Swan Huntley

This could be classified as an adult coming of age book in a way, and was quite strange.
 
I was expecting more magical realism, but this was far more psychological than anything else. I wanted it to be more of a thriller, and I think it could have succeeded more if it embraced this category over women's fiction.
 
The fascinating look at a sort of mid-life crisis going on was quite poignant, and the best part about this book was definitely seeing how Nancy's relationship with her husband evolved in relation to her own space in the world.
 
The end made the book worth it, and the sort of sad feeling, but the lack of regret (to be ambiguous without spoiling) added more of an honest note to the novel.
 
Overall, though, this book felt wondering, and I couldn't quite get absorbed into why I should care about what was going on.
 
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (altro)

In Getting Clean With Stevie Green, by Swan Huntley, Stevie Green heads back home to help her mom pack and move. This goes so well that Stevie starts a decluttering business helping other rich people solve their non-problems of too many Vespas filling up their massive garages. It's the same income bracket of We Could Be Beautiful, by the same author, only with a California style instead of a Manhattan style.

This is an unusual returning-home story where money isn't a motivating factor. Stevie's not broke. There's no stress about getting enough clients for the decluttering business. Stevie's mom gives her the main house and buys her a car. Instead, Stevie's focus is all on self-improvement. Steve's quit drinking, which used to be the central focus of her life. Her relationship with her mom is improving, too. It turns out neither of them like cooking, so they have takeout next to the pool every night, because that's rich people growth. Stevie's not just decluttering her clients' bonus rooms and garages, but clearing her own life, too.

It's slightly ridiculous in the non-problem way lifestyle fiction often is, but some of that is what makes it a fun read. Stevie is aware of the absurdity of her clients' shopping addictions or inability to do laundry, too. She knows it's ridiculous to pretend she's on a cleanse instead of being sober.

The central question of who was behind a high-school drama keeps coming back. At first, I thought Stevie was going to learn to let it go, and discover that it doesn't actually matter that an unknown someone 20 years ago really didn't like the popular girl! But then Stevie gets drawn back to her high school boyfriend and her high school bestie/hookup, and it's clear that this is still forefront in her mind. Almost like that's what she needs to declutter...

Overall, this was a fun story about family bonds and second-chance romance that doesn't always go the way you expect.… (altro)