Review: How to Change a Life by Stacy Ballis

How to Change a Life

by Stacy Ballis

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 400

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Eloise is happy with her life as a successful private chef. She has her clients, her corgi, and a recipe for the world's most perfect chocolate cream pie. What more could she need? But when her long-lost trio of high school friends reunites, Eloise realizes how lonely she really is.

Eloise, Lynne, and Teresa revamp their senior-class assignment and dare one another to create a list of things to accomplish by the time they each turn forty in a few months. Control freak Lynne has to get a dog, Teresa has to spice up her marriage, and Eloise has to start dating again.

Enter Shawn, a hunky ex-athlete and the first man Eloise could see herself falling for. Suddenly forty doesn't seem so lonely--until a chance encounter threatens the budding romance and reveals the true colors of her friends. Will the bucket listers make it to forty still speaking to one another? Or do some friendships come with an expiration date?

Kritters Thoughts:  Eloise is basically happy in life and things are just smooth sailing along when two of her high school friends come back into her life and she has to question the goals and dreams she had for herself back then and how her life measures up now.

What a great book to make you think about the milestones you had for yourself and to take a moment and reconnect and figure out where you want to go so you can make a plan to head that way.  I loved that nothing was wrong in Eloise's life things were fine, but with a few pushes in a few spots she could elevate fine to great.  

I thought Eloise was a great main character and I loved seeing a job that wasn't an office job and how interesting her life was.  I like books that can give you a glimpse into someone else's life and you can "experience" it without changing your life!

Stacey Ballis is a solid author who can write females to a T and I love how they are whole and complete.  Her books can seem breezy, but without the amount of heart they have they don't feel like just fluff.  I am and will always be a fan and she will be one I look for for that book to stick in the beach bag!


Rating:  perfect beach read (read it while on vacation!)

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.