I was drawn to this novel because I identify with Grace's age (mid-forties) and sometimes have the urge to walk away in the middle of a traffic jam, though I haven't actually done it (yet). Weaving between decades, the stories of Grace, her husband Ben, and her daughter Lotte gradually emerge. I had some difficulty keeping up with the jumps in time, but it all came together toward the end. I even felt a bit emotional in parts, and overall ended up liking the book.

Readers expecting a chirpy upbeat women's fiction story may be disappointed, but I really enjoyed this one. Grace Adams is relatable and Littlewood's writing is very strong. You really feel for Grace and all that she's given up and been through. Her quest to reunite with her estranged daughter is immediately compelling.

As a woman around Grace's age, I sympathized with her plight, and I imagine other readers will too.

I particularly enjoyed how the story moves throughout time, taking us back to how Grace arrived at this present moment. At times Grace comes across as annoying, but this didn't bother me. As we learn more about her, we like her more. (And I'm not a reader who feels that a protagonist has to be 100% likable.)

Ultimately this is a charming, bittersweet story that recognizes life isn't always tied up with a neat bow.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Company for the ARC; all opinions are my own.

Grace Adams is on her way to pick up a birthday cake for her daughter, when all of a sudden, she just loses it. She leaves her car in traffic, and just walks away. She embarks on a journey to attempt to win back Grace and her estranged husband, Ben. What follows as we continue to read the story is a novel that weaves together Grace’s life over the past number of years, and what has precipitated this crisis and abandonment of her vehicle. We are privy to her strengths, her weaknesses, the difficulties that she has encountered as a wife and mother, and most importantly, what has led up to this day. This storyline will be relatable to most women, as we struggle with all of the different roles that we must embody on a daily basis. I enjoyed reading this novel. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Not sure what I expected, but while I did enjoy the story enough to see how it ends, I did find the jumping around to tell the history a bit slow at times. Start, stop, start, stop. Sadly made me want to skim a bit to see what happens with Grace. Would still recommend though, as a good twist on how someone close to 50 deals with all life changes.

This book was not what I expected. I was expecting a humorous story in where Grace Adams snaps under the weight of menopause. Instead, it was a sad story about a woman who was on track to “having it all” slowly and pitifully has a breakdown. A totally warranted breakdown with lots of stressors in her life and no support system to help her move on, she just couldn’t take it anymore. The book was set in three timelines: the present, the past and a time that explained the last four months leading up to NOW. It meandered back and forth slowly between the time frames, causing me to almost give up on the book a few times. I did not enjoy this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really tried to like this book. Unfortunately, I was mot crazy about it. It fell flat for me and was a little boring.

Sweltering heat, trapped in standstill traffic, the AC not working, there’s a jerk honking his horn behind you like you could magically fly over the other 25 cars in front of you, your phone is incessantly ringing and it’s someone that you can’t bear to talk to, you’re sweating, you’re overdressed, you’re in the process of being fired from both of your jobs, your teenage daughter hates you (and it’s her birthday and you plan to bribe her with a fabulous cake), and there’s a fly in the car attacking your head. Could it get worse? (Well, yes, if you needed to find a restroom desperately), Grace has had it. She locks up her car, smirks at the jerk, and walks away.

Once Grace was amazing. She’s a polyglot and can learn Romanian in an hour. But now she’s 45, the unhappiest age you can be (actually 45.2) according to some official study.

The story proceeds to tell the story of Grace in terms of then (starting 20 years earlier), recently (starting at 4 months ago) and now. We learn how Grace met Ben, and what happened when Lotte (an unexpected surprise) was born, and how Grace gave up her big career chances. There’s more between Ben and Grace and it might be a chasm too deep to repair. We also learn about the stress of the recent impending divorce and Lotte’s mysterious teenage problems which might not be the innocent normal ones. And in the present, there’s Grace trying to deliver a disappointing cake in time for Lotte’s party and ruminating on all the bad things that happened today, not too long ago and many years ago.

I wasn’t sure how much I liked Grace, but I definitely felt more and more sympathy for her as all the facts of her life were revealed. Her past life is tragic; but she’s trying to find a spark in the present. For her, her age seems to be an apparent factor — the author also deftly discusses the effects of perimenopause and how it sadly affects middle-aged women like Grace. This is a bittersweet tale, beautifully written and emotionally layered. 4 stars.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Company and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES One of Grace’s students, Maisie, has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Grace does deadhead her roses, so that a plus just to know that roses do need deadheading.

"Amazing Grace Adams" is an enjoyable and feel-good read with a character who leaves her car, stuck in traffic, and walks away. It is a great breakdown sort of story, and Grace is a likable protagonist that women in their forties will relate to. Recommended for fans of Ann Tyler and Elizabeth Berg. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

"Amazing "Grace Adams follows Grace as she sets out in the world with a University degree and the ability to speak 5 languages, but not sure what she is going to do with her skills. She enters a contest that will test her skills and she meets Ben, who will become her person as she works her way through life. Readers will see themselves as she raises a teenage daughter , who is certain she knows everything and tries to protect her from the frightening world we live in. Meanwhile her body starts to betray her as she hits that "change of life" .

Thanks to NetGalley, Fran Littlewood ,and Henry Holt and Company for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.