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    The Life She Wants
    The Life She Wants
    The Life She Wants
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Life She Wants

    Written by Robyn Carr

    Narrated by Therese Plummer

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr creates an emotional and uplifting ensemble of characters in this rags-to-riches-to-rags novel about women, friendship and the complex path to happiness In the aftermath of her financier husband's suicide, Emma Shay Compton's dream life is shattered. Richard Compton stole his clients' life savings to fund a lavish life in New York City and, although she was never involved in the business, Emma bears the burden of her husband's crimes. She is left with nothing. Only one friend stands by her, a friend she's known since high school, who encourages her to come home to Sonoma County. But starting over isn't easy and Sonoma is full of unhappy memories, too. And people she'd rather not face, especially Riley Kerrigan. Riley and Emma were like sisters-until Riley betrayed Emma, ending their friendship. Emma left town, planning to never look back. Now, trying to stand on her own two feet, Emma can't escape her husband's reputation and is forced to turn to the last person she thought she'd ever ask for help-her former best friend. It's an uneasy reunion as both women face the mistakes they've made over the years. Only if they find a way to forgive each other.and themselves.can each of them find the life she wants.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateSep 27, 2016
    ISBN9781501936586
    The Life She Wants
    Author

    Robyn Carr

    Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women's fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan's Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at www.RobynCarr.com.

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    Reviews for The Life She Wants

    4.5/5

    112 ratings7 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Loved it! Finished in a day. Therese Plummer and Robyn Carr are my favorite combination!
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars

      The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr is wonderful novel of forgiveness, healing and love.

      Emma Shay had absolutely no idea her husband Richard was defrauding his investors with a Ponzi scheme, but that does not stop everyone from blaming her for their losses. After she is cleared of wrongdoing, she returns to her hometown in California in hopes of picking up the pieces of her life. Completely honest about her past, Emma is dismayed by her inability to find employment in her former career field but she is not too proud to apply for service industry jobs. Running into her old childhood friend Adam Kerrigan is a blessing in disguise for Emma as she tries to rebuild her life.

      While Emma is a likable character, she is frustratingly passive as she avoids conflict instead of facing it head on. While she truly did not have direct knowledge of Richard's illegal activity, she was aware that things were not quite right but she blindly accepted his explanations when she did ask questions. In the aftermath of his conviction and subsequent suicide, Emma's conscience will not allow her to keep any of money Richard illegally obtained. With very little money to her name, she has no choice but to work but she greatly underestimates how difficult it will be for prospective employers to overlook her somewhat sordid past. Renewing her friendship with Adam is surprisingly easy but she remains reluctant to act on their mutual attraction due to her complicated history with his sister (and her former best friend), Riley.

      Growing up, Emma and Riley were closer than sisters, but after Emma left for college, the young women began to grow apart. Riley betrayed Emma is the worst possible way when she had an affair with Emma's boyfriend Jock. After a horrible fight where they exchanged hurtful barbs, they went their separate ways. Riley has never been able to accept responsibility for her role in the demise of their friendship but she reluctantly hires Emma to work for her. Realizing just how precarious her situation is, Emma refuses to do anything to upset their fragile truce. With their lives intertwining both personally and professionally, it is only a matter of time before Riley learns the truth about Emma's relationship with Adam. Is there any chance the estranged friends can forgive one another for past mistakes?

      The storyline for The Life She Wants is conflict free and moves at a leisurely pace. The aftermath of the scandal with Emma's husband is realistic and her desire to live life on her own terms is understandable. Her need for honesty after essentially living a lie for her entire marriage is easy to relate to but it is inevitable that she will need to alter her approach in order to find a job. Her relationship with Adam is an absolute joy and their transition from friends to lovers is believable.

      While Emma's desire to steer clear of confrontation is reasonable, it is very difficult to agree with her decision to keep her romance with Adam a secret. It is also quite frustrating to watch Emma allow her stepmother to continue to take advantage of her. Avoiding unnecessary drama is one thing, but Emma takes it to a whole new level by not fighting for what is rightfully hers. She does enjoy her much simpler life but Emma sometimes makes things harder for herself than necessary by refusing to take charge of certain situations.

