finished reading

I struggled a bit with the beginning of this book; it took longer than usual for me to connect with the characters and the situations.  I'm so glad I kept reading because I thoroughly enjoyed it!  

The book is all about Lila Kennedy, a recently divorced mom of two daughters: sixteen-year-old Celie and eight-year-old Violet. Life’s already a bit of a mess for Lila, with her house falling apart and her career in trouble after her marriage to Dan ended, especially since she’d just published a bestselling book on how to save a marriage. To make things even more complicated, Lila’s kind but grieving stepdad, Bill, has moved in after her mom passed away. And just when she thinks things can’t get any crazier, her biological dad, Gene – a Hollywood actor she hasn’t seen in 35 years – shows up out of the blue, needing a place to crash.

As Lila tries to balance single motherhood, money problems, and writer’s block, her unconventional household pushes her to face her past and rethink what family really means. The story follows her as she manages her rebellious daughters, her well-meaning but sometimes too involved stepfather, and her flashy father. Along the way, she meets Jensen, the charming gardener Bill hires, who turns into a supportive friend, and she navigates the ups and downs of her ex-husband Dan’s new life. With a mix of humor and heartfelt moments, Lila learns about forgiveness, the surprising connections within her family, and how to find love and happiness in the messiness of life.

From the publisher:

Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach about love, and what it actually means to be family.