The Getaway by Emily March: Book Review

The Getaway is the story of a mother of four who rediscovers herself by moving with her sister to Colorado and starting to live a life she’d only dreamed of. It’s the first book in the author’s Lake In The Clouds series.

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From The Publisher:

Widowed young, Genevieve Prentice dedicated her life to raising her four children. Now, though, they’re all grown and scattered to the wind, and Genevieve is ready for a change. In a flash of inspiration, she puts her home on the market and heads to Lake in the Clouds, Colorado, to renovate a rustic waterfront lodge with her sister. But just as they begin, Genevieve gets the shock of a lifetime: the arrival of her son.

Jake Prentice built a career out of being dependable, one that left him perennially stressed and overworked. Finally heeding his mother’s words of wisdom, he’s quit his job and is ready to find out what truly makes him happy. And now, as he stands surrounded by open sky and fresh, pine-scented air, he’s got no regrets . . . until former colleague Tess Crenshaw appears at the lake, forcing him to reassess what—and who—he really wants.

As they work together to renovate the lodge, Genevieve and Jake embark on a heartfelt and inspiring journey to learn about themselves, each other, and the true meaning of family.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. Genevieve is the mother of four adult children who haven’t been getting along for the past few years. Family is everything to her and when her children bail on her for Thanksgiving and Christmas she has an epiphany – it’s time to make a life change. She decides to almost everything she has known to move with her sister Helen to Lake in the Clouds, Colorado to renovate a waterfront lodge and cabins.

Jake is Genevieve’s eldest son and a successful managing director for an architecture, planning and design firm. Faced with having to lay off a large number of the firm’s staff for the second time in a few months, he also feels the need to make a change in his life. He quits his job and heads to visit his Mom and Aunt in Lake in the Clouds to clear his head. Soon after, he decides to ask out Tess, a former colleague and someone he can’t stop thinking about.

I really enjoy stories with older protagonists and Genevieve’s story is particularly compelling. Her transition into a new life has her doing things that are for herself and not for her family. She and her sister take a trip they had talked about since they were kids. It was nice to see this level of personal growth from someone middle-aged.

There is a romance that develops between Jake and Tess which highlights each of us learning to find out what really is most important in life. I enjoyed the dating element in this storyline including the use of a castle. The majestic nature described in Lake in the Clouds provided wonderful imagery.

The Getaway is a lovely story that has me wanting to read more about this family. I recommend this book to those that enjoy fiction about family, women’s fiction or romance. I look forward to reading the second book in the series when it becomes available.

What I Liked:

• The theme of personal growth and living your best life
• The likeable and relatable characters
• The wonderful imagery of the setting

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Forever for the ARC edition of the book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

It’s Better This Way by Debbie Macomber

The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Susan Mallery

Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey