Making Lemonade

by Muriel Ellis Pritchett

"A woman gets a chance to start over in this romantic novel... centering on wish fulfillment." -Kirkus Reviews

"An easy read, with a wonderful life-affirming storyline for women of a certain age. Life doesn't stop at 50 it just begins." -Secret Library Book Blog

On her 50th birthday, Missouri Rothman's expectations of a romantic trip to Tahiti and a surprise party take a sharp detour into a series of life-altering events. Instead of a fun birthday, a university student totals her car, her beloved job for 16 years is terminated, and her husband of 32 years asks for a divorce to marry his post-doc student with the 18-inch waist and perky boobs. Jobless and with only a high school diploma, Missouri must take the lemons life has tossed her and make the best lemonade possible.

With encouragement and help from a former high school teacher, Missouri applies for and is accepted into the university's art school. After realizing Missouri's incredible artistic abilities, her art professor recommends her for the study abroad art program in Florence. In Italy, Missouri gains confidence, blossoms into a new woman, and gets a second chance at romance with a younger man.

Making Lemonade is the story of a woman who has been wronged, yet finds the strength to pull herself out of the muck and begin life anew. Follow Missouri as she fights to overcome all obstacles and turn her life around.

Genres: Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Novella, Italy, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

135 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 21, 2016

Reviews

[Mairy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fresh, sweet and hopefull, even inspiring.
Gives a whole new meaning to making lemonade.
Nice narrative and description of the sightseeings of Italy .
Happy end at last.



@brwpublisher

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like angst and although I wouldn't naturally gravitate to chick-lit if there's romance and a cheating ex, Im usually all in. This one wasnt all that deep with angst. Its more of a , ' You go girl" type book. Its about a woman that has a miserable day on her 50th birthday 🎂. She gets let go at her job and her husband not only forgets her birthday but tells her he wants a divorce and is leaving her for a younger woman. Even her grown sons forgot her birthday.

However she doesn't sit down and rot in her sorrows. She decides to go back to college and study art on her exes dime ( part of the divorce agreement) . She loses weight, gets a new look and succeeds in college ,so much so she's invited to a program in Italy.

Of course her ex suddenly sees the new her and decides he wants her back. She meets a new man ( about a decade younger and a widower) who is her instructor in her nudes painting class.

Will the fmc give up her new life for another chance at her old life? Id recommend reading to find out.

[SOM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making Lemonade gives voice to women whose lives are turned upside down by unexpected events after the age of fifty. Ms. Pritchett explores the emotions and insecurities of having to rediscover oneself later in life. The author also gives vivid descriptions of Italy and its beauty.

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant easy read, with a feelgood story about an older(well, 50) woman making a new life for herself. Really didn't like the name Missouri - is anyone really called that? Having been handed lemons in the form of a cheating husband, and losing her job too, she decided to take her life in a new direction with amazing results. I thought the writing style was a bit too simplistic overall, but nonetheless a cheery read and a quiet but determined heroine.
Thanks to the publisher for a digital review copy.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my last book of 2017, and what a lovely book to finish off my year of reading on New Year’s Eve! I was drawn to this title because both me and the main character were approaching our 50th birthdays. I needed something to cheer me up and this cover looked very cheery indeed.

I really liked Missouri, and felt so sorry for the way her lousy husband treated her. She was a lovely character who felt very real, reacting the way she did considering her circumstances. Her character development was very natural, going from shock horror to self pity and self doubt, to the thought that maybe she could change her life with the right help.

I loved the Italian setting, and really enjoyed how Missouri immersed herself in her new life, being enraptured by it all. It wasn’t all plain sailing though, as you can imagine, but this added to the story, as life threw the unexpected lemons Missouri’s way on more than one occasion.

An easy read, with a wonderful life affirming storyline for women of a certain age. Life doesn’t stop at 50 it just begins. 😉

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for my digital copy.

[Jeanne Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. I enjoyed this book. Its about second chances people don't usually get going into the second half of their life. Missouri (love the name) is lucky enough to have a few since she was handed a large bag of lemons by her employer and spouse. I applaud the author for giving a voice to 50+ women. Life begins at 50!!!

[Jeanne Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woman of a certain age getting a do-over. Right up my alley, right? Maybe I'll get some pointers.

