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A Curve in the Road
From USA Today bestselling author Julianne MacLean comes a suspenseful, emotionally charged novel that explores the secrets and hidden truths within a seemingly perfect marriage.
Abbie MacIntyre is living the dream in the picturesque Nova Scotia town she calls home. She is a successful surgeon, is married to a handsome cardiologist, and has a model teenage son who is only months away from going off to college.
But then one fateful night, everything changes. When a drunk driver hits her car, Abbie is rushed to the hospital. She survives, but the accident forces unimaginable secrets out into the open and plagues Abbie with nightmares so vivid that she starts to question her grip on reality. Her perfect life begins to crack, and those cracks threaten to shatter her world completely.
The search for answers will test her strength in every way—as a wife, a career woman, and a mother—but it may also open the door for Abbie to move forward, beyond anger and heartbreak, to find out what she is truly made of. In learning to heal and trust again, she may just find new hope in the spaces left behind.
Abbie MacIntyre is living the dream in the picturesque Nova Scotia town she calls home. She is a successful surgeon, is married to a handsome cardiologist, and has a model teenage son who is only months away from going off to college.
But then one fateful night, everything changes. When a drunk driver hits her car, Abbie is rushed to the hospital. She survives, but the accident forces unimaginable secrets out into the open and plagues Abbie with nightmares so vivid that she starts to question her grip on reality. Her perfect life begins to crack, and those cracks threaten to shatter her world completely.
The search for answers will test her strength in every way—as a wife, a career woman, and a mother—but it may also open the door for Abbie to move forward, beyond anger and heartbreak, to find out what she is truly made of. In learning to heal and trust again, she may just find new hope in the spaces left behind.
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2018
About the author
Julianne MacLean
71 books3,850 followersJulianne MacLean is a USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the contemporary women’s fiction Color of Heaven Series. Readers have described her books as “breathtaking,” “soulful” and “uplifting.” MacLean is a four-time RITA finalist and has won numerous awards, including the Booksellers’ Best Award and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times. Her novels have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been published in over a dozen languages.
MacLean has a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a degree in business administration from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.
For more information about Julianne and her writing life, please visit her website at www.juliannemaclean.com. Be sure to follow her on Bookbub to be notified whenever her ebooks are offered for FREE or 99 cents. (www.bookbub.com/authors/julianne-maclean) and chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JulianneMacLeanRoman...), Twitter (@JulianneMacLean), and Instagram (@JulianneMaclean).
MacLean has a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a degree in business administration from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.
For more information about Julianne and her writing life, please visit her website at www.juliannemaclean.com. Be sure to follow her on Bookbub to be notified whenever her ebooks are offered for FREE or 99 cents. (www.bookbub.com/authors/julianne-maclean) and chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JulianneMacLeanRoman...), Twitter (@JulianneMacLean), and Instagram (@JulianneMaclean).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,328 reviews
December 14, 2018
Cute, but predictable. Felt the most invested in the dog.
March 31, 2019
I was really hooked on this book especially at the beginning. I sat up late the first night finding it hard to put down. After the first quarter of the story, I felt as though I was watching a Lifetime movie, but I was still interested.
Abbie is a doctor who is married to another doctor, Alan, a cardiologist. At the beginning of the story, she is in a terrible head-on car accident, the fault of a drunk driver. The drunk driver happens to be her husband! He does not survive the wreck and she has some serious injuries, but is able to be at her husband's bedside when he dies.
There is a teenage son, Zack, who loves his father dearly, as does Abbie. When a devastating secret is revealed about her husband after his death, she is torn between loving him and hating him, and whether to reveal the secret to her son.
It was a quick read, and did not have bad language or sex scenes. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Abbie is a doctor who is married to another doctor, Alan, a cardiologist. At the beginning of the story, she is in a terrible head-on car accident, the fault of a drunk driver. The drunk driver happens to be her husband! He does not survive the wreck and she has some serious injuries, but is able to be at her husband's bedside when he dies.
There is a teenage son, Zack, who loves his father dearly, as does Abbie. When a devastating secret is revealed about her husband after his death, she is torn between loving him and hating him, and whether to reveal the secret to her son.
It was a quick read, and did not have bad language or sex scenes. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2022
Oh my, but this made for an interesting beach read! Think every soap opera twist that could possibly come over the course of a few dozen chapters, pack it in, and you have poor Abby’s life. There’s a car accident, and Abby is horrified to discover the other driver was her husband… and then the shocks just keep on coming! The pacing in this was mostly good. It was a quick, easy read, and the dog scenes completely made the book. Golden retrievers all the way! Some of the emotional questions could have been explored a bit more deeply, but for an easy, quick summer read, it was a fun escape.
