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Room to Breathe
A funny, emotional novel full of southern charm about a mother and daughter ready to start over.
For a good part of Daphne Witt’s life, she was a supportive wife and dutiful mother. Now that she’s divorced and her daughter, Ellery, is all grown up, Daphne’s celebrating the best part of her life, a successful career, and a flirtation with an attentive hunk fifteen years her junior…who happens to be her daughter’s ex-boyfriend.
Ellery is starting over, too. She’s fresh out of college. Her job prospects are dim. And to support her fiancé in med school, she’s returned home as her mother’s new assistant. Ellery never expected her own life plan to take such a detour. With no outlet for her frustration, she lets an online flirtation go a little too far, especially considering her pen pal thinks he’s corresponding with her mother.
As love lives tangle, secrets spill, and indiscretions are betrayed, mother and daughter will have a lot to learn—not only about the mistakes they’ve made but also about the men in their lives and the women they are each hoping to become.
For a good part of Daphne Witt’s life, she was a supportive wife and dutiful mother. Now that she’s divorced and her daughter, Ellery, is all grown up, Daphne’s celebrating the best part of her life, a successful career, and a flirtation with an attentive hunk fifteen years her junior…who happens to be her daughter’s ex-boyfriend.
Ellery is starting over, too. She’s fresh out of college. Her job prospects are dim. And to support her fiancé in med school, she’s returned home as her mother’s new assistant. Ellery never expected her own life plan to take such a detour. With no outlet for her frustration, she lets an online flirtation go a little too far, especially considering her pen pal thinks he’s corresponding with her mother.
As love lives tangle, secrets spill, and indiscretions are betrayed, mother and daughter will have a lot to learn—not only about the mistakes they’ve made but also about the men in their lives and the women they are each hoping to become.
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First published November 1, 2019
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About the author
Liz Talley
69 books929 followersI unashamedly read, write and love romance books. I adore the weight of a book in hand and the anticipation of a happy ending. I love the journey, the word play and the magic of story. Nothing's better than reading a good book...except writing one. You can learn more about me and my award-winning romances at http://www.liztalleybooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 561 reviews
October 30, 2019
A delightful little book about finding yourself...no matter your age or your life stage.
Daphne and Ellery...a mother and daughter duo for the ages...who are, unfortunately, both struggling with the not-always-fantastic life cards they were dealt. Daphne was a lovely individual who, as a fellow peri-menopausal mother, I could relate to on so many different levels. She was a gem of a character I really enjoyed getting to know. Her daughter, Ellery...the spoiled, over-indulged only child...was a character to which I could, embarrassingly, also relate. (In case you missed my point, I'm also a spoiled only child--well, I was. These days I'm a homeschooling momma of two teens and 4 dogs. Please note...I don't homeschool the dogs). Ellery was frustrating, sometimes annoying, and achingly familiar. I remember having some of those same thoughts and taking some of the same actions when I was growing up. Thankfully, I did grow up and shed those not-so desirable traits.
Told from both women's POVs, this is a quick, engrossing read I truly enjoyed. I think any mother and daughter could relate to these two women. And while there is some romance, I'd be more likely to consider this more contemporary women's fiction.
Is it predictable? Oh yes...on pretty much every level, but I enjoyed every character so completely, I honestly didn't mind. The writing was fantastic and the story flowed so smoothly, I breezed through this sucker. Very pleased with my Kindle First selection.
3.5 stars rounded up
Daphne and Ellery...a mother and daughter duo for the ages...who are, unfortunately, both struggling with the not-always-fantastic life cards they were dealt. Daphne was a lovely individual who, as a fellow peri-menopausal mother, I could relate to on so many different levels. She was a gem of a character I really enjoyed getting to know. Her daughter, Ellery...the spoiled, over-indulged only child...was a character to which I could, embarrassingly, also relate. (In case you missed my point, I'm also a spoiled only child--well, I was. These days I'm a homeschooling momma of two teens and 4 dogs. Please note...I don't homeschool the dogs). Ellery was frustrating, sometimes annoying, and achingly familiar. I remember having some of those same thoughts and taking some of the same actions when I was growing up. Thankfully, I did grow up and shed those not-so desirable traits.
Told from both women's POVs, this is a quick, engrossing read I truly enjoyed. I think any mother and daughter could relate to these two women. And while there is some romance, I'd be more likely to consider this more contemporary women's fiction.
Is it predictable? Oh yes...on pretty much every level, but I enjoyed every character so completely, I honestly didn't mind. The writing was fantastic and the story flowed so smoothly, I breezed through this sucker. Very pleased with my Kindle First selection.
3.5 stars rounded up
November 6, 2019
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
ROOM TO BREATHE by Liz Talley is a new women’s fiction novel focusing on a mother/daughter relationship that is struggling with shifting roles.
Daphne Witt was pregnant and married all before she finished high school. She made the most of her life and for years was a supportive wife and mother. While working part-time at a pre-school, she shares a story she wrote and illustrated. It is sent by one of the other children’s mother to a publisher and suddenly she has a new career. As Daphne finds herself flourishing, her husband and daughter are not happy to no longer be the sole focus of Daphne’s attention.
Divorced and moving on with her life, Daphne attempts to keep her close relationship with her 22 year- old daughter, Ellery, but it is not working. Ellery is Daphne’s assistant to help with bills as she takes a year off after not receiving the internship she dreamed of and she resents it.
Ellery has a plan that is piece by piece falling apart. After the disappointment of losing the internship, she decides to come home to live with her pre-med student fiancée. Ellery has been spoiled her whole life and she is overspending, living on her father’s money and not happy in her relationship or with her life in general, but she continues to deny there are any problems.
Everything comes to a head on Ellery’s 23rd birthday weekend at One Tree Estates Winery.
This story is easy to read and the narrative flows effortlessly while the characters all go through serious issues. The focus is on Daphne and Ellery’s relationship, but Daphne’s ex-husband and best friend all play pivotal roles is the misunderstandings and eventual healing. I felt the emotions and dialogue were realistic and believable for each character.
I enjoyed this story and all of the memorable characters.
ROOM TO BREATHE by Liz Talley is a new women’s fiction novel focusing on a mother/daughter relationship that is struggling with shifting roles.
Daphne Witt was pregnant and married all before she finished high school. She made the most of her life and for years was a supportive wife and mother. While working part-time at a pre-school, she shares a story she wrote and illustrated. It is sent by one of the other children’s mother to a publisher and suddenly she has a new career. As Daphne finds herself flourishing, her husband and daughter are not happy to no longer be the sole focus of Daphne’s attention.
Divorced and moving on with her life, Daphne attempts to keep her close relationship with her 22 year- old daughter, Ellery, but it is not working. Ellery is Daphne’s assistant to help with bills as she takes a year off after not receiving the internship she dreamed of and she resents it.