Not. Missouri (ugh, that name--why?) spends the entire book calling herself old, fat, and stupid. She lets her philandering ex continue to manipulate her. Even worse, she's failed to raise sons who respect her as a woman. Why are men that age whining for their parents to get back together? Why does she let them declare her selfish for keeping their family apart? Their dad fucking dumped her for a girl young enough to be their sister! Jeezus. It's only by dumb luck and other people pushing her to pursue her dream that she's not sitting back in fucking Georgia waiting to take him back.

And the ending. WTF was that? Everything is in turmoil, then BAM! Happy ending. In a matter of like two pages. It's like the crappy Hallmark channel movie of books. Rarely has a happy ending left me this irritated.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story of how a 50 year old empty nester seemed to have lost everything in one day. Her ex was a toad with no redeeming pluses, her oldest son was just like him and both seemed to think that it was perfectly okay for them to use and manipulate the h to meet their needs when they cared nothing about hers. The youngest son was on the fence but basically wanted his mother to be happy.

One year after the divorce, the ex has been dumped by his younger plastic Barbie and now wants the h back to resume their marriage despite his 'small mistake.' The h, however, has bloomed and is starting to chase her own dreams which leads to Italy and a second chance at love. The ex and sons fly over with the expectation that she will quit this foolishness, hop on a plane and resume her previous roles. Fortunately, the h had also grown a backbone.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely until the ending. The author gave up I think and went with the ending I think she thought the reader would want. I would have gone a different way with it myself and have had a 2nd book out of this one maybe. If it would have had an epilogue than tied everything up then I would have given it a 5 probably.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book ! A true adventure. If you are a women over 40 you need to read this book. Its the tale of all of us that are dumped First Wives losing our husbands to younger girls, lost a job to a takeover and had to start over late in life. I loved this story of Missouri who turns 50 and has every bad event that can possibly happen to her occur on her Birthday.
After her series of particularly bad events that happen to coincide with her 50th Birthday, Missouri reevaluates her life and what she wants to do. She takes an art course and then leaves for Italy to study art. What better place to start over. The adventure for her begins in Italy as she takes in the architecture , the art and the people. I loved how she reinvented herself and finds joy again.
This is a story that resonates with all of us women of a certain age. It is especially important in how we are discarded after 50 and deemed unimportant by American Society.. You can feel you spirits lift for her as she is treated better in Italy, found to be important to those she builds relationships with. This is something that does not occur in the US where older women are ignored , discarded and treated like we are invisible. I applaud the author for creating a story for we old women and telling all our story through your words. Very well done ! I loved this book and highly recommend it for your reading enjoyment.
Buy this Book on

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muriel Ellis Pritchett is a new author to me. I received an ARC of this book for my honest review: I liked it — I really liked it! Missouri’s 50th birthday was not what she expected it to be. Her car was totaled in an accident. She lost her job. And instead of the birthday party she expected her husband Doyle to throw, he tells her he is leaving her for a younger woman and wants a divorce! She spent 32 years of her life, raising their 2 sons and forgoing a college education.

Her best friend encourages her to follow a dream of becoming an artist — something Doyle disparaged. Missouri contacts her high school art teacher for guidance. MIssouri is accepted at art school. She has lost weight, but gained so much confidence! It was fun watching her character change and grow. I thought Ms. Pritchett did an excellent job peeling back Missouri’s old layers and adding new ones. i especially enjoyed the scene at her gallery show when the Doyle shows up and sees her! Missouri accepts the opportunity to study her art in Italy.

Adventure awaits Missouri in Italy —— museums, new friends, and maybe even a new relationship! I was so engrossed in the story that I read WAY passed my bedtime!

@brwpublisher

[Nicole Normand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book discounted on Amazon via Bookbub; this is my honest review.
WHAT I LIKED:
-Missouri went through a few stages of grief for her marriage, then she picked herself up and made a plan with some help.
-I really loved that Missouri went back to her first love and was accepted to college and beyond.
-The food descriptions, the places, the buildings, etc. It's like you were there.
-How David took care of Missouri and wanted to please her. Some have this item as negative but I loved it; it's what she needed at the time.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
-The author using foreign words and not knowing how to use them. She uses French and Italian. I don't know about the latter but the French is wrong mostly everywhere she used it.
-How the adult children backed the faulty party and put the blame on the mother and not just once.
-How Missouri had a chip on her shoulder and didn't let go.
-How, at her age, Missouri would still run away from a problem instead of talking it through.
-The end was a bit rushed and would have been better with an epilogue after.

