#DontMakeMeTurnthisLifeAround #NetGalley

Special thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for providing me with ARC.

This novel is heartbreaking, the idea that you diagnosis with Cancer is horrible, this hard disease that can kill you so easily, i read a lot of novels talking about cancer and saw my aunt suffer from breast cancer with my own eyes.

I loved how Libby want to protect her daughter's specially Isa that suffer from diabetes and want to gather her family .

I have enjoyed all of Camille Pagán's novels since reading her debut; an opportunity to review “Don’t Make Me Turn This Life Around” was an early Christmas present to me. When I found out I would be reading the sequel to “Life and Other Near-Death Experiences,” I may or may not have ended up doing the happy dance.

Thirteen years have passed since Libby retreated to Vieques after a cancer diagnosis (and the discovery her first husband was gay). Not only is Libby cancer free, but she is married to Shiloh (the hot pilot she met in the last book) and has twin daughters. But instead of happily ever after, Libby feels like something in her life is missing. She lost her dad six months ago, one of her girls has type-1 diabetes, her brother is getting divorced and she wonders whether the love is gone in her relationship with Shiloh. As a balm to soothe this disconnect, she decides to take the family to Vieques so that she can create more happy memories. Yet, a tropical storm arrives just as the family does, and the promise of a postcard perfect vacation flies out the window.

This is not a light novel; don’t expect a Hallmark movie ending. Instead, it’s an utterly realistic portrayal of how human it is to wrestle with disconnect even if your life looks good on the page. Libby and Shiloh are definitely characters to root for; the scenes between them and their girls, Isa and Charlotte are so realistic that it brought back flashbacks to growing up with my sisters—in fact, like Isa, I used to sit at the dinner table with my nose in a book. You find yourself adoring Libby so much that you become so frustrated as things become dire. I was in the middle of grading final papers, but (shh! don’t tell) I had to set them side to finish this novel.

Whether you are a devout fan of the author like me or if this the first book of hers that you are reading, I know you’ll adore “Don’t Make Me Turn This Life Around” as much as I did.

Thanks to Camille Pagán, Lake Union and Netgalley for my advanced copy.

I loved the last book I read by this author, This Won’t End Well, so I was really excited to get an advanced copy of Pagan’s new release from NetGalley. In Don’t Make Me Turn this Life Around, Libby is a busy New York City mom--running a non-profit, grieving the recent loss of her father, processing her latest health test results, and trying to keep it all together. Her solution is to grab her family and run off for a week in Puerto Rico and Vieques to regroup. A hurricane rolls in and the family’s vacation is turned on its head. I am a big believer in the power of a family vacation to reset the mood, so I am with her on that decision. I also appreciated the different setting, one I’m not very familiar with or usually read about. There was a lot of discussion about the islands still recovering from the previous hurricane and the effect it has had on the residents and visitors. I also appreciated reading about such a different plot twist than I usually read—a hurricane on vacation and how to get your family out of that mess. While this might not be my favorite of her books, I was intrigued and engrossed in reading such a different kind of story than I usually choose.

A perfect blend of life, love and family. It’s like you have been let into the day to day life of any family and you can see your own in theirs.

A well written story, it was full of fun and antics too. I enjoyed the read from start to finish! The fact they all go away and whether a tropical storm and come out telling there stories as amazing.

The bloom is off the rose for Libby and Shiloh's marriage. Adolescent kids, serious health issues, stressful jobs will do that to a marriage. Is it the end? Libby is wondering. She just made it to her 10 year cancer-free anniversary and she should be estatic, but she just feels blah. Her twin daughters, one of whom is Type 1 diabetic, are at each other's throats. Her own twin, her brother, is divorcing his husband. Shiloh seems to be distant. Rather than give in, she makes plans to visit the place where their love story began, a guesthouse on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. A week of fun and sun and togetherness will do the trick, right? Or not.

