It's never too late to put your best foot forward
From the outside, Reagan “Rae” Doucet has it all: a
coveted career in Washington, DC, a tight circle of friends and a shoe closet
to die for. When one of her crew falls ill, however, Rae is done playing it
safe. The talented but unfulfilled writer makes a “risk list” to revamp her
life. But forgiving her ex, Jake Saunders, might be one risk too many…
For me, this was just an okay book. I had a hard time
liking the main character, Rae. Early in the book, she seems to have a constant
litany of complaints, from her job to her love life, but no intention of
actually doing anything about them. The best part of her life is her vast
closet full of shoes, and even there, she shows discontent over the ones she's
never worn.
Rae is a journalist who works for an online magazine in
DC, writing about political and social issues. She'd love to take her articles
in new directions, but her boss is resistant to the idea, and Rae doesn't push.
Instead, she backs down and grumbles to her friends about being stifled. She
runs into her ex-boyfriend from college, who apologizes for being a jerk and
indicates an interest in trying again. But Rae isn't interested in risking her
heart on someone who's already broken it once.
Then one of Rae's best friends falls ill. Christine
encourages Rae to stop playing it safe and go after what she wants while she
can. With the encouragement of her friends, Rae begins a "risk list"
of goals to break out of her safe little world. But writing it down and doing
it are two different propositions, and weeks go by with no progress. I liked
seeing her other friends hold Rae accountable for her delaying tactics.
I was happy when Rae finally started taking those risks,
though I ached for her over the catalyst for it. I especially enjoyed her
confrontation with her boss, though I initially thought she would back down
again. Her fears are understandable, and the realism of her job search was well
done. It was great to see that someone appreciated her drive and creativity when
she found a good fit for employment.
My biggest disappointment was in the lack of romance. At
the beginning of the book, there's a brief sighting of Jake, the college ex,
but then Rae gets involved with this other guy. It looked serious, which left
me confused. When that relationship crashed and burned, I ached for Rae and
understood what happened. I liked the support she received from her friends and
family but wondered if/when we'd see Jake again. Though he made a few more
appearances, I never felt any connection between him and Rae, so the so-called
romance fell flat for me.
This book felt much more like a chick-lit story than a
romance. I liked seeing the growth that Rae experienced and enjoyed the linking
of her shoes to various life events. It isn't unusual for inanimate objects to
trigger memories, which was well done. I would like to have seen an epilogue
with a bit more of Rae and Jake together. Hopefully, they will show up in the
next book.
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