July 29, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley for an e- ARC in exchange for an honest review
Set in Nova Scotia, A Curve in the Road follows the women's lit pattern of a wife discovering her recently deceased husband has a whole whack of secrets. But I found myself reeled in by the relatable characters and the fast paced storyline.
Set in Nova Scotia, A Curve in the Road follows the women's lit pattern of a wife discovering her recently deceased husband has a whole whack of secrets. But I found myself reeled in by the relatable characters and the fast paced storyline.
February 20, 2019
ZERO STARS ~ NEGATIVE ZERO STARS
I'm honestly so tired of book jackets hyping up a book only to read through the entire thing and then wish I'd spent that time plucking out my own eyelashes one by one.
Some samples of the mindless drivel that the author thought we needed to know:
(Winston is a dog)
As I stand there watching Winston lift his leg to pee on the pole
Winston’s sumptuous golden coat
pick up my sparkling water and take a sip. Then our waiter brings our appetizers, and we admire the presentation before we dig in
The waiter brings our main courses, and Nathan and I lean forward to pick up our forks.
We talk about all sorts of other things too, and time flies by
Oh you leaned forward to pick up your fork? That's very important to the story... I don't know how I would picture someone eating if you didn't describe the body movements of picking up a fork!
The whole book is filled with that garbage! You find out in the first ten or so pages what the 'secret' is that the husband has been keeping (which if you've ever read a book before in your life you'd be able to predict what that 'secret' could be... it's the same damn 'secret' in all these types of books...
Once we find out the secret, it's just an entire book of the woman whinging about her life, obsessing over her dog (I mean I'm all for dog lovers but this was over the top) and considering her kid's feelings around her romantic feelings which was just awkward.
Really terrible writing, no plot development, the characters were flat and over all it felt like reading someone's poorly written journal.
I'm honestly so tired of book jackets hyping up a book only to read through the entire thing and then wish I'd spent that time plucking out my own eyelashes one by one.
Some samples of the mindless drivel that the author thought we needed to know:
(Winston is a dog)
As I stand there watching Winston lift his leg to pee on the pole
Winston’s sumptuous golden coat
pick up my sparkling water and take a sip. Then our waiter brings our appetizers, and we admire the presentation before we dig in
The waiter brings our main courses, and Nathan and I lean forward to pick up our forks.
We talk about all sorts of other things too, and time flies by
Oh you leaned forward to pick up your fork? That's very important to the story... I don't know how I would picture someone eating if you didn't describe the body movements of picking up a fork!
The whole book is filled with that garbage! You find out in the first ten or so pages what the 'secret' is that the husband has been keeping (which if you've ever read a book before in your life you'd be able to predict what that 'secret' could be... it's the same damn 'secret' in all these types of books...
Once we find out the secret, it's just an entire book of the woman whinging about her life, obsessing over her dog (I mean I'm all for dog lovers but this was over the top) and considering her kid's feelings around her romantic feelings which was just awkward.
Really terrible writing, no plot development, the characters were flat and over all it felt like reading someone's poorly written journal.
May 21, 2022
OH. MY. GOD. If this character uttered the words “I’m a doctor” one more time I would have set this book on fire. Especially when most of the time that statement had no bearing on what was happening in the story.
The character demands to know her blood pressure reading at the scene of a horrific accident where she had to be cut our of her vehicle with the jaws of life. The reason she needed this information at that specific time? “I’m a doctor.”
On reaching the hospital she discovers that her husband was the driver of the other vehicle. When told that he’s dying she insists on jumping in with the emergency room personnel and assess the damage herself, because “I’m a doctor.”
A nurse performing chest compressions grows tired. Although the character is exhausted and injured herself, she insists on taking over from the weary nurse. This apparently is fine with the nurse, who steps back and let’s the man’s WIFE take over his medical care because (you guessed it) she’s a doctor.
She insists on leaving the hospital without being properly discharged, and the nurse agrees because she’s a doctor.
Her dog went missing after the accident. When the dog is located at a veterinarian’s office she demands he tell her what’s going on and “to give it to me straight; I’m a doctor.”
She meets with a woman who is obviously her husband’s mistress and is told that he was probably upset that day because he just discovered he had cancer. Our intrepid character want to know more, not because this is her husband being discussed, but because “I’m a doctor.”
