Maggie had her world turned upside down by lies and betrayal. At first it knocked her down with depression and drinking. I love this story of finding strength and growing into a beautiful strong person who looks forward to the future. This story is well written and so captivating! Highly recommend!

It can be so very easy to lose yourself when you’re not looking. Life gets busy, you put everyone else’s needs before your own, and the next thing you know, you can’t even remember the last time you’ve seen the person you used to be—and you can’t remember the last time anyone else has seen her either. This is the crux of Camille Pagan’s fantastic new novel, Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties, a funny and touching read about misplacing yourself, finding yourself, and hoping with all hope that you don’t go missing again.

Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties introduces us to Maggie Harris, a fifty-three-year-old wife and mother who worries about everything on earth. The one thing she’s never had to worry about is her solid marriage of nearly thirty years—that is until her husband, Adam, walks out the door. With an empty nest and a gaping hole in her heart, Maggie soon realizes that by dedicating her life to everyone around her, she’s somehow become invisible in the process. In an effort to rediscover the woman she left behind, Maggie embarks on a journey that includes a trip to Rome, a changing career path, and the potential for a budding new romance. Woman Last Seen in her Thirties is a delightful read filled with humor and heart, and I breezed right through it.

Maggie may be a character who doesn’t feel seen, but on the page, she’s far from invisible. Camille Pagan delivers a heroine who is funny, flawed, and real, and I enjoyed every minute of this warm and wonderful tale. What’s special about this novel isn’t one big ticket act that propels our protagonist into the new Maggie–although she does have some memorable adventures. What makes this book shine is how it highlights the little things that can break and make a person over time–the good, the bad, the heartbreaking and heart-taking moments that make up a life. This book is as much an examination of how the past informs the present as it is a tale about forging a new path for the future, and it’s filled with moments that are equal parts light-hearted and complex.

This is the first book I’ve read by Camille Pagan, but it certainly won’t be my last. Her writing is engaging, emotionally charged, and a joy to spend time with. I can’t wait to read her other books.

This is my first book by Camille Pagán & will definitely not be my last. At first, I wasn't sure if I would be able to relate to the main character, Maggie, a 50 something year old woman who's husband is done with their marriage, after her giving him everything & raising two adult children together. I'm 30 & single, but I went in with an open mind and I'm glad I did. Maggie was an incredibly likable character and I enjoyed sharing her journey with her. I was angry at Adam for her and wanted to scream when he pulled his guilty punches, I was smiling alongside Maggie when she goes on a trip to Italy herself that was supposed to be for their anniversary. I thought the character development was very strong and I enjoyed following Maggie's progression very much.

Maggie is shell shocked as her world is turned upside down when, out of nowhere, her husband declares after almost 30 years of marriage that he doesn't love her any more. As Maggie goes through the grieving process of a broken marriage, she slowly comes to the realisation that she has lost herself in the process of caring for everyone else in her family. She gingerly begins building a new life, embarking on a journey of self discovery, coming out the other side a much stronger, resilient woman, no longer afraid of the unknown and up to the challenge of life's little surprises along the way.

I enjoyed embarking on this journey with Maggie. However this story provided nothing new to the concept of starting over after divorce and was therefore rather predictable. I needed something more from the story to make it stand out above the rest. This could have been achieved if the book made good on its blurb that it was a "hilarious" read, but I found the humour sadly lacking. I was expecting more laughs and giggles in order to balance out the seriousness of the book.

All in all, a good read of reinventing oneself after divorce and beginning a new life for oneself, growing older and opening up oneself to unexpected , unforeseen possibilities.

Many thanks to the author, Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

I have read another of her books (Life and Other Near-Death Experiences) before and enjoyed the unique experience. This book was rated highly by some of the other bloggers which I happened to stumble across and therefore thought it would be a good idea to read it.This author has a very unique talent of putting forth profound thoughts in a seemingly flippant manner. The narrative can lull you into the false security that this is a more shallow presentation, and the insights into the lead protagonist's thoughts will shake up the mental picture.

This tale features Maggie Harris who at the age of fifty-three has been given the news by her husband that he is leaving. This out of the blue situation hits Maggie and has her deal with the situation in stages. three stages of dealing included ;being out of control, learning new things about herself and the final resolution on her part. The book moves effortlessly between these changes, and by its end there is a strange calm over the entire cast of the people involved.Maggie has two children who feature predominantly in her thoughts as well as her husband's mother who favours her in the current scenario as opposed to her own son.There are more people who make appearances, each of whom contribute significantly to Maggie's story and the decisions she takes. 

It was a good book to read and although it is not completely happy, it still has a positive outlook and feel.