Ellery has a plan that is piece by piece falling apart. After the disappointment of losing the internship, she decides to come home to live with her pre-med student fiancée. Ellery has been spoiled her whole life and she is overspending, living on her father’s money and not happy in her relationship or with her life in general, but she continues to deny there are any problems.
Everything comes to a head on Ellery’s 23rd birthday weekend at One Tree Estates Winery.
This story is easy to read and the narrative flows effortlessly while the characters all go through serious issues. The focus is on Daphne and Ellery’s relationship, but Daphne’s ex-husband and best friend all play pivotal roles is the misunderstandings and eventual healing. I felt the emotions and dialogue were realistic and believable for each character.
I enjoyed this story and all of the memorable characters.
October 25, 2019
Incredibly contrived.
Absolutely awful. 4 completely self- centered characters, whiny, self- absorbed and a plot that would make “As the World Turns” soap opera proud. Ugggg.
Absolutely awful. 4 completely self- centered characters, whiny, self- absorbed and a plot that would make “As the World Turns” soap opera proud. Ugggg.
October 5, 2019
Mothers and daughters can be so close, but sometimes they forget that they are each human with frailties and needs for themselves, and sometimes they can make very big human mistakes. This is the premise of Room to Breathe. It is warm and loving, and bitter and angry, and oh so human! Learning to change and accept change in the ones we love can be so hard, but so worthwhile when you're given Room to Breathe.
August 5, 2020
I have a daughter in her twenties who I am very close to. At the same time, there has been tension as she pulls away. She is caught between trying to become an adult and forge her own path, and still relying on her parents for help and support. So I totally got Daphne and Ellery. This book was convoluted, and soapish, but it made me feel things. The mother-daughter dynamic was done really well in this one. It was a bit predictable, but that's okay-- sometimes a nice, tidy wrap-up and happy ever after is just what I want to read.
October 21, 2019
Overall, I found this disappointing. While it was nice to read about women learning to find empowerment, the characters fell flat for me. Ellery is a whiny, entitled brat, which while perhaps intended by the author, distanced me so much from the character that I had zero investment in her emotionally. Her come to Jesus moment was so abrupt that I couldn't even build some empathy for her character development. Daphne, just seemed a bit dull.
And once again, this was a story that reinforced that women cannot be truly happy unless they are in a relationship which I find a destructive mindset.
And once again, this was a story that reinforced that women cannot be truly happy unless they are in a relationship which I find a destructive mindset.
June 26, 2020
I've read a few of the author's Morning Glory series and enjoyed the Southern sass of her heroines. There is humor, but also the troubles of life and a romance to them. I spotted Room to Breathe when it released, but it was only now that I was able to get a chance at it. I do love multi-generational stories revolving around the women in one family, but I also love a good starting over in middle age story, too.
The blurb says this is funny. I suppose that there are a few funny moments in the book. However, for the most part, it is filled with people being real which wasn't funny and was wearying. At first, I was ready to put the book down because I couldn't get behind either mother, Daphne, or daughter, Ellery- particularly the daughter.
Daphne needed a good boot to get her out of her rut. She had a fling with her sexy twenty-five year old contractor I thought she was off to a wild and fun start, but that just sent her into panic and made her a jerk to the guy treating him like her dirty secret and telling him he was a mistake over and over. She cringed with self-disgust and let her daughter flay her with guilt all because she had a one night stand with an available, consenting adult.
Then there is Ellery, Daphne's adult daughter who took pampered princess and doubled down on that stuff. Daphne and her ex made the mistake of giving Ellery her way and anything she wanted so that the young woman had no coping skills for when the great big world out there didn't cooperate with her plans. She was a witch to everyone and particularly her mother. She knows she is roiling with ugly feelings and embraces anger, lashing out at others and using then at times to cover the internal mess.
But, for some reason just before I tossed my Kindle down, I hesitated. I wanted to see the journey through with Daphne and Ellery. It got worse and painful, but at the same time, I could see them working things through and slowly climbing out of the hole into a better place as individuals and eventually each other. It was emotion-wrought, but I was glad I stuck it to the end.
Usually, I can embrace a character from the beginning and cheer them on wholeheartedly. That didn't happen in this one. They weren't special or especially lovable- they were just people. I think that is the highest compliment I can deliver to an author- she wrote real people with real struggles and made me (eventually) care about them.
That said, my favorite character was Tippy, an older woman who was Daphne's friend and sounding board. She listened, but she also gave the unvarnished truth. Her sage advice came with a live it up philosophy that had me grinning and anticipating each time she was in a scene.
There are some strong themes in this book- divorce's effect on the child, gaslighting, infidelity, teen parents, mom vs. career, coming out, accepting and supporting others, and starting over later in life.
While this has two second chances at romance in it, the book is not a romance. Daphne and Ellery have to figure themselves out and repair what is broken between them before they can have good relationships with another person. I understood this, but my romance-loving heart swooned over both the love interests particularly a certain Texas vintner who was fabulous with his patience and understanding.
So, I won't go so far as to say I loved this one, but I'm definitely glad I read it. It looks like and fun from the cover to the blurb, but its an emotional hitter so be prepared if you take the plunge.
The blurb says this is funny. I suppose that there are a few funny moments in the book. However, for the most part, it is filled with people being real which wasn't funny and was wearying. At first, I was ready to put the book down because I couldn't get behind either mother, Daphne, or daughter, Ellery- particularly the daughter.
Daphne needed a good boot to get her out of her rut. She had a fling with her sexy twenty-five year old contractor I thought she was off to a wild and fun start, but that just sent her into panic and made her a jerk to the guy treating him like her dirty secret and telling him he was a mistake over and over. She cringed with self-disgust and let her daughter flay her with guilt all because she had a one night stand with an available, consenting adult.
Then there is Ellery, Daphne's adult daughter who took pampered princess and doubled down on that stuff. Daphne and her ex made the mistake of giving Ellery her way and anything she wanted so that the young woman had no coping skills for when the great big world out there didn't cooperate with her plans. She was a witch to everyone and particularly her mother. She knows she is roiling with ugly feelings and embraces anger, lashing out at others and using then at times to cover the internal mess.
But, for some reason just before I tossed my Kindle down, I hesitated. I wanted to see the journey through with Daphne and Ellery. It got worse and painful, but at the same time, I could see them working things through and slowly climbing out of the hole into a better place as individuals and eventually each other. It was emotion-wrought, but I was glad I stuck it to the end.
Usually, I can embrace a character from the beginning and cheer them on wholeheartedly. That didn't happen in this one. They weren't special or especially lovable- they were just people. I think that is the highest compliment I can deliver to an author- she wrote real people with real struggles and made me (eventually) care about them.
That said, my favorite character was Tippy, an older woman who was Daphne's friend and sounding board. She listened, but she also gave the unvarnished truth. Her sage advice came with a live it up philosophy that had me grinning and anticipating each time she was in a scene.
