Some Kind of Wonderful - Giovanna Fletcher

Lizzy and Ian have been a couple since their first day at university. Now, after celebrating a decade together, everyone thinks they're about to get engaged. A romantic escape to Dubai is the perfect moment, but instead of the proposal Lizzy hopes for, Ian reveals he's not sure he even wants her anymore.

Lizzy is heartbroken. But through the tears, she realises this is her chance to seize the opportunities she missed as Ian's other half. But what does she want? How much of her is really Lizzy, and how much was Ian's influence? Determined to discover who she is at heart, Lizzy sets out to rediscover the girl she was before - and in the meantime, have a little fun . . .

Blurb taken from Goodreads.

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After reading a couple of pretty heavy novels, I decided I needed a really lighthearted read, and so picked up Giovanna Fletcher's Some Kind of Wonderful. I've read a couple of her books before and always found them easy to read and sweet, so I was hoping this would do the trick!

When I first started reading it, I have to say I wasn't convinced. I couldn't connect to our main character, Lizzy, who I found quite annoying, and I just wasn't sure this one was necessarily going to be for me. However, I persevered, and I'm really glad I did.

As the book progresses, we see Lizzy grow into herself, and away from the relationship that she has allowed to define her life. Although this book is definitely what I would consider to be chick lit, it doesn't focus on our heroine finding herself a man; instead, she goes on a journey to find herself. The powerful message that we need to be who the hell we want to be was so uplifting, and I have already recommended this book to a friend!

Rating: ✫✫✫✫

The Story

The story opens with Lizzy on holiday with her fiancé, Ian. Lizzy is clearly praying for a proposal, which in itself isn't a problem. However, it was very clear to me, as a reader, that Ian no longer wanted to be in the relationship. I'd normally feel sorry for Lizzy, but I frankly felt that she was fairly immature in the way she spoke to Ian. I immediately felt that this character had some growing up to do. When Ian states that he wants to break up instead, it's clear that this is exactly the point. We're going to see Lizzy deal with her break up, and hopefully she's going to grow as a person in the process.

Back at home, Lizzy is forced to take a good long look at her life; heartbreaking, as I know from experience. Yet from this moment, the book really starts to shine. She considers her job, her relationships with her family and friends, and most of all who she really is without Ian. I think it's a really powerful commentary on how a long-term relationship encourages people to settle, and in more ways than you think. It's so incredibly easy to lose your own identity when you've been with one person for such a long time, and this books serves as a reminder that you should always be working on yourself, and striving for more. That doesn't mean you cannot be completely invested in a relationship, but it does mean you need to find somebody with whom you have harmony. Somebody who supports the vision you have for yourself, and is completely willing to come along for the ride.

As I've already mentioned, I really struggled to get into this book when I first started reading. This is most certainly not a comment on the writing, which I found fun and engaging; rather, Lizzy comes across as fairly insufferable and whiny. When Lizzy and Ian break up, the journey our heroine goes on really changes her, which I imagine was exactly the emphasis that Fletcher wanted to convey. Lizzy realises that she stopped eating the food she enjoyed because of Ian. She notices that the goals she had in life were dictated by what Ian wanted. Once she accepted her new position, she really embraced her life, and began to make the most of it.

I just think the message in Some Kind of Wonderful is so powerful, and it's one that all women need to hear. An event that feels like the worst possible thing to happen does not need to define your life, as long as you keep pushing for personal happiness and self-fulfillment.

The Verdict

"There's something quite wonderful about only looking after myself"

Whether you're in an unstable relationship, have already met your soulmate, or are entirely single, I feel like this is a story every woman could take something away from.

I'm not going to pretend it's a perfect book, because there were parts that I didn't relate to or wasn't keen on. However, the feel of the book is just so incredibly uplifting that those things ceased to matter. Reading about Lizzy's own personal journey made me consider my own life and the things I want to change. I finished the book feeling positive, empowered, and very grateful. Wonderful.