Instead, it's one catastrophe after another. Serious, life threatening catastrophes. One after another. Is all hope lost?

Honestly the start of this book was a downer. As someone who's been married quite a while, I could relate to many of Libby's doldrums. Should there be more to life? Does feeling settled mean you've settled for less? I was pretty close to some sad tears.

However, by the end I found hope again. Loss of a loved one might be painful, but as the saying goes, it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. It's never too late to reinvent yourself, your marriage, your relationships. I might have wiped a happy tear or two at the end.

Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around by Camille Pagan is the third novel that I have read from this author, and I can say, with conviction, that it is my favourite yet. I was expecting a lighthearted, escapist read, but what I got was so much more in what quickly became a deep dive into my unlimited reserve of emotional empathy.

Libby has just learned that she has reached her ten year anniversary of being cancer free and is ready for a celebration. But the good always seems to be tempered by the bad, and Libby is forced to face other challenges. Her father has recently died unexpectedly, her marriage seems to be floundering, and her twelve year old daughter has recently been diagnosed as diabetic. Hoping for a break from all of the emotional havoc, Libby suggests a trip to Vieques, Puerto Rico, the place where she fell in love with her husband, and where her close friend Milagros resides, the woman who has been almost a surrogate mother to her for the past thirteen years. When a tropical storm hits the island, Libby's dream holiday will become a test of her resolve and put her life into rather dramatic focus.

This is a read that will give you all of the feels. Ms Pagan has tapped into many of the fears that pilot our own lives, and this relatability will resonate as you join Libby on a trip that will change not only her own life, but those of everyone she holds close.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have loved this author’s previous books, so I was super excited to dive into this one, and I obviously couldn't wait until closer to its spring 2021 publication date...oops!

Camille Pagan has a knack for writing for unputdownable reads with strong and relatable characters and Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around is no different. This book follows Libby, a middle-aged mom of tweens, a cancer survivor, and a wife who is concerned that her relationship has started “coasting.”

The family decides to take a spontaneous vacation that ends up bringing one disaster after another. What initially seems like an epic fail, ultimately brings them all closer together. I especially loved reading about Libby’s awareness of her “charmed” life while simultaneously learning to admit she wasn’t feeling like herself. While it's important to have perspective, it also important to remember that we can all have hard times.

I loved how this engaging plotline shared the powerful connection of being honest and vulnerable with one another while also being such an enjoyable weekend read. I really enjoyed this book so much and highly recommend it!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest feedback. My full review will be posted on my website, genthebookworm.com, closer to it's May 2021 publication date.

I was immediately drawn into Libby's story. When we meet her she has just received great news, and yet she is examining why she doesn't feel more joyous. The more I got to know Libby, the more I related to her internal struggles, her worries as a mother and her fears as a woman. When her brother delivers news that shocks her, Libby takes action to shake up things for her family. She plans a trip to Puerto Rico, where she and her husband met and fell in love. Libby has grand hopes that this trip will be a relationship reset and infuse joy into her family be reliving wonderful memories in a beautiful setting. Instead, the trip has one mishap after another and Libby is forced to confront some hard truths. She realizes she has been repressing many emotions and that pretending everything is alright is actually causing harm her relationships.
I liked so much about this story and these characters. This is my first by Camille Pagan, but won't be my last.

After immensely enjoying pagan’s previous delightful book ‘This Won’t End Well’, the decision to read this book is a no-brainer. It’s completely different from the previous book. It took me a while to get involved in the going-ons of the protagonist's life.

First couple of pages put me in a melancholy mood. Libby is on cancer remission, her latest tests found cancer hasn’t returned. She lost father a few months earlier. Her twin daughter was diagnosed with serious health condition. I understand she is swamped. Instead of counting her blessings, she feels miserable and hankers for something in her life. She needs to be grateful for the gift of life and live in the moment. I know it’s easier said than done.