A smart, well-done, women's lit book (I suppose it's hen lit, as it's about a woman of a certain age only slightly older than my own.) Maggie is faced with rebuilding her life after her husband comes to her at age 53 and announces that he wants out of her marriage. Having divorced in a similar involuntary nature, I could relate very well to the book, between the move to a new city (I wouldn't have picked Ann Arbor though, #GoGreen), the fling, learning how to travel alone and make new friends, and ultimately figuring out who she was once she was no longer Adam's wife. There were parts that moved a little slowly and were a little too overwrought for my taste, and dwelling so much on Maggie's relationship with alcohol was tiresome, but Maggie's pain and self-discovery felt true, and I enjoyed the book overall.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book of Ms. Pagan’s but certainly not my last. I fell in love with Maggie, Adam, Zoe, Jack and Gerta from the beginning. When Adam said he wanted a divorce because he fell in love with someone else by the name of Jillian Smith. I was angry for Maggie and her kids and wanted to kick Adam’s butt. When Adam was invited over for a last family Thanksgiving, it broke my heart because I was sad for everyone involved but most of all for Maggie, She fell in love with Adam and expected him to uphold their vows.

When he revealed that he had an affair with Jillian Smith, I wanted Maggie to kill him. She got him back when the travel agent called and said that their trip to Rome was coming up. I love the fact that Maggie went and made a friend named Jean, an artist spending a month in a Rome then onto Florence. I literally laughed out loud when Maggie and Benito, the tour guide went out on a date then went back to his apartment. On Maggie’s last day in Rome, Jean offered her the option to stay in her home in Ann Arbor just to get some distance from the situation with Adam.

This book made me laugh, cry, and get angry all at once. I highly recommend this book

I hesitate to share somewhat unfavorable reviews, as reading is so subjective. But for me, Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties was an okay read. I enjoyed the overall story, and liked that it was not entirely predictable, especially because sometimes you see a character's journey and think you know just how the story will end, but Pagan didn't leave me sure of myself, or the outcome.

I was, however, disappointed with the primary character, as some of her experiences seemed far-fetched. I struggled with the "adventure" she took. That aspect of the book could have been eliminated and her growth and experiences on the 'other side' would have pulled me in on their own. I understand why the journey had to happen and the connections needed to be made, but I felt it was included in an unnecessary way.

That said, I would probably pick up a second story that would take me to the next stage of her life. She seemed to find herself and show growth, and that is what I really liked.

I really enjoyed this novel! I liked the way Maggie’s life and her emotions were portrayed. One day, Maggie’s husband tells her he is leaving. This is something that Maggie never imagined happening, even in her worst fears of what could happen in her life. Now, she is fifty-three and living all by herself for the first time in thirty years. Her whole world has fallen apart. Over time, slowly, Maggie begins a new life. She learns a lot about herself and others as she tries to find herself again. What Maggie struggles with are the same struggles many people face when their marriages have similar struggles. So, this is a realistic and honest look at a middle-aged woman’s life. We get to see Maggie’s relationship with her husband and her grown children as the story enfolds. This novel explores marriage, love, family, and family ties. Camille Pagan has written another wonderful novel that portrays the intimate relationships between her characters!

Maggie is a worrier. It’s who she is. When her husband tells her that he’s in love with someone else, 30 years of marriage passes through her brain. She doesn’t know how to function without being married. She’s been a mom and a wife for most of her adult life. As Maggie tries to figure out life without being a wife, she also tries to reconnect with who she was in her 30s, when she was in her prime and happy.

Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties is a book for those who might have lost their way but can have hope to find it again. It’s about learning to let go and have a leap of faith that things will be alright.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Camille Pagan for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - 4.5 stars for a great read!

Maggie Halfmoon is a 53-year-old woman who feels generally content about her life. Her marriage is good, even though her husband has always worked a lot, her grown kids are doing okay, even though she worries about them. She worries about a lot of things but the one thing that she never worried about was that her husband would leave her. Until he did. Then she realized that she didn't really know who she was anymore. This book follows Maggie's journey into rediscovering herself.

This is at turns hilarious and heart-warming and feels very relatable. Highly recommended!

This book just stole my heart from the first page. Maggie turned up in my life on a day I needed to escape and I found myself totally caught up in her life and her heartbreak and her attempts to make sense of her life. Starting over in your 50’s has to be the worry of every woman who has been in a long term relationship, raised children and been a part of a couple for so long. I know it’s crossed my mind, what would I do with myself, do I even know who I am without that person? So watching Maggie address those issues in her life just touched me and resonated with me. I hope I don’t have to discover the answers she did and for the reason she did, but it was such a sense of relief and triumph to see how she came through it and she did so in such a beautiful way.

