Time Flies by Claire Cook

Title:   Time Flies

Author:  Claire Cook

Genre: Contemporary

TWO BEST FRIENDS, A HIGH SCHOOL REUNION, AND A ROLLICKING ROAD TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

YEARS AGO, Melanie followed her husband, Kurt, from the New England beach town where their two young sons were thriving to the suburbs of Atlanta. She’s carved out a life as a successful metal sculptor, but when Kurt leaves her for another woman, having the tools to cut up their marriage bed is small consolation. She’s old enough to know that high school reunions are often a big disappointment, but when her best friend makes her buy a ticket and an old flame gets in touch to see if she’ll be going, she fantasizes that returning to her past might help her find her future . . . until her highway driving phobia resurfaces and threatens to hold her back from the adventure of a lifetime.

Time Flies is an epic trip filled with fun, heartbreak, and friendship that explores what it takes to conquer your worst fears . . . so you can start living your future.

First off let me say that if ever another of Claire Cook’s books needed to be made into a movie this is the one!! (she also wrote Must Love Dogs)  This is a story that every woman, mom or best friend can TOTALLY relate to!!  And the soundtrack for this movie would be a # 1 hit overnight! I started highlighting the songs that were mentioned and created a playlist that I will keep FOREVER!

In my opinion, high school reunions are a special kind of torture that you either dread or anticipate as they approach… it depends on how content you are in your life at that time. At the time of this reunion Melanie is not content and she has major reasons not to be: her soon-to-be ex-husband and the infamous Crissy, she is still adjusting to an empty-nest and her highway driving phobia she cannot seem to conquer. But the light at the end of her tunnel of discontent comes in the form of emails from an old high school flame. So begins the road trip of a life time!

The dynamic between Melanie and her best friend BJ and two of their other girlfriends from high school is so true to life and made this reader assign these characters to friends in my own life (and I vow to be a better friend thanks to CC’s gentle reminders).  Shouldn’t we all have those people in our lives that force us to look outside the box and live a little!! The emotions that Claire Cook evokes from Melanie’s interactions with her sister made me as angry as BJ was for Melanie’s tears. And I cheered as Mel finally came to the conclusion that she will never be able to live up to her expectations and being the bigger person to apologize, say I Love You and simply move on. And Kurt… BOOOO. I agree that Mel ”was always too good for him”.

As I finished this book I was emotional and breathless and excited for Melanie to start to live her future. At the same time I was so disappointed that the journey had to end! This was my favorite ChickLit read so far for 2013 and this story will stick with me for a long time to come!

Grade: A+