There are some strong themes in this book- divorce's effect on the child, gaslighting, infidelity, teen parents, mom vs. career, coming out, accepting and supporting others, and starting over later in life.
While this has two second chances at romance in it, the book is not a romance. Daphne and Ellery have to figure themselves out and repair what is broken between them before they can have good relationships with another person. I understood this, but my romance-loving heart swooned over both the love interests particularly a certain Texas vintner who was fabulous with his patience and understanding.
So, I won't go so far as to say I loved this one, but I'm definitely glad I read it. It looks like and fun from the cover to the blurb, but its an emotional hitter so be prepared if you take the plunge.
September 7, 2019
Daphne, almost 40 years old, with a strained relationship with her spoiled, beautiful daughter that she & her ex-husband, Rex, adore, is finally at a point to take action to be happy with herself and her life, after her divorce and rapid accent to be an accomplished children's book author and illustrator. That is a lot to put into one sentence, but that is how this book feels to me. It hooked me in the first chapter and there was no looking back. It never let me go. I was absorbed in the lives of the characters.
Daphne became pregnant at 16 and soon married Rex. They built a good life with their daughter, Ellery, but it was always Daphne that held them all together. She was the fixer of all problems and the worker ant that got everything done. After her divorce, she truly found herself and she liked the person she was; successful, talented and worthy of love.
Ellery always had a golden cloud above her. Everything she wanted, she received. Almost everything in her life went her way. On the odd occasion that she was not the "chosen one", her parents stepped in and made it better. She is approaching her 23rd birthday and her life is now totally crumbling. She has no idea how to handle a life that is not perfect and she is falling apart inside, while smiling on the outside denying all the issues.
There is so much more going on in this story, but you should experience that first-hand and not in a review. Liz Talley does an excellent job of character development. Each character is unique and memorable. I especially love a minor character Tippy Lou. She is a spicy, tell it like it is, hippy spiritualist. If you do not want your problem discussed honestly, it is best to not visit her.
This book is so well written and the story flows so easily. I truly enjoyed every moment of my time in this story. There are some serious issues tackled and then the humor came and I was laughing out loud and smiling. I will also add that I love the book cover!
I want to thank NetGalley.com and the author, Liz Talley for allowing me to read this fantastic book! my review is my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC of this book.
Daphne became pregnant at 16 and soon married Rex. They built a good life with their daughter, Ellery, but it was always Daphne that held them all together. She was the fixer of all problems and the worker ant that got everything done. After her divorce, she truly found herself and she liked the person she was; successful, talented and worthy of love.
Ellery always had a golden cloud above her. Everything she wanted, she received. Almost everything in her life went her way. On the odd occasion that she was not the "chosen one", her parents stepped in and made it better. She is approaching her 23rd birthday and her life is now totally crumbling. She has no idea how to handle a life that is not perfect and she is falling apart inside, while smiling on the outside denying all the issues.
There is so much more going on in this story, but you should experience that first-hand and not in a review. Liz Talley does an excellent job of character development. Each character is unique and memorable. I especially love a minor character Tippy Lou. She is a spicy, tell it like it is, hippy spiritualist. If you do not want your problem discussed honestly, it is best to not visit her.
This book is so well written and the story flows so easily. I truly enjoyed every moment of my time in this story. There are some serious issues tackled and then the humor came and I was laughing out loud and smiling. I will also add that I love the book cover!
I want to thank NetGalley.com and the author, Liz Talley for allowing me to read this fantastic book! my review is my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC of this book.
September 18, 2019
When does a woman take control of her own life…when she has divorced and has raised her daughter? But Daphne is having trouble cutting the ties of her apron string with her daughter Ellery, who has been spoiled all her life, especially by her father. Daphne wants to get on with her life and Ellery thinks she should stay as she is, just her mother. But Daphne is not having it. She misses something she had been lacking in her marriage…Sex… and although there other ways of going about this, she finds herself attracted to the contractor who is remodeling the house that she is putting up for sale. He just happened to be just a few years older than her daughter. Does she go for it… You will have to read the book to find out.
The relationship between a mother and a daughter is like walking through a landmine…well in my estimation it is. Daphne wants to change her life and Ellery wants her mother to stay the way she was, always being there when ever Ellery needed her. Daphne wants more and she’s going to get it. Both women have secrets and until they can be honest with each other, life is going to be a rough ride and the men in their lives will only complicate their relationship.
I really loved this book. I so admired Daphne for taking charge of her life and with Ellery, there were times I wanted someone to give her a kick up the backside. Liz Talley gave us some great characters that added great dimensions to the story. I especially loved Daphne’s long-time friend who spoke her mind on how to live your life on your own terms. This story had so many twits and surprises that I could not put it down and I also did not want it to end, but Liz Talley brought this book to a wonder HEA for Daphne and for Ellery.
Thank you Liz Talley, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I look forward to the next book by and author who has become a must read for me.
The relationship between a mother and a daughter is like walking through a landmine…well in my estimation it is. Daphne wants to change her life and Ellery wants her mother to stay the way she was, always being there when ever Ellery needed her. Daphne wants more and she’s going to get it. Both women have secrets and until they can be honest with each other, life is going to be a rough ride and the men in their lives will only complicate their relationship.
I really loved this book. I so admired Daphne for taking charge of her life and with Ellery, there were times I wanted someone to give her a kick up the backside. Liz Talley gave us some great characters that added great dimensions to the story. I especially loved Daphne’s long-time friend who spoke her mind on how to live your life on your own terms. This story had so many twits and surprises that I could not put it down and I also did not want it to end, but Liz Talley brought this book to a wonder HEA for Daphne and for Ellery.
Thank you Liz Talley, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I look forward to the next book by and author who has become a must read for me.
October 23, 2019
Daphne is every mother we wish we could be, and she is enjoying success as a writer of a popular series of books for children. Her relationship with her daughter, Ellery is strained and she does not know how to fix it. This is a coming of age book for Ellery and a find yourself book for Daphne. I liked that their points of view switched so it was easy to relate to both of them.
Daphne's ex, Rex, is a piece of work. I think of him as a Tyrannosaurus Rex Dinosaur who needs a lot of work to get up to speed with how to treat people.
There are times when they mess up and times when they do everything right, but this fun, well written book made me smile and brightened my day!! I love the quotes about parenting...and what our roles are as mothers, as fathers. I can so relate with a 17, 22, and 25 year old children!
This was my Kindle First book selection for October from Amazon.
Daphne's ex, Rex, is a piece of work. I think of him as a Tyrannosaurus Rex Dinosaur who needs a lot of work to get up to speed with how to treat people.
There are times when they mess up and times when they do everything right, but this fun, well written book made me smile and brightened my day!! I love the quotes about parenting...and what our roles are as mothers, as fathers. I can so relate with a 17, 22, and 25 year old children!
This was my Kindle First book selection for October from Amazon.
