In If You Ask Me by Libby Hubscher, You would think that being an advice columnist would give Violet 
Covington a leg up when it comes to solving her own problems. But when she finds her husband Sam in their bed with one of the neighbors, she has no idea where to turn. It falls off the rails even further when Sam moves out to be with his mistress. After some other heartbreaking losses over the past few years it all becomes too much for Violet so in a fit of rage she makes a few, ahem, poor choices. Setting fire to Sam’s suits and signed Michael Jordan memorabilia isn’t her finest hour. Nor is the all too real advice she gives in her newest posts.
“You’ve gone viral, girl!”
Going viral meant that the whole world had read what I’d written about my failed marriage when I was shit-faced and about to burn Sam’s prized possessions in the street. Oh my God.’
But it seems that some–okay, a LOT–of people find Violet’s honesty refreshing. As does one of the hunky firefighters who shows up at the scene of her impromptu bonfire of Sam’s belongings. Dez has to be the nicest guy she’s ever met. And even though Violet is definitely not looking for a fling, she could surely use a kind friend. As her career gets rockier with every blunder she makes and her ex trying to weasel his way back into her life, Violet clings to those in her life who have proved they have her best interest at heart. She still has a long way to go to heal from everything. But taking the first scary steps will hopefully be the start of much better things to come in her life.
‘I was certain of one thing, though…you definitely were not supposed to put your heart in someone else’s hands before it was healed. No matter how safe those hands seemed.’
An advice columnist’s life fell to pieces in spectacular fashion all while trying to keep a smile on her face and give her readers sound advice in If You Ask Me. Funny, charming, and heartbreakingly real, author Libby Hubscher didn’t hold back on the emotions one bit.
‘When my whole world fell apart and got messy…that was when I found my true friends and my true self. I’m not happy all the time, but I wasn’t before either. I just looked like it.’
Trigger warning: View Spoiler »
If You Ask Me is the type of story that I think most women will be able to find something in it to relate to. Whether it’s being cheated on, having friends treat you poorly, feeling like you have to hold in your emotions, give the appearance of having the “perfect” life, or even abandonment issues, Libby Hubscher touched upon many relevant subjects. I thought she also did a wonderful job using a light hand with the darker themes without making them seem unimportant. They still had the impact they would have in heavier books but she softened it with humor and touching moments.
My heart went out to Violet so many times. Not only when she literally walked in on her husband and his mistress, but also when we began to learn more about her childhood and more devastating recent history. She’d had her fair share of hardship to overcome. But instead of dealing with the emotions, Violet–like so many of us–put on a brave face, wore her best lipstick and carried on as if nothing had happened. Sam cheating on her was the straw that broke the camel’s back. And I don’t blame Violet for her rage or for any of the impulsive things she did. While it wasn’t the same choices I would have made, at least she learned from what she did and truly did become the awesome woman she was hiding underneath all that guilt, pain, and grief.
Something some readers might have a tough time getting past was how quickly Violet and cutie firefighter Dez fell for each other. It wasn’t instalove. But it wasn’t really all that long after Sam left her. What made it work for me was that she questioned the time frame as well. It wasn’t something Violet wholeheartedly jumped into. She and Dez took their time and became more like friends at first. And I just have to say that Dez made a terrific hero. Not just because he was a firefighter but because he’d been through his own loss as well and remained a compassionate, loving, giving, sweet guy who just made me sigh happily every time he was in a scene.
QOTD: Violet’s friend Kyra supported her while Violet made some outrageous choices–burning her ex’s clothes on the front lawn, for one. Do you have a friend you’d support, or that would support you, if things got tough?
Book Info:
Publication: March 8th 2022 | Berkley |
When an advice columnist’s picture-perfect life implodes, she opts to go rogue in this hilarious, heartwarming romance from the author of Meet Me in Paradise.
Violet Covington pens Dear Sweetie, the most popular advice column in the state of North Carolina. She has an answer for how to politely handle any difficult situation…until she discovers her husband, Sam, has been cheating on her. Furious and out of sensible solutions, Violet leaves her filter at the door and turns to her column to air her own frustrations. The new, brutally honest Dear Sweetie goes viral, sending more shock waves through Violet’s life. When she burns Sam’s belongings in a front-yard, late-night bonfire, a smoking-hot firefighter named Dez shows up to douse the flames, and an unexpected fling quickly shows potential to become something longer lasting.
A lot of people want to see the old polished Violet return—including her boss, who finds her unpredictability hard to manage, and Sam, who’s begging for another chance. But Dez appreciates Violet just the way she is—in fact, he can’t get enough of her. The right answers don’t come easily when Violet finds herself at her own personal crossroads. But maybe, by getting real, Violet can write her own happy ending.
