking, her little town on Cape Cod, and her job as a nurse-midwife. She feels like she has it all. She is perfectly
happy although sad that her son is leaving for college in Montana. Soon to be an empty-nester, Lillie is planning to surprise her husband with a trip when he tells her that he wants a divorce and he is in love with another woman. He wants to have joy back in his life. This statement hits Lillie like a ton of bricks. She had no clue her marriage was dying. She never knew he was unhappy. Worst, he decides to tell her this when her son is leaving her too. Then, Kristan Higgins throws me a
curveball. The other woman's POV is Melissa's. The woman responsible (in part since we can't forget the douche ex-husband) for upending Lillie's life as she knows it. At first, it was so easy to root for Lillie. She was a nice person who loved her family and was helpful to others. Definitely, someone, who deserved better than the hand she got played. What shocked me is how I learned to like Melissa too. Yes, she had been manipulative and superfluous but as the story progresses, we get to
see another side of her. We get to know her motivations for the way she behaved. Not that it excused what she did but she didn't do it alone. The one constant in this book is how much of a moron the ex-husband was. I had zero sympathies for him. Talk about selfish and egotistical. Good riddance! As always, Kristan Higgins can make me smile and cry on the same page. Lillie had me laughing with her antics. I adored Zeus (her dog) and liked the other secondary characters including Beth,
Hannah, her dad, and of course, Ben. Even though this book was awesome, I wouldn't have minded seeing more of Ben on page....just saying (romantic at heart-point finger towards herself). Now, I just have to wait for my next Kristan Higgins fix in 2023. Cliffhanger: No 5/5 Fangs A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram ...more
May 17, 2022 Tina rated it it was amazing This is a Women's Fiction. This book follows two women (one newly divorce and the other is the other woman). I loved this book so much, and I was pulled into the story and characters so quickly. I loved getting the different points of view, and I also loved seeing the changes in the characters throughout this book. This is not a short and quick read, but this is a well written book. The characters in this book feel like real people. Great Book and Great Read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of t This is a Women's Fiction. This book follows two women (one newly divorce and the other is the other woman). I loved this book so much, and I was pulled into the story and characters so quickly. I loved getting the different points of view, and I also loved seeing the changes in the characters throughout this book. This is not a short and quick read, but this is a well written book. The characters in this book feel like real people. Great Book and Great Read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Berkley Books) or author (Kristan Higgins) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. ...more
the setup… the heart of the story… the narration… the bottom line… Posted on Blue Mood Café
Kristan Higgins at her best. One of my top 5 books of the year. I loved the intertwined relationships between the characters. One of those books where you’re still thinking about them long afterward. A feel good read!
Aug 26, 2022 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing
Audiobook….read by WOW……okay ….. I was a little slow to catch the full tone of this book in the beginning…(we can blame it on my own moody space lately), What
a kick this audiobook turned out to be. A little long — with the occasional sappy sen WOW……okay ….. I was a little slow to catch the full tone of this book in the beginning…(we can blame it on my own moody space lately), What a kick this audiobook turned out to be. A little long — with the occasional sappy sentimental sentences— but overall an engrossing ride. Since I’m not the first one on the block to read this book, To all those who gave this a 4 or 5 star rating — and was completely hooked, captivated, fully
involved and enjoying yourself— GREAT FUN!!!!! 4.5
Apr 20, 2022 Susanne rated it really liked it Highly Relatable and Emotional! The moment Lillie’s
marriage falls apart, she can’t help but be shocked. After all, she thought her marriage was perfect, then her husband took up with a much younger woman. Lillie, of course, plots just a teeny, tiny bit of revenge. To say that she had me laughing (and crying) is an understatement! Out of the Clear Blue Sky is about marriage, divorce, empty-nesters and moving on. A novel that will give you all the feels, I adored this novel and found it fairly re The moment Lillie’s marriage falls apart, she can’t help but be shocked. After all, she thought her marriage was perfect, then her husband took up with a much younger woman. Lillie, of course, plots just a teeny, tiny bit of revenge. To say that she had me laughing (and crying) is an understatement! Out of the Clear Blue Sky is about marriage, divorce, empty-nesters and moving on. A novel that will give you
all the feels, I adored this novel and found it fairly relatable even though I’m not a mother myself. This was a buddy read with Kaceey that we both really liked. A huge thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group for the arc via NetGalley. Review posted to Goodreads, and Twitter
Jun 10, 2022 Ink_Drinker rated it it was amazing -Kristan Higgins is one of my favorite authors
and she has another winner with this book! -Don’t be intimidated by the size of this book (496 pages), it is a delightful, funny, sometimes sad, and quick-moving read. When you get to the end, you’ll wish there were more pages left. -The setting takes place in Cape Cod and makes for such a perfect summer read. -The story follows Lillie as she goes through the pain of a “surprise” divorce and copes with life as a first-time empty nester. -I loved Lil -Don’t be intimidated by the size of this book (496 pages), it is a delightful, funny, sometimes sad, and quick-moving read. When you get to the end, you’ll wish there were more pages left. -The setting takes place in Cape Cod and makes for such a perfect summer read. -The story follows Lillie as she goes through the pain of a “surprise” divorce and
copes with life as a first-time empty nester. -I loved Lillie, the MC, and enjoyed reading about all the ups and downs of her life and her positive attitude through it all. I especially found “my joy” in her little avenging escapades against her ex-husband. She had such a creative and devious mind and she had me wishing I would have thought up some of these ideas during my last break up!!! Duly noted for my next break up!! She will have you laughing out loud. - I loathed Lillie’s
ex-husband Brad who is a horrible and mean human being and deserves nothing but the worst life can offer (harsh, but you’ll see what I mean when you read the book). -I despised Melissa (the other woman) during most of the book, but towards the end, she shows her true self and even though I didn't want to, I found myself liking her. I, especially, enjoyed her “word of the day” comments throughout the book. I actually learned a few new words to use!! -Higgin’s character development
is a masterpiece!! She writes believable characters and she takes you on an emotional journey with each of them. This book is also full of so many fun secondary characters to get to know! -I highly recommend Out of the Clear Blue Sky for your summer reading list.
This story has so many qualities, it is hard to list just one thing
that captured my attention. Like other Higgins books, this mid-life crisis is full of deep feelings and emotions all over the place. Higgins creates her characters with flaws and all so you are captivated by them. This book follows the story of two women, the wife – soon-to-be ex-wife, and the soon-to-be wife. Anger can make you feel and do many things. Out of character things that may be funny, which we have in this story, but un Like other Higgins books, this mid-life crisis is full of deep feelings and emotions all over the place. Higgins creates her characters with flaws and all so you are captivated by them. This book follows the story of two women, the wife – soon-to-be ex-wife, and the soon-to-be wife. Anger can make you feel and do many things. Out of character things that may be funny, which we have in this story,
but underneath, you can feel the heartbreak through Higgins’ depiction of the truth. At first, I didn’t like Lillie but reading between the lines, you see the hurt and anger and then the slow growth she goes through. Finally realizing there is a life beyond what she ever thought there could be. An eye-opening look at life changing events and life changing people that come together for a heartwarming fresh story that has you laughing, crying, and smiling along the way. * copy
received for review consideration
Out of the clear blue sky, I decided to And I was glad that I did. I usually stay far, far away from pure chick-lit books...... "Don't get mad, get furious" was Lillie's new mantra and life strategy. Lillie's decision to "go rogue" And I was glad that I did. I usually stay far,
far away from pure chick-lit books...... "Don't get mad, get furious" was Lillie's new mantra and life strategy. Lillie's decision to "go rogue" and retaliate when her world came tumbling down never failed to make me smile. One of my GR
friends Kaceey said "I never wanted this book to end," and that was exactly the way I felt. Unfolding from the two POVs of the first wife and the second wife, the audiobook was narrated by Xe Sands (first wife) and CJ Bloom (second wife). I always love it when a publisher uses multiple narrators and the dual narration significantly upped the quality of this audiobook. This was my first book by best-selling author Kristan Higgins and I look forward to listening to more
books by this talented author.
