Lucy is divorced, broke, and dealing with family issues. The story would’ve been better if it had just the mother daughter relationship. The obsessive coco Chanel references were a bit much. Overall it was a good story. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC.

I received a free copy of, Stuck in Second Gear, by Carmen Reid, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Lucie's life has not turned out like she expected it to. She is divorced, unhappy, not a lot of money, a pregnant daughter, and her ex husband getting married in France. Her daughter, and nephew wants her to drive them to France for the wedding. This book was a little silly, but nice.

I did not enjoy this book. It could have been soo much better especially when part of it is set in France. I found the character Deve very annoying especially when he kept going on about Coco Channel. I think had the write kept it as a mother daughter trip it would have been soo much better.
I would not recommend this book.
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Lucie is single, divorced, repaying debts for her ex husband, has a sick father and a difficult relationship with her daughter. Against her better judgement, she embarks on a journey across France to take her daughter to the wedding of her father, Lucie’s ex, and a crazy adventure begins. A heartwarming story, interesting characters, a touch of romance and some humour too…..loved it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book , read it in two sessions over the weekend. Great characters, well written , good realistic storylines, touches on issues which are very much current but with sensitivity . A good all round read and highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

Aw I absolutely loved this book. Prob my favourite Carmen Reid book so far.

Lucie is still reeling from her divorce to Miles....the same divorce that left her in debt due to his bad financial choices....when she gets an invite to his next wedding in a chateau in France. With her dad terminally ill and her daughter heavily pregnant, a wedding in France is definitely not on the cards......however, life has a different plan and she ends up driving her daughter and her adult nephew to the wedding.
The journey is a challenge but written to include the hilarious highs of the journey and the emotional lows as well.
Will Lucie survive the journey and the wedding and what will look like after it all???

Brilliantly written book...,,,,loved it !!

Emotional battered by divorce, losing the family home, your business and downsizing.
Feeling the financial pain of paying off your ex debts whilst facing the terminal illness of your beloved dad.
A wedding invitation to the ex's wedding in France a train strike, heavily pregnant daughter and Coco Chanel obsessed nephew becomes a road trip.
Learning about yourself and family dynamics. Putting yourself at the centre of things and being true to you. All cliché but true.
Enjoy the trip and the honesty

Lucie reluctantly agrees to take her daughter and nephew to her ex-husbands wedding in France, in her father's old Jag. what could go wrong?

What a great quick read!
It's fun and heartfelt with great characters and a feel-good story about family & creating a fulfilling life after divorce.

This was the first book I read by Carmen Reid but it won't be my last.

Thank you NetGalley, Carmen Reid and the publisher for the e-arc.

Such a fun and honest five-star read. I know some people will get all bent at the Chanel references and feel like it’s a little over done, but I loved it, it really showed me the type of character that Deva was, and added a whole slew of character definition to a character that could have easily been glossed over. I loved how the author got to know everyone, and dealt with the loss of Dad, you will get swept up on the journey and love going on a trip that shouldn’t be happening. Don’t miss this great story as the writing is so good, it will sweep you up.

This book was so much fun. It was just what I needed after reading too many dark mysteries. Lucie was a great character and I felt I could really relate to her. She is still dealing with the aftermath of her divorce and now has to deal with her ex husband getting remarried. But then her daughter Zoe calls and asks for a ride to the wedding for not just for herself but Lucie’s nephew Deva who added so much fun to this novel. The things that happen on this road trip is so funny and at the same time so heartwarming. What a great fun read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.
4.5 fun stars!

what a fun read! i really enjoyed this and loved getting to know the characters who i know you will fall in love with.
an adventure across france and a family full of love makes a fabulous read

This was a wonderful book full of heart! I loved all of the characters and the humor was spot on. I loved the personal growth theme and all of the sweet connections.

I devoured "Stuck in Second Gear" in one sitting! Carmen Reid's witty writing and relatable characters had me hooked. The story masterfully balances humor and heart, following a protagonist navigating life's ups and downs. I couldn't help but root for her as she faced laugh-out-loud moments and poignant self-discovery.

Reid tackles deeper themes like personal growth with ease, making this a fantastic read for fans of women's fiction and humor. The protagonist's journey is filled with quirky characters, hilarious moments, and heartwarming connections. Reid's conversational writing style draws you in, making it easy to become fully invested.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I haven’t read a book by Carmen Reid for some time and this lovely story has reminded me how much I enjoy her books. Easy to read with a great relatable storyline this book was devoured in a day. Lucie is still recovering from her divorce and in many ways, her life has changed . News that her ex Miles has moved on quickly and is getting married doesn’t help how’s she’s feeling but after a SOS call from her daughter Zoe, Lucie finds herself driving her and nephew Deva to France for the wedding. Deva has his own agenda with his Chanel obsession and along the way mishaps with the car find the trio running into two refugees. A touching storyline of love and hope which was charming from beginning to end . I’m now going to look up other books I might have missed by Carmen !!

This was such a fun book Carmen Reid!! It was so fun, and I loved every page. It had the most fun idea to it. I loved the main characters. Beautiful writing!

This was an arc read
Meet Lucie she's in her early fifties, divorced, her business has gone bust, her father has cancer & her relationship with her pregnant daughter Zoe is on thin ice, needless to say things are not going well & things get worse when she receives an invite to the wedding of her ex husband miles & his influencer fiance janneta in the south of France! Of course Lucie has no intention of going even though her dad keeps telling her to go & let her hair down. A week until the wedding Lucie receives a call from Zoe saying the euro train is on a 2 day strike, there are no flights available & the only way for her to get to her dad's wedding is by driving, she also gets a call from her ex sister in law saying her son Deva was also booked on the euro & he can't get their either so after some persuasion from her dad, Lucie agrees to drive Zoe & Deva to the wedding then she plans to have a 2 day break of her own.
Let the road trip begin, Deva is obsessed with coco chanel & wants Lucie to take detours to visit all the places coco lived & her flagship store in Paris,Zoe doesn't want to face up to the fact her partner Ravi doesn't want to commit & Lucie needs to reevaluate her life, there are laughs along the way but also some serious conversations take place. However, the car breaks down on a secluded road, there is no phone signal & they are miles from anywhere, while stranded Deva decides what he wants in life & the trio meet 2 brothers who are refugees trying to make it to the UK.
Eventually they make the wedding & while there, some amazing & eye opening things happen which helps the trio pave the way for the future.
This was an easy read which told a great story of finding yourself & becoming who you want to be. I would definitely recommend it & I will be reading some more books by this author

An interesting and fun read, When Lucie gets an invite to her ex-husband’s wedding in France she has no desire to go. However, her dying father talks her into it, and her pregnant daughter needs a ride. One adventure after another until she gets to the wedding, and has an eye opening find with meeting up with her old crush. Enjoyed this one, and would recommend.

Great book. I fell in love with the description and couldn’t stop reading it. The characters were endearing. I would read another book by this author. Bestseller!!!