Now That You Mention It: A Novel
By: Kristan Higgins
Rating: 5 of 5
I’ve been a fan of Kristan Higgins for many years. I’ve enjoyed her various books, both stand-alone novels and series. Those books were primarily romances but they always made me laugh and made the characters come alive to me so that I rejoiced as their tales ended happily.
In recent years, Ms. Higgins has moved away from romantic comedies and have ventured into the land of fictional literature. Her stories have taken on a depth that was lacking in her earlier, shorter novels.
“Now That You Mention It” is just such a novel. From it’s opening line “The first thought I had after I died was: How will my dog cope with this?”, it grabbed my attention and I found myself reading it in segments and then, at odd times of the day when I was alone, I would think through what I had read and than apply it to my own life.
I shared a lot of similar past events with Nora Stuart, the main character of the story. From abandonment issues, to being the smart but not well loved teenager, relationship issues and much more, I could relate to this character. As she progressed through her issues, I did as well. I was even in the hospital recovering from literally the point of death (from a severe pneumonia) as I started reading the book. So, coming back from the brink of death was something very much on my mind.
I laughed a lot (as I always do with Ms. Higgin’s books.) I cried even more as Nora went on her own road of discovery by searching into her past. Her relationships with mother, her sister, her niece, her father and others in her current life and in her past were explored and held up to the test of her life in the present.
To say I enjoyed this book is not enough. It made an impact on my life in a positive way. I’ve been changed by reading it. For a novel to have that kind of effect on me is unusual and is a bar that very few books have risen to. I recommend it highly.
I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.