She misses her father the most. In her hour of need she instinctively calls him forgetting that he passed away. Her brother Paul too calls him just to hear his voice. I instantly connected with this as I would give anything to talk and see my grandpa one more time as I miss him a lot.

They go on a vacation to Puerto Rico in order to turn their lives around and hope it brings back the lost spark. They have had a special connection with this island. Would their vacation go as planned? Her husband Shiloah’s dad lives in one of the islands. They mull over whether they have time in their tightly packed schedule to visit him. This made me furious as out of all people, Libby should know the importance of cherishing them when they are alive.

I am ambivalent about Libby. I've empathized with her a few times but other times fed up with her when she obsessed over zing thing missing in her life. On the other hand, she is a terrific and caring mother. Loved Shiloah more than Libby.

This family is like real people, Pagan doesn’t gloss over the issues they are facing. Her writing evoked many feelings such as sadness, pity, fear that I was caught in the storm along with them.

Overall, it was a poignant, heart wrenching tale filled with well-developed characters who seem like someone we know.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for honest opinion.

4 stars for this heartfelt new book from Camille Pagan!

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!

Libby finds out that she has been declared cancer free for 10 years but instead of feeling happy she doesn't feel much at all. She has a full life with running a charity, being married and raising twin girls. Despite all this Libby feels like she's been coasting through life and wants to take a family vacation to Puerto Rico to break up the monotony of daily life. This island is where Libby and he husband first fell in love. He's been distant recently but Libby wants to fix that. From the moment they arrive in Puerto Rico everything goes wrong and Libby is unsure if this trip is what they needed to bring their family together again.

I really enjoyed Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around. I did find the first half to be a bit slow and depressing, Libby is always complaining and things keep going wrong. But the second half does pick up and it gets a lot better than the beginning. Pretty much everything that could go wrong on a family vacation goes wrong but they manage to navigate it. I found the characters to be relatable and they're a family trying to figure out the ups and downs of life together. I liked that when disaster strikes they all band together to keep each other safe. Libby grows as a character as the story progresses and by the end she has a fresh perspective on life and wants to make some changes. I liked how positive she was but also learned to actually process negative events instead of ignoring them. The family dynamic grew and I liked them all by the end of the book. I thought the ending was just perfect and wrapped everything up nicely.

If you like a fun contemporary novel with a sweet message this one is for you! I'd recommend it to anyone who has read other books by this author and wants a quick read to transport them to Puerto Rico.

This book was well-written. The plot was solid. Although there were subplots with minor characters, they never overshadowed the main plot. The subplots helped develop the main character. Often times multiple plots will confuse the reader, but the plot and subplot in this novel did not do that. The author did an exceptional job of teaching life lessons in this novel, but they never came off as being preachy. One of my favorite techniques of the author is how she builds suspense and as a reader you are sure you know what will happen. Then, suddenly she reveals the twist and it’s never what you thought. The way Mrs. Pagan executed plot twists in this novel was superb.

Libby has had her set of obstacles lately, her dad passed, her daughter was diagnosed with Diabetes, she has her 10 year cancer check up, her brother is having marital problems and it seems her husband may not be attracted to her anymore.
Libby decided to reset her life, and return to Vieques to reunite with not only a special person but her family ! This vacation does not go as planned, as life seems to have its own plans!

This is my first book by this author and it will not be my last, I related to Libby and her family as it could be any of us at any time !

A wonderful, realistic story with people that you will fall in love with!
It is a family story that follows up with the main character, Libby who after ten years, is pronounced "cancer free".
But.. why is she not feeling happy and relieved with her followup appointment?
Her life is overwhelming these days as she takes care of her twin twelve year old girls, tries to understand and trust her husband, and works a demanding job.
She has always been "a glass half full" person, but life is getting too hard!
Can Libby figure it out?
Does she need help?
Will a return trip to her beloved Puerto Rico bring life and her family back to "happy"?

I absolutely adored this book! It is a great read! I laughed out loud, cried and got caught up in Libby's journey!

