Kathryn Elliott

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 5 out of 5 Stars.

Dealing with everyday life and family dilemmas, Adding Lib by Kathryn Elliott, the first book in the McGinn series, is filled with colorful characters, funny dialogue and a light romance. From the first page to the last, Ms. Elliott’s story grabbed my attention, made me laugh and even brought tears to my eyes. Reminding us what’s best, and worst about family, everyday life and dealing with sometimes difficult and serious situations, Ms. Elliott’s debut novel is a genuine delight. She’s definitely going to be an author to watch.

Ms. Elliott does a good job developing all of the characters in her story and I found myself easily connecting with Elizabeth “Libby” O’Rourke and her colorful family. I especially liked her husband Bob, a public defender, and enjoyed their sweet relationship and how they dealt with their children and gastronomically challenged dog. I also enjoyed getting to know Caroline, Libby’s best friend from childhood, and her older brother Sean, who secretly has a crush on Caroline. One of the best characters of all though was Mae McGinn, Libby’s mom, who is a force to be reckoned with. She actually reminded me a little bit of the title character in “Auntie Mame” with her eccentric behavior and sharp wit.

Tackling family dynamics with humor and realism, Ms. Elliott addresses peer pressure, teenage angst, getting older, and even Alzheimers. She even reminds us that we need to get yearly checkups and that watching what we eat, exercising and just generally taking care of ourselves is important from childhood to the end.

Will Libby be able to get her mother to deal with her impending health issues? Will Mae find her son a wife before it’s too late for her to remember? And how will Libby’s family deal with everything that’s going on all at once? You’ll have to read Adding Lib to find out. I loved it and can’t wait to read the next book in this series.… (més)