I really enjoyed the book even though I frowned a few times because of the mistakes or the unfairness of events.

[Jan Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book about what happens when you defined yourself with labels such as wife, mother, employee, etc. and then suddenly, some are gone. Thus comes the question, who am I, what am I, and where am I going. Missouri has spent years being of service to others as a wife, mother and employee. She gave up some of her dreams when she married, as many (both sexes) do when living with someone else. She didn't mind the compromises as her life was seemed full. She suddenly has to grieve and then discover her dreams again. I thought this book was well written and so enjoyed her journey. I loved the descriptions of her surroundings and her love of art. I loved that she put herself first, for once, and was unwilling (and perhaps unable) to compromise. As a person who knows many women divorced or widowed, I find a common thread of women "finding themselves again." The other theme in this book I see, as in real life, is that children, regardless of age, often don't see their parents as individuals but rather as a unit necessary to their own well being.

[Gail Hollingsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when your life turns upside down and you get handed a basket full of lemons? Why you make lemonade of course! That’s what a friend encouraged Missouri to do. On her 50th birthday, headed to work, a student backed into her car and totaled it. No recognition of her birthday at work like she thought would happen....as a matter of fact, she got fired! She called her husband to pick her up and when they got home, he asked for a divorce. He said he was in love with a much younger woman. Missouri saw her whole world crashing right before her eyes! Some birthday she was having! Her only consolation was her youngest son Cody spending her birthday with her and cooking her dinner.
This was an interesting story of what a middle age woman does to turn her lemons into “lemonade”. I was pulled into her story and wanted to quickly see what she was going to do to turn her life around. I was not disappointed in the storyline.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author but was not required to write a review.

[Abigail Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, emotional, inspiring.

I got this book because any story involving Italy has me interested. I was even more so intrigued when I read it was about a woman who got dumped and decided to find herself again, in Italy. I thought the portrayal of Missouri, starting out as insecure and mopey, was realistic, and the strong, brave woman she turned out to be, going out and adventuring on her own, was phenomenal. So why the lower rating? I suppose I didn't like how she got "rescued" by another man in the end, even on the boat ride in Venice, or the interaction with her son's. Yeah, they were wrong, yeah it makes sense they would want their parents together, but I felt she was a bit harsh and almost seemed to be abandoning them when they visited. Just my thoughts. Great book, light read, fun and interesting. I appreciated the author's style.

[Karen L Ledee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening

Missouri has just turned 50 when her job is terminated, her car is totaled by a student and her husband of 32 years is bored and wants a divorce to be with his very young bimbo girlfriend. Midlife is a difficult time to start over. Kids are grown and you are empty nesting. You are alone for the first time in your life. You sacrificed your education to be a wife and mother. Jobs are hard to come by when you are 50 and have an education. It is an emotional time in a woman’s life when her body is beginning its next cycle of life. Missouri is so fortunate that she still has such a deep passion for art. She’s very gutsy to go to a foreign country to start anew. This is such a relatable book for those of us who are a “little” older. So well written

[Jill Paschal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The lemon remains sour!

I thought I would give this book a chance because at heart, I am a romantic! However, this book was all wrong. Woman who has been married 32 years gets dumped by her husband, who coincidentally forgets her birthday as does her son, yet the other son doesn’t?! Missouri can’t stop calling her ex-husband’s girlfriend a twit and any other name. As stated in her divorce agreement, her ex must pay for her to attend college? What?! She goes to Italy to study art, meets a man 10 years younger than her who also happens to be her professor. You see where this is going, yes? I was so fed up with her constantly putting herself down by calling herself old, fat, stupid, etc., that I was ELATED to be finished reading this “train wreck” of a book!

[Susan Hamann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I've read by this author. I was provided a copy by Black Rose Rose Writing in exchange for an honest review. I honestly loved the book! I was expecting a lighthearted comedic story after the book described Missouri's disastrous 50th birthday. I couldn't have been more wrong.