Such a great follow up! Camille Pagan is a wonderful writer and I was so glad to visit with these characters again. Love Libby and shiloh

Libby receives her 10 year cancer status but is thoroughly underwhelmed. Where is her joy and relief? She and her family embark on a holiday to Mexico to try and find her spark, and revive her (possibly) ailing marriage. This book is somewhat of a struggle to read, in my opinion, there’s a lot of issues with a lot of people, meaning it’s quite a mournful story. Libby’s catastrophic thinking about her marriage, that seems to be entirely based on her and her husband not being intimate for a month, seems a massive overreaction. And her fixation on her brothers marriage feels strange. Not a bad book by any means, but also not one I particularly enjoyed reading.

This book was the perfect escape. It was lovely and fun. It was my first book by this author and I will definitely be on the look out for more!!

When Libby is deemed cancer-free at her 10yr check- she should be elated. She has a husband that loves her, twin preteen girls and a job running a cancer foundation that she believes in.
But life is overwhelming and she needs that spark again. So, when her old landlord offers the family a week at her old guesthouse in Puerto Rico, they jump on it. Especially when this is where Libby and Shiloh first fell in love 13 yrs ago.
But when a tropical storm hits, it tests everyone.

Oh boy, this book is so sad! A true tear jerking, Kleenex craver, heart breaker,dark mood summoner! I cried! I cried! I cried! I burned our lunch! I cried more! I couldn’t find fire extinguisher! I screamed more! At the end I kept crying during the charcoal remnants from dinner and ordering takeout on the phone! ( they sent me free desert to stop my whining! Score! )

I loved the realistic writing! I enjoyed the family of four who are getting through a lot! Libby , 46 , married, with twins who are 12, celebrating cancerversary! She’s clean for 10 years! Yay! But why she’s still sulking!
Well, that good news is overshadowed by the family problems she deals.

One of her daughters : Charlotte diagnosed diabetes type 1, rejecting to deal with her new health condition, wanting to get back her normal life as her sister Isa hates to stay in the shadow of Charlotte who takes all attention of her parents. So the sisters keep arguing, yelling, screaming, whining and Libby tries everything to stop them but nothing works so far!

Libby is still grieving her father’s death after six months and procrastinate his burial date. She feels her husband Shiloh slowly drifts away from her: they didn’t have sex for a long time because he is always tired ( at least that’s his explanation) and after hearing her brother’s divorce news who is happily married for years she feels like she has to do something to get back her happy family life so she decides to organize a family trip to Vieques- Puerto Rican island where she met with her husband.

She thinks going back there will bring out more happy memories. Of course reconnecting with Milagros who became a second mother to her when she was dealing with early stage of her cancer will bring more joy to her complicated life!

But they chose the worst time to visit the island because a tropical storm strikes and now entire family has to deal with life and death situation which finally brings them closer but not the way Libby planned!

I loved the writing and I love genuine, realistic family dynamics. I ached for Libby and Shiloh, crossing my finger for them to get through their problems from the beginning!

The bomb the author threw at our laps at the ending made me so depressed.

This is ultra realistic book about family, grief, sisterhood, siblings, deadly illness, survival, marriage. But I felt like there was a big black cloud positioned above my head during my read and at some parts I felt like I was struck by lightning! I still smell the smoke comes from my hair!

It was too heavy reading for me: because characters are dealing with too many burdens, grandiose baggages and at the end I wish it can give us more hopeful conclusion but this bittersweet ending made me so sad! I know at least it was not happy ending with lots of cliche but my heart is still truly broken!

I am still rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 poignant, heartfelt, inspirational, life is not fair stars!

This book is more intense than the previous works of the author but my favorite chapter is the part Libby talks with Milagros’ dog when she finally hits the rock bottom. That was the most effective, heartbreaking part of the book which made me feel closer to Libby. I heard you girl, I heard you so well!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sharing this arc copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.