First, an update on Stella
Things were going well. A little too well. Baby Stella was happy, healthy, and adjusting quickly to life at home. Mama wasn't getting much sleep at night but at least Stella was nursing well and the two of us had started to settle into a routine. Leo welcomed his new sister with open (and cootie-ridden) arms, and Papa took his paternity leave to coincide with my Dad and step-mom's visit to Paris.
Then Stella ran a 39.8 degree fever (103.6 in Fahrenheit) and we had to rush her to the emergency room. She was admitted to the hospital and Mama has to stay with her until they figure out if it's a virus or infection, and until the fever drops. Not exactly what we'd had in mind when my parents had trekked across an ocean to see their grandkids. At least Stella seems to be doing OK, though she needs to be held ALL THE TIME.
On the bright side (which I've learned to look on after 3 months of bed rest, because it's the only way to keep from drowning in negativity), it gave Mama time to catch up on some reading! As an author, I love reading because it inspires me and is relaxing. As a mother of two kids under two, I rarely find time to read. I can't even remember the last time I went to the bathroom without one kid crying and the other kid rolling off yards of toilet paper for me in an effort to be helpful.
Update to the update on Stella: After five long days in the hospital, baby and mama got to go home. After a boatload of tests they still never found out what caused the fever but were at least able to confidently say whatever it was had passed. We got to return home in time for my mom and step-dad's visit, and sleep in our own beds (which presently is the couch so we don't disturb Leo but I'll take the couch over a hospital floor and beeping machines any day).
On to the book review
The book has much broader appeal as well. Talli Roland's novels are light and fun and always leave me in a good mood after reading them. You sympathize with her characters and you excitedly turn page after page to see what they'll get up to next. The stories are realistic yet are also an escape.
The No-Kids Club tells the story of four women with different stances on having kids, each one believable and relatable. You follow their journeys, not sure how it will end up for each woman. It's rare these days to find a book that you can read so easily, a book that flows and makes you feel like you're living right there with the characters as opposed to just reading words on a page.
I definitely recommend this book for a fun, light read - particularly great for summer (or extended hospital stays)! I've also read quite a few of Talli Roland's other books and recommend them as well.
One final note (total fangirl alert) - Talli Roland is just simply a cool chick. She's a successful author who is down-to-earth and is accessible to her fans. In fact, we're friends on Facebook and she left a nice note on my post about Stella's birth. How cool is that? I mean, I know I'm an author, too, but it still was cool to have a famous author write a note of congratulations for my daughter's birth.
So if you like well-written, fun chick-lit, you need to check out Talli Roland!
The No-Kids Club (to be released on June 3) | All Talli Roland's books
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
About Talli Roland:
Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories--complete with happy endings. Talli's novels have been short-listed as Best Romantic Reads at the UK's Festival of Romance and chosen as top books of the year by industry review websites.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of The No-Kids Club in exchange for an honest review. I would never endorse a book I didn't like, though I have to admit I'm a total Talli Roland fangirl! I hope that after reading my review you are, too :)
