I really enjoyed this sweet story about a woman finding herself again after her unfaithful husband files for divorce, puts their house on the market, and tells her she'll be fine. Plus, he's saddled her with his mother, a critical, overbearing witch.
Katelyn thinks all is well in her marriage until her cheating husband drops the divorce bomb. She looks at her life and decides to go back to her home in Little Springs, Texas, a place she never wanted to go back to again. She has lost herself in the life she had, raising twins and a husband. Along the way, she also lost her art, the very thing that drove her away from Texas and was her lifelong dream. On a whim, she decides to let her cranky, critical mother-in-law, Shirley, accompany her on the long road trip. 
Life for both the women changes drastically. Shirley finds friends in Birdie, Katelyn's mother, and in Birdie's unassuming group of friends. They think Shirley is a hoot! Plus she meets Vern, a widowed pastor who has on a leave of absence from his church since his wife died. Their match is adorable.
Katelyn runs into the boy she left behind, Jackson, and knows there is still something between them. Both of them are hesitant to pursue anything because of their own baggage and the future, if Katelyn leaves again.
All three women, including Birdie, find their inner self in ways they never would have imagined.

Katelyn’s life is turned upside down when she is served divorce papers from her husband who has been away for business. When she thinks about it, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Her husband has traveled internationally for business during most of their marriage leaving her with the bulk of raising their twins during those years. Now the kids are heading off to college and her husband on to a life without Katelyn. She goes where anyone in her position would want to go – home to her mom. What she didn’t expect was to have her almost ex mother-in-law along for the ride. That added mild conflict and a good dose of comic relief to the novel.

The Future She Left Behind is about resetting your life, going home, and finding your passion for life again. What will happen when Katelyn returns to the place she couldn’t wait to leave decades earlier? I loved how Marin Thomas answered that question. She filled her novel with colorful and entertaining support characters that made me look forward to getting back to the story each time I had to put it down. It seemed each woman in the novel was like every woman – trying to live her best life while giving support to the people in her life and finding some happiness along the way. I enjoyed it all and recommend The Future She Left Behind to fans of the author and novels about strong, authentic women.

This convoluted love story is paced like a comfortable walk and explores themes of purpose, passion, and what makes relationships work.  The characters ring true, the love stories are universal.  There is a theme throughout that money won't make you happy and that following your purpose and passion is worth more than all the boyfriends in the world.  I have been busy the last few days without time to stop and read, but this story kept drawing me back in.  That's a good sign.  I'll get the work done another day.

A beautifully written story about love and redemption. I laughed along with the characters and really enjoyed this style of writing. Thomas is an author I'd be happy to read again.

The Future She Left Behind is a unique and entertaining novel that had me glued to the pages. I loved the plot, I loved the characters, and I loved the little spark of romance along with the small town feel (which brought everything together nicely). I have never read the authors work before but I would certainly like too after reading this one!

Fans of women's fiction and contemporary romance - this is a must read!

** full review to be posted online come release week**

After her sleaze bag of a husband leaves her for someone else, Katelyn Chandler is ready to go home to Little Springs, Texas, where she can lick her wounds and start over. But she didn’t count on her nasty, soon to be ex-mother-in-law. Shirley. Katelyn’s ex wants to send his mom to a nursing home, but Shirley has other ideas – she’s leaving with Katelyn. Once in Little Springs, Shirley doesn’t fit in with the other women her age and Katelyn has to be the one that helps her old adversary find her niche. To her surprise, Shirley starts to change (maybe time away from her boorish son was all she needed). So with her ex-mother-in-law sort of sorted, Katelyn is free to pick up her old art career…and may her old romance with the high school sweetheart? I loved this story, Shirley was such a crusty old gal who really only needed some love and attention, and Katelyn was a strong, determined and funny woman