I was not only schooled in the ways of discovering yourself in your 50’s, but I spent a lot of time enjoying the humor of the characters. It was such a serious subject but it was definitely tempered with a lightness and with highly entertaining characters.

I highly recommend this very lovely book to anyone who enjoys a good family drama, a story that touches your soul, and a main character that becomes a friend. I simply adored this book.

I received an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Pagan's novel is about a woman going through a painful divorce and the obstacles she faces in its aftermath. The main character is fully developed, but every other side character feels flat and one-dimensional. There are also loads of divorcee cliches in this (solo European trip, sexy rebound guy, etc.), so I pretty much predicted the entire plot along the way. This novel reminded me why I try to steer clear of chick lit-type books - I just need a lot more plot and depth in my stories.

After her husband leaves her, Maggie feels invisible. She went from being her own person to being wife and mother. When a couple farfetched opportunities come her way, Maggie starts to find herself and a bit of independence. The story is nice, the characters are well written, but I felt like nothing new was brought to the old concept of a female starting over again after divorce.

After reading WOMAN LAST SEEN IN HER THIRTIES, there's no doubt that Chick Lit is officially dead. Rather than a storyline about the problems of finding a man, now the tales are about picking up yourself in the aftermath of divorce.

It's true that the realistic scenario of being a good wife and mother is too frequently rewarded by being left alone in middle-age but is choosing to nurture and care wrong? Somehow I felt the message of this novel was saying "yes", it is. In other words, why spend most of your adult life giving to a family when children and a husband leave you behind? Instead, it seems, a woman needs her freedom to live joyfully.

I appreciate that Camille Pagan addressed the issue that a woman must not settle for simply being a wife and mother. However, having that woman become 'invisible" in her thirties, only to do a complete turnaround in her fifties felt too much of a pat HEA ending. And that was disappointing.

Camille Pagan's Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties is about 53 year old Maggie who left her career as a Social Worker to raise her family. Her husband of 30 years comes home one day to say he wants a divorce and she wonders what her purpose is in world. She takes a trip to Rome, moves to a new town, takes a new job, and finds new love. She is slowly trying to find her new place in the world when tragedy strikes. She begins to question her new choices and what direction she should take for the future. This book is at times funny and emotional. I think every woman in some way can relate to Maggie's story. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an arc of this book and this is my honest review.

Maggie and I are the same age, so much of what she endured as far as feeling insignificant and overlooked were things with which I could identify. That frustration over people not taking you seriously because of your age? I've felt that. Many times.

Maggie's attempts to thwart the indignities thrown at her are occasionally misguied, occasionally ridiculous, but always deeply needed. When her husband leaves her on the eve of their twenty-eighth anniversary, she is devastated. And frozen. Not only can she not move forward, she can't even more sideways.

It takes a new friend to show her that she is choosing to stay stuck. You will applaud Maggie when she begins taking control of her life, when she determines her worth. It isn't always an easy path, and Maggie makes more than a few mistakes. But at least she's doing something about her life. She's learning who she is when she isn't busy being a wife and a mother.

I'm curious to see your reaction to how Pagán ended this book. She either takes a great risk or she takes the safe path. Either could be argued. In some ways, I felt she played it safe. Maggie has a choice to make, and I felt like she chose something that, however not guaranteed or not a sure thing, nonetheless was too safe. I'd love to know your thoughts.

I loved this book so much! I could relate to Maggie so much even though I remain happily married. Christ on a cracker! I laughed out loud so many times! Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties is a heartwarming tale of finding happiness after bad times. And of the ability to fold life's bad moments into the good!

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Maggie is full of self doubt and fears, but as the story progresses she learns who she is and what her place is in her new world. During her journey, she makes quirky new friends and has many new experiences. While the story is one I’ve read a few times before, the characters make this one worth the read.

Like many women Maggie is shocked and hurt when her husband of over 30 years says he wants a divorce. Maggie never saw this coming ...this is the one thing she never feared, although she worried constantly about others lives and lost her own sense of self. She finds her days filled with too much wine and she is lost, desperate and doesn't understand how this happened. Eventually she agrees to take up a friends offer to go to Rome. Maggie finds the culture and Italian men romantic. She moves back home, tries a new career, and eventually meets a new man, Charles who she enjoys very much. She finds purpose in a new job, feels empowered and even thinks she may renew her social work certification. Then a tragedy strikes when she learns Adam has had a heart attack, she relives all her worries and decisions wondering what will happen to her and her grown children if he dies. Will her life be upturned once again when she has just found herself and is now content and happy with her new image? What will she choose? This story is filled with many emotions, so real, so poignant it will fill your heart. I was so glad to receive an ARC of this book, and I truly loved it!