One of her sons initially comes to aid. Then Missouri starts on her road back to self respect and self dependence. I love a 50 year old woman finding her own way after 32 years of marriage, raising 2 sons, and giving her all to them and her job. She rediscovers her talent for art and is able to study in Italy, where she finds new passion for everything.

I'm sure this book will stay with me for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I recommend it highly.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read that was a little hard to believe. When 50 year old Missouri loses her job and her husband asks for a divorce on her birthday she is in a funk. Her life all of the sudden becomes exactly as she wants . She gets a lawyer and gets a fantastic settlement from her husband, she wants to go to art school and is accepted at a prestigious school and after one semester is offered the chance to study in Italy. Very predictably her ex wants her back and thinks he can dictate her life. A little far fetched.

[Jackie Hovorka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missouri just turned 50 and got the worse gift EVER, her husband asked for a divorce. The getting terminated from her job wasn't what made me feel for this character, it was the idea that you give your best years to a man and then he leaves you when you need him the most.

I loved the writing. I loved the setting. I also loved the emotional journey the author took us on. This is a must read. I will be checking out more of this author's work, who also has a beautiful heart to go along with the great writing!!

[Susan Klipp · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I think? I thought it was beautiful, emotional, sweet, painful, and I connected to it so well that I just knew it would end up on my favorites shelf. And then I got to the end. Unexpectedly. Felt like running right off a cliff. I'm just so disappointed. The story was so rich and wonderful and then it just... stopped. I hope to find that someday the author finishes the story the way it was meant to be finished and publishes it again. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

[Kareena Gaffney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book!

In my opinion this was a coming of age story that had the Missouri follow her dreams even though her son's and her ex husband was bringing her down. Only one son actually supported his mom and I liked that he did support her. I definitely didn't like the oldest son and her ex husband that had a midlife crisis and tried to get her back and he was still putting her down. I only wish that the book was longer.

[Bobbi Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Muriel Ellis Pritchett

Oh my gosh. This is my third book by MS. Pritchett. I love her writing style and the characters she comes up with. Definitely feisty women to be sure. If there was anything that was not 100% awesome, it was the Italian phrases used. I just guessed at what might be said in the situation. But it didn't detract from the overall book. Please, keep writing!!

[Nancy Luebke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it had a lot of sad feels in it. I won this book from a group of authors and I voluntarily chose to review it. This book pulled me in, and I'm sure it will be a trigger to many who are going through a divorce. However, this is one gutsy gal with a little support, moves on to make changes in her life. This is not for the under 18 readers and I gave it a 4.5* rating. I felt like cheering this woman on. I only hope I could do that if I were faced with a similar situation.

[Paula Pugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book but seriously lacking in-depth crisis. The main character, Missouri Campbell, has sad events happen to her but her struggles are not very deep and she gets whatever she desires without really having to try. It reminds me of a story in which someone’s “What if’s” all happen and it ends up being really boring.

[Rose Henlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read romances for the relationships between people. If this author had spent half the time on that aspect and less on describing in detail the history behind all the sights on Italy, I wouldn't have rolled my eyes at the main character accepting a marriage proposal from the professor she had been sleeping with. Maybe it should have been billed as a travelogue of Italy instead of a 'romance'.

[Sammie Shorter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life and after 50

A great story that ended abruptly. An epilogue would have been nice. Missouri had a bunch of lemons thrown at her, but by golly, she was stronger than she thought she was and kicked life in the but. Doyle and her two sons were being selfish and I'm so glad she stood her ground with Doyle.

[Marion Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book. It was a good story and I enjoyed it. It wasn't the usual love story in that it was about an older woman and her journey to reconstruct her life after her husband left her on her 50th birthday after 32 yrs of marriage. Age is no reason not to live the best life you can and to follow your dreams

[Melanie Weimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

I usually read science fiction, but just finished a series and needed a break. This book jumped up, yelling, "Read me, read me!". So I did. In one day! Boy was I pleasantly surprised. It delivered everything it had promised me. * smiles* great work, Muriel! I hope anybody who reads it enjoys it as much as I did.

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a 50 year old woman who is facing an identity crisis. Instead of going to college she chose to marry and raise to sons for 32 years. Little did she know that instead of coming home to a 50th birthday surprise party after work, she was confronted instead by her husband asking for a divorce. She decides to pursue her own dreams, and ends up in Italy. A good read.