3.75, rounded up. Yay, Higgins is back in form! Really enjoyed this tale of an older woman, who's ex dumped her for a younger one & all her character growth (and the doggo!). Only quibble was at times it felt a bit derivative & I actually checked to make sure I hadn't read it before. Still enjoyed it a lot & recommend if you like the genre. 3.75, rounded up. Yay, Higgins is back in form! Really enjoyed this tale of an older woman, who's ex dumped her for a younger one & all her character growth (and the doggo!). Only quibble was at times it felt a bit derivative & I actually checked to make sure I hadn't read it before. Still enjoyed it a lot & recommend if you like the genre. ...more
Aug 23, 2022 Myrna rated it really liked it It's hard to put a Higgins book down once you get started and this is true for Out of the Clear Blue Sky. In this one, Higgins draws you into the life of Lillie, Brad and Melissa. Won’t say more so you can read it yourself. Enjoy it while sipping your favorite drink and sitting in your favorite chair. 4.5★s! It's hard to put a Higgins book down once you get started and this is true for Out of the Clear Blue Sky. In this one, Higgins draws you into the life of Lillie, Brad and Melissa. Won’t say more so you can read it yourself. Enjoy it while sipping your favorite drink and sitting in your favorite chair. 4.5★s! ...more
Lillie is a nurse midwife on Cape Cod. She's just getting used to the idea that her son will be graduating from high school and going to Montana for college when her husband of nearly 20 years informs her that he has met someone else and wants a divorce. She finds out that his new flame is a wealthy widow who is not much older than their son. Lillie isn't sad--she's angry, and out for revenge. Would she really spirit a skunk into their multi-million dollar mansion? Kristan Higgins is known for h Lillie is a nurse midwife on Cape Cod. She's just getting used to the idea that her son will be graduating from high school and going to Montana for college when her husband of nearly 20 years informs her that he has met someone else and wants a divorce. She finds out that his new flame is a wealthy widow who is not much older than their son. Lillie isn't sad--she's angry, and out for revenge. Would she really spirit a skunk into their multi-million dollar mansion? Kristan Higgins is known for her humor and well-drawn characters, and both really shine here. Sometimes her characters reappear in future novels--I really hope Lillie will be back again. I just couldn't put this book down--highly recommended! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. ...more
For all the mamas out there, especially those who have children ready to step out into the world, Kristan Higgins’ words will break you. Oh boy, did I cry with knowing. Both my boys will be heading off to college in 2 months, and the time is ticking relentlessly. Thinking about their absence in our home is crushing. There are so many raw truths in this novel, not just about motherhood, but marriage and family. It was all so incredibly touching.
What a great read!
"Out of the Clear Blue Sky" is a perfect representation of a well developed family drama with lots of funny, sweet, and "oh my GOSH" moments. Reading this book was fun. I admit I was a bit intimidated by the size of this one (480 pages on the Kindle version) but it went by easily. I was so engrossed in all the drama, the emotion, and the really well done storytelling. This was my second read by Kristan Higgins and I'm beyond impressed how well she makes drama and tenderness bl I admit I was a bit intimidated by the size of this one (480 pages on the Kindle version) but it went by easily. I was so engrossed in all the drama, the emotion, and the really well done storytelling. This was my second read by Kristan Higgins and I'm beyond impressed
how well she makes drama and tenderness blend together. Both books I've read by her have gotten 5 stars from me! At first I was a little uneasy about how the two women we follow, Lillie and Melissa, seem to be sort of pitted against each other. And I cringed at bit at how superficial and shallow Melissa was. But that was sort of the point after all. A character doing things that makes us roll our eyes doesn't mean they're poorly written. And in fact, Melissa's development wound be being
one of my favorite parts of the book. She doesn't have a full transformation and come out squeaky clean, but she does have her own redemption arc where we see the curtain pulled back on the deeper parts of her personality. And the women with relation to each other grow, too. In the end I think it was all worked out. There's also a ton of scenes and info in this book about birth and pregnancy. Wow, I hadn't been expecting that! But it was a unique and in-depth aspect of the story with
Lillie being a dedicated and educated nurse midwife. I love when careers that aren't normally involved in fiction make an appearance. It adds an extra "something" to a story when the MC isn't a writer, bookstore owner, lawyer, accountant, generic businessperson, etc. There is so much I could say about all the dynamics between everyone in this novel; Hannah, Ben, Beatrice, Pedro, Anne, Wanda, Dylan, Beth, Ophelia, and Zeus! Every secondary character felt real and brought something to the
table. Lillie's world was filled with eccentric and lovable people. And then there was the dreadful Brad (Bradley!) Fairchild! It's been awhile since I loathed someone like that... Hats off Ms. Higgins; he was truly infuriating. A solid page turning addition to the genre of "women's fiction." I'll be back to read more Kristan Higgins soon!