Why didn’t he tell her about the cancer (although his mistress was in the know). Didn’t he think she could handle it? “I’m a doctor.”
Once again the dog ends up in the vet’s office. He offers to let her look at the X-rays, to which she replied “Oh, I’d better.�� It isn’t until she gives her medical opinion that the vet is permitted to give his own.
For heaven’s sake, she’s a surgeon, not a damn vet. Who does this? When the author writes a scene where our intrepid doctor is actually performing a surgery the dialog reads like a cheesy hospital drama written by someone who has never been in a hospital, let alone performed surgical procedures.
Apparently our heroine is the only one in town who didn’t know her husband was having an affair. His mistress invites her to meet at a bar. While there the bartender tells the doctor to “go easy on her; she just lost someone.” What?! The someone she just lost was another woman’s husband. That hussy needs an ass whooping, not TLC.
The writing was also a sticking point for me. She describes a glass of wine as a “great, big, gigantic glass.” A little overkill on adjectives, maybe? Don’t all those words mean the same thing?
When constructing a sentence involving “Alan and I” she would consistently use “Alan and me” instead. When she meant to say “Alan and me” it would be written as “Alan and I.” I’m not the grammar police, but shouldn’t an author writing as a well educated woman know the proper use of pronouns?
I went into this book believing it to be a novel about a woman dealing with the discovery, after a terrible accident, that her husband was cheating on her. That’s what the description on the fly leaf tells us. Instead, the bulk of the book consists of the doctor complaining that she can no longer perform surgery due to the narcolepsy she suffers from since the accident and mooning over the veterinarian she has now fallen in love with. What about the mistress? What about her husband driving drunk and almost killing her? This woman’s priorities appear to be somewhat skewed.
Overall, this book was a huge disappointment. It took a long time to get absolutely nowhere and bored me from start to finish. The only drama in this story was in the summary. There were too many inconsistencies in the story and the characters’ actions to even list. The “romance” between the doctor and the vet was absolutely flat.
My advise is that you never pick up this book. Trust me, I’m a reader.
The character demands to know her blood pressure reading at the scene of a horrific accident where she had to be cut our of her vehicle with the jaws of life. The reason she needed this information at that specific time? “I’m a doctor.”
On reaching the hospital she discovers that her husband was the driver of the other vehicle. When told that he’s dying she insists on jumping in with the emergency room personnel and assess the damage herself, because “I’m a doctor.”
A nurse performing chest compressions grows tired. Although the character is exhausted and injured herself, she insists on taking over from the weary nurse. This apparently is fine with the nurse, who steps back and let’s the man’s WIFE take over his medical care because (you guessed it) she’s a doctor.
She insists on leaving the hospital without being properly discharged, and the nurse agrees because she’s a doctor.
Her dog went missing after the accident. When the dog is located at a veterinarian’s office she demands he tell her what’s going on and “to give it to me straight; I’m a doctor.”
She meets with a woman who is obviously her husband’s mistress and is told that he was probably upset that day because he just discovered he had cancer. Our intrepid character want to know more, not because this is her husband being discussed, but because “I’m a doctor.”
Why didn’t he tell her about the cancer (although his mistress was in the know). Didn’t he think she could handle it? “I’m a doctor.”
Once again the dog ends up in the vet’s office. He offers to let her look at the X-rays, to which she replied “Oh, I’d better.�� It isn’t until she gives her medical opinion that the vet is permitted to give his own.
For heaven’s sake, she’s a surgeon, not a damn vet. Who does this? When the author writes a scene where our intrepid doctor is actually performing a surgery the dialog reads like a cheesy hospital drama written by someone who has never been in a hospital, let alone performed surgical procedures.
Apparently our heroine is the only one in town who didn’t know her husband was having an affair. His mistress invites her to meet at a bar. While there the bartender tells the doctor to “go easy on her; she just lost someone.” What?! The someone she just lost was another woman’s husband. That hussy needs an ass whooping, not TLC.
The writing was also a sticking point for me. She describes a glass of wine as a “great, big, gigantic glass.” A little overkill on adjectives, maybe? Don’t all those words mean the same thing?
When constructing a sentence involving “Alan and I” she would consistently use “Alan and me” instead. When she meant to say “Alan and me” it would be written as “Alan and I.” I’m not the grammar police, but shouldn’t an author writing as a well educated woman know the proper use of pronouns?
