#BlogTour The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson

 

Synopsis

Is it ever too late to bloom?

Meet Celia. Life hasn’t worked out quite how she’d planned.

Since her son left for university, Celia has felt stuck at home – battling with her husband Geoff over control of the thermostat, and without the merest glint of a social life. Her only joy comes from the plants she nurtures in her makeshift plant hospital in their Glasgow flat.

Then three unexpected things happen:

1. She catches Geoff in bed with a secretary from his sausage factory (no pun intended).
2. Her high-flying best friend Amanda arrives on her doorstep without warning (but with a very large suitcase).
3. A tall handsome French teacher asks her to tend his daughter’s cactus back to health.

Suddenly, Celia finds her life in freefall, but she makes a decision: she won’t let this be the end of her. She’ll bring herself back to life, just like the plants she works her magic on. But just how do you change the habits of a lifetime?

My Review

In The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson we are introduced to Celia, a hardworking wife and mother. Her marriage is plodding along, mainly because her husband doesn't like change, and since her son went to university the only things that really bring her any joy are the houseplants she nurses back to health in her "Houseplant Hospital". Celia is one of those characters who would willingly continue with the status quo, despite the lack of joy in her life, simply to keep everyone around her happy. It is only catching her husband in flagrante that causes her to take a close look at her life.

Celia is aided by the unexpected arrival of her childhood friend Amanda. Amanda left Glasgow as soon as she was old enough and went to London to study fashion but eventually became a TV presenter. The only problem is that Amanda is now at that age where she's no longer considered "right for TV". Fleeing London to lick her wounds, she ends up on Celia's doorstep, something completely unforeseen as they've barely kept in touch.

Amanda and Celia are like chalk and cheese and this is why the pairing works so well. Amanda is polished and self-assured, she loves performing makeovers. Celia is downtrodden and timid, she reluctantly becomes Amanda's pet project. It is lovely to see Celia slowly blossom, particularly as the changes made are only small tweaks, it's more about the newfound confidence Amanda inspires. Watching Celia embrace her new life is a catalyst for Amanda to make some changes too.

The main characters are engaging, along with a handsome romantic interest and a precocious child. There is a smattering of humour; I'll never be able to look at a butternut squash in the same way again and will consider pink wafer biscuits to be dangerous weapons from now on.

Everything is presented at a brisk pace which keeps you engaged and turning the pages. Avoiding dragging the conclusion out, the author wraps everything up quickly with an uplifting ending showing us how the characters have adapted to the changes in their lives.

The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for a review copy.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/GotHerSparkBack

Author Details

Fiona Gibson writes bestselling and brilliantly funny novels about the craziness and messiness of family life.