Out of the Clear Blue Sky by Kristan Higgins is a delightful, humorous, and emotional look at a broken family and their path to healing. I was highly anticipating this book, and it met all my expectations and then some! Lilly is just about to become an empty nester. She has a happy life in a small town on Cape Cod and works as a nurse-midwife at a local clinic, she’s been married for years and
they have one son, who is about to leave home to attend college in Montana! She’s proud of her son, but Lilly is just about to become an empty nester. She has a happy life in a small town on Cape Cod and works as a
nurse-midwife at a local clinic, she’s been married for years and they have one son, who is about to leave home to attend college in Montana! She’s proud of her son, but, it’s still hard for her to know he’ll be so far away. Having her only child move so far away is bad enough, but when her husband suddenly announces that he is moving out to be with his mistress, Lillie just can’t take it anymore. Of course, he moves in with his mistress in the very same town on Cape Cod, where she grew up, and
they raised their son. Lilly becomes justifiable angry, and she isn’t one to sit at home and dwell on her life, so she pulls a few hilarious stunts in her anger, but eventually decides to focus on her family and friends. And she makes a very unlikely ally in the process. I’ve read many books with the overall plot about a woman who was blindsided by a cheating husband. But, what makes Out of the Clear Blue Sky different than the other books are the characters, the writing, and the
humor. First is the characters. Lillie is one tough cookie, and I thought the way she handled having her life uprooted so unexpectedly was funny. Instead of getting sad and heartbroken, she gets angry. And her anger doesn’t always make sensible choices, but they do make her start to live her own life, on her own terms. Her emotions felt real to me, she went a little crazy, but it helped her to understand her own feelings. What also made this book different was reading the point of view of
Melissa, the Other Woman. I thought that hearing her story made this book really special. I never grew to like her character, but at least I understood her motivations, and I got to understand her. I always wonder what drives a person to do awful things, and this helped me to understand Melissa, and the reasons behind this marriage’s break up. Second is the writing. Kristan Higgins can make me laugh, and then cry all on the same page, and that is a very special talent. She writes just
enough backstory so we understand the characters, and it’s all spread out throughout the book so we never get that info dump that can bog a book down. I felt like I lived in the little Cape Cod town, and enjoyed her descriptions of this special place. And third is her humor. She combines some really funny physical scenes, along with more subtle humor in the banter and dialogue. And add a big floppy, drooly dog, and you have a fun book, without being over the top. There is enough emotion
between the humor to make it all work together. It’s not too sad, and not too campy and over the top, it’s just right. I highly recommend Out of the Clear Blue Sky to anyone who loves women's fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 13, 2022 Amy rated it it was amazing Normally I get bored when a book is over 400 pages but for one of my all time favorite authors I make an exception and I still didn’t want this one to end. I did my best to savor it and take my time but it was just so damn amazing it was difficult to slow it down. Most of you know I read a lot, I generally don’t remember specific details after a couple of weeks go by but KH books always stay with me. This is special for me as there are usually only a handful of books every year that leave a last Normally I get bored when a book is over 400 pages but for one of my all time favorite authors I make an exception and I still didn’t want this one to end. I did my best to savor it and take my time but it was just so damn amazing it was difficult to slow it down. Most of you know I read a lot, I generally don’t remember specific details after a couple of weeks go by but KH books always stay with me. This is special for me as there are usually only a handful of books every year that leave a lasting impression and without fail, every single year one of her books lands a spot on this list. I don’t think there’s any one particular thing that makes her books such standouts for me, but rather a magical combination of things that culminates into such an incredible reading experience. Maybe the best part is her insightful, honest and humor takes on life in general. Lillie is a woman that’s the same age as me so we already had that at a starting common factor but her raw portrayal is where I really connected with her. Yes, she’s been literally screwed over in the worst way, and yes she’s humiliated, betrayed and so so a angry but dammit was it nice to see a woman deal with a major life upheaval in a truly relatable and believable way. Was she always full of grace? Absolutely not. Did she do things that were slightly crazy? Yes mam. Was I cheering her own and cackling like a loon myself? YES! So many of her observations were spot on and her general sense of humor was charming and oh so witty. I could probably sit her all day and talk about all the things I loved about this one but I’ll spare you and just finish by saying I adored it, I think it’s a must read and KH never, EVER disappoints. ...more