I went into this book believing it to be a novel about a woman dealing with the discovery, after a terrible accident, that her husband was cheating on her. That’s what the description on the fly leaf tells us. Instead, the bulk of the book consists of the doctor complaining that she can no longer perform surgery due to the narcolepsy she suffers from since the accident and mooning over the veterinarian she has now fallen in love with. What about the mistress? What about her husband driving drunk and almost killing her? This woman’s priorities appear to be somewhat skewed.
Overall, this book was a huge disappointment. It took a long time to get absolutely nowhere and bored me from start to finish. The only drama in this story was in the summary. There were too many inconsistencies in the story and the characters’ actions to even list. The “romance” between the doctor and the vet was absolutely flat.
My advise is that you never pick up this book. Trust me, I’m a reader.
July 7, 2019
A CURVE IN THE ROAD by Julianne MacLean is a suspenseful, emotionally charged novel that explores the secrets and hidden truths within a seemingly perfect marriage, set in picturesque Nova Scotia.
Abbie MacIntyre's life will never be the same after a car accident caused by a drunk driver. The paramedics rush her to the hospital, but in the darkness of night they cannot find her dog Winston.
This book was a page-turner. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. Although there were several twists and turns and surprises, the story was realistic and entirely plausible. I was so involved with the characters and the relationships between them that I read it in one setting.
I highly recommend A CURVE IN THE ROAD. 5 stars
Special thanks to author Julianne MacLean, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of A CURVE IN THE ROAD, which allows me to write an unbiased review.
Abbie MacIntyre's life will never be the same after a car accident caused by a drunk driver. The paramedics rush her to the hospital, but in the darkness of night they cannot find her dog Winston.
This book was a page-turner. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. Although there were several twists and turns and surprises, the story was realistic and entirely plausible. I was so involved with the characters and the relationships between them that I read it in one setting.
I highly recommend A CURVE IN THE ROAD. 5 stars
Special thanks to author Julianne MacLean, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of A CURVE IN THE ROAD, which allows me to write an unbiased review.
July 15, 2018
Once again Julianne MacLean has created a story that will stay with you long after you have finished the book. It is a tale of betrayal, love, soul-searching, and forgiveness. There are twists and turns around every corner and through it all you will find yourself rooting for Abbie MacIntyre, a wife, mother, a woman betrayed, and truly likable protagonist.
March 1, 2019
A Curve In The Road, by Julianne MacLean, is a riveting tale that pulls you in from the beginning and doesn't let go.
Throughout the entire book the author has the reader wondering about something. If it's not one thing then it's another. This held my attention eager to read more.
Abbie's life is shattered and changes in a matter of seconds when she is seriously injured in a car accident. She tries to make the best choices for herself and her son as they move forward through life-changing circumstances. Her resilience is inspiring!
Heartbreaking and Heartwarming "A Curve In The Road" is a wonderful read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Throughout the entire book the author has the reader wondering about something. If it's not one thing then it's another. This held my attention eager to read more.
Abbie's life is shattered and changes in a matter of seconds when she is seriously injured in a car accident. She tries to make the best choices for herself and her son as they move forward through life-changing circumstances. Her resilience is inspiring!
Heartbreaking and Heartwarming "A Curve In The Road" is a wonderful read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
May 19, 2019
I felt very invested in Winston. Didn’t really care about a single other thing in this book.
September 22, 2020
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Liked it!
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S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
AND RANT...
I didn't like the excuses that our heroine made for her cheating husband.
His attitude was unforgivable.
He cheated on their family and their relationship for three years.
And I still got the impression that he wanted to kill our heroine by crashing his car in hers. I don't know, I got this suspicion.
And the "homewrecker whorebag bitch" aka mistress, still got pregnant by her husband. Unacceptable.
I felt like killing the guy again.
The husband trusted the mistress more than the wife who had been married for twenty years.
The book lost a star for this.
=====================
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
AND RANT...
I didn't like the excuses that our heroine made for her cheating husband.
His attitude was unforgivable.
He cheated on their family and their relationship for three years.
And I still got the impression that he wanted to kill our heroine by crashing his car in hers. I don't know, I got this suspicion.
And the "homewrecker whorebag bitch" aka mistress, still got pregnant by her husband. Unacceptable.
I felt like killing the guy again.
The husband trusted the mistress more than the wife who had been married for twenty years.
The book lost a star for this.
October 28, 2018
I can confess without guilt that the cover of this book sucked me in, and when i read what it was about i was even more interested!
I love a good family story. Especially if it is about someone tries that starts new after something bad happens!
