‘The Girl I Used To Be’ by Heidi Hostetter is the first book I have read from this author so I had no expectations other than hoping it would hold me. There was no danger there, I have discovered another author whose work I thoroughly enjoy. Although this is the second book in a series, I found it delightfully entertaining and kept up with the story easily.
Jill Goodman is a glamorous much younger wife who runs the home and hosts parties for Marc, who is a rich property developer. They have been married for three years. Jill is so in love she doesn’t realise Marc controls everything about her, the way she looks, the way she behaves. She has been happy to allow the changes so she can become the perfect wife he wants her to be. She discovers he is having an affair with one of his employees and asks for a divorce. She begins to realise how much she sacrificed herself for his sake.
Marc is determined to leave her with absolutely nothing. Instead, she walks away with a house. Perched on the cliffs at Dewberry Beach, on the East Coast, she still needs to sell it to pay off the illegal mortgage her husband took out in her name.
Living at Dewberry Beach while she organises the sale, Jill sets about finding her old self again and rediscovering her love of photography. She starts the metamorphosis back into her original confident self and becomes aware of Marc and the mark he has left on the town. She decides she will right the wrongs that her Ex-husband did.
This is a fabulous uplifting story that shows us how much of a difference friends can make to help us move foward. Jill has a marvellous friend in Ellie. One who becomes her touchstone in her returning to her own self. The residents of the town all have a special part in layering this lovely story of second chances and hope. I found I enjoyed all the characters from the town, Jill and Ellie. Marc, I definitely thought was a nasty piece of work and Jill was so well rid of him!
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me on this Bookouture.- Books – On -.Tour and for the copy of this great book.
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