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Annie’s reading tips

Welcome to check out my YA, queer and diverse book recommendations!
​See my latest reviews below, or find a review by author or rating under categories.

10/15/2022 0 Comments

Life is Good and Other Lies by Magdalena di Sotru and Sophia Soames

This was quite a unique story - not a romance as such, and not very romantic at all - but rather a story about what happens to a relationship when everyday life takes its toll on the big epic romance. It was beautiful, honest, heartwarming and so very realistic.
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Life is Good and Other Lies is the story of one messy holiday, two crumbling marriages, five bored kids and a farm full of secrets. It follows the Swedish/Norwegian couple Thomas and Frank, who have inherited a remote Swedish farmhouse and who decide to rent out the guest house to the German/Italian couple Bruno and Gabriel, to spend a month together at the farm with all their children (three of them teenagers). Both couples struggle with their relationship and with life in general. But as the summer proceeds, friendships and bonds are formed both between the adults and their children, which provides support and new insights. So between the fighting and miscommunication, they might all maybe, just maybe, have a shot at finding the way back to the love that has been there all the time.

I really rooted for all characters. They were so well-developed, full of flaws and relatable. I appreciated how the story didn’t shy away from any of the characters’ mental health issues, body morphia and the fact that all relationships have their ups and downs, but how their love for each other always was strong enough.

And, being Swedish myself, I really enjoyed the description of the Swedish countryside and the people in the small town. It was truly spot on!

For me personally, I found the pacing to be a bit slow though. The story took place over the course of a few summer weeks, who were supposed to show a slow, simple, life in the Swedish countryside, but I still think the story itself could have been told in a bit faster pace. I also didn’t quite see how the subplot with the aunt and her love story fit into the maim story. It added a bit of a mystery element to the story that was fun, but maybe it could have been made either as a separate add-on novella, or have been more interwoven with the main story?

But all in all, this was a heartwarming, unique and realistic story about love, mental health, family bonds and the ups and downs of life. A beautiful story that makes you reflect about what’s really important in life and which, despite all the hardship the characters go through, gives you hope for the possibility of forever love. No matter what, some people are just meant to be!

Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the free ARC of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed.

Rating:
4 stars

Get your own copy:
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Author info:
Magdalena di Sotru
Sophia Soames
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