Thank you so much for my review copy, I greatly appreciated it.

Right, David was a deuce. Just throwing that out there with no apologies. This story was good although not great (4 star for me) or phenomenal (5 star). At times it felt quite slow, the characters without deep developments and the need to psychopathologise people and their behaviour irritating. I felt the workplace incident lacking build up, tension, ‘excitement’. Not given the time and development needed to have made it al all memorable. I did enjoy the last quarter of the book, Alive and her friends, and David’s demise. Suck it David.

Thanks again, and my apologies for the incredibly late review. Better late than never, right!

After finishing her university degree, Alice Hamilton now needs a career, but that sounds a great deal easier than it is. And with her partner, David reminding her constantly about their big mortgage Alice is beginning to feel the pressure.

Alice can’t believe her luck when she is offered a job in a major real estate office in Melbourne. David couldn’t be happier as he knows how strong the housing market is and this will be a fantastic opportunity for Alice, or will it. Alice is full of enthusiasm and knows with her skills she will be an asset to the company.

It doesn’t take Alice long to figure out this job is not for her and working for Carmel Gold is starting to turn into a nightmare. Stressed and unhappy, Alice is stuck between a rock and a hard place, because she knows she needs this job, but she can’t bare to face Carmel another day.

Alice feels like everything is falling apart around her and she’s uncertain how to put the pieces back together or if she even can. An unexpected quick trip back to her hometown will hopefully give her some time to make some much needed decisions about her future.

The first part of this book reminded me of the movie called The Devil Wears Prada which had a similar story line about a woman who worked in a company and no matter how hard or fast she worked it was never enough.

This was a heartfelt story which had me feeling sorry for Alice so much so that I wanted to reach out and give her a hug. But as for her husband, David I wanted to reach out and do the opposite he made me so furious.

When a book has you feeling all these emotions, you know it’s more than a good book, it’s a fabulous book which you want to recommend to everyone and that’s precisely how I felt once I’d finished it. Aussie author Fiona McCallum has written a fantastic story and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

With thanks to Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.

A Fiona McCallum book will always provide you with a good dose of reality tied together with an emotional plot line. On this occasion, there is Alice who, after a failed marriage and undertaking studies as a mature age student, tries to find a place in the workforce to help her partner with the payment of their new home in Melbourne. Sadly, however, she doesn’t enjoy her work and longs for a fulfilling life. Thus begins a journey of self discovery, of picking up the pieces and finding the courage to try and start anew. Can Alice make ‘A Life of Her Own’?

There are many hurdles and hoops for Alice to jump over and work her way through in this book ... so many, in fact, that it becomes somewhat dull. There is the sad upbringing, unsupportive family, failed marriage, the domineering and uncaring partner, the vicious boss .... the list is long. So with little support, Alice understandably starts to fall apart, crying regularly and often. Unfortunately the overkill makes me blase regarding her plight as it all gets a bit repetitive.

Yet for those readers who can relate to one, or all, of the sad scenarios, then Fiona’s writing will undoubtedly speak to you. There are many emotionally charged pages as you hope Alice will indeed find the courage to forge ‘a life of her own’ in this heartfelt tale; that she will overcome life’s hurdles and find the strength to create a brighter future for herself.

‘In not too long you’ll be in a much better place and you’ll look back on this time and laugh at how hopeless it all seemed. Meanwhile, I think you need to relax, ease up on yourself, not expect to have all the answers–that’s the universe’s job. Put it out there and ask for help. That’s what I do.’



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

The new home that Alice Hamilton and her partner David had moved into wasn’t Alice’s first choice, but David liked it and it fell in with what he thought would match his career. His job meant he travelled a lot and with Alice’s university degree finished, she was at a loose end. David kept on at her to get a good job to help with the mortgage payments. But it wasn’t that easy. The position offered by David’s friend wasn’t something she wanted to do…

When Alice received a phone call from a well-known real estate agency, with an offer for her as a PA to Carmel Gold, one of the partners, Alice was ecstatic. She felt this was the career she’d been waiting for and she loved the thought of matching new homes with people. But gradually Alice lost her confidence while her brain felt scrambled. She couldn’t work out what was going wrong. And the way Carmel was with Alice had her dreading each day’s work. What could Alice do? Her best friend Lauren was her sounding board – but Alice’s unhappiness was the catalyst.

A Life of her Own is another heartfelt and poignant novel by Aussie author Fiona McCallum which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s set in Melbourne and shows sides of people we don’t often see, but also unfortunately, sides we do see far too often. Bullying, manipulation, intimidation, narcissism – all found a place in A Life of her Own. But there was also kindness, caring and support as well. An excellent novel, A Life of her Own is one I have no hesitation in recommending. And I love the cover 😊

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.