Out of the Box Awakening by Jennifer Theroit

Olivia is a good woman, a good mother, a good wife. She’s got it made. She doesn’t want anything to change.

Of course, it does...

Swept from her perfect paper-doll life in Houston, Olivia finds herself in Chicago, alone, betrayed, and far from home. Soon everything she thought she knew about herself and her life will be challenged. She has only courage, love, and her passion for music to carry her through the maelstrom—or draw her further in.

Ash is the man who has everything—everything except healing from the losses of a lifetime. His only peace lies in the sweet flow of music pouring from his guitar.

What happens when the married woman and the handsome widower are thrown together by fate?

Out of the Box Awakening is a story of shared passion and shared joy. Jennifer Theriot has written a compelling book about what happens when two people find new life and new love for themselves and for those around them.

I was pleasantly surprised that the author took the subject of middle aged romance on in this book.  She showed that love has no age restrictions and even in your 50's and 60's sex and love can be just as exciting as it is in your 20's.  She develops her characters in such as way you feel like you have been invited into a family of sorts.  The ages in her characters range all over the spectrum, yet there is something in each one that you can identify with. 

 Olivia, scared of change, uprooted her life to move with Alan, her husband of 30 years, to a new city.  She left her three grown children, her house that she had invested her life in and started out on a new adventure with her husband. Her mindset was that of the dedicated housewife that has devoted the majority of her years caring for her husband and children, neglecting her own wishes and desires. 

Ash, widowed for a few years now, living in the home he and his wife raised their three boys in, was just going day-to-day in life.  Struggling to maintain a strained relationship with his older twin sons, while encouraging his youngest to follow his dreams in music.  Ash offers Alan and Olivia a place to stay till they can find a new home of their own. Alan and Ash had been friends for a long time, he was tired of being alone in the house anyway, so how could this be a bad thing? 

Well Alan has other plans for his future and unfortunately he didn't include Olivia.  As her world comes crashing down around her after one phone call, Ash has to decide if it is time to let her know how he felt from the first second he saw her at the airport.  He is determined to help Olivia recover from this even if she never feels the same way he does. 

So we now take on the journey of Olivia and Ash, do they make a life together, can they blend their families together and most of all, how does the band that Ash's son plays in mix with this new "family"?  The author takes on middle aged love, blended families and extended adopted families and brings us a story of acceptance, belonging, forgiveness and rebirth.  We watch as each of them support and love one another through celebrations, heartaches and secrets that are still being revealed.  

  I have never read a book about middle age lovers starting over again.  She gives new meaning to mature sexy. Also she shows how to be a  parent to adults while having a life of your own. I guess it is true, no matter how old the children are they still need mom and dad.   I felt like I had come home and been adopted by this huge loving clan. She has developed her characters in a way that draws us in, makes us care instantly and we can see similar situations they face that we have also had to endure in our own lives.  She has a unique way of using POV’s, some might not like it, but for me it felt like was at the kitchen table being included in a conversation with each character.  Her writing style places you IN the story, not just reading it. 

It is a must read, it inspires hope, love, acceptance and most of all it proves that life doesn’t stop due to changes.  When one door closes a new one does open.  You grieve what you lost and you embrace what is to come.  I am anxious to read more of Jennifer’s books and I really encourage you to grab this one.  I hope you feel like your family grew and you came home as well.