October 5, 2019
Such unlikable characters.
November 1, 2019
Room to Breathe, Liz Talley
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: General fiction (Adult), Romance
I really enjoyed this. Its good to read romance from someone older than twenties. Its just a few little niggles that let it down for me, stopped it being five star, things like Ellery pretending to be her mum in emails, Clay, the notorious man whore, wanting more, things that didn't really feel true to character. Overall though its a great read.
I loved Daphne, pregnant at 16 she married Rex and made the best of things. They're both devoted to their daughter but over the years Daphne and Rex grew apart, and then divorced. Daphne's career has grown and daughter Ellery works as her PA, having failed to get the internship she'd set her heart on.
Its easy to see why Ellery is selfish, both Daphne and Rex have done everything for her since she was tiny, indulged her, let her think the world revolved around her and her wants. She's now 23 and they're still doing it, and Ellery just assumes they should, that they'll continue to pay her rent, pay her credits cards...but of course outside mum and dad the world is harsh, Ellery isn't central. I really disliked her, and understood why Gage saw her as spoiled princess type.
Ellery doesn't have many true friends, maybe her selfishness bleeds through and that's why. That may also be why she pretended to be her mother in that strange pen pal relationship. TBH I found that part of the story odd, didn't really fit as I never really understood why she did it, why she continued. It was an integral part of how things developed though so I guess I'll have to suck it up ;-) Ellery has a fiance though, Josh, who's in med school, and whom she lives with. We don't really see much of him though, he's always studying and though I felt for Ellery when she tried to carve time for them as a couple and got rebuffed, I felt she still saw things only in terms of how they affect her.
When Ellery gets wind of the issue with Clay and her mother she goes berserk. She was a first class bitch, and I do so love it when characters are like that. It creates drama in spades and I love that. Its not like she wants Clay anymore, she's still sore from him dropping her after just a couple of dates, and of course she has Josh. Its more that like so many spoiled kids she sees her mum as always being mum, doesn't see her as a person in her own right. If mum has to date it should be someone age appropriate, someone Ellery can approve of.
Rex the Ex, ( nice term that!) was a typical jerk man of a certain type, happy when Daphne was running the business with him, so long as she kept in the background and let him take the success, he couldn't deal when she got her own successful career. He was obnoxious – in the best way of course. Good books need someone like him as a foil, offsets all the good.
Then there's Evan, he was just wonderful, and his nephew Gage was also. Loved those two, and the whole vineyard experience.
Stars: Four, Its a fun read, fabulous characters, some terrific drama, some great surprises, and a satisfying ending.
Arc via Netgalley and publishers
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: General fiction (Adult), Romance
I really enjoyed this. Its good to read romance from someone older than twenties. Its just a few little niggles that let it down for me, stopped it being five star, things like Ellery pretending to be her mum in emails, Clay, the notorious man whore, wanting more, things that didn't really feel true to character. Overall though its a great read.
I loved Daphne, pregnant at 16 she married Rex and made the best of things. They're both devoted to their daughter but over the years Daphne and Rex grew apart, and then divorced. Daphne's career has grown and daughter Ellery works as her PA, having failed to get the internship she'd set her heart on.
Its easy to see why Ellery is selfish, both Daphne and Rex have done everything for her since she was tiny, indulged her, let her think the world revolved around her and her wants. She's now 23 and they're still doing it, and Ellery just assumes they should, that they'll continue to pay her rent, pay her credits cards...but of course outside mum and dad the world is harsh, Ellery isn't central. I really disliked her, and understood why Gage saw her as spoiled princess type.
Ellery doesn't have many true friends, maybe her selfishness bleeds through and that's why. That may also be why she pretended to be her mother in that strange pen pal relationship. TBH I found that part of the story odd, didn't really fit as I never really understood why she did it, why she continued. It was an integral part of how things developed though so I guess I'll have to suck it up ;-) Ellery has a fiance though, Josh, who's in med school, and whom she lives with. We don't really see much of him though, he's always studying and though I felt for Ellery when she tried to carve time for them as a couple and got rebuffed, I felt she still saw things only in terms of how they affect her.
When Ellery gets wind of the issue with Clay and her mother she goes berserk. She was a first class bitch, and I do so love it when characters are like that. It creates drama in spades and I love that. Its not like she wants Clay anymore, she's still sore from him dropping her after just a couple of dates, and of course she has Josh. Its more that like so many spoiled kids she sees her mum as always being mum, doesn't see her as a person in her own right. If mum has to date it should be someone age appropriate, someone Ellery can approve of.
Rex the Ex, ( nice term that!) was a typical jerk man of a certain type, happy when Daphne was running the business with him, so long as she kept in the background and let him take the success, he couldn't deal when she got her own successful career. He was obnoxious – in the best way of course. Good books need someone like him as a foil, offsets all the good.
Then there's Evan, he was just wonderful, and his nephew Gage was also. Loved those two, and the whole vineyard experience.
Stars: Four, Its a fun read, fabulous characters, some terrific drama, some great surprises, and a satisfying ending.
Arc via Netgalley and publishers
May 23, 2022
I give this book 3 and a 1/2 stars.I liked the heroine. She was an extremely conscientious, giving person whose family resented her because she started a career that meant a lot to her (and that incidentally funded her family's lifestyle). She toughened up in stages, and the reader was brought along for the ride, which was interesting.
The author did her level best to show the redemption of the heroine's daughter; However, However she just didn't have any of the character or kindness that her mother showed in abundance. I think this is one of those cases where we should be accepting of this mediocre transformation because it made the heroine happy.
The author did her level best to show the redemption of the heroine's daughter; However, However she just didn't have any of the character or kindness that her mother showed in abundance. I think this is one of those cases where we should be accepting of this mediocre transformation because it made the heroine happy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2020
A story about a young divorcee and mother finding her own way as a children's author and.....her daughter. I know that Ellery was supposed to be unlikeable to show how much growth she needed but she was really kind of awful and it made rooting for her hard. I also didn't like how Daphne kept insisting that sleeping with a consenting adult (he's 25 she's 40) was this huge colossal mistake. Yes he wasn't what you were looking for but you're an adult and so is he ..quit apologizing....anyway I did really like this book. 4 stars...
October 5, 2019
Totally not my normal read of late. I’m into historical fiction, drama, detective type books. Room to Breathe gave me a delightful read, just enough character conflict without being overwhelming, anda hopeful finish! I will be looking into Miss Liz Talley some more.
November 1, 2019
Room to Breathe is an amazing story about family, self-discovery, and forgiveness. I absolutely LOVED this book. Liz Talley blew me away!
