April 20th, 2022 by Jane Turner
This review of What Next? by Shari Low comes courtesy of a Blog Tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources. What Next? was published on 13 April 2022 by Boldwood Books. I received a free copy of the ebook.
Two weeks, four friends and one big bucket list of secrets to unravel…
Val Murray and her best friend, Josie had been planning a ‘Thelma and Louise’ bucket list style holiday. Now Josie is gone, and Val needs to make the trip before it’s too late.
But Val doesn’t want to do it alone, so she enlists the help of her nieces, Carly and Carole, and their best pal, Jess, who jump at the chance to join Val on a trip of a lifetime.
What Val doesn’t realise is that Carly, Carole and Jess are all at turning points in their own lives, nursing crushing secrets, lies and betrayals.
Somewhere between Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York they all hit a crossroads and have to decide if they want to return to the lives they left behind or let Josie’s last wishes take them on a brand new adventure.
In a nutshell, comedy gold!
This is the third book featuring the same characters, but can be read as a standalone.
The main story arc of the first two novels covers the tribulations of four women, Carly, Carole, Jess and Kate, who’ve been friends since primary school. Carly is our main and Carole is married to Carly’s brother. They have a brilliant, say-what-you-feel-and-don’t-hold-back aunt, Val – a woman of Glaswegian stock and virtue, of a certain age, with an amazing TARDIS-like handbag.
As the blurb says, many years ago, Val and her bestie, Josie, drew up a bucket list, but Josie died before they could fulfil it. Val’s got lifestyle changes looming in her life, so decides now is the perfect time to honour Josie and her friendship. She invites/drags Carly, Carole and Jess along for the ride.
And what a ride!
From LA to New York, Las Vegas and back to LA, Val’s energy is enormous, as are the laughs and (occasional) tears. More than anything else, this is a tale of friendship and family (both biological and chosen), proving that life can be just what you want it to be if you have a little help. (Insert Beatles track here – thanks Ringo!)
The writing flows well, chapters told from alternating viewpoints of the main characters. At times, I had to check back to confirm who was speaking, so there’s no massive variation in character voice (except for Val, of course!), but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment.
What Next? is the perfect read for the summer – light-hearted on the whole, laughs in every chapter, and made me want a Val spin-off! I hope I get to be as fabulous as her.
Let Val take you away and leave you asking, What Next?!
Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 25 novels, including One Day In Summer, My One Month Marriage and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.
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