"Starting Out Sideways" Review

Starting Out Sideways

 

by Mary E. Mitchell

 

8/10

My Synopsis:

Roseanna Plow wears many hats: soon-to-be ex-wife, never-quite-good-enough daughter, and mentor to the mentally challenged to name a few.  She loves her job but outside of that her life is unraveling at the seams.  Her husband Teddy is moving in with her former best friend.  Her mother is more concerned with setting her up with the local butcher than she is with acknowledging her father's cancer.  A beautiful hunk has a crush on her.  Unfortunately, he is one of her differently-abled clients.  She sulks into a funk and it takes a major revelation to snap her out of that funk and send her into a full blown depression.  But what's a girl to do when she finds out all that life seems to be turns out to be only the half of it?


My Review:

I have to say that I did like "Starting Out Sideways" by Mary E. Mitchell to a point.  I enjoyed the character of Roseanna and felt her frustration with both her ex-to-be Teddy and her overbearing mother Helen.  But I have to say the characters I loved the most were the unexpected characters.  Milton is adorable.  I just loved him.  His outlook on life was refreshing and actually brought about some discussions in my house of the mentally challenged and their rights and abilities.  I have to say even though he was her client and not the normal knight in shining armor, I was pulling for Milton to win return affection from Roseanna.  The other character I really liked was also a minor character - Peter DaSilva.  I don't know if I just didn't like Mickey or if I really wanted Roseanna to end up with the hunk I thought she deserved.  Marcie was an interesting character but not really all that believable.  There were portions of the book I found dull and slow but in the end I found myself turning page after page.  The end was rather rushed feeling to me though.  Like there was a good idea for a book but wrapping it up fell flat.  This is a difficult review to write without giving too much away - especially the major revelation that throws our heroine for a super loop.  But all mystery aside, this is a good book with good writing and good characters and a good plot.  The problem is is "good" good enough?  Not to be at the top of my list but worth a look. 8/10