The story follows the Witt women, Daphne and her daughter Ellery, as they are both facing personal challenges in their lives. Daphne has always been the fixer. The one her husband counted on to make everything okay. After her career as an author takes off, her husband decides it time to separate and divorce. She feels so much pressure and assumes that everything is her fault. She has to find herself again and figure out what she wants out of life. Her daughter is a twenty-something young woman who has pent up hatred and anger in her heart. She hasn't been able to look at her mother the same way ever since her parents got divorced. On top of dealing with her parents 'failed relationship,' she is struggling both personally and professionally.
I thought the way Liz Talley gave us perspectives from Daphne and Ellery was perfect and essential for this story! She also highlighted the ups and downs of a mother/daughter relationship. I think we can all agree that a relationship between a mother and daughter is unique. There were so many times that I was frustrated with both characters because I knew they were worth so much more. But their self-doubt was necessary to get them to truly find happiness.
Liz Talley also brought up two important topics that stood out for me: living up to other's expectations and ageism. Both of the Witt women dealt with living up to the expectations set by others. Daphne dealt with that pressure from her husband and Ellery felt pressure from her parents. I thought it was insightful to see that they were experiencing some of the same emotions even they were different ages. Ageism was a big one in the book too. When Daphne is trying to get back in the dating game, she feels guilty for being attracted to a younger man. The way the author handled these topics was excellent!
By the end, we really see Daphne and Ellery working on their relationship. They do have plenty of obstacles to face but I think they finally understand each other's reasoning which leads to greater respect for one another as individuals!!
I give Room to Breathe 5 stars. It was beautiful to see the growth of each of the characters and fulfilling to see where they ended up. I loved this whole journey and I got to witness their evolution into the women they envisioned for themselves!!
The story follows the Witt women, Daphne and her daughter Ellery, as they are both facing personal challenges in their lives. Daphne has always been the fixer. The one her husband counted on to make everything okay. After her career as an author takes off, her husband decides it time to separate and divorce. She feels so much pressure and assumes that everything is her fault. She has to find herself again and figure out what she wants out of life. Her daughter is a twenty-something young woman who has pent up hatred and anger in her heart. She hasn't been able to look at her mother the same way ever since her parents got divorced. On top of dealing with her parents 'failed relationship,' she is struggling both personally and professionally.
I thought the way Liz Talley gave us perspectives from Daphne and Ellery was perfect and essential for this story! She also highlighted the ups and downs of a mother/daughter relationship. I think we can all agree that a relationship between a mother and daughter is unique. There were so many times that I was frustrated with both characters because I knew they were worth so much more. But their self-doubt was necessary to get them to truly find happiness.
Liz Talley also brought up two important topics that stood out for me: living up to other's expectations and ageism. Both of the Witt women dealt with living up to the expectations set by others. Daphne dealt with that pressure from her husband and Ellery felt pressure from her parents. I thought it was insightful to see that they were experiencing some of the same emotions even they were different ages. Ageism was a big one in the book too. When Daphne is trying to get back in the dating game, she feels guilty for being attracted to a younger man. The way the author handled these topics was excellent!
By the end, we really see Daphne and Ellery working on their relationship. They do have plenty of obstacles to face but I think they finally understand each other's reasoning which leads to greater respect for one another as individuals!!
I give Room to Breathe 5 stars. It was beautiful to see the growth of each of the characters and fulfilling to see where they ended up. I loved this whole journey and I got to witness their evolution into the women they envisioned for themselves!!
October 1, 2019
Liz Talley has a gift for creating flawed, fascinating, and memorable characters, embedded in a narrative that draws you in and doesn’t let go. The story focuses on a mother, Daphne Witt, and her daughter Ellery. Daphne, who was pregnant in high school, and then married to Rex, raised Ellery. Daphne found great success as a children’s author, which her husband couldn’t handle, and the two divorced. Ellery is a spoiled, entitled person, who is engaged to Josh, a first year medical student. Ellery just finished her degree in fashion design, but did not get the one internship she applied for, and with no backup plan, comes home to Shreveport to live with Josh, and work for her mom. Ellery has a lot of growing up to do, which she accomplishes despite a lot of wrong turns and atrocious behavior.
The book is about both Daphne and Ellery’s journey to happiness and, in Ellery’s case, maturity as well. Even Rex, the doofus ex-husband, comes to a better understanding of his boorish behavior, so there may be some redemption in his future. I won’t write more about the story in order for you to enjoy the journey without spoilers.
I mentioned above Liz Talley’s gift in creating memorable characters. As an example, let me use the minor character of Clay Caldwell, a 25 year old contractor, who once briefly dated Ellery when both were in in high school. Clay is a contractor who is renovating Daphne’s house, and is attracted to Daphne as much as Daphne is attracted to Clay. After a few initial few scenes of mutual attraction, Clay makes two short appearances later in the book. His character became so real to me I worried how Clay would end up in life. That is magical writing!
I just loved this book, as I followed the unfolding, interweaving stories of Daphne and Ellery.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing the book.
The book is about both Daphne and Ellery’s journey to happiness and, in Ellery’s case, maturity as well. Even Rex, the doofus ex-husband, comes to a better understanding of his boorish behavior, so there may be some redemption in his future. I won’t write more about the story in order for you to enjoy the journey without spoilers.
I mentioned above Liz Talley’s gift in creating memorable characters. As an example, let me use the minor character of Clay Caldwell, a 25 year old contractor, who once briefly dated Ellery when both were in in high school. Clay is a contractor who is renovating Daphne’s house, and is attracted to Daphne as much as Daphne is attracted to Clay. After a few initial few scenes of mutual attraction, Clay makes two short appearances later in the book. His character became so real to me I worried how Clay would end up in life. That is magical writing!
I just loved this book, as I followed the unfolding, interweaving stories of Daphne and Ellery.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing the book.
September 26, 2019
When you have a newly successful children’s author, that is also a divorced woman who is about to turn 40, a “spoiled” daughter that graduated from college, who thought she was a shoe-in for an internship and didn’t bother with applying elsewhere, then throw in the ex-husband with the young girlfriend and his business is floundering, you have a hot mess!
Daphne was a teenager when she became pregnant, and then married Rex. Daphne being the typical people-pleaser took care of everyone. She stumbled (lucked out) on her career as a children’s author just recently. Rex couldn’t handle nor support her, because Daphne was the “doer” in the family and the business. Daphne now wants to move on, which equals moving out of the family home to start fresh. Ellery, the daughter, works as an assistant for her mother. She exuded entitlement to the point that she was truly messed up, which became even more exacerbated by her live-in med student fiancée, being supported financially by her father, and then she stumbles upon information that her fiancée is gay.
To make this story even more interesting, Daphne has a fling with a much younger man, who happens to be her daughter’s age. Ellery takes up an online flirtation with a reader who thinks he is corresponding with her mother, which in turn has the hots for Daphne! I absolutely could not put down this book, because I wanted to know what was going to happen next! There are many more players involved in this story that will get you hooked.
I received this book via Net Galley and I truly appreciate Liz Talley giving me the opportunity to read this!!
