The Week I Ruined My Life

by Caroline Grace Cassidy

Ali Devlin never had any doubts about marrying Colin, but two beautiful children and 12 years later she is overwhelmingly doubtful. Where is the man she fell in love with? Why does she not feel the same way about him anymore? What has happened to them, and how is she ever going to fix it? Reigniting her passion for the arts, she finds a job in the City Arts Centre after years as a stay at home mom. Befriending artist-in-residence Owen O'Neill, Ali can't help but notice he is everything Colin isn't respectful, charming, caring, and undeniably sexy. There is chemistry, but Ali isn't the type of woman to have an affair, is she? Unsure of exactly what she wants, a work trip to Amsterdam brings the changes she desired. Changes she couldn't have seen happening. Changes that ruin her life.

304 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2017

Reviews

[Shirley Revill · Rating 4 out of 5]

When do you know that love has gone
What changed the life we knew
How can you recall hurtful words
That broke a heart in two

Why did we do such hurtful things
When we where such good friends
Can we go back and start again
Or did I stop loving you.

I always thought that we'd grow old
Together you and I
When did I know the love we shared
Was just a great big lie.

If we went back to try again
Would it ever be the same
When love ups and leaves us all alone
Does it ever come back again.
Shirley.
I love to listen to an audiobook at the end of the day and I always choose the book by the sound of the narrator's voice. This story was not really one that I would normally listen too but the voice drew me in and I'm so very glad it did.

Ali and Colin have been friends from a young age. They eventually marry and have a family but somewhere along the line they stop being friends. Colin is one of those guys who believes a wife's place is in the home but Ali can't live her life along those lines. Many hurtful things are said and done and the friendship and love seem to have disappeared. Is it too late for Ali and Colin to get back the love they once shared?
For anyone going through a bad spot in their lives it will make you realise to always talk your problems through. The answers can't be had by not appreciating each other or having an affair especially when there are children involved.
The ending to this story was totally unexpected and that added to the story for me. I found it very hard to hit the pause button as I couldn't sleep without knowing what happened next. I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook which was a first story by this author for me.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought it was going to be really crappy, it was actually really quite sad by the end, I cried.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you had ever thought about embarking on an affair and weren't sure about consequences - read this. If you aren't happy in your relationship and need a way out - read this.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of consequences when it comes to relationships. I wasn't sure where the story was going, but the end really did it for me. Sometimes consequences can be the best thing for you.

[Hattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, light hearted and familiar. The ending wasn't as expected.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ali is unhappily married to Colin, and as the book progresses, we can see why. He's emotionally abusive, although none of the characters nor the author seem to realise this. Ali enjoys her job and seeks comfort and distraction through her work, her colleagues and her friend. She's obsessed with her competence as a mother and spends (too) much of the narrative going on about it, which is made even more irritating because keeps referring to herself as a mummy. Eventually things come to a head, the marriage comes to a crisis, and a resolution is reached.

The dialogue is very odd in places, the character of Colin is so unpleasant it's hard to see why anyone would want to stay with him, and the ending all feels a bit meh.

[Susan Cairney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only ever put this down when I had too.....or if I fell asleep reading it!

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but the pacing is annoyingly all over the place which is distracting and the tacked on epilogue is even more out of pace than any other section of the book

[Martin Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, she did herself a favour in the end ey?

[CW Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the fact that I didn't know what the ending would be...stay or go.
After all the agonizing I was surprised at her calmness over her decision.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read for me in 10 days. Nothing ground breaking and a fairly easy read. But I didn't really enjoy it.

[Tina O'reilly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disliked the main character. Not written very well.