Driving Lessons: A Novel by Zoe Fishman

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Sometimes life’s most fulfilling journeys begin without a map.

An executive at a New York cosmetics firm, Sarah has had her fill of the interminable hustle of the big city. When her husband, Josh, is offered a new job in suburban Virginia, it feels like the perfect chance to shift gears.

While Josh quickly adapts to their new life, Sarah discovers that having time on her hands is a mixed blessing. Without her everyday urban struggles, who is she? And how can she explain to Josh, who assumes they are on the same page, her ambivalence about starting a family?

It doesn’t help that the idea of getting behind the wheel—an absolute necessity of her new life—makes it hard for Sarah to breathe. It’s been almost twenty years since she’s driven, and just the thought of merging is enough to make her teeth chatter with anxiety. When she signs up for lessons, she begins to feel a bit more like her old self again, but she’s still unsure of where she wants to go.

Then a crisis involving her best friend lands Sarah back in New York—a trip to the past filled with unexpected truths about herself, her dear friend, and her seemingly perfect sister-in-law . . . and an astonishing surprise that will help her see the way ahead.

my thoughts:

Okay, so I love reading women's fiction (and chick lit) for the drama.  I like reading about broken families, dysfunctional relationships, betrayals, etc. - its fun (because its not happening to me and is fictional)!  So, imagine my HUGE disappointment when I read Fishman's novel, Driving Lessons, and there was no drama to get lost in.  Yep, you read that right - no drama!!! What was the point of the story then?  To just tell us about a group of friends who love each other and are devoted to one another - the end!?  Seriously?!  Don't get me wrong, I like "happy, happy, happy" in my stories, but it has to be earned after someones had some huge DRAMA to deal with (like infidelity  or back stabbing co-workers).  I found this book to consist of stereotypical characters who were too similar in every which way that you wound up hating them.  This whole story felt completely unrealistic to me - it was the epitome of a lite, pop read (which I normally love, but this time didn't!)  I would most definitely pass on a Fishman book in the future. 

Here's the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Driving Lessons

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!