      The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr is an engaging novel with a cast of likable characters. Delightfully free from angst and drama, readers will be completely invested in this quiet but meaningful story of healing and resiliency. A moving and emotional novel that fans of contemporary women's fiction are sure to love.
    • 4/5
      Not many authors who started off with romance can write about friendships just as well, but Robyn Carr has always been one of the queens of women's fiction in my book. A few years ago, I read and loved Four Friends so I was excited to give her newest release a try.The Life She Wants relays the messy, complicated lives of Riley Kerrigan and Emma Shay, two women who were once inseparable, but are now no longer on speaking terms. When Emma moves back to her hometown Sebastopol filled with shame, the two women are forced to confront each other due to several interfering factors: Emma's desperate need for employment following her husband's disgraceful scandal, as well as her intimate involvement with old acquaintances who are also very close to her former best friend.I love how elaborate details of each of their lives contributed to the main conflict, rather than having the story focus exclusively on the backstory and slow rebuilding of the friendship itself. Riley faces unique challenges, like raising her teenage daughter as a single mother and running her cleaning company, while Emma has some burdens of her own, like coming to terms with her hurtful past and facing financial turmoil, not for the first time in her life. When their lives intersect in a familiar setting, a memory-ripe town in Sonoma, California, old feelings—old grudges, disappointments, miscommunications, and apologies—begin to surface, demonstrating that although home is somewhere you can escape from, it's a place that never escapes you.The cast of supporting characters is amazing, each person just as fleshed out and complex as any of Robyn Carr's characters are. The twist on the classic fairy tale this book takes is really enjoyable too; from rags to riches to rags is exactly how I'd describe it, and it's an emotionally engaging journey all throughout. While not mind-blowing, this is definitely a Cinderella story, and not the kind you've read before, either.Pros: Great integration of each character's subplots in the main theme of rekindling friendship // Easy to read; Carr never fails to impress me with her storytelling // A beautiful modern take on Cinderella // Strong, empowering women characters that are still likable and relatable—ironically, these are often hard to find in the romance and women's fiction genres!Cons: The ending regarding Emma's financial insecurities seems a little too inconvenient // Riley is a bit of a stubborn character; I didn't care for her playing the victim card when she's the one who betrayed Emma to begin with // Predictable in terms of outcomeVerdict: In her newest standalone novel, Robyn Carr considers a relatively unexplored topic in the women's fiction genre: two ex-best friends reconnecting in middle adulthood, and all the complications that accompany it. Featuring a multidimensional conflict, a strong ensemble of lovable characters, and the buildup of traditional small-town romance and heartbreaking family backstories we've all come to expect and love, The Life She Wants offers readers a glimmering portrait of true friendship, the meaning of forgiveness, and the value of self-worth.Rating: 7 out of 10 hearts (3.5 stars): Not perfect, but overall enjoyable; would recommend, but borrow a copy before you buy!Source: Complimentary copy provided by tour publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Little Bird Publicity!).
    • 4/5
      Emma Shay Compton's marriage to big-time financier falls apart when he is convicted of bilking his clients (ala Bernie Madoff) out of their life savings. Emma is devastated by his betrayal, of which she had no idea. But many people and the media believe she is hiding money and so she is a pariah as well.All she is left with is a few kitchen tools, and she moves back home to Sonoma County. Her father died years ago, and his second wife, who treated Emma badly, wants nothing to do with her. Emma tries to pick up the pieces of her life, starting with finding a place to live and a job.Her old friend Lyle finds her a small guest cottage behind Penny, an elderly woman, who becomes Emma's friend. Penny's other widowed friends welcome Emma into their circle.The only job she can get is working as housekeeper in a nursing home. But when her coworkers realize who her husband was, she loses that job.Emma reconnects with Adam, the brother of her former best friend Riley. Riley and Emma had a big falling out in high school and haven't spoken since then. Adam gets Emma a job with Riley, who has her own successful cleaning company.The Life She Wants is a wonderful story of female friendship that you don't frequently see. Riley and Emma are very wary of each other, unable to forget the past. I love the character of Riley, how she overcame her life's challenges to build her own successful business. Riley and Adam's mom is a great character too, one who did a terrific job raising her kids, and is a good grandmother.I admit to tearing up more than a few times reading The Life She Wants. Carr's writing hits your heart, and her characters' grit and grace win you over. There are a few hot sex scenes and you hope that love eventually wins out.While sitting on the plane, the man next to me said "Is that Robyn Carr's newest book? I've read all of her books- I love her!" I have to admit that one took me by surprise.I recommend Robyn Carr's The Life She Wants to anyone who loves a good story about female friendship, and if you like Jennifer Weiner's books, give Robyn Carr a try.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book I have read by Robyn Carr. In this book, lifelong friends Emma & Riley are no longer speaking to each other. Why? Emma went off to college and while away Riley hooked up with Emma’s boyfriend and got pregnant by him. Emma moved to New York and married a millionaire. Life was good – until her husband got caught in some shady financial deals and committed suicide. So Emma goes back to her hometown.While I enjoyed the story, I thought it lacked depth. There was really only one storyline. Emma and Riley were very likeable but very predictable. And Adam was just too perfect. While I would love to find a man that is so tender and says all the right things, it just is not realistic. I still think it deserves a 4.0 rating as Emma and Riley seemed very real and we see how both Emma and Riley have matured over the years. It is also a story of strong families.This is a good book if you are looking for something light or you are tired and just want a nice story that doesn’t require a lot of thinking. No mysteries to solve. It is what I call “fluff”. But hey, every now and then everyone needs a little “fluff”.I received an advance copy from GoodReads in return for an unbiased review.
    • 5/5
      First, thank you to Goodreads and Harlequin books for the chance to enjoy and review this book. I have always loved Robyn Carr, but have not read one of hers in awhile. This little gem did not let me down - Ms. Carr's talent to build characters and create a wonderful story. Emma and Riley had a history and this story tells of their lives since childhood, Emma's return to her hometown and eventual making amends with her dear, childhood friend, Riley. All turns out good, as Robyn Carr's books do, but that is what makes them such a pleasure.
    • 3/5
      Emma Shay Compton’s husband Richard managed a Ponzi scheme that when it all collapsed he committed suicide and left Emma with nothing. Trying to begin life anew and get away from the scrutiny of other’s she heads back to her childhood town as she still has a few friends there. But going back home is never easy; she had severed ties with her best friend over a boy. Her evil stepmother is still evil and she is still being investigated in case she is hiding Richard’s money somewhere. All Emma wants is to live a simple happy life.This is a story of relationships and the characters that that author created are strong and easy to like. It is a light romantic story that could be finished in one sitting. The ending was too fairy-tale for me but overall it kept me entertained.