Book Review: Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins

Book: 70/150

Rating: 4/5

Summary: Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London. The regal old woman came from wealthy and bluest-blood New England stock, but that didn’t protect her from life’s cruelest blows: the disappearance of Genevieve’s young son, followed by the premature death of her husband. But Genevieve rose from those ashes of grief and built a fashion empire that was respected the world over, even when it meant neglecting her other son.

When Emma’s own mother died, her father abandoned her on his mother’s doorstep. Genevieve took Emma in and reluctantly raised her–until Emma got pregnant her senior year of high school. Genevieve kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back…but Emma took with her the most important London possession: the strength not just to survive but to thrive. And indeed, Emma has built a wonderful life for herself and her teenage daughter, Riley.

So what is Emma to do when Genevieve does the one thing Emma never expected of her and, after not speaking to her for nearly two decades, calls and asks for help?

Thoughts: This book was such a wonderful surprise! I ended up loving it. I avoided this book because of the cover: I thought it was going to be a sad golden retriever book and I am NOT about those books!

I loved all of the characters: there were so many different storylines to get invested in. Higgins' female characters were so incredibly well fleshed out. I liked how we had the insight as to how Genevieve was feeling when she was aging and when she would have her episodes... it was tragic to read about but as a reader gave incredible insight. Emma was such a lovable character: if your grandmother kicked you out when you were pregnant as a teen, and treated you horribly, would you come to stay with her for a summer? And Riley, Emma's daughter and Genevieve's great-granddaughter, who was feisty, strong, smart, kind, and funny: which is not what you always see with teenagers.

I don't always tear up at books but this one really pulled at my heart strings towards the end. This is a great book because it is so well written, has a little bit of everything (family drama, romance, mystery, and really lovable characters), so I think it is a great book to recommend!