This book promised to be a great one for me!
It sadly wasn't.
The writing didn't work that great for me, since it sometimes felt very stilted and at the next moment as if it was rushing through the plot.
The plot itself wasn't that great for me either.
It sadly wasn't anything new or with a new spin, just the rather typical "cheating and now what" kind of story that i am neither a fan of nor find exciting to read about if they are done well, sadly in this case it wasn't done well.
The one thing i really loved about this book was how the main character cared for her dog! She's in an accident and basically only cares about her dog! Which is so realistic and relatable in my option as a dog owner!
All in all this was a disappointing read for me.
But overall it is not a horrible book so if you don't have anything against the cheating trope give this one a try, i guess.
*thanks to netgalley.com, the publishers and the author for providing me with a free e-copy in exchange for a free and honest review!*
I love a good family story. Especially if it is about someone tries that starts new after something bad happens!
This book promised to be a great one for me!
It sadly wasn't.
The writing didn't work that great for me, since it sometimes felt very stilted and at the next moment as if it was rushing through the plot.
The plot itself wasn't that great for me either.
It sadly wasn't anything new or with a new spin, just the rather typical "cheating and now what" kind of story that i am neither a fan of nor find exciting to read about if they are done well, sadly in this case it wasn't done well.
The one thing i really loved about this book was how the main character cared for her dog! She's in an accident and basically only cares about her dog! Which is so realistic and relatable in my option as a dog owner!
All in all this was a disappointing read for me.
But overall it is not a horrible book so if you don't have anything against the cheating trope give this one a try, i guess.
*thanks to netgalley.com, the publishers and the author for providing me with a free e-copy in exchange for a free and honest review!*
August 10, 2018
Abbie’s life will never be the same after the fateful night she gets hit by a drunk driver. She is thrown a curveball and her storybook life begins to unravel.
I engaged immediately in this well-paced intriguing story and its’ interesting characters. The author excels at building character relationships and sprinkling in twists I never saw coming. I loved Abbie’s awesome dog Winston who enriched the lives of his ‘humans’ Abbie and her son Zach as they attempt to rebalance their lives. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I engaged immediately in this well-paced intriguing story and its’ interesting characters. The author excels at building character relationships and sprinkling in twists I never saw coming. I loved Abbie’s awesome dog Winston who enriched the lives of his ‘humans’ Abbie and her son Zach as they attempt to rebalance their lives. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2019
Meh.
A Curve in the Road is exactly what you think it'll be at the outset. (Has it been made into a Lifetime movie yet?) Sometimes a little predictability is okay, but there wasn't much about it that was particularly interesting.
A Curve in the Road is exactly what you think it'll be at the outset. (Has it been made into a Lifetime movie yet?) Sometimes a little predictability is okay, but there wasn't much about it that was particularly interesting.
September 16, 2018
I thought that after the first couple of chapters, it became little predictable.
August 18, 2018
I requested this from NG because it was about a surgeon whose life is turned upside down by an accident, which sounded interesting, and it’s good to read something other than thrillers for a change. I was a bit worried when I discovered that the author writes predominantly romance novels, as it’s a genre that annoys me too much. However, it was published this week, so I thought I should get on with it, and I ended up enjoying it more than expected.
Abbie is a general surgeon from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who appears to have the perfect life - she has been happily married to Alan (who is either a cardiologist or a cardiothoracic surgeon, it seemed to vary - or maybe in Canada they do both?) for 20 years, they have a well-adjusted hockey-playing 17 year old son, live in a beautiful house, and she loves her work. Driving home from visiting her mother on a Sunday night, she is smashed off of the road by a drunk driver, and her loyal Golden Retriever Winston is thrown from the car. From there, everything unravels... I don’t want to spoil this by saying any more.
I liked Abbie as a character, facing adversity and determined to do the right thing for her son. I loved stoic, faithful Winston - yes, am going to spoil this enough to reassure you that he does survive the accident. The plot is pretty predictable, you know as soon as a certain character is named and described what is going to happen, but I like happy endings, so didn’t mind that.
It’s told in the first person present, a negative in my book, had some writing niggles (“Zack and me, instead of Zack and I”), and I found some of the medical aspects to do with Abbie’s career unconvincing, but this was an otherwise well written thought-provoking story about emotional survival after a crisis. Oh and I’ve added Nova Scotia to my list of places to visit one day, it sounds lovely.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Abbie is a general surgeon from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who appears to have the perfect life - she has been happily married to Alan (who is either a cardiologist or a cardiothoracic surgeon, it seemed to vary - or maybe in Canada they do both?) for 20 years, they have a well-adjusted hockey-playing 17 year old son, live in a beautiful house, and she loves her work. Driving home from visiting her mother on a Sunday night, she is smashed off of the road by a drunk driver, and her loyal Golden Retriever Winston is thrown from the car. From there, everything unravels... I don’t want to spoil this by saying any more.
I liked Abbie as a character, facing adversity and determined to do the right thing for her son. I loved stoic, faithful Winston - yes, am going to spoil this enough to reassure you that he does survive the accident. The plot is pretty predictable, you know as soon as a certain character is named and described what is going to happen, but I like happy endings, so didn’t mind that.
It’s told in the first person present, a negative in my book, had some writing niggles (“Zack and me, instead of Zack and I”), and I found some of the medical aspects to do with Abbie’s career unconvincing, but this was an otherwise well written thought-provoking story about emotional survival after a crisis. Oh and I’ve added Nova Scotia to my list of places to visit one day, it sounds lovely.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2018
This was a book that grabbed you into the story from the very beginning! I love books that start like that. And this one just kept going, twisting my emotions, page by page.
You never know when life is going to throw a big curve your way. And the characters in this book went through so much. Grief, sadness, shock, secrets, happiness, forgiveness...this book had it all. And the author definitely had me not wanting to put the book down.
I've heard so many good things about this author and her books that I'm glad I finally got around to reading one. It will not be my last! This book absolutely lived up to her reputation as an author. Looking for an excellent book? Try this one. I recommend it highly!
* I was provided an ARC to read from the publisher and NetGalley. It was my decision to read and review this book.
You never know when life is going to throw a big curve your way. And the characters in this book went through so much. Grief, sadness, shock, secrets, happiness, forgiveness...this book had it all. And the author definitely had me not wanting to put the book down.
I've heard so many good things about this author and her books that I'm glad I finally got around to reading one. It will not be my last! This book absolutely lived up to her reputation as an author. Looking for an excellent book? Try this one. I recommend it highly!
* I was provided an ARC to read from the publisher and NetGalley. It was my decision to read and review this book.
February 16, 2019
A deeply stirring, emotional story of loss, grief, and betrayal that carries the reader on a journey filled with twists and secrets toward an uplifting destination where healing is found in new beginnings. You’ll root for Abbie on every step of her journey, and fall in love with her sweet dog, Winston. Highly recommended.
October 1, 2018
After a car accident, secrets are revealed and Abbie's life is changed forever.
This was a nice, light listen perfect for audiobook. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with any of the characters and after the car accident, I was more worried about the welfare of the dog, Winston, than the husband. Overall, the story line was much too predictable for me, but fans of women's fiction might enjoy it more than I did!
Location: Nova Scotia
This was a nice, light listen perfect for audiobook. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with any of the characters and after the car accident, I was more worried about the welfare of the dog, Winston, than the husband. Overall, the story line was much too predictable for me, but fans of women's fiction might enjoy it more than I did!
Location: Nova Scotia
August 14, 2018
Wow. I was sucked into the story from page one and couldn't stop reading. After Abbie's car is slammed off the road by a drunk driver, everything in her life unravels. A CURVE IN THE ROAD is a fast-paced, tightly plotted page-turner; an intricate tale of family secrets, unexpected twists, the resilience of the human spirit, and the coolest dog since Enzo.
August 19, 2018
Awful
What is up these days with using first person? Anyone can write in first person. I,I. Me,me. No character development. No other points of view. Boring. It’s like an essay. If books like this are now “Best Sellers” then we are truly in trouble.
What is up these days with using first person? Anyone can write in first person. I,I. Me,me. No character development. No other points of view. Boring. It’s like an essay. If books like this are now “Best Sellers” then we are truly in trouble.
April 15, 2019
I highly recommend this book! I had a hard time putting it down
March 8, 2020
I found this an entertaining book but to formulaic to deserve accolades or recommendations for those who enjoy chick-lit drama. A Curve in the Road is one of those, "my lover had secrets and now they're gone, I am in shock" stories. This book seems to evoke a wide range of reviews, so in a sense it is controversial enough to be considered by some. I'll mainly hit on what I liked and didn't enjoy to give you a guide. I'll engage in minor spoilers but given the publisher's blurb, it won't be revealing much in the process.
On the plus side, I liked the characters enough that I kept reading, if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have finished the book. It was an added bonus that there was a great start to the story, a frightening accident occurs with very serious implications. As the result of this accident, the story unfolds with various secrets coming to light, which has been the basis for drama since time immemorial. The main character, Abbie must process the "new" reality of her marriage and her priorities. I think her reactions are pretty on point and realistic, although some younger reader's seem to take her reaction as overly dramatic. I actually think this book would be a positive read for those who have found themselves in a similar situation.
One of my biggest disappointments in this story is that in several critical plot points, they score low on being believable. I find this lessens my overall enjoyment. Furthermore, the story could have been better edited. Though it follows the year following the accident, the timeline was inconsistent though not as a story device but probably because of being overlooked in editing (it was not significant to impact the story's outcome, just annoying). Inconsistencies are a recurring issue in various parts of the story. Perhaps, some they weren't addressed because it would be more obvious how the story would not have been possible? Other reviewers have pointed out that Abbie seems to shout her doctor credentials throughout the story to gain information she otherwise wouldn't get. Yet, another example of how unrealistic this story is. It was annoying both in context and frequency. On the flip side, I thought, she asks questions about a medical condition she should absolutely have known the answer to since she is a medical doctor! Furthermore, when she is diagnosed with a new medical condition, which is a somewhat commonly known condition these days, it makes her an instant celebrity and a national spokeswoman after only a few months from diagnosis, suddenly she is appearing on news programs and conferences as an expert, I don't think so! This is mentioned for a few paragraphs then never followed through. Perhaps this plot point was eliminated but the missed in the final editing? If you removed some of the excesses, this story would have been a novella and perhaps a stronger read.
The one thing that really appealed to me and at least several other reviewers, was the dog, Winston, who is a primary character. He is a character in the story that propels it forward and keeps the pages turning.
I would recommend this for a few hours of escapism, it qualifies as a beach read but serious literature it ain't.
On the plus side, I liked the characters enough that I kept reading, if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have finished the book. It was an added bonus that there was a great start to the story, a frightening accident occurs with very serious implications. As the result of this accident, the story unfolds with various secrets coming to light, which has been the basis for drama since time immemorial. The main character, Abbie must process the "new" reality of her marriage and her priorities. I think her reactions are pretty on point and realistic, although some younger reader's seem to take her reaction as overly dramatic. I actually think this book would be a positive read for those who have found themselves in a similar situation.
One of my biggest disappointments in this story is that in several critical plot points, they score low on being believable. I find this lessens my overall enjoyment. Furthermore, the story could have been better edited. Though it follows the year following the accident, the timeline was inconsistent though not as a story device but probably because of being overlooked in editing (it was not significant to impact the story's outcome, just annoying). Inconsistencies are a recurring issue in various parts of the story. Perhaps, some they weren't addressed because it would be more obvious how the story would not have been possible? Other reviewers have pointed out that Abbie seems to shout her doctor credentials throughout the story to gain information she otherwise wouldn't get. Yet, another example of how unrealistic this story is. It was annoying both in context and frequency. On the flip side, I thought, she asks questions about a medical condition she should absolutely have known the answer to since she is a medical doctor! Furthermore, when she is diagnosed with a new medical condition, which is a somewhat commonly known condition these days, it makes her an instant celebrity and a national spokeswoman after only a few months from diagnosis, suddenly she is appearing on news programs and conferences as an expert, I don't think so! This is mentioned for a few paragraphs then never followed through. Perhaps this plot point was eliminated but the missed in the final editing? If you removed some of the excesses, this story would have been a novella and perhaps a stronger read.
The one thing that really appealed to me and at least several other reviewers, was the dog, Winston, who is a primary character. He is a character in the story that propels it forward and keeps the pages turning.
I would recommend this for a few hours of escapism, it qualifies as a beach read but serious literature it ain't.
May 5, 2019
Imagine your worst nightmare. You’re driving on an icy road and as you start into a curve, an oncoming car crosses the center line and heads for you straight on. You swerve to miss the car but end up rolling over and over into a ravine. Your dog was with you in the car but when the car finally settles, he is gone.
As you are being treated in the ER, you discover the driver of the oncoming car is there as well clinging to life. His blood alcohol level was well over the limit and was very drunk.
You try to reach your husband but can’t, and as you try, you hear a phone ringing as you dial. Your husband’s phone is in the ER and your husband was the drunk driver.
This is a well told story of tragedy, recovery and infidelity as more is revealed. Maybe your nightmare is worse than this story but it is a great example of how a wonderful life can turn upside down in seconds.
