Plan Bea - by Hilary Grossman

My own copy

Original Cover

The blurb:

How well do you really know the people in your life?

Annabel O’Conner has the perfect husband, two adorable children, an amazing job, and the mother from hell! Annabel doesn’t like it but has come to terms with the fact that her relationship with her mother, Bea, deteriorated to the point of forced and strained communications. However, an unscheduled call from Bea turns her world around and makes Annabel question everything she believed about her life.

Despite the fact secrets, lies, and misplaced blame have destroyed the women’s relationship; Annabel reluctantly agrees to help Bea plan her wedding. Little does Annabel know the impact of her decision.

In this Women’s Contemporary Fiction novel, Hilary Grossman explores the complex relationship that exists between mothers and daughters in a light-hearted and relatable manner.

My Opinion:

*Book provided by the author in exchange of an honest review*

Hilary’s debut novel Dangled Carat is a memoir, that’s why I was really curious about Plan Bea, because it’s total fiction.

The story follows Annabel, better known as Anna. She is happy with her husband Cole and her two children. All she wants is a happy family and to be loved, especially by her mother Bea. She went through a lot in her past, loosing her brother Brody was the hardest and it also damaged her relationship to her her mother.

The two of them are not close, although they talk to each other on the phone, Anna complains about her mother constantly and still feels abandoned and left alone by her own mother. Of course that all has a reason. With several flashbacks, we get to read about what happened so many years ago. We also get to read about how she met Cole.

Cole is great, the perfect husband and dad. He is always there for his wife and he is honest with her. I also loved his mother, who is also really close to Anna. He wasn’t happy when Anna started helping her mother with the preparations for her wedding.

It was good for the two women though and after a while their relationship changed. The story behind this wedding is actually really adorable, sweet and oh so cute. I can’t tell you more here ;) Just read the story.

The only thing I struggled with at times were some conversations and situations that just didn't come across real, not authentic enough for my taste. 

It’s a beautiful story about mother and daughter and how they build a relationship again after some though years. Hilary’s writing is very gripping and engages you immediately. It was a pleasure following around Anna and her family.

Rating:

My possible cast:

Anna: Ellen Pompeo

Cole: Patrick Dempsey

Bea: Patricia Clarkson

Hilary on Twitter: @feelingbeachie

Website: http://www.feelingbeachie.com

Goodreads - Amazon UK - Amazon US