4.5 Stars Lillie Silva is both happy and sad her son will be heading off for college shortly. She’s coming to terms with this new chapter in her life only to have her whole world turned upside down when her husband of twenty years announces that he’s leaving her for a younger woman to “find joy.” I wanted to kick Bradley in the teeth every time he said “no offense, but I need to find
my joy”! What a self-centered jerk! I laughed with glee over the ways Lillie stealthily (and not so stealthily) go Lillie Silva is both happy and sad her son will be heading off for college shortly. She’s coming to terms with this new chapter in her life only to have her whole world turned upside down when her husband of twenty years announces that he’s leaving her for a younger woman to “find joy.” I wanted to kick
Bradley in the teeth every time he said “no offense, but I need to find my joy”! What a self-centered jerk! I laughed with glee over the ways Lillie stealthily (and not so stealthily) got her revenge against Brad and Melissa, some of the ways were quite clever! I was outraged for her (yes, I realize she’s a fictional character, lol), I guess I get a little vindictive over a woman scorned so the little retributions were satisfying! Having Melissa’s POV, being that she was the other woman
was kind of different, and I didn’t like her at all at first. She plotted to get Bradley, (which wasn’t as hard as it should’ve been had he been a better man), and she had no prick of conscience stealing another woman’s man. However, I do have to say I understood Melissa better by the end, I could see with her upbringing why she was so mercenary. Life did serve up some well-deserved education and a bit of payback, as is often the case, and I liked Melissa a smidge more by the end. I loved
Lillie, getting to know her and her family, friends, experiencing her journey to finding happiness again was emotional and touching! Romance wasn’t at the center of the story, but thankfully Lillie did get one, too. Out of the Clear Blue Sky was lovely journey!
A solid read - it kept me entertained and I actually finished the book in less than a week - that is a record for me this year. Typical Higgins tale, set in Cape Cod, surly male lead, not a lot of romance, a dog, a few comedic moments. Nothing really to complain about. I like her books - her heroines come across as "normal" individuals, living their everyday lives. She is always an automatic buy for me -
don't think any of her books have ever disappointed me ...
Jun 08, 2022 Andi rated it liked it I was expecting to like Out of the Clear Blue Sky more than I did. I had a lot of problems with the characters, especially vindictive and childish Lillie, who practices martyrdom while also acting like an absolute witch after learning her husband is having an affair and wants a divorce. Rather than rising above the events, she does several incredibly immature things to get back at him and his
fiancé. She slightly redeemed herself in the end, but I still couldn’t get over my initial dislike for h I was expecting to like Out of the Clear Blue Sky more than I did. I had a lot of problems with the characters, especially vindictive and childish Lillie, who practices martyrdom while also acting like an absolute witch after learning her husband is having an affair and wants a divorce. Rather than rising above the events, she does several
incredibly immature things to get back at him and his fiancé. She slightly redeemed herself in the end, but I still couldn’t get over my initial dislike for her. And Melissa (aka, the husband stealer) was no better. She was as self-centered as you would expect. While she tried to overcome her poor upbringing through improving herself, she was still a con artist at heart, doing whatever was needed to get whatever she wanted, including someone else’s husband. I had no sympathy for her or her
situation. Ophelia was the one character I enjoyed. While she initially was fostered by Melissa to improve Melissa’s social media image when Melissa’s sister was incarcerated, Melissa did come to redeem herself through her desire to keep Ophelia and provide her a good and stable home. And Ophelia provided a link between the two women that was unexpected. The writing was as compelling as Higgins’s other books. I only wish I had liked the characters or the story more!
