I enjoyed this audiobook.
It has some references to secrets and holding back when the characters reunite after many years, and this kept me engaged and listening avidly. The narrator does a stellar job with the accents and voices of each character so it's easy for listeners to follow.

Cary J Hansson has done it again! ‘Back to Her Future’ is a gorgeously heartwarming rendition of enduring female friendship, in the face of years-long separation and adversity. I also thought the book was excellent on forgiveness and judging other people.

The audiobook narration by Lisa Armytage is first class. Few people write middle-aged female friends as well as Hansson. She really gets it. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Miriam, Alma and Sammy. I also loved going back through time to find out more about their past. I flew through the audiobook and, as always, I look forward to whatever Cary J Hansson does next.

3.5 Stars.

This book was a heart-wrencher. There were times when it made me cry, made me angry and made me smile. Maryam, at age 14 is taken back to Turkey by her father. When her father is on his death bed he tells her that her mother had written her letters that he never gave her. Maryam returns back to where she grew up to find out what really happened to her mother. While back she's reunited with friends from the past. This book takes on a journey through the lives and struggles of three women, each who have had their own struggles and hardships. It's a story of strength, struggle, resilience, and friendship.

The audio narration was really great, although the "laugh/giggle" was something I found super annoying. Overall this was a good book - something different than my usual go-to reads and if Hansson writes more books with these characters, I will be there for them.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audio of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review. This story left me with so many mixed emotions, sad, heartbreaking, joyful and funny in parts. A real delve into the cultural differences that exist and the enormous impact that these differences have. A story about loss, love, family and friendship that I totally adored. Excellent character development and I loved the dynamics between the friends. This story really made me think and it will stay with me for a while. Highly recommended. 5 stars

Narrated by Lisa Armytage ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story by Cary J. Hansson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

WOW!

What a powerfully heartbreak story. To me this is just a story but sadly this is the reality of some women still around the world.

I absolutely loved and was heart sick over this story. The cover and title do this novel a disservice. This is not a light easy going story about missed opportunity by choice. It is about a life that was stolen and the grief and tragedy that ensues.

Maryam’s father is dying and his dying wish is for her forgiveness. She refuses to give it after finding out he deliberately kept correspondence from her mother from her. Abducted by her father at 14 and married off to an older man by 16; Maryam has resented her mother for not intervening. Returning to the UK, she reunites old friends while searching for information about her mother. In one weekend she finds out more than she could ever hope and discovers her lost identity in the process.

I would absolutely recommend this novel. The audio production was fabulous as well.

4.5 out of 5 stars

This novel is well done! Generation X'ers will appreciate the nostalgia of Back to the Future, George Michael, and other 1980s references throughout, but the story itself tells a compelling tale of three middle-aged women who were friends as teenagers before one was taken away. Moving from the present to the past, and moving from the perspective of one character to another, this novel shows the journey of women who have struggled and suffered in different ways, and have emerged strong and resilient. The book includes well-developed characters, an interesting story arc, and moments both heart-wrenching and heart-warming -- with 80s music to boot! The audio book is expertly narrated, with characters' personalities showing through. One thing that did bother me was the inconsistency on the characters' ages. The math did not add up, if the characters were born in 1971 and were 44 years old, but George Michael (who died in late 2016) had already passed. Overall, a worthwhile read/listen!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher and Dreamscape Select for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Scarred but resilient is right. This was emotional ride, but it reminded me that we can face deep challenges from childhood trauma and still make it out on the other side. Enjoyed this read and honored to be able to get an early look at it.

What an emotional roller coaster of a book!

This is the story of Meryem, Alma, and Sammy, childhood friends who find themselves suddenly reunited after 30 long years. The story starts for us when Meryem's father reveals a long kept secret, but their story starts long before that. Little by little, the reader comes to know more about each of the women and of Sonia and Cathy, the mothers of Meryem and Alma. Eventually, the circumstances that tore Meryem from them unexpectedly at age 14 are revealed.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much more than I expected to. This book has so much more depth than its blurb and cover art let on. The narration was excellent. I look forward to the author's next release.
4.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for allowing me early access to the ARC audiobook edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Select and Hansson publishing for this AAC in exchange for my honest review.

A sincerely sentimental story featuring three resilient female characters who drift apart as they each embark their own individual journey through life.
Although many themes that surface throughout are devastating, this book highlights the beauty of female friendships that withstand the test of time.

I was unable to get into this story at all. I found the premise very intriguing but as I was listening I just could not find enjoyment. I had to DNF.

When Meryem's father is dying, he tells her that the life she has been living isn't what she thinks it is. She goes back to her old life to try and find out about it.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator was very good, but I found the storyline itself very longwinded and slow.
Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced copy

I did enjoy very much this audiobook, while the story seemed simple it wasn’t what it looked like… three different women that were friends in the past, and because of their life choices, life path, or even choices that weren’t made by themselves, they drifted away. Its a very sad story, but at the same time it ends with high hopes for the future.

