Designer You: A Novel by Sarahlyn Bruck

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

about book:

Pam Wheeler checked every box: Happy marriage? Check. Fantastic kid? Check. Booming career? Check.

So when her husband dies suddenly and their DIY empire goes on life support, Pam must fix the relationship with her troubled and grief-stricken daughter and save the family business.

Pam and Nate were a couple who just couldn’t get away from each other, sharing not only their bed, but also a successful lifestyle empire as DIY home renovators, bloggers, podcasters, and co-authors.

When Nate dies in a freak accident, Pam becomes a 44-year-old widow, at once too young and too old—too young to be thrust into widowhood and too old to rejoin the dating pool.

Now the single mother of a headstrong and grief-stricken teenager, Pam’s life becomes a juggling act between dealing with her loss and learning how to parent by herself. On top of all that she also must reinvent herself or lose the empire that she and Nate had built so carefully.

It is time for Pam to seize the opportunity to step up as a mother, come out from behind Nate’s shadow, and rise as the sole face of the Designer You brand, and maybe, possibly, hopefully, find love again.

Praise
‘‘Designer You [is] a brilliant, different story of grief, recovery, and change.” ~D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

‘‘A tenderly written story of a mother and daughter’s struggle to move on after loss, with characters so authentic you find yourself cheering and laughing.” ~Kelly Simmons, international selling author of ONE MORE DAY and THE FIFTH OF JULY

‘‘Sarahlyn Bruck’s touching debut is a beautifully written novel about love, grief, redemption—and the art of personal and professional recreation. This is a tender mother-daughter story that will stay in your heart long after you turn the final page.” ~Dawn Ius, author of ANNE & HENRY,OVERDRIVE, and LIZZIE

my thoughts:

A heartwarming feel-good story that will have you crying, laughing, and smiling all the way through.  Talk about an emotional, engaging, and unputdownable book! I just loved Designer You by Sarahlyn Bruck!

This is the story of Pam, a woman who had it all - a happy home, a great kid, and a loving husband (Nate) she worked alongside on their lifestyle brand, Designer You.  Life was great, so worrying was the last thing on Pam's mind.  And then, her husband dies and her life is beyond turned upside down.  Pam is at a complete loss.  She has a teen-aged daughter to take care of.  She has a business to figure out.  And she has her grief to contend with.  Pam's life is no longer a dream, but a waking nightmare.

Designer You explores the different stages of grief through Pam and her daughter, Grace.  We get to read about their tears, their sorrows, and their pains.  Its heartbreaking to read about this mother-daughter duo struggling to figure out how to deal with their loss, but also how to move on from it.  Pam goes to her folks for help and they offer what help they can, but also remind her that she can handle this and needs to find a way to stand on her own.  As for Grace, she is a fifteen year-old brat to the nth degree - she is seriously the worst.  Of course you feel badly for the kid for losing her father, but truthfully, I couldn't stand her at times and wished she wasn't in the story at all.  In the end, I did enjoy getting to know Pam and cheered for her to succeed at everything she was putting her heart in to.  Such a great story!

I would happily recommend Designer You to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book to bits!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Designer You

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