Whenever I pick up a book by Camille Pagan, I know I will get a novel filled with multi-dimensional characters and a story filled with the ups and downs, and twists and turns of life. In Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties, the author has given us Maggie; a 53-year-old woman, content in life with her husband and two adult children, although she is a bit of a worry wart! The one thing she never worried about, never questioned, was her marriage...until the day her husband tells her that he is leaving her for another woman. Suddenly she begins to question everything in her life, all of the decisions she's made, all of the things she took for granted, and she must somehow figure out if her life is over, or if it's just beginning. I loved Maggie so much....she was so relatable, so honest, and her emotions so raw. As I followed along with her on her journey, I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I cringed...but above all I felt hopeful. Maggie's resilience, her strong sense of self-worth, empower her through the darkest of days. This story is compelling and poignant, filled with relationships and emotions that are sure to fill readers' hearts. I finished this book with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.

I connected to this story on so many levels. Maggie Halfmoon Harris is fifty-three, she thought she was happy. Inside she feels like the old Maggie, a much younger woman, but she feels invisible to those outside. She's a bit of a worrier, but the last thing she thought she had to worry about was her husband Adam, leaving her. He does just that and Maggie starts to go off the rails, but she manages to focus on what she wants her life to become, and by hook or by crook, she's going to have her, I AM HERE, moment. Through funny twists and turns, trial and error, and missteps she sees her path. As the book says, in order to be happy, one must have a purpose in life. Maggie lost her way, but she finds her purpose. The descriptions of Maggie's memories of her relationship with her mother and her death from cancer resonated with me. At the time you feel numb, you can't take it all in, though you want to feel everything that's happening. Later it's those odd times when you are brushing your daughter's hair, that a sharp memory comes back and you find yourself blubbering, unable to explain your behavior. I think we will all see a little of ourselves in Maggie. I know I certainly saw myself in travel agent Barbara from Bridgewater Travel!! Ms. Pagan is fast becoming a favorite author. Thank you to the author and the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties
Camille Pagán


MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️
PUBLISHER Lake Union Publishing
PUBLISHED February 27, 2018

An expertly drawn portrait of a woman finding the strength to go find out what is next in life.

SUMMARY
Adam Harris packed a suitcase and left his wife Maggie, for a younger woman. He said he wasn’t in love with her anymore. And now Maggie is alone in the house where they had raised their two children, desperately trying to figure out what to do next. Her husband and children have been her whole life. She and Adam had been in the midst of planning a twenty-eight wedding anniversary trip to Rome. Scared but hopeful, fifty-three year-old Maggie heads to Rome, all by herself, to begin her journey of recovery, rebuilding and rebounding.

REVIEW
Maggie is tired of trying to make everyone else happy. Now is the time for herself. This is a witty and endearing story of Maggie’s discovery of who she is and what she wants. Maggie’s well-drawn character of an “invisible” woman is someone many women can relate to. “How could I possibly face the world alone if no one can see me?” Camille Pagán’s writing is both clever and entertaining. The plot moves fast and is captivating. I really loved how this book just throws us right into the crux of the story, with Adam leaving Maggie for a younger woman right on page one of the book. Overall, Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties is a touching chronicle of a woman struggling with identity when her world has been turned upside down.

Thanks To NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Camille Pagán for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pagan has crafted yet another novel about a good wife who gets blindsided by her husband of many years who has decided to leave her. Maggie believed that she and husband Adam would grow old together, but his shocking defection leaves her, in her 50’s to rebuild her life.

She has the good fortune of meeting an older divorcee who helps offer her some options. She moves and joins a divorce support group...and wouldn’t you know it, she meets Charlie (at the first meeting) and looks towards a bright future. A little trite and stilted? You bet! That’s what made this novel terribly unsatisfying for me. Couldn’t she have a few bad dates?

When her husband finally realizes the error of his ways and tries to return, after a major health crisis, Maggie refuses. Wouldn’t it be great if life were really so black and white and new life partners fell from the sky like raindrops?

I enjoyed the read, but I’m much too cynical to relate to the simplistic and predictable events that befall Maggie. I think a book club would have a great discussion after reading this novel.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance reader copy of Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties, in exchange for an honest review. I connected with both Maggie and Adam from the beginning of the novel even though I am younger than both characters, I understood what they were going through and wanted to see both of them find the happiness they deserved. I loved the ending! #WomanLastSeeninHerThirties #NetGalley

I enjoyed this book about a woman in mid-life starting from scratch after her marriage ends. Great characters and well paced.

