The Good Life by Jodie Beau Review!

5 HUGE HUGE STARS!!

From GoodReads:

"Twenty-two year old Roxie Golightly is a fun and carefree spirit...until she marries a wealthy man and her role as a trophy wife leaves her isolated in a condo with an ironing board and an obsessive desire to impress people.

When her marriage ends after seven years, Roxie's identity is buried under layers of furniture polish and piles of designer shoes. She doubts she can ever be the person she once was.

But when Roxie's charmed life is turned upside down, her best-friend creates The Good Life List to help turn it back around. The instructions are simple: Complete each task on the Good Life List by the end of the summer.

With list in hand and the help of a sexy and charismatic guy from her past, Roxie is only a few check marks away from living the good life, even if it means getting thrown out of a bar or skinny-dipping in the neighbor's pool at 3am."

My Thoughts:

This book.. wow.. this book was.. for lack of any better word.. INEFFABLE!! I was literally sucked in from the first line. Roxie is an amazing main character, who had me laughing the ENTIRE book. I haven't found a fun read like this since Wallbanger! Perfect summer read, perfect ANY time read, so glad I read this!

The Good Life is Jodie Beau's debut book, and I absolutely cannot wait for more by her! 

Roxie Golightly would like to live her life as if it is a movie, every step planned out, everything in her control. So when her husband tells her he wants a divorce after 7 years, which was something that was not in her life-script, she has no idea what to do with herself. 

"I was sitting on the toilet when he told me he wanted a divorce. This wasn't the way I imagined it would happen. In fact, I didn't ever imagine it would happen, which is odd because I'm the kind of person who likes to be prepared."

So what does any girl do when a divorce is sprung on her? Go buy some new shoes, and head to the Hamptons with her BFF for a quick escape. Hope, Roxie's best friend, confronts her on the fact that she has changed since she has been married, and she, along with everyone else (well.. except her husband), wants the old Roxie back. When Roxie decides to go back to Michigan to live with her brother and his best friend, Jake, who now live in her childhood home, Hope makes a mission for Roxie, a "Good Life List".. here are a few of the requirements:

"6. Get your picture taken in a photo booth.. topless.

16. Start a food fight.

22. Go into a department store and make a divorce registry.

25. Volunteer at a homeless shelter."

Side note: Everyone should have a list like this one at some point in their lives.. WAY too fun!

So Roxie heads home, Good Life List in tow, to live with her Brother, Adam, and Jake. Have I mentioned there is a part of her movie-like-life that she refers to as "The Summer of Jake and Roxie"? Oh yes, these two have quite the history, and now they will be living under the same roof. 

With a mildly awkward start in her new/old home, her and Jake quickly fall into the same patterns they once knew. After all, they have been friends (and more) since they were both young. My one issue with Roxie (and it's not even really an issue, because really, I love this girl) is that she is completely blind to some things that are right in front of her, or maybe she just chooses not to see them. 

Now Jake.. oh Jake.. Jake is officially my new book boyfriend. He is amazing. Over the pre-marriage years, Jake has always acted as Roxie's protector, and was always there to pick up pieces of her past broken hearts. However, it has been almost 8 years since they have seen each other... 

"He had a fancy DSLR camera hanging from a thick strap around his neck. Is there something about a guy with a camera that is incredibly hot? And how about tattoos on the underside of the forearm? And how bad of a person was I to be thinking anything was hot just four hours after leaving my marital home?"

So here starts the story of Roxie's new beginning, a mission to find herself all over again, a chance to move on, and re-write her own script. 

Oh Roxie, you are my book soul mate.

Now, according to Jodie Beau, she is in the works of writing a prequel to The Good Life, about the Summer of Jake and Roxie. I am BEYOND excited for this! I cannot wait! I'll keep you all posted on its release once there is more info available!

Congrats Jodie Beau on your Debut! And an amazing one at that!