I could tell from the git-go that Kristan Higgins’ new book, in some ways, was a return to her lighter fare of yesteryear after her recent forays into more serious women’s fiction. As much as I love and even esteem most of her more recent books, (4 out of 7 were 5-star reads for me)I welcomed her return to her days of yore. It was great to see that a beloved author can, in a sense, “go home again” no
matter what Thomas Wolfe says. I say, in some ways. Her first books were definitely romantic com I could tell from the git-go that Kristan Higgins’ new book, in some ways, was a return to her lighter fare of yesteryear after her recent forays into more serious women’s fiction. As much as I love and even esteem most of her more recent books, (4 out of 7 were 5-star reads for me)I welcomed her return to her days of yore. It was great to see that a
beloved author can, in a sense, “go home again” no matter what Thomas Wolfe says. I say, in some ways. Her first books were definitely romantic comedies while incorporating emotional serious issues along with the fun. And this one has that lighthearted tone. But this one is not a romance. Not at all. The book concludes with our heroine in a satisfying hopeful relationship with a great guy. But the journey to that end is a very minor aspect of Lillie’s personal journey. The book begins as our
heroine, a happily married mother of a son about to leave for college in far away Montana learns that her husband, Brad, “out of the clear blue sky”, tells her he is leaving her for a beautiful, younger, and wealthy woman, Melissa. The story is told in first person by Lillie with occasional contributions from "the whore" who has a substantial journey of her own. Actually more substantial than Lillie's, truth be told. Lillie is a 41-year-old nurse-midwife on Cape cod who loves her family, her
home, and her community in which she is a popular fixture. Everyone knows and loves her. At first, all she wants is revenge, and her brilliantly successful efforts are very funny. Yes, we know her stunts are petty, childish, and even mean. And she knows it too, but darn it, she just can’t help it. Brad deserves it all and more. But even as we laugh at Lillie’s antics, we start to get to know Melissa, her other victim. Yes, she is shallow (she almost makes it an art form), materialistic, a user,
and a husband stealer. But such is Kristan’s imagination and craft, that as we learn her story and get to know her, you (by which I mean I) got to kinda like her and actually admire her. There was a lot to “Missy Jo” that was quite endearing (word of the day!). I didn’t always like and admire Lillie. Lillie has a lot of growing to do and challenges to overcome. In addition to losing her son (in a way) and her husband and his family, she tackles a problematic mother (a Kristan Higgins fixture) a
fractured relationship with a once-beloved sister, financial difficulties, a childhood trauma that continues to impact her life, a terrible tragedy in her past, and even a professional nemesis who must be vanquished. It’s kind of amazing all of the issues that are explored in this book, without the tone turning dark. As in all of Kristan’s books, there are some epic scenes, both hilarious ones and triumphant ones. And, as always, some great lines: *He studied the wine list like it was a
lost gospel *"What’s your daughter’s name?” “Ophelia.” I winced. Who names their kid after the doomed innocent who commits suicide in Hamlet? *...my own mother, who had the same maternal instincts as a lizard that eats her own eggs. *“Calm down,” he said, because women love hearing that. *“Name’s Harminee. Spellin’ it different to be special. Harminee Fawn.” Well, that would just about guarantee the baby would become a stripper, Melissa thought. Harmony was a beautiful name.
Harminee though? Gosh. *I turned on the outdoor lights and peered out. It was a woman dressed in high boots, a fur coat, fur hat and fur gloves. It was either Lara from Doctor Zhivago or Melissa. Sadly, it was not Lara. *“Thanks for buying me,” Ophelia whispered. She took a shaky breath, and Melissa knew she was crying, and hugged her close. And as always, we are blessed with another Kristan Higgins trademark, an adorable dog with personality plus. Of course, no husband who cheats on his wife will ever be a hero. But Brad “Bridiot” Fairchild has got to be the most contemptible human being on Cape Cod or in any Kristan Higgins book ever. Not the evilest Kristan Higgins creation, I hasten to clarify, because she has created some doozies. Even Melissa started to see his true colors before the ink was barely dry on the marriage license. And
Lillie was married to this pompous pretentious dickhead for 20 years? Happily? And mourned his loss (or the loss of who she thought he was) so dramatically and sincerely? As she looks back on him and their life together, she sees him clearly. Getting shot of him should have been #bestdayever, #Thank-youGod, #IoweMelissabigtime, #GoodRiddance. I have to admit I got very impatient with our heroine. Maybe even a little disdainful? To be fair, late in the book she does explain why the strong Lillie
was happy with the weakling husband, but not until the 96% mark! I think Kristan kind of piled on a little too much when it came to Mr. Brad Fairchild (that’s Dr. Fairchild, huh, huh, huh.), as entertaining as his weaknesses and assholery were. As I finished the book (kept trying to stretch it out!) I felt like that this must be one of her shorter books. But it turns out that it was actually one of her longer ones. I think that is a high compliment. I can’t wait to see what
her next one is like. https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
Wow, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this book. Wonderful character development- funny, endearing, thought provoking ❤️
Another great book by Kristan Higgins. She consistently demonstrates
her ability to write exceptional women's fiction. She has an incredible sense of humour and the remarkable ability to weave this into what could be a heartbreaking storyline. There were two reasons this wasn't a five-star read for me, and that was the tendency of the heroine to be a bit preachy and her melodramatic attitude over her son leaving for college. I get it as the mother of two adult sons myself. Life does change drama There were two reasons this wasn't a five-star read for me, and that was the tendency of the heroine to be a bit preachy and her melodramatic attitude over her son leaving for college. I get it as the mother of two adult sons myself. Life does change dramatically
when your kid goes off to college, but at times it felt like Lillie's character was in a state of paralysis over her empty nest issues. Luckily throughout the rest of this book, Lillie's feisty spirit and antics had me in tears of laughter.