I really enjoyed this book. It came along at just the right time! Chick lit, yes, fluffy (a little), but also ultimately endearing! I cheered for the main character as she learned to stand up for herself and learned to enjoy her own company. I'm not quite there yet in my life, but this one would be one I'd recommend to friends who are approaching that life stage. It's well written and engaging.

"I once read that the recipe for a good life had but three ingredients: something to do, someone to love,and something to look forward to."
Maggie at 54 years old, has been told by her husband that Adam doesn't love her any longer and wants a divorce. What's she supposed to do? She doesn't work and she still loves Adam. How can she go on?
Maggie needs to pick herself up and move forward and this is a delightful story about just that.
It is not all love and light. The feelings of being lost, ashamed and determined to find herself as the book enfolds tell it in a way that will catch your heart.
I was so proud of Maggie and kept thinking "what would I do if handed this scenario.
"Remember-- there's still time."

I was so thrilled when I received a copy of this book to read and review. It's a great story with a character you will root for. I was a little iffy on the ending but that's just my opinion. Perfect book to curl up with on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Happy reading!

While the story this book tells is not unique, Camille Pagan still brings something new to the tale of an older woman who attempts to reinvent her life after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. I loved the way the character of Maggie was written. Her honesty, depth, and the strength she finds within herself was very relatable. A great read!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Maggie’s husband has decided that to walk away from their marriage, leaving her alone and invisible to the world. This plot was done before so many times, but I enjoyed the writing and the characters. My favorite part was the end, I was actually surprised and satisfied that Maggie didn’t go back to the so called” safe and secure” but she follow her heart and reason. Maggie had the power to turn her life around and finally be happy. I loved it! Highly recommend it.

Even though this is a plot I've seen before -- Husband leaves, Woman Has to Start Over -- it was still enjoyable because the writing is so engaging. I also liked that most of it was set in Ann Arbor, a great town (and where I lived for over three years). A cautionary tale about not losing yourself in a relationship, whether it's a new one or decades old.

I found this quote to be quite profound:

"My mother's death taught me that when you think you are bypassing heartache, all you are really doing is borrowing happiness from another day."

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

I just started Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagan and can’t wait to pick it back up and continue reading. Camille is one of my favorite authors, she can spin a tale and keep you laughing. This book isn’t due out until 2018 so you know the drill- add it to your Goodreads list, pre-order on Amazon.

Here’s the synopsis:

At fifty-three, Maggie Harris has a good marriage and two mostly happy children. Perpetually anxious, she’s also accumulated a list of semi-reasonable fears: falling air conditioners, the IRS, identity theft, skydiving, and airbag recalls. But never once did Maggie worry that her husband of nearly thirty years would leave her.

On the day Adam walks out the door, everything that makes Maggie secure goes with him. Only then does she realize that while she’s been busy caring for everyone else, she’s become invisible to the world—and to herself.

Maggie cautiously begins to rebuild her life with a trip to Rome, a new career, and even a rebound romance. But when a fresh crisis strikes and an uncertain future looms, she must decide: How much will she risk to remain the woman she’s just become?

Only a few chapters in and I love it. I can so relate to Maggie and Im sure thousands (millions?) of other women can too. Don’t miss this one and in the meantime, the author has several good books so if you haven’t read any of her novels, grab one today!

Maggie Harris’s husband and children are her whole life, everything she does, she does for them. This is a statement that will be familiar to women the world over, it’s what he have been conditioned to do. Maggie, like the rest of us, worries a whole lot about a lot of little things. She never worried that her husband would leave her…until he did. In her husband’s absence, Maggie realizes she has no idea who she is outside of her role as wife/mother. Now, with no other choice but to start living for herself, Maggie slowly begins to unfurl her wings, with a vacation, a new job and even a new romance. But is she really ready for any of this or is she just trying to fill her life with “stuff” so she doesn’t have to learn who Maggie, age 53, really is? The title of this book is so clever, Maggie may not have been kidnapped, but her life has certainly been on hold for the last 30 years. A fun how to manual for women starting over