It took me a while to try to relate to Mallie, but finally found it to be relateable to probably most women. Mallie finds herself trying to find herself while dealing with unexpected change when her marriage crumbles. She starts searching for her identity through religion, and falls in love with a scrupulous priest that is counseling her, once she realizes this she continues her journey of self-discovery. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to review.

One star is for books I didn't finish.

Honestly, I don't see the point of this book. The layer of the story itself is rather thin, but it was the main, and flat, character and the lack of interesting writing (scenery, setting, or literally the lines themselves) that made me give up after 48 percent of Valeria Vose.

This beautifully written piece of literary fiction that is relatable for any woman approaching or past the age of 40 and finds herself dealing with unexpected changes to her lifestyle. I was completely immersed in this story and highly recommend it!

Valeria Vose better known as Mallie becomes what she believes to be the ideal wife and mother, lives in a nice house, and her husband Larry goes out to work and she looks after the children. Although she has occasionally has had suspicions about Larry having other women she chooses to ignore it.. Then one day a woman phones and says "Forgive me Mallie". Now highly suspicious, she confronts hers husband when he comes home. He confesses, cries and tells her this women has taken an overdose. She sends him out the door to look after her. He begs her to come too, but she refuses. Mallie suggests Larry see a marriage counsellor and thinks Father Mathews would be great. After his first session, Larry tells Mallie that Father Mathews said they just have a communication problem. She gets very angry and sets up an appointment with Father Mathews. She is going to set him straight! The consequences take an unexpected turn. An easy read, well written, and provides some insights to human nature when confronted with a life changing event.

As Mallie’s marriage crumbles, she searches for her identity through religion. She falls in love with an unscrupulous priest counseling her, but bounces back and continues her journey of self-discovery. Her friend Jenny introduces her to spiritual retreats and workshops. The story nearly becomes a Christian self-help book multiple times, as it spends much time expounding upon the wisdom of the retreats and workshops. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent portrayal of a woman set loose from what she considered a solid foundation as a wife and mother in the late 70s. Having come unmoored, she must find a way to anchor herself without a partner to lean on and no job skills. The ending is credible, hopeful, and maybe a bit feminist. Gorman does a great job of showing Mallie’s emotions ricocheting around in her head, and how hard she tries to connect with the world around her. Though a bit insular, based on the Christian themes, this book tells a story of women who buy into the Mrs. degree, and how one breaks free after a crash and burn, definitely a worthwhile read. I was fortunate to receive this e-book from She Writes Press through NetGalley.

I shared my review on my blog, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter, and will post to B&N on launch date.

I was a bit disappointed with this book unfortunately. I didn't feel drawn in or vested in Valeria Voses story .I couldn't identify with her and found her characters rather flat and at times frustrating.
I did however find the last third of the book better , and a bit more gripping.
I was left feeling deflated overall though.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

VALERIA VOSE is a story about a homemaker in Memphis in the mid-1970s. She knows her marriage is in trouble, but has a hard time facing the reality of what is happening. She turns to an Episcopal priest for comfort and counseling and works on finding her spiritual center. While well-written, the story is bland and somewhat preachy and lacking a compelling narrative arc. If the reader is also trying to find her way out of a dysfunctional marriage, VALERIA VOSE might bring comfort, but it missed the mark for me.

Valeria was an interesting woman to follow in her journey from someone whose husband cheated on her, through being manipulated by the counselor she trusted into a confident single woman. She just was Not a woman I could relate to