I was lucky enough to be given the audiobook to listen, and Lisa Armytage did a terrific job bringing the book to life, the different women we got to listen through this book, all had different voices and a different ring to their part, I love when someone reading a book does this, it makes the story feel so much more alive.

I really recommend this book, it was a sad story, and there were some revelations that I was dreading we were going that way, and in the way they became true, but that is life, what can one say…

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select, Hansson Publishing, for the free AAC and this is my honest opinion.

Top notch narration and an emotional story that rips open the old wounds and secrets of one woman's troubled past and the turbulent life she led away from the two old friends that help bring her future back to her.

Book Title: Back to Her Future
Series: The Gen X Series #1
Author: Cary J. Hansson
Audiobook Narrator: Lisa Armytage
Publisher: Dreamscape Select-Hansson Publishing
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages 326

When Maryam Saylan was fourteen she and her siblings were kidnaped by her father as punishment to her mother when he learns she plans to divorce him.
Maryam was forced to marry a man twice her age.
Many years later she returns to London and finds her father is dying. He begs her for forgiveness. She refuses.

Narrator Lisa Armytage did a fantastic performance of all the characters. She totally drew me in making the characters come to life.

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Select – Hansson Publishing for this Advanced Audiobook.
Audiobook Publishing Release Scheduled bot March 5,. 2024.

This was a good book about the adversities of life and how a woman overcame them and deals with abuse and growing up strong it also touches on the fragile of life it was well written and the person who read it was really good I would recommend this book for people who like women's fiction

I honestly thought this was an unusual friendship until we got further in. Then I realized that they were just kids who loved their friends until they were ripped apart. They all lost a piece of each other and it’s so sad they all suffered until they could put the pieces back together. Truly a story of forgiveness and new chances.

🌀Synopsis
Maryam receives a confession from her father on his deathbed. Their long lost mother had written to them for years after they left her. Maryam had convinced herself that she hadn’t loved them and had taken a career path with a heavy conscience of guilt. When she hears this, she decides to return to London and to her best friend Alma.
Alma has also lived a troubled life since Maryam left. Especially after she walked into the bathroom where Maryam’s mother had killed herself. When Maryam first returns Alma feels like she is a shadow, like she had been those years ago.
Together they walk through the past and help each other see it with a new clarity. They find a way to get through the things that happened and let the truth finally come out so they can forgive each other and themselves.

Meryam is kidnapped at 14 by her father and taken to his home country of Turkey where she marries a man twice her age. These events change the course of the lives of 4 women. When her father is dying he finally confesses that he has been lying to her and that her mother had written her several letters that he sent back unopened. The news has her questioning so many things. She then travels to London to see her old friend Alma and they along with another friend Sammy embark on a journey of discovery and lots of 80s nostalgia. The story alternates between letters from Meryam’s mom and present day. The story isn’t the easiest to listen to because of some of the revelations that occur but it was well written. Thank you to Net Galley and Dreamscape Select for the advanced copy of the audiobook

Book Review: Back it Her Future
Stars: 4 X 5
Author: Cary J Hanson @caryjhansson
Publisher: Dreamscape Select @dreamscape_media Hanssen Publishing
Thank you to @netgalley for this Audio ARC

Maryam is a 40ish divorced mother of two who lives in Dubai and is fairly well off.
‘Maryam arrives at her dying father’s house in Turkey to say goodbye. Unbeknownst to her and her brother her father confesses that he stole them from their mother in England and that she had sent letters to each them for years and he returned them unopened. Maryam finds this u forgivable and leave. She decides to head to England to see if she can reconnect with her teenage best friend Alma and Alma’s mother who had been her mother’s best friend. As Maryam arrives in England she has no idea what Alma will do when she contacts her. Unfortunately for Maryam, Alma’s mother has already passed but Maryam and Alma decided to meet up. They also meet up with Sammy, Alma’s current best friend and a teenage friend and Maryam’s too. As the three women reconnect it takes a bit for Maryam and the girls to get to know each other again. It isn’t easy but they do end up becoming friends again. There is are many ups and downs and secrets that end up being revealed. There is a lot to be learned from each other and about each other. The are lots of laughs and tears shed. Ultimately in the end the friendship is still there even with all scars from the past.

The book was very good even with the difficult topics that are covered such as prostitution and suicide. This is definitely a book about self discovery, friendship and forgiveness.

4.25/5

This book is told in snippets of both the past and the present from several different women's lives. This was strong story exploring the struggles of life. This book infuriated me in the best way; it was hard to read some of the things that happened to women in this book. This was a real representation of what women endure every day. 
The one thing I didn't love is the G slur is used in this book. I'm not sure if the author was just unaware that the term is problematic or not, but I wanted to address it. 

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.