“Sometimes, your life shatters when you least expect it. Car accidents, lost pregnancies, divorce, loneliness.
People you love disappoint you and other people came through when you least expected it. And sometimes happiness just rains down on you out of a clear blue sky.”
Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the gifted copy of Out of the Clear Blue Sky. {partner} I always love Higgins's books; her books are wonderfully written, and she creates memorable take-no-crap female characters. In 2020, her novel Pack Up the Moon was my favorite book of the year (if you haven't read it, add it t I always love Higgins's books; her books are wonderfully written, and she creates memorable take-no-crap female characters. In 2020, her novel Pack Up the Moon was my favorite book of the year (if you haven't read it, add it to your list now). Out of the
Clear Blue Sky is no exception. I alternated between reading and listening to this one as I couldn't get enough of the story. It is the first book I've read told from the perspectives of the wife, Lillie, and the other woman, Melissa. And dang it if I didn't end up liking Melissa after spending 80% of the book disliking her 😒 Everything about Lillie's character felt so honest - I can see myself reacting as she did if my husband left me for another one after 20 years of marriage. I was
rolling laughing as she described all the underhanded things she did to him. Speaking of Brad (not Bradly, btw) - I have not encountered a more obnoxious, narcissistic moron of a human in my entire life. I can't tell you how often I wanted to crawl into the book and smack him. I still feel my blood pressure rise when I think of everything he said to Lillie. I will say that I felt like Out of the Clear Blue Sky was Higgin's heaviest read yet. She tackles adultery, infertility, graphic miscarriage/stillbirth, drug use & sexual assault. ______
Jul 14, 2022 ♥Sharon♥ rated it really liked it 3.5 Liked it but didn’t love it stars. 🤷♀️ I’ve been struggling with KH’s latest books. I expect to love them as I did with a number of her earlier books but her recent ones have been more sad than anything else. I liked Lillie enough but boy her life was a mess
thanks to her idiot ex-husband. Things were looking pretty bleak for a while but slowly she started picking up the pieces and putting her life back together. I loved that Ben had a part in that. I just wish it was a bigger one. There wer I’ve been struggling with KH’s latest books. I expect to love them as I did with a number of her earlier books but her recent ones have been more sad than
anything else. I liked Lillie enough but boy her life was a mess thanks to her idiot ex-husband. Things were looking pretty bleak for a while but slowly she started picking up the pieces and putting her life back together. I loved that Ben had a part in that. I just wish it was a bigger one. There were some humorous moments mostly involving Melissa. The things she would say struck me so funny at times. 😂 A few other good supporting characters rounded things out but in the
end I didn’t love it like I hoped too. Not much of a review, but it’s something. 😊
4.5/ 5 stars Kristan Higgins is one of my favorite authors. So I was very excited to read her newest women's fiction book, Out of the Clear Blue Sky. The book follows Lillie (1st person POV). Just as her son is
leaving for college her husband has a shocking announcement. He wants a divorce. Honestly I disliked Brad so much. But I adored Lillie's revenge pranks. They were absolutely hilarious. The book also has another female 3rd person POV: Melissa. I was fascinated to get to read her story. And I Kristan Higgins is one of my favorite authors. So I was very excited to read her newest women's fiction book, Out of the Clear Blue
Sky. The book follows Lillie (1st person POV). Just as her son is leaving for college her husband has a shocking announcement. He wants a divorce. Honestly I disliked Brad so much. But I adored Lillie's revenge pranks. They were absolutely hilarious. The book also has another female 3rd person POV: Melissa. I was fascinated to get to read her story. And I adored Ophelia (the little girl in her life). I really enjoyed Lillie's job as a nurse mid-wife. And her friends, sister,
son and parents added a lot to the story. This book was about two women who were complete opposites. One thought that she had the perfect life. And the other wanted to create the perfect life. This book was quite long. But it was wonderful. I absolutely loved it. And the author made me feel so much! Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than twenty novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages
