2.23.2022

finished reading

This was a quick read.  I got sucked in and finished it in one go.  The protagonist is someone I would be friends with.  I like that a viral video of decluttering posted on social media garnered enough of a following to launch a career change.  There were a few too many neat coincidences in the plot that led me to figure it out, but it was enjoyable enough.

From the publisher:
Emily Harlow is a professional organizer who helps people declutter their lives; she’s married to man who can’t drive past a yard sale without stopping. He’s filled their basement, attic, and garage with his finds.

Like other professionals who make a living decluttering peoples’ lives, Emily has devised a set of ironclad rules. When working with couples, she makes clear that the client is only allowed to declutter his or her own stuff. That stipulation has kept Emily’s own marriage together these past few years. She’d love nothing better than to toss out all her husband’s crap. He says he’s a collector. Emily knows better—he’s a hoarder. The larger his “collection” becomes, the deeper the distance grows between Emily and the man she married.

Luckily, Emily’s got two new clients to distract herself: an elderly widow whose husband left behind a storage unit she didn’t know existed, and a young wife whose husband won’t allow her stuff into their house. Emily’s initial meeting with the young wife takes a detour when, after too much wine, the women end up fantasizing about how much more pleasant life would be without their collecting spouses.

But the next day Emily finds herself in a mess that might be too big for her to clean up. Careful what you wish for, the old adage says . . . now Emily might lose her freedom, her marriage . . . and possibly her life.

1 comment:

The Gal Herself said...

I'm glad you liked it! But I know what you mean. I kept wanting to yell at Emily, "DON'T YOU GET IT?" She's not stupid, how did she not see what was happening? But I decided she wasn't a sleuth or an investigator, so I cut her slack. In the moment, though, I found it frustrating.

PS Wouldn't this make a good cozy series? That's not how Hallie rolls, but I think Emily and Becca have more adventures in them.