The Runaway Wife: A laugh out loud feel good novel about second chances

Dee MacDonald

Apr 2018 · Bookouture

About this ebook

‘Hilarious! I loved every page… ' Dawn at Crooks on Books

One evening in early August, while mashing the potatoes for dinner, Connie McColl decides she’s had enough…

Connie is tired of solving one family crisis after another - usually involving her unruly grandchildren - while her husband Roger spends all day at his beloved golf course. Surely it must be time for her to shake off her apron and start living again?

So Connie packs a bag, gets in her little green car and drives off...

As Connie journeys from England to Scotland on an unexpected adventure, she finally begins to rediscover herself. And she starts to wonder, will she ever be ready to return home? Or will this summer change her life forever?

The Runaway Wife is an inspiring and joyously uplifting novel about being true to yourself. If you loved The Kicking the Bucket List and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry this book is for you.

What readers are saying about The Runaway Wife:

‘A warm, funny, brilliant read! I love the warmth and humour that jumps from the page. Connie is proof that you’re never too old to have an adventure! I LOVED the ending!!!!’ Sue Watson

 

‘I was laughing out loud… totally did not see the ending coming! WOWSERS! 5 stars for me!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

 

‘OMG! What a touching and inspirational book this is!! It made me howl with laughter and it made me sob my heart out… Connie is my absolute hero and I loved her to pieces from the moment I met her! A mixture of hilarious and bittersweet moments… I absolutely adored every single step of her journey… one of my favourite books of the year… A memorable, feel-good treat.’ My Chestnut Reading Tree, 5 stars 

‘Made me laugh and cry and laugh again, especially at the end. That was a little bit of genius!... beautifully written and the characters are lovingly drawn to make them come alive. I absolutely loved the ending, that really had me chuckling…’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

 ‘A funny romantic comedy… a book about love, friends, family and self-discovery. There were moments where you would laugh out loud, and then it would have you crying into a tissue… really emotional and tugged at the heart strings! A fun, life-affirming read!’ Stardust Book Reviews ‘A breath of fresh air! Wry and sharply observed, I was rooting for Connie the moment I met her. Fabulous!’ Kat French 

‘Once you start reading you can't stop…’ Goodreads Reviewer

 

‘Had me laughing out loud, getting emotional and taking the main character to heart… if I could give this book more than five stars, I would.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘The Runaway Wife is uplifting and inspiring.’ Novel Deelights

‘I love Connie! Like reading sunshine emerging on a grey day… Uplifting, riveting… Reminded me of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.’ Dawn, Crooks on Books

 

‘I LOVED Connie… she was hilarious, thought provoking, at times sad and insightful and I enjoyed every aspect of her and her travels. 5 stars.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

 

‘Very enjoyable, funny (absolutely hilarious at the end!), quite sad in places, yet thought provoking story, proving it's never too late to make a change in your life if you're not happy.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

 

‘I absolutely loved this book!’ Goodreads Reviewer

Ratings and reviews

Connie is sixty-six years of age with three grown children, a husband and a seeming never-ending list of things to do – all for others. While mashing potatoes as she makes yet another dinner that will be received without thanks, she decides that she’s had enough. Enough of being taken advantage of, being ignored, unthanked and hunting down her husband on the golf course. So she packs up her stuff into Kermit, her little green car – and drives off, destination Scotland. Eventually. What a clever combination of outrageous moments, self-discovery and a travelogue through the highways and byways of England: starting in Sussex and heading out on her own adventure to find herself, and perhaps some recognition of the years of effort she’s put in to keep everyone’s life running smoothly. Connie is the heroine for all of us – those moments when finding ‘me’ time is steadily moved down the to-do list as housework, children, grandchildren and the myriad of demands pile up, without regard for the one who makes it all happen. Tired of being the one who is expected to be ‘there’, she’s chucked that all in and reconnects with old friends, meets new ones, and with a not-so-subtle pushing to see her family more self-sufficient and for them to recognize that she is important, needed, and above all – deserves the right to be asked if she ‘wants’ to help out, babysit, shuttle the grandchildren to and fro….. Throughout the book, MacDonald brings us England and Scotland: from descriptions of sights and people to moments with food, Connie’s sheer excitement in encountering the new and different, and the people she encounters and welcomes along the way. Connie is open and generous with her time, her friendship and with readers as she shares her thoughts about her history and life, past and present, and tries to find just ‘who’ she has become in the meantime, as she works toward being the person she wants to be. Sure, she has moments that are bittersweet, if not downright morose, but she’s ultimately a cheerful and thoughtful person, even in moments that alternate from hilariously awkward to potentially dangerous – her zest for discovering things, and by extension, herself, make this hard to put down. Best of all are the emails from home – first worried and concerned, then testing the limits with ‘guilt inducing’ statements like “how will Dad manage the vacuuming” – she’s without waver – simply responding to queries about her return with “I’m having a wonderful adventure and will return soon enough.” Unfortunately for readers, soon enough comes far too quickly as I could have traveled with Connie far longer – and spent more hours in her company. For she becomes a friend, an example and a lovely character all around. I can’t wait to see more from this author. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

This was a very enjoyable story about Connie, a wife and mother who'd had enough of being taken for granted by all her family, and set off on a road trip to 'find herself'. She really needed a break from her family and wanted to figure out if she really loved her husband enough to stay with him, or whether they were just in a rut that they needed to get out of. She didn't tell anybody, just upped and went, which was very brave of her, especially since she'd been married and started her family young and was now 66 years old and hadn't done anything on her own before. Of course (most of) her family thought she was mad and wanted to know what she was playing at, but that was more because they didn't have anyone around to cook, clean, babysit etc. Right ungrateful lot they were, apart from her eldest single daughter Diana who cheered her on and thought it was a fabulous thing to be doing. She had no idea where she was going, but started off from Surrey and managed to get to Scotland, stopping at various places along the way. She also managed to get into a variety of situations, including being nearly arrested in a protest she wasn't really in, being an extra in a Scottish soap, and even inadvertently getting roped into being a getaway driver after a robbery - well nearly - very funny! She met some lovely people on her journey, and camped out under the stars on more than one occasion in the little tent she'd bought herself. Connie was such a lovely, caring person and it was so nice to see her enjoying herself and doing what she wanted for a change. Very enjoyable, funny (absolutely hilarious at the end!), quite sad in places, yet thought provoking story, proving it's never too late to make a change in your life if you're not happy. I look forward to reading more by Dee MacDonald in the future.

The Runaway Wife is one of the nicest surprises I've had. Connie takes off, needing to get away and take time for herself. Her reasons are relatable and her adventures are wonderful. This book is terrific, real and lovely. I've already purchased The Getaway Girls. I wanted neither Ms. Macdonald's stories nor Connie's adventures to end!