and have sold millions of copies worldwide. If you want to receive a free short story and be notified when Kristan releases a new book, sign up at kristanhiggins.com. Kristan enjoys gardening, mixology, the National Park Kristan enjoys gardening, mixology, the National Parks and complimenting strangers on their children. The mother of two entertaining and wonderful humans, and the grandmother of one perfect child, Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband, cuddly dog and indifferent cat. Related ArticlesNeed another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. To create our... “What no one tells you is that there will be a last time you ever carry your child. A last time you tuck them in. A last time they run into your arms off the school bus. All through his infancy, Dylan was attached to me, almost literally. I nursed him, and he was fussy, so I carried him almost constantly, patting his back, humming to
him, breathing in his delicious baby scent. He didn’t walk till he was fourteen months old, and I loved that, because I got to carry him that much longer. I took him for hikes in a backpack, his little knees hitting my ribs. I carried him on my shoulders, him clinging to fistfuls of my hair. I loved every minute. He was an affectionate boy full of drooly kisses and cuddles. He was generous with his hugs, from Paul at the post office to Christine, our librarian. And especially with me.
Every night when I read him bedtime stories, his sweet little head would rest against my shoulder, and he’d idly stroke my arm, smelling like Dove soap and baby shampoo. Driving in the car was like a tranquilizer dart for Dylan . . . even bumping down our long dirt road wouldn’t wake him up, and I’d park the car, get out and unbuckle him, then lift his sweaty little body into my arms to carry him inside and just sit on the couch with him in my arms, heart against heart. And then one day, he no longer needed that. The bedtime stories stopped when he was about ten and wanted to read to himself. The last time I attempted to carry him from the car, he woke up and said, “It’s okay, Mom. I’m awake.” He never needed that again. Had someone told me “This is the last time you’ll get to carry your son,” I would have paid more attention. I would have held him as long as I could. They don’t tell you that your son will stop kissing you with sweet innocence,
and those smooches will be replaced with an obligatory peck. They don’t tell you that he won’t want a piggyback ride ever again. That you can’t hold his hand anymore. That those goofy, physical games of chasing and tickling and mock wrestling will end one day. Permanently. All those natural, easy, physical gestures of love stop when your son hits puberty and is abruptly aware of his body . . . and yours. He doesn’t want to hug you the same way, finding your physicality
perhaps a little . . . icky . . . that realization that Mom has boobs, that Mom’s stomach is soft, that Mom and Dad have sex, that Mom gets her period. The snuggles stop. This child, the deepest love of your life, won’t ever stroke your arm again. You’ll never get to lie in bed next to him for a bedtime chat, those little talks he used to beg for. No more tuck-ins. No more comforting after a bad dream. The physical distance between the two of you is
vast . . .
it’s not just that he’ll only come so close for the briefest second, but also the simple fact that he isn’t that little boy anymore. He’s a young man, a fully grown male with feet that smell like death and razor stubble on his once petal-soft cheeks.” “It’s the wretched contradiction of parenting. Once, you were their favorite human on the planet, and they were yours. For the rest of your life, your child will remain your heart . . . but it’s not mutual. It’s not supposed to be. Your importance is dwarfed by their friends. Romantic interests. Cool professors and great coaches. A spouse, someday, and kids of their own, and you . . . you got left behind at a certain exit on the highway of their life, and all you can do is look down the road after them and remember when you were so needed, so loved, so sure of your place in the world, because you were Mommy, and that was everything.” — 1 likes More quotes…Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. |
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