Room to Breathe

By: Liz Talley

Narrated by: Vanessa Edwin

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

A funny, emotional novel full of southern charm about a mother and daughter ready to start over.

“Liz Talley delivers. Her dialogue is crisp and smart, her characters are vivid and real, her stories are unputdownable.” -Robyn Carr, New York Times bestselling author

For a good part of Daphne Witt’s life, she was a supportive wife and dutiful mother. Now that she’s divorced and her daughter, Ellery, is all grown up, Daphne’s celebrating the best part of her life, a successful career, and a flirtation with an attentive hunk fifteen years her junior...who happens to be her daughter’s ex-boyfriend.

Ellery is starting over, too. She’s fresh out of college. Her job prospects are dim. And to support her fiancé in med school, she’s returned home as her mother’s new assistant. Ellery never expected her own life plan to take such a detour. With no outlet for her frustration, she lets an online flirtation go a little too far, especially considering her pen pal thinks he’s corresponding with her mother.

As love lives tangle, secrets spill, and indiscretions are betrayed, mother and daughter will have a lot to learn - not only about the mistakes they’ve made but also about the men in their lives and the women they are each hoping to become.

©2019 Liz Talley (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Pass

I usually like Liz Talley's stories but this one doesn't quite do it for me. The daughter is selfish, narcissistic and acts like she's about 5. The mother was a bit better but not by much. Grow up people! Writers, please write the main characters as decent, smart, grown ups!

Bless Their Hearts

More chick-lit than romance read, this novel is wonderfully contemporary in its treatment of mother/daughter relationships. Daphne, the mother, is one smart woman. She made her mistakes early in life and learned from them, then tried to pass that wisdom on to her daughter, Ellery. But her daughter's generation is not the same as Daphne's was at that age. Expectations are different, viewpoints are different, even values are different.

Nobody ever said parenting was easy, as Daphne would completely attest to, but she probably did expect it to get a little bit easier as Ellery entered young adulthood. But the parent prepares the child-it's the child who walks the path on their own. Making it tough to be the parent of a young adult.

Of course, there are certain steps a mother can take to help make the relationship a smoother one: not sleeping with the daughter's ex-boyfriend would be one to consider. Just a thought...

While this sounds like a heavy-handed subject, the author deftly wields her words in a way that makes the reader laugh, swoon, face-palm, and melt with delight at the antics of the characters involved. Love is found...maybe. Love is lost...sort of. Idiots abound, and southern grace never drops the smile from her lips.

Hard to Finish

I usually love Liz’s books. But this was not enjoyable. I couldn’t return the book so I listened to it, hoping it would get better. Ellorey was a spoiled brat with the emotional maturity of a five year old. I kept waiting for Daphne to grow a pair and tell her off. But, no she continued to be a door mat for her daughter.

Such a Delightful Book!

“Room to Breathe” written by Liz Talley is one of the best books I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in a long time. It is multi- faceted, with complex characters & complicated relationships, but with genuine warmth, hope & humor within.
I will certainly look into more books by this gifted author. Vanessa Edwin’s perfect performance added to the authenticity, relatable emotions & down-home southern charm of the characters & the towns that they lived in. Stellar job, Liz & Vanessa! 🌟💫✨

Blood pressure rising...

I really struggled to finish this story. These weak-minded female characters who are doormats are just so depressing. Seeking stories about smart, strong women who are capable and able to stand up for themselves.

It was a fun& upload book to read.

The book had me smiling & laughing out loud. I Enjoyed reading the book very much

11 hours of my life that I will never get back.

This is fiction for women – a genre that I dislike immensely. The book is superficial, trite and filled with self-absorbed characters. All of them are “beautiful people” completely taken with themselves and their one-dementional lives. In a word: horrible. In summary, I strongly suggest a pass on this book

Texas sheet cake

The story reminds me of eating a dessert from Your childhood. It’s sweet, familiar, and brings back light memories, and urge to go back for more. Vanessa Edwin is a beautiful performer really bringing to life all the characters. The story Has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting, even though it’s overall plot might be a little predictable. Just like the desert only a few bites should be enough

I Wanted to Smack Elle the Entire Story

Elle was a spoiled princess the entire book. I struggled to relate to Daphne and her response to her daughter.

Room To Breathe

I'm glad I had this one in audio because I may not have had the fortitude to read this one without giving up on it. This one had a lot of sniping and arguing between characters but watching Daphne get her groove back was fun. Watching Ellery learn that adulting is hard and being daddy's princess is not a life goal was precious. Definitely a great audio.

Really?

When I began listening to this I thought maybe it was some kind of ironic feminist take on 'Chicklit' but, as it went on, I realised it was just really really bad writing. The cardboard cut-out 'characters', the stereotypical male-female sexual dynamics and breathy formulaic dialogue did take my breath away - but with disbelief that anyone could write such mush in the 21st century.