31 Treats And A Marriage

by Lynn Farley-Rose, Jo Dalton (Illustrations)

From Austen to Brown... a giant table in Liverpool to hidden churches in London... New York to Edinburgh... and cannibalistic spiders to a horse named Twilight...

When Lynn's family seemed finally to have overcome a series of disasters, and her husband was at last in recovery from cancer, she thought that it was time to focus on recovering herself. She decided to have some treats - not frivolous material things but exploratory, enriching experiences.

Then life threw up a new obstacle and she found the problems weren't over. In fact they were about to get much worse - and suddenly the treats become something far more; they became a lifeline.

A life-affirming story full of humour, trivia and lots of lists.

324 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2016

About the author

Lynn Farley-Rose spent her childhood in Devon and then went to university in London. She spent some years working as a research psychologist before a move to Sussex resulted in a complete change of lifestyle. At one point she was responsible for the welfare of thirty-two animals and eight species including her four children. 31 Treats And A Marriage is her first book and arose out of an interest in ways to cope when life throws up challenges. She's working on her second book and writes a regular blog, treatsandmore.com which includes interviews, treats, travel and trivia.

Reviews

[Katheryn Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Lynn nears her 60th birthday, celebrating her husband's recovery from cancer, she creates a unique and personalised "bucket list", but what begin as treats become much more as her marriage, and with it her life as she knew it, breaks down. This light and humorous, but also moving and thought-provoking, story illustrates how these "treats" become a lifeline.
Just as the title suggests, '31 Treats and a Marriage' explores the concept of "bucket lists", and lists in general, which we as a race seem to have a certain fascination with (I know that I certainly do), as Lynn tries to use her own list to find the balance between her needs and those of her family.
It is unusual to find a book where both the premise and the writing style are equally enjoyable, so that you can devour the book itself but also want to read more from the author. This is one of those books.
It is a truly inspirational story and I have the greatest respect for its author.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free as part of Goodreads giveaways.

I don't know why, but I found this book difficult to get into. It wasnt over a descriptive or uninteresting, but I felt I wasn't in a rush to keep picking it up. However, once I got about 1/3 of the way through I felt differently as the story seemed to pick up, and it then didn't take me long to read the rest. It made me think about the emotions of the main character, as she was going through something I haven't experienced. I was willing her to come through it, and in the end I felt safe closing the book knowing that she was starting to enjoy her life again.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

31 Treats has truly inspired me. I finished the book quickly (for my standards) as I found it difficult to put it down. Lynn has had a truly difficult and turbulent life yet she is still stays positive and embarks on so many different adventures with her amazing children and friends. Since reading; I have compiled my own list of treats to get myself through some difficult times and I can't wait to start. I loved the way Lynn is so open and honest and I hope I can mimic some of her qualities as I get through my own list. A feel-good novel.

[Susan Crosswaite · Rating 5 out of 5]

After supporting her husband through a battle with cancer, Lynn decides to recover her sense of self by having a series of treats. These take the form of experiences rather than material things and become a support mechanism through the unexpected difficulties ahead. Lynn writes with honesty and humour and we can all learn something from her desire to enrich her life with new experiences.

I am grateful to have received this book free from Goodreads Giveaways.

[Kate White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an inspirational book! We've all been through tough times and hearing Lynn's story will really resonate. But better still, it's just great food for thought. I'm now compiling my own treats list and thinking outside the usual parameters.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good holiday read.