REVIEW: Never Too Late by Robyn Carr

In Never Too Late by Robyn Carr, Clare Wilson’s life changes completely on one harrowing night. Her separation from her husband is glaringly obvious when she catches him with another woman. Again. And then she is in a terrible car wreck. Looking at months of recovery ahead, Clare begins the long road to changing her life for the better. With the support of her older sister Maggie, her younger sister Sarah, her father and her son Jason, she knows she can do it.

“You’re lucky to be alive. You were given a second chance. Focus on what’s really important and enjoy your life a little. Follow your gut. Take a chance.”

Things get more complicated as Clare receives invitations to go out with the cute, but younger, police officer that was at the scene of her accident, and an old friend resurfaces in her life. With her soon-to-be-ex-husband not wanting to let go either, Clare is out of her element. Maggie says to have fun, considering she herself isn’t having any at home with her husband and their chaotic life at the moment. And Sarah wishes for just one guy to look at her the way Clare’s followers gaze at her. But it will be up to each of them — Clare, Maggie and Sarah — to find that magic and create the life they long for.

“A year ago I was leaving my husband. Leaving my house. I was lonely, kind of scared and thoroughly pissed off. Now I have you, the deepest friendship I’ve ever known, not to mention the kind of love life I didn’t think existed. I really believed it was too late for me to have this in my life.”

Robyn Carr never disappoints with her from-the-heart stories and realistic characters. Never Too Late may be a reissue, but it more than holds up nine years after it was first released.

This standalone novel is a true testament to why I have faithfully followed Ms. Carr’s Virgin River and Thunder Point series. Her writing is always filled with so much genuine emotion and most of all, it is about real, every day situations readers can easily understand. (And commiserate with, too.) As much as I love to read a book that is an escape from my daily life, it’s also nice sometimes to read about characters I can connect with and feel like I’m right there with them. That’s the feeling I typically have with Ms. Carr’s writing, and it definitely was with Never Too Late.

I thought having the dichotomy of three sisters, all at very different places in their lives, was a pretty clever set up for the storyline. Clare was the primary focus while her marriage was ending and she was reinventing herself after a car accident. She had a quiet strength that I admired and had an amazing ability to comfort and care for everyone. Seeing Clare pursued by three men was a lot of fun and obviously emotional as she did what was truly right for herself for the first time in her adult life. I loved the ending and the choice she made…I’ll admit it was who I was rooting for the whole time!

Clare’s older sister Maggie was the tough, all business one of the three sisters. Of course she still cared deeply about her family and her husband. They were at the point, though, that romance had taken a back seat to work and the daily chaos of raising a family. I thought Maggie’s part of the story will hit home for some long-term couples and show that there truly is hope of rekindling what once was.

Sarah, on the other hand, was the youngest and was still trying to find herself after battling depression from their mother’s death some years back. She had her art, but had lost herself to feeling dreary and frumpy. Watching her blossom and go after what she wanted was very satisfying, somehow. I know some readers will question her motives a bit, but I thought Sarah knew herself better than she let on and proved that quite well in the end.

Romance and women’s fiction combine seamlessly in this story of self-discovery, hope and love. If you’re not already a Robyn Carr fan, I think you will be after reading this one.

Book Info:

Published April 1st 2015 by MIRA (first published May 1st 2006)

#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr examines the lives of three sisters as they step beyond the roles of wife, mother, daughter and discover the importance of being a woman first

Clare Wilson is starting over. She’s had it with her marriage to a charming serial cheater. Even her own son thinks she’s given his father too many chances. With the support of her sisters, Maggie and Sarah, she’s ready to move on. Facing her fortieth birthday, Clare is finally feeling the rush of unadulterated freedom.

But when a near-fatal car accident lands Clare in the hospital, her life takes another detour. While recovering, Clare realizes she has the power to choose her life’s path. The wonderful younger police officer who witnessed her crash is over the moon for her. A man from her past stirs up long-buried feelings. Even her ex is pining for her. With enthusiasm and a little envy, her sisters watch her bloom.

Together, the sisters encourage each other to seek what they need to be happy. Along the way they all learn that it’s never too late to begin again.

“A thought-provoking look at women…and the choices they make when they realize their lives aren’t exactly what they expected, or thought they were.”

Kirkus Reviews on Four Friends