Daphne was a teenager when she became pregnant, and then married Rex. Daphne being the typical people-pleaser took care of everyone. She stumbled (lucked out) on her career as a children’s author just recently. Rex couldn’t handle nor support her, because Daphne was the “doer” in the family and the business. Daphne now wants to move on, which equals moving out of the family home to start fresh. Ellery, the daughter, works as an assistant for her mother. She exuded entitlement to the point that she was truly messed up, which became even more exacerbated by her live-in med student fiancée, being supported financially by her father, and then she stumbles upon information that her fiancée is gay.
To make this story even more interesting, Daphne has a fling with a much younger man, who happens to be her daughter’s age. Ellery takes up an online flirtation with a reader who thinks he is corresponding with her mother, which in turn has the hots for Daphne! I absolutely could not put down this book, because I wanted to know what was going to happen next! There are many more players involved in this story that will get you hooked.
I received this book via Net Galley and I truly appreciate Liz Talley giving me the opportunity to read this!!
November 1, 2019
I started Room to Breathe and wondered if I’d be able to finish it. I didn’t love the characters at the beginning. I found Daphne to be odd. It seemed all she thought about was the hot contractor that was fixing up her childhood house to sell. I’m not all that into cougar romance books so I was doubting if I’d like what I was reading. Yet, I continued reading and I quickly realized that there was so much more to Daphne. She started as a young mother and bride, a mostly stay at home mother who did everything for her daughter and husband, and then found a new way at life. She became a successful author and her entire life changed. I was in awe of all that she accomplished without the support of her family and how she embraced her new life.
The rest of her family left something to be desired. Her ex-husband is a trip and doesn’t deserve how much Daphne did for him. Ellery is a spoiled brat. She was given everything in life and now doesn’t know how to stand on her own two feet without her parents giving her money. I didn’t feel any compassion for them and was hoping that Daphne would call her out on the lifestyle she felt like she was due to live, not the lifestyle she could afford to live.
I ended up admiring Daphne and wanting to kick Ellery in her booty. Room to Breathe is a fun book to read. The story flowed easily, the characters were not all likeable but they were interesting.
The rest of her family left something to be desired. Her ex-husband is a trip and doesn’t deserve how much Daphne did for him. Ellery is a spoiled brat. She was given everything in life and now doesn’t know how to stand on her own two feet without her parents giving her money. I didn’t feel any compassion for them and was hoping that Daphne would call her out on the lifestyle she felt like she was due to live, not the lifestyle she could afford to live.
I ended up admiring Daphne and wanting to kick Ellery in her booty. Room to Breathe is a fun book to read. The story flowed easily, the characters were not all likeable but they were interesting.
October 8, 2019
I fell in lovIe with this beautifully written book that has characters and a storyline that I can totally relate with! I loved the main character Daphne and her struggle to evolve as a mother and a woman. Her struggles made her stronger and I loved seeing her find herself. I also enjoyed what I felt was the real life mother daughter drama between her And her daughter Ellery as she too struggled with life herself. This book had me page turning with many emotions as it was so very well written and drew me in. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more from Liz Talley who obviously has a talent that goes from beautiful hallmark books to this totally new southern fiction that I adored and can’t wait to read everything she has written prior to this and everything to come ! A must read and I’m going to get another copy for my mom to read as I think she too will love this!
October 17, 2019
Moms with grown daughters will love this book. The dynamics and interactions between Daphne and Ellery were so familiar and on-point. Their struggles to understand and work with each other and spread their own wings.
When should a parent step back from parenting?
When should a child break free of parental protection?
Room to Breathe is a lovely, lovely book that deals with that complicated thing called family.
When should a parent step back from parenting?
When should a child break free of parental protection?
Room to Breathe is a lovely, lovely book that deals with that complicated thing called family.
October 15, 2019
Don't bother
It's a good thing I got this for free because I found it practically worthless. Unless you're on a plane(as I was) with nothing else to read, don't waste time or money on this novel. Neither the characters nor plot have any depth and the ending is totally predictable. I gave it one star because no star at all was not an option.
It's a good thing I got this for free because I found it practically worthless. Unless you're on a plane(as I was) with nothing else to read, don't waste time or money on this novel. Neither the characters nor plot have any depth and the ending is totally predictable. I gave it one star because no star at all was not an option.
October 19, 2019
So this was a free book from Amazon. Romance is not a genre I enjoy reading but I can see how it might be an enjoyable read for some - a light read at the beach. I did not enjoy this book, the characters were unlikable and had no depth. (I need to stop reading these "free" books because I think I've only ever enjoyed one.)
April 10, 2020
I was a great fan of Liz Talley’s Superromances, indeed one of my favourites ever is her Sweet Talking Man. There was no doubt then, though I’m not a WF fan, I’d follow her on her new-ish path into WF. So I read Room to Breathe, with uneven results: I still love Talley’s ethos and writing and I still don’t like WF. Room to Breathe is funny, witty, and offers loveable characters. It is organized around two main characters, not a hero and heroine as in a romance, but a mother and daughter: nearing-40 Daphne Witt, aka Dee Dee O’Hara, children’s author, and her 23-year-old daughter, failed fashion designer, Ellery. When the novel opens, Daphne, now a long-established divorcée, is feeling the effects of a dormant sexuality. Her ex-husband left her, claiming her then-new-found career interfered with their marriage. Like many women who married young and became mothers, Daphne is hurt and disappointed at the loss of her marriage, but loves her new-found freedom and independence.
While Daphne is on the ascendant, Ellery is anything but: engaged to her beautiful med-student fiancé, Josh, her loss of a covetted NYC internship sees her back home in Shreveport “supporting” his studies and working retail. Despite the rock on her ring finger, not all is well in Ellery’s “perfect plan” life: Josh is preoccupied, even indifferent, and her own career failure plagues her, as does her loss of security, comfort, and ample “spoiling” on her parents’ parts. Ellery is a spoiled princess with a Birkin bag and she grated for the novel’s first half. Room to Breathe‘s theme is as its title states: how Daphne and Ellery figure out how their socially- and, even more so personally-imposed, constraints are preventing them from living good, uncertain, but freer and most joyous lives.
Daphne is on the right track: she’s having her farmhouse renovated, put on the market, and moving into a smaller, urban, home. Her career is on the rise and she’s enjoying the fruits of financial security and independence. But when Rex Witt, her ex-husband left her, claiming she was giving all to career and not enough to marriage and motherhood, it drove a good-girl spike through her heart. She has worked through some of that, and also feels, for the first time since she had to pick up her life’s pieces post-divorce, physical desire. After too much wine, she sleeps with the 25-year-old contractor, who, for a few days, dated Ellery in high school. Daphne is mortified, but Clay, handsome, buff, and affectionate, is not a pool-boy caricature. He’s smart, sympathetic, and knows what he wants and what he wants is Daphne. Suffice to say that Daphne makes her way to an embracing of a relationship and an understanding of who she is and what she wants. I don’t want to spoil, but that is not necessarily the charming Clay. Other men come into play and we leave Daphne in a great place by the end.
