Title: Making March
Author: Hayley Walsh
Published: April 2020
Source: Gifted by Author
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
I was lucky enough to have been given a copy of Making March by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
Kate feels old, alone and regrettably round. It’s the 1st February, her 40th birthday and the beginning of the month from hell. Somehow she needs to survive a pending divorce from her good for nothing ex husband, her teenage daughter acting like the spawn of Satan, her best friend getting married (for which she is the maid of honour) numerous disastrous online dates and a potential budding romance. Can she make it to March? Birthdays remind me of mirrors. Why you ask? One word.... reflection.
The story begins as Kate is entering her fortieth year, she realises that she has not a lot to be proud of, in her words she “got hitched, got ditched and she lives with a witch” she has a month ahead of her filled with an abundance of testing activities mainly with people she doesn’t particularly enjoy being around! The saving grace is her best friend whose wedding she will maid of honour for. The only problem being the other members of the bridal party.
Much hilarity ensues as she organises hen activities and dress fittings, all while dipping her toe into the murky waters of internet dating and attempting to get over her lousy ex by finding love (or at least some fun) with another man.
Kate was a very relatable character (in fact I thought at times I was a little too like her 😂) so many of her thoughts and ideas were similar to my own. From her love of cats, cake and wine, her hatred of spiders, her wistful yearnings back to a simpler time before technology and selfies, her party hard attitude from yonder years being overtaken by wine and cheese in slippers and her general attitude. At times I thought she had been based on me, although I definitely have more shoes!
I thoroughly enjoyed the disastrous dating scenes, meeting hapless males who were more interested in getting her into bed than having a meaningful relationship. From terrible body odour to swingers and being cat fished, poor Kate has it all. Not a lot goes right for her over the course of the month but she takes it all in her over zealous stride and tries to make the best of it. I mean at least there is always wine!
At times the writing could ramble a bit with a lot of heavy description but it suited the character as she seemed like the type of lady who would see the devil in the detail. Once I was used to the extra detail I began to get into the swing of it and found her thoughts and antics very funny. I did laugh out loud a fair few times just imagining the character of Marie (when you read it you will understand!)
I love a book set in another country and especially Australia as it reminds me of when I spent a year travelling over there. The book brought back fantastic memories of the Great Barrier Reef, barbecues outside, beach walks and drinking boxed wine with friends. It certainly transported me over to the other side of the world for a short while!
Overall the book was a feel good, light hearted romp that kept me smiling throughout. There were characters to love and hate, inner monologues which had me giggling and many thoughts that I related to on a personal level!! If you are after a fun and cheeky novel this is one for you!