Insignificant Others
By: Sarah Jio
Genre: Fiction
Summary:
When Lena Westbrook's night doesn't go according to plan, she has no idea that it's just the tip of the iceberg. Lena's going to find out what it would've been like if any of her previous relationships had worked out.
Lena Westbrook is thinking tonight's the night she and her boyfriend will get engaged. Not only does that plan not work out, but she's given a weird conveyor belt analogy as part of the reason. Devastated, Lena goes to visit her Aunt and take some time to sort out her feelings. Her life goes in a completely different direction when she falls asleep in the guest house- located in Seattle, Washington- but wakes up in Paris, France.
Thus begins her journey of spending one day in the lives she would have lived if any of the men who came into her life (in various forms) had worked out. These days take her all over the world and give her a chance to live many different lives.
There's the marriage she where she and her husband are cheating. Or the life where she married a man she went on a couple of dates with, but make a life on a farm in Pennsylvania. The life she wakes up to where she discovers her husband is a con artist who scams retired people out of their money. In some lives, she deals with the subject of children- in the various forms in comes in. By the time she wakes up back in the guest house, Lena has learned far more about herself than she anticipated. Somehow, things never before on her radar now are. She learns that a big ring doesn't lead to a happy life. And sometimes, the life you really need is the last one you expected to want.
Once again, Sarah Jio has delivered a fascinating story. I was glued to what each new life was going to look like and reveal to her. The different careers and types of lives she lived out were captivating. I wanted to see what would unfold next. I chuckled at the funny scenes- be careful around an ice sculpture & when milking a cow), had my heart strings tugged at the encounters with children. Cheered her on when she rights the wrongs done by her crook husband. It was an emotional journey of discovery for not just Lena, but the reader as well. This book triggered me reflecting on my own past romances and what I learned from each one. Thank you, Sarah, for giving me another story to get lost in.