What plagues Daphne above all, however, is her broken relationship with Ellery. One of the things I actually really liked about the novel is how Daphne comes to understand that Ellery needs to stand on her own feet and she, Daphne, doesn’t have to martyr herself on the altar of her daughter’s spoiled needs. Daphne and Ellery don’t ever talk their way to an understanding and reconciliation, but time heals. I’m not sure whether this worked for me because I’m of the time does work things out sometimes ethos, or because Talley failed to portray. Given that Room to Breathe is more comic than tragic mode-written, I’d say the lack of psycho-babble that permeates so much WF was refreshing.
Though less likeable, I found Ellery’s story the more interesting, simply because Ellery is a mess. She’s spoiled and, at times, petulant, but Talley does such a great job of breaking her down, in a comic, slapstick way, that you can’t help but like her by the end and wish her well. Ellery is a girl who wants a perfect life: her parents, together, indulging her; her fiancé, focussed on her desirability and wonderfulness; the fashion world, acknowledging her brilliance. None of this is happening and the more she tries to make it come to fruition, the more fallow her life-field. When Daphne, guilt-stricken, plans a birthday party for her at One Tree Estates, everything both falls apart and shows potential for coming back together. One thing I didn’t like about Room To Breathe was how things are worked out, or not worked out, with Josh, Ellery’s fiancé. I thought the revelations about him were trite and bordered on offensive. But Ellery’s comeuppance and eventually pieces-put-back-together was terrific.
In the end, the best thing about Talley’s novel was the humour. Talley’s light touch and ethos of never-taking-oneself-too-seriously but taking her work seriously works in her favour. There are many light, heartfelt, and engaging scenes in a novel that, overall, has flaws. Though I prefer romance-Talley, I will continue, for this reason, to read WF-Talley. With Miss Austen, we would say the flaws lie more in the genre than the actor, and Room To Breathe offers “real comfort,” Emma.
Liz Talley’s Room To Breathe is published by Montlake Romance. It was released in November 2019 and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-galley from Montlake Romance, via Netgalley.
While Daphne is on the ascendant, Ellery is anything but: engaged to her beautiful med-student fiancé, Josh, her loss of a covetted NYC internship sees her back home in Shreveport “supporting” his studies and working retail. Despite the rock on her ring finger, not all is well in Ellery’s “perfect plan” life: Josh is preoccupied, even indifferent, and her own career failure plagues her, as does her loss of security, comfort, and ample “spoiling” on her parents’ parts. Ellery is a spoiled princess with a Birkin bag and she grated for the novel’s first half. Room to Breathe‘s theme is as its title states: how Daphne and Ellery figure out how their socially- and, even more so personally-imposed, constraints are preventing them from living good, uncertain, but freer and most joyous lives.
Daphne is on the right track: she’s having her farmhouse renovated, put on the market, and moving into a smaller, urban, home. Her career is on the rise and she’s enjoying the fruits of financial security and independence. But when Rex Witt, her ex-husband left her, claiming she was giving all to career and not enough to marriage and motherhood, it drove a good-girl spike through her heart. She has worked through some of that, and also feels, for the first time since she had to pick up her life’s pieces post-divorce, physical desire. After too much wine, she sleeps with the 25-year-old contractor, who, for a few days, dated Ellery in high school. Daphne is mortified, but Clay, handsome, buff, and affectionate, is not a pool-boy caricature. He’s smart, sympathetic, and knows what he wants and what he wants is Daphne. Suffice to say that Daphne makes her way to an embracing of a relationship and an understanding of who she is and what she wants. I don’t want to spoil, but that is not necessarily the charming Clay. Other men come into play and we leave Daphne in a great place by the end.
What plagues Daphne above all, however, is her broken relationship with Ellery. One of the things I actually really liked about the novel is how Daphne comes to understand that Ellery needs to stand on her own feet and she, Daphne, doesn’t have to martyr herself on the altar of her daughter’s spoiled needs. Daphne and Ellery don’t ever talk their way to an understanding and reconciliation, but time heals. I’m not sure whether this worked for me because I’m of the time does work things out sometimes ethos, or because Talley failed to portray. Given that Room to Breathe is more comic than tragic mode-written, I’d say the lack of psycho-babble that permeates so much WF was refreshing.
Though less likeable, I found Ellery’s story the more interesting, simply because Ellery is a mess. She’s spoiled and, at times, petulant, but Talley does such a great job of breaking her down, in a comic, slapstick way, that you can’t help but like her by the end and wish her well. Ellery is a girl who wants a perfect life: her parents, together, indulging her; her fiancé, focussed on her desirability and wonderfulness; the fashion world, acknowledging her brilliance. None of this is happening and the more she tries to make it come to fruition, the more fallow her life-field. When Daphne, guilt-stricken, plans a birthday party for her at One Tree Estates, everything both falls apart and shows potential for coming back together. One thing I didn’t like about Room To Breathe was how things are worked out, or not worked out, with Josh, Ellery’s fiancé. I thought the revelations about him were trite and bordered on offensive. But Ellery’s comeuppance and eventually pieces-put-back-together was terrific.
In the end, the best thing about Talley’s novel was the humour. Talley’s light touch and ethos of never-taking-oneself-too-seriously but taking her work seriously works in her favour. There are many light, heartfelt, and engaging scenes in a novel that, overall, has flaws. Though I prefer romance-Talley, I will continue, for this reason, to read WF-Talley. With Miss Austen, we would say the flaws lie more in the genre than the actor, and Room To Breathe offers “real comfort,” Emma.
Liz Talley’s Room To Breathe is published by Montlake Romance. It was released in November 2019 and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-galley from Montlake Romance, via Netgalley.
February 16, 2020
This was a Kindle read and was a fun enough beach read type book that centers on the complicated relationships between mothers and adult daughters, and children of divorce and their parents. As Daphne and Ellery get to know themselves, they both grow up in some much needed ways and become mire likable in the process, but the overall slow pace of this book, combined with the overdone setting of vineyards, made this a distraction read that I read in waiting rooms and whatnot for me. Not bad, but forgettable. 2 stars.
February 4, 2020
Going into this, I was nervous, because I felt like the premise could easily go very, very wrong. It's a very melodramatic sort of set-up, which can either be amazing or terrible, with very little possibility of it landing in the middle.
Right from the start, I liked the voice of this. I listened to the audiobook, and even the fact that they hired only one narrator for two third person limited POVs couldn't make Ellery and Daphne's voices sound similar. The voiciness, particularly in Daphne's POV, made this one an instant joy. I was sucked in, and I listened to this whole audiobook in two days. For those of you who don't listen to audiobooks, that is SO FAST. Like, five-ish hours per day fast. All I wanted to do was listen to this book.
