The book-retailing behemoth has categorized Cristina Alger’s This Was Not the Plan as general literature in the humorous/family life genre. But for me, the novel – published in hardcover in February and now out in paperback – is clearly women’s fiction. If for no other reason, because I doubt most men would be as interested in its subject matter as women would be. Read the rest of my review by clicking the link below.

Charlie's life is in a whirlwind. He has just lost his wife at thirty three in an accident which is tantamount to murder. His professional life has taken over his entire life. His five year old son Caleb is a stranger to him and his twin sister Zadie is trying so very hard to keep it all together for all of them.

As a lawyer working in a pressure cooker, trying to make partner after ten years of slogging, Charlie only knows about work and nothing else. His life is spent in his office and the whole thing bursts after a seventy five hour sprint in the office without a break which results in a huge settlement for his office and the end of the life which Charlie knows.

The back stabbing that goes on in the corporate world is highlighted in this book. Avarice and jockeying for position, power and money all follow this greed and this firm and its partners are not exempt. Charlie has given them the opening gambit they need and all are waiting to grab his place if he is fired. They want to use the vacuum created by his departure to their own best advantage.

Simultaneously Zadie has decided to get engaged and very quickly married putting Charlie on the spot as to what to do with his son Caleb and how he is going to work around the loss of Zadie. A reconciliation with their long lost father, unraveling of family secrets and trying to get to grips with unsavoury facts however hard it is to face.

The story of loss in its different forms - personal and professional, grief, loss of self esteem and the sheer loneliness of being all alone is handled well in this story. How we reconcile this loss and try to move on trying to hang on to our sanity and not give in to depression and the easy way out is also very delicately told.

Goodreads and Amazon review up on 25/6/2017. Review on my blog 10/7/2017.

Charlie Goldwyn had his whole life planned out – happy marriage, adorable son and a career on partner-track at a prestigious New York law firm. However, his plans changed drastically when his wife died in a tragic accident, leaving him to be a single dad to five-year-old Caleb. Charlie spends all his time at the law firm, determined to be more successful than his estranged father. Meanwhile, Caleb is at home with Charlie’s sister Zadie, who becomes a surrogate mother to the quirky young boy.

Everything changes again for Charlie when he makes one humiliating mistake at an office party, and the video goes viral. Charlie suddenly finds himself unemployed and faced with spending his summer at home alone with Caleb – he loves his son, but the emotional distance between them is difficult. Caleb is an old soul – obsessed with natural disasters and fascinated with girls’ clothing, he is an outcast at his snobby preschool. Charlie is also intimidated by the other parents at the school, who seem to have it all together while he is struggling just to get Caleb dressed in the morning.

This Was Not the Plan explores themes of fatherhood and male identity in a surprisingly thoughtful and fresh way. Charlie and Caleb both grow throughout the novel, developing into realistic and flawed human beings. When Charlie reconnects with his own estranged father, he learns the importance of small moments and being present for family. The Goldwyn family is filled with unique, distinct characters, convincing and real.

This novel is fairly formulaic, with no big surprises or plot twists – even the truth about Charlie’s wife’s death is not all that shocking – but it doesn’t matter, because the strength of this story is in its characters. Even though the plot is predictable, it is entertaining and multidimensional. The novel is quick and light, with just a bit of an edge. It is unique because of the exploration of perceived gender roles – a single dad and a son exploring his identity – but other than that, the story isn’t all that memorable. In fact, I had to keep looking up the plot description to remind me what it was about. This book is more of a palate cleanser – a heartfelt, comforting read. It is not my usual genre, but sometimes you just need a happy ending.

I received this book from Touchstone and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Charlie Goldwyn is a lawyer who works long hours trying to make partner. Charlie's wife died two years before in a plan crash and his twin sister Zadie takes care of his five year old son Caleb. Charlie is fired from his job when drunken comments he makes goes viral on Youtube. He is now forced to confront the loss of his job, finally dealing with the loss of his wife, and learning to be a father to Caleb who loves the colors pink and purple and dressing in tutus.

Zadie goes on vacation and asks Charlie and Caleb to come and visit. When they arrive at the house
Charlie realizes that the house is that of his estranged father. Along with learning to be a farther to Caleb, Charlie must learn how to be a son and forgive his father for the past.

This is a beautiful written story that made me laugh and cry. I fell in love with Caleb. It is a story of loss, love, forgiveness and learning what truly makes you happy. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book for review.