I've read a few of Pagan's books, but this one is definitely my favorite of hers that I've read! I felt an instant connection with all the characters and was solidly invested in how their stories ended up. This book revolves around family, love, and friends that became family along the way. Be warned though, this book is not as lighthearted as you might think based on the cover. Definitely covers some tough subjects such as cancer diagnosis, health issues, and familial death.

Found this one too depressing. Nothing good/right was happening, which made for an exhausting read. I want a book to uplift me and make me escape, not exhaust me, so ultimately, this one wasn't for me.

Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around
by Camille Pagán
This was not what the cover leads you to believe if your expecting a Rom com. Libby a middle aged woman who has just been told she is cancer free! She should be elated but is her marriage is in the doldrums so she her family on holiday to Puerto Rico and a tropical storm could life get any worse . A challenging book covering a few trigger point for some readers grief , cancer and a diabetic child. This book tries to upbeat but it falls flat for me 2.5/5

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

I love this author and have read most of her already published books. I had high hopes for Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around since I'm already a fan of this author. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed!

This book was inspiring, but also a little bit difficult. It's so hard to read something when someone seems so unhappy, though I fully understand that was the point!

I liked, but didn't love this book.

Camille Pagen is a comfort-read author for me. This book was highly enjoyable. It's the story of Libby, a 40-something married mom of tweens, who is feeling a bit out of sorts about life. Although she is celebrating 10 years of being cancer free, she's worried about her marriage and feeling stretched in a million directions as a working mom. Nothing a little tropical family vay cay to Puerto Rico can't solve, right?

Of course, things aren't that simple!

This is the relatable story of one woman's attempt to reclaim her life and the closeness of her family in the midst of unpredictable events.

Don't Make me Turn this Life Around is not an easy reading as it deals with many troublesome issues in life. For those who have lost loved ones to cancer and other maladies, it's easy to understand why. However, in spite of all the negative issues raised in this story, the message the story brings is uplifting - look for the future, think positive, live the day like no other, and seek happiness in the small things. It sure brings a lot of food for thought!
I downloaded a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a really good one!! I just love reading Camille Pagán’s books and this one was no exception! I love the setting of Puerto Rico and appreciated the look at how much the hurricanes affect the islands. I laughed, cried, and really enjoyed this one!!

I am a huge fan of Camille Pagan's work and this book did not disappoint. This book was a light read, which held many life lessons. Libby is finally cancer free, however, her husband doesn't even remember she had her big appointment. To celebrate Libby wants to hit up Puerto Rico and has accommodations taken care of, what she doesn't know is a storm his headed that way.

The book has many ups and downs, and I found it to be enjoyable.

Enjoyable read that I finished in one day. Loved the cover too! Sadly, I struggled to connect with the main character and disagreed with many of her choices. The supporting characters saved it though, especially Milagros! Overall, a decent and quick read.

Libby Ross-Velasquez just got the best news of her life. She is cancer-free. So why does she feel so "meh" about the situation? She should be excited? Her husband, Shiloh, even forgot that she even had the appointment to get her scan results. Which caused Libby even more concern that their marriage was on the rocks. Of course, Libby's twelve-year-old daughters said nothing, because they didn't know. When the opportunity comes up for them to vacation in Puerto Rico, where Libby and Shiloh met, Libby, is desperate to go. It could be exactly what they need to make things right again. Only from the minute they get to Puerto Rico nothing goes right. When a hurricane threatens the island, Libby really regrets her decision and her marriage is the least of her concerns. One of their daughters has Type 1 diabetes and the lack of electricity threatens their supply of insulin. Will the Libby and her family get out of Puerto Rico unscathed and with their family intact?



I wasn't too far into Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around when I realized that Libby was familiar to me. She was featured in Camille Pagan's earlier book Life and Other Near Death Experiences. I remember enjoying the former book and I enjoyed this book, too. However, the major conflict with Libby and Shiloh's marriage is the same conflict in 90% of women's fiction. Lack of communication. And that annoys me more than words can say. Just talk to each other! Ask the questions, share your feelings, talk to each other! In the end, things worked out. But I feel that there is room for another book featuring Libby and Shiloh.



Bottom Line - Libby Ross-Velasquez knows that life is full of ups and downs. But with family by your side you can make it through anything.



Details:

Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around by Camille Pagan
On Instagram
Pages: 254
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: 5/11/2021
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley!

This was a case of the right book at the right time, for me. Following a wife seemingly lost in her family and caught up in being a mum a family vacation forces her into to different role... I made this book sound heavy... it's not. It's a fun and relatively lighthearted read.

This was a much more serious book than the cover led me to believe. I enjoyed it, but for those looking for a romcom, this book deals with the death of a parents and a parent figure, chronic illness and cancer in a family member, infidelity, and divorce. However, these were beautifully handled.

I liked the characters and the family dynamics, which are very real. If you like to read about an emotional journey you’ll like this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Emotional rollercoaster of a book! So realistic that I had to remind myself this wasn’t a biography the first few chapters. Libby was a flawed human character that she could be one of your sisters or your friends. So well written. My only knock is they don’t give you the answer to a big thing in the book. And I guess that’s probably the point but ugh I want to know. Maybe we will get a sequel with the characters.

My favorite thing about a Camille Pagan novel is the realism she adds into her work. The characters are always relatable, and the plots are realistic to a fault. I might get annoyed with the pessimism of the characters, but its only because I see the same pessimism in myself.

Don't Make Me Turn this Life Around is no different; the characters are flawed and, at times, unbearable, but they seem like real people. I felt for Libby and everything she was going through. She tried to save her family and ended up in a disaster of epic proportions. If that's not real life, IDK what is, especially if you're reading this review during the pandemic that seems to never end.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

When Libby is declared cancer free, she still feels like something is missing. Her life is a mess: her husband is distant, one of her teenage daughters has diabetes, her brother is divorcing his husband, and she is still grieving her father. Determined to “fix” things, she and her family fly to Puerto Rico for vacation - right into the path of a tropical storm.

This was a super quick listen! It’s not the best book I’ve ever read, but I enjoyed it. You can listen to this on Audible for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited account!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC!

This one immediately sounded super interesting to me as I love reading books set in other places. However, I don't feel like this one necessarily delivered. It took a long time to get where it was going, and then when it did, it felt super rushed. This isn't one I will remember down the line although I think I would be interested in reading more by this author. But maybe I'll wait to hear reviews about the books first. I liked the messiness of the characters but several of the plot lines felt a bit weak and rushed.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"Don’t Make Me Turn This Life Around" by Camille Pagán
was a funny, scary & sad story.
This was my 1st book by Ms. Pagán & I can't wait to read her next novel,
"Everything Must Go" which will be released in April 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I didn’t realize this was a sequel but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Heartwarming and hilarious at times. Going to read the first book now!