MY REVIEW
Meriel is a 46-year-old woman married to Phil, they live with their teenage kids Elly and Ricky and their pet dog Benji. The book is written from two viewpoints – Meriel’s and Benji’s (yes, the Labrador).
This is a novella so it is a quick read, though it has lots of emotions in there, as we see Meriel and Phil’s marriage collapse and how that develops when they go to see a counsellor. We also follow the fortunes of Meriel’s best friends Tania and Cathy.
The unusual thing about this novella is seeing things from a dog’s perspective and for me, this was my favourite part as Benji comes out with some really cute things and I felt these were really different and interesting. The story itself is a fairly common one of a marriage breakdown, but using the family’s dog to give its view gave it a fresh take.
BLURB
Brown Eyes
A watchful eye as a marriage falls apart. The phone call, the rows, and the split are all observed by the family Labrador. He knows the habits and senses the moods of his beloved family members. Seeing them unhappy and hurting each other is unbearable. Where did his perfect life go?
Her marriage to Phil in crisis, two children at the challenging teenage stage, and a close friend in peril, Meriel’s world is falling apart. She finds solace in the arms of another man, but is this the answer for her? It is her stubbornness that threatens the family’s future together, until a major loss has a life-changing effect on her. A sliver of hope returns.
Like a fly on the wall, Benji the dog sees it all.
Narrated by both the dog and Meriel, Brown Eyes is a novella (a short read) written by the author of Finding Jo and Give and Take with a Capital G & T.
Purchase Links
UK Kindle – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09Q3N3D15
UK Paperback – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1739976800
US Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q3N3D15
US Paperback – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1739976800
Author Bio – Frances Ive:
A career as a journalist/PR led to health writing for UK nationals newspapers and consumer mags. Out of the blue I was inspired to write my first novel, Finding Jo, which I self-published in January 2021. Brown Eyes is my 2nd novel, written a few years ago. It was inspired by our black Labrador Benji. Before Finding Jo, I previously had only non-fiction books published, including One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis (2019), a positive approach to staying mobile.
Social Media Links –
Twitter: @healthysouluk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindingJoFrancesIve
and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fivewrite/.
Website for books: www.fivewrite.co.uk
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