A confession. I was expecting a bit of a light-hearted romp from this book but, oh, it's so much more. What a delightful surprise. Although there is certainly humor, there are also "moments". Moments that show human nature, growth, fear of both failure and not being who you were meant to be, and the strength to find that person. Sally and Pearl, named in honor of the author's grandmother and great-grandmother, are both widowed, Sally just recently, and set out for Mexico to celebrate....well, I'll leave that for the reader to decide. Pearl is the more daring of the two but has trouble expressing true human emotions. Neither planned on their escape to Mexico for some sun and recreation including a dead body.
The book opens with them already there, fleeing men with guns in a warehouse. How did they get there? We don't know at that point. Heck, we don't really even know Sally and Pearl although the dialogue quickly makes you care about these two plucky, obviously older women as they mention creaky bones and fears running might lead to a heart attack. But, they don't back down and are running for their lives when....oops, time to flashback to how they got there with people shooting at them.
I'm not going to detail how that happened but, trust me, while there was humor and some blushing on Sally's part anytime she encounters the handsome fellow guest Mike, we learn a great deal about them, their hopes, fears, and strengths and weaknesses as the story progresses. If we cared about them at first simply because of their pluck fleeing the gunman, we come to care about them as humans and admire both. Pearl is the more daring, true, and it's her courage that helped bring Sally out of the pity party she'd fallen into after her husband's sudden death. Even though the marriage didn't give her much of what she'd hoped and her husband dashed many of her dreams and hopes, it was comfortable and, dare I say it, safe. It's a giant step for Sally to join Pearl in Mexico.
Knowing how the book begins, with them in danger, you can't help but look at the people they seemingly innocently encounter initially as potential trouble. That adds an element to the story that we don't always have, knowing danger is lurking when all seems safe and secure to the main characters. Is handsome Mike a good guy or one of those who winds up shooting at her? How are some of the other guests making the money they're making? How shocked is Sally to learn there is another meaning to "swinging" than she thought? Why is Pearl so insistent they stay on after the dead body is found? Is every hour Happy Hour for Pearl? What is Sally finding out about herself?
Bottom line, I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to and highly recommend you give it a read. I liked both characters and admired Sally's new-found determination to take the time to get to know the new Sally. But, but.... oh, not telling the ending. I'm just hoping there will be more books in this series. Think of the countries Sally and Pearl can visit to get in trouble, er, enjoy playing tourist. Thanks #NetGalley and #ClearSkyPublishing - #WendyDay for introducing me to these two wonderful characters. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more adventures from them.
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