This is not a book I would normally read but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended. My copy was an audiobook.
As you are being treated in the ER, you discover the driver of the oncoming car is there as well clinging to life. His blood alcohol level was well over the limit and was very drunk.
You try to reach your husband but can’t, and as you try, you hear a phone ringing as you dial. Your husband’s phone is in the ER and your husband was the drunk driver.
This is a well told story of tragedy, recovery and infidelity as more is revealed. Maybe your nightmare is worse than this story but it is a great example of how a wonderful life can turn upside down in seconds.
This is not a book I would normally read but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended. My copy was an audiobook.
January 20, 2019
3.5 stars
It was nice to read a book set in Nova Scotia and I was in need of the predictability I've come to expect when I slip into Chick Lit territory. Yes there is a middle aged woman who's life is changed dramatically one stormy night. Yes there is a dog, a golden retriever/ball of love and yes there is a son to protect yet allow to become the good man she knows he will become.
I did think the bad things that happened to Abbie got piled on rather thick but have to say much like a predictable Hallmark movie I was turning pages waiting to see what else could befall our heroine.
If you love formula and you enjoy speculating on what will happen next this one's for you.
It was nice to read a book set in Nova Scotia and I was in need of the predictability I've come to expect when I slip into Chick Lit territory. Yes there is a middle aged woman who's life is changed dramatically one stormy night. Yes there is a dog, a golden retriever/ball of love and yes there is a son to protect yet allow to become the good man she knows he will become.
I did think the bad things that happened to Abbie got piled on rather thick but have to say much like a predictable Hallmark movie I was turning pages waiting to see what else could befall our heroine.
If you love formula and you enjoy speculating on what will happen next this one's for you.
November 9, 2019
This review is also available on my blog: Wine Cellar Library
How do you cope with the realization that your seemingly perfect marriage is all a lie? How do you determine how much information is appropriate to divulge to your heartbroken teenage son? Does any of the new information you've gleaned have any significance in the aftermath, anyway? At what point is it appropriate to move on from the past and step into a new life?
Abbie has struggled with both heartbreak and sleep disturbances since her car accident. This is a story of rebuilding after unimaginable circumstances. It is a story of resilience and growth in the face of seemingly insurmountable events.
It is difficult to review this book without giving away too much information. Suffice it to say that when things seem to only get worse, sometimes accepting additional sacrifices is the key to moving forward.
How do you cope with the realization that your seemingly perfect marriage is all a lie? How do you determine how much information is appropriate to divulge to your heartbroken teenage son? Does any of the new information you've gleaned have any significance in the aftermath, anyway? At what point is it appropriate to move on from the past and step into a new life?
Abbie has struggled with both heartbreak and sleep disturbances since her car accident. This is a story of rebuilding after unimaginable circumstances. It is a story of resilience and growth in the face of seemingly insurmountable events.
It is difficult to review this book without giving away too much information. Suffice it to say that when things seem to only get worse, sometimes accepting additional sacrifices is the key to moving forward.
July 12, 2018
A Curve in the Road by Julianne MacLean
Life can change on a dime. It's the tests that teach us how strong we can be. A Curve in the Road is a tale of heartache that breeds courage. Abbie is a woman that has it all, until one tragic moment changes everything. Will she weather the storm and reach that hard earned rainbow? MacLean takes a moment in time and turns it into an uplifting journey of hope. The pain has a realism that is heartbreaking as well as relatable, but it's the message beyond the pain that serves to inspire.
Life can change on a dime. It's the tests that teach us how strong we can be. A Curve in the Road is a tale of heartache that breeds courage. Abbie is a woman that has it all, until one tragic moment changes everything. Will she weather the storm and reach that hard earned rainbow? MacLean takes a moment in time and turns it into an uplifting journey of hope. The pain has a realism that is heartbreaking as well as relatable, but it's the message beyond the pain that serves to inspire.
October 9, 2019
If I didn't get this audiobook for free with my Kindle Unlimited Subscription I would have been upset I spent my money on it. A very surface-level book. The book is around a 7 hour listen, so it doesn't give you enough time to feel invested in the characters or the story. In my opinion, not a worthwhile read/listen unless you can get it for free.
January 28, 2023
I read this book because I have read others by the author and loved them. This was no different...I loved this book and everything about it...I loved the story line, I loved the characters, I loved the setting, and I loved the personal growth and development the main character had to go through. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to FEEL
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