Now, I will say that I was so much more into the mom's plot line than the daughter's, which I'm trying to convince myself is not because of how old I am now lol. But really, it's just that I found author Daphne, who has made life changes for her happiness and lives with verve and humor, so much more charming than her stick-in-the-mud, whiny brat of a daughter.
Admittedly, Ellery's relationship with her fiancé has been kind of sucking since he started medical school, so I get why she complains about that, but she also didn't seem to really work on it in any productive ways. Rather than trying to talk to him or connect emotionally, she just tries to seduce him. Like, I get that this would be the common recommendation, but omg these two do not communicate. And when it comes to her professional life, she just bitches about not having gotten her dream job but has basically given up, and she's like two percent grateful for the cushy job her mom gave her.
Though the romantic elements serve as the catalyst for change for both Daphne and Ellery, the romance is not the focus of the book, and I'd label it as a contemporary rather than a romance. And, come to think of it, the romances didn't do much for me. Both happen way too quickly, but I do think they work in the sense that they service an emotional need the women have. And physical needs too lolol. I'd come hoping for a romance, but it does speak highly of the book that I was happy even though that part was on the weaker side of the book for me.
The audiobook is excellent, and this book was a surprise hit with me. I've added more Liz Talley books to my tbr, crossing my fingers that I've found a new author to love.
Right from the start, I liked the voice of this. I listened to the audiobook, and even the fact that they hired only one narrator for two third person limited POVs couldn't make Ellery and Daphne's voices sound similar. The voiciness, particularly in Daphne's POV, made this one an instant joy. I was sucked in, and I listened to this whole audiobook in two days. For those of you who don't listen to audiobooks, that is SO FAST. Like, five-ish hours per day fast. All I wanted to do was listen to this book.
Now, I will say that I was so much more into the mom's plot line than the daughter's, which I'm trying to convince myself is not because of how old I am now lol. But really, it's just that I found author Daphne, who has made life changes for her happiness and lives with verve and humor, so much more charming than her stick-in-the-mud, whiny brat of a daughter.
Admittedly, Ellery's relationship with her fiancé has been kind of sucking since he started medical school, so I get why she complains about that, but she also didn't seem to really work on it in any productive ways. Rather than trying to talk to him or connect emotionally, she just tries to seduce him. Like, I get that this would be the common recommendation, but omg these two do not communicate. And when it comes to her professional life, she just bitches about not having gotten her dream job but has basically given up, and she's like two percent grateful for the cushy job her mom gave her.
Though the romantic elements serve as the catalyst for change for both Daphne and Ellery, the romance is not the focus of the book, and I'd label it as a contemporary rather than a romance. And, come to think of it, the romances didn't do much for me. Both happen way too quickly, but I do think they work in the sense that they service an emotional need the women have. And physical needs too lolol. I'd come hoping for a romance, but it does speak highly of the book that I was happy even though that part was on the weaker side of the book for me.
The audiobook is excellent, and this book was a surprise hit with me. I've added more Liz Talley books to my tbr, crossing my fingers that I've found a new author to love.
January 25, 2020
Loved it. I eagerly await anything by Liz Talley and I was excited to actually win a copy of this a few weeks ago in a Facebook group that Liz frequents...I'm just late in writing this. Fans of Dorothea Benton Frank, whose greatness we recently lost, are going to love Liz Talley. If there were a genre called "Amazing, strong Southern women true-to-life fiction", this would be at the top of the list.
But Liz Talley's writing may not be for everyone, and that's ok.
It's not a quickie little Harlequin romance novel, the plot development is much too well done. And it's not typical "women's fiction" as the lead characters in Room to Breathe are deep, complex, with their flaws and hangups and bad decisions, and you may not like them the whole time. I love a book that has me laughing one minute and crying the next, and Liz does that for me.
That said - I'm more of a Daphne than an Ellery at this point in my life, and I lost my own mother 30 years ago (how can that be? 30 years already) but I'm at the age that a quick romp with a hot construction guy might just be the thing that's needed, so yes, I can really relate to Daphne. She raised a spoiled child and that weighs on her, and her ex won't leave her alone, and she's a children's author, my dream job, so yeah, Daphne could be me in another life. I cheered her on and cried with her at the low points. I wanted to slap Ellery, but then I'd recognize Daphne's bad behavior, and really, aren't we all flawed? And we're all just tryin' to get through life without doing too much damage.
Give Liz Talley's books a try. If Room to Breathe starts off too deep for you, try another book - I'd suggest start with her Morning Glory series and work your way up to Room to Breath, because with Room to Breath Liz has taken her writing to the next level. I may be biased - I lived in South Carolina for a few years and I grew to love my slow, crazy life there. Maybe that should be a genre - "quirky southern fiction." Liz brings that southern quirkiness to life in the most enjoyable way, give it a try.
But Liz Talley's writing may not be for everyone, and that's ok.
It's not a quickie little Harlequin romance novel, the plot development is much too well done. And it's not typical "women's fiction" as the lead characters in Room to Breathe are deep, complex, with their flaws and hangups and bad decisions, and you may not like them the whole time. I love a book that has me laughing one minute and crying the next, and Liz does that for me.
That said - I'm more of a Daphne than an Ellery at this point in my life, and I lost my own mother 30 years ago (how can that be? 30 years already) but I'm at the age that a quick romp with a hot construction guy might just be the thing that's needed, so yes, I can really relate to Daphne. She raised a spoiled child and that weighs on her, and her ex won't leave her alone, and she's a children's author, my dream job, so yeah, Daphne could be me in another life. I cheered her on and cried with her at the low points. I wanted to slap Ellery, but then I'd recognize Daphne's bad behavior, and really, aren't we all flawed? And we're all just tryin' to get through life without doing too much damage.
Give Liz Talley's books a try. If Room to Breathe starts off too deep for you, try another book - I'd suggest start with her Morning Glory series and work your way up to Room to Breath, because with Room to Breath Liz has taken her writing to the next level. I may be biased - I lived in South Carolina for a few years and I grew to love my slow, crazy life there. Maybe that should be a genre - "quirky southern fiction." Liz brings that southern quirkiness to life in the most enjoyable way, give it a try.
October 15, 2019
A story about a mother and daughter going through some of life's difficulties. Daphne became a wife and mother at 16, had only one daughter who was spoiled rotten. Daphne begins a successful career after raising her daughter, her husband is threatened by her success and leaves her. Spoiled daughter blames mother while her own life is not going as planned. Eventually the daughter has to break off and grow up.
This book was just OK for me, not great, but a quick enough read to finish it.
This book was just OK for me, not great, but a quick enough read to finish it.
July 8, 2020
I give the book 3.75 stars. I do not typically read what I would call romance novels. I felt the author repeated the same same facts/statements too many times. Easy read for lazy afternoons.
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