Cheat Play Live by Lisa Edwards - #BookReview - #BlogTour

 

If you're spending your honeymoon in a motorhome, driving around New Zealand, New Brighton Beach is a good place to start. It's not the most beautiful beach, but it's not far from Christchurch and you can reset your body clock after a long-haul flight. It's the perfect place to plan the weeks ahead in a local pub and wake up on your first morning for a romantic walk on the long beach and a coffee sitting in the dunes.

That is, of course, unless you've married the wrong man.

There were no rose petals or champagne breakfasts on our honeymoon. Instead, the two of us woke up in a motorhome bed, feeling wretched. Graham knew he'd gone too far and put his arm around my shoulders as we crested the dunes that backed the beach. He never did that normally - he said it made his arm hurt.

***

Lisa is looking for love, freedom and absolution on the beaches of the world. Grieving for the loss of her parents, married to the wrong man and stuck in a toxic work situation, she has become increasingly dependent on alcohol to numb her pain. After using a dating site for married people, she decides to leave her husband, believing that the grass is greener on the other side. But no one is waiting in the wings to claim her – only younger men looking for an older-woman experience.

Lisa roams the beaches of the world looking for love but in Goa, she discovers yoga, a sober life and a tribe of inspirational women who show her a new path to self-love and independence, breaking the lock on the secret she's been keeping inside her since she was a little girl.

So when The Most Handsome Man in Goa walks into her life, Lisa must decide if her new-found solo freedom is worth holding onto.

***

I enjoyed reading this book and getting to know Lisa very much. She relates her story in a warts 'n' all manner, which in itself, illustrates her bravery and honesty.

She breaks her story down into three parts, represented by its title. This made for an easy to read book which is both an engaging and interesting memoir. Lisa is a fascinating woman who has accomplished many things through her bravery and courage to face up to life and therefore achieve.

I loved reading about her travels and who wouldn't feel a little jealous as she describes the beautiful beaches upon which she walked? Each description was an emotive experience for her. She was doing much more than having a holiday. For Lisa, she was discovering more about herself than merely enjoying her surroundings.

I think that there are aspects of her story that many women will be able to relate to. I am full of admiration for her ability to remove herself from a marriage and career that the rest of the world would interpret as successful.

This candid tale is uplifting in the way that she lays her path to self-discovery out for all to see. She is inspirational and something I have taken away from reading this is the importance that we should all place on being true to ourselves rather than living up to the expectations placed upon us.

Bravo Lisa, for telling your story and helping women realise that we do not have to live up to the expectations of others all the time.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about strong women, travel and self-realisation.

ISBN: 978 1739934019

Publisher: Redwood Tree Publishing

Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 252 (paperback)

About the Author:

Lisa Edwards is a former publisher who is now a freelance writer, editor, agent and yoga teacher. She grew up in North Wales, but has lived mostly in southeast England. She lives in Worthing, West Sussex, where she lives alone and walks by the sea every day. She splits her time between the UK and India.