Review: Another great contemporary fiction from Wardell
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 17, 2012
I love Heather Wardell's contemporary women's fiction, so I was really excited when she told me that her latest book was out.  Finding My Happy Pace is about Megan, who has just turned 30.  She decides to do something big to mark the occasion, and chooses running as her new outlet.The most remarkable thing about Megan is that she is a total doormat.  She is just too nice----nice to the point of letting people have their way over her own wants and needs.  Megan lets anyone and everyone walk all over her.  From giving up her place in line, to giving her bratty brother her share of dessert, Megan can't say no to anyone.  If she even thinks about saying no, she starts feeling so guilty that she gives in and sometimes even apologizes about her indecision!I hate to admit it but I really identified with Megan.  I find it hard to say no, really hard.  I often say yes to things while thinking to myself, "say no...just say no, you know you don't want to do this."  So, I totally understood how Megan feels.  Sometimes it is easier to keep the peace while pushing down your own wants and needs.  But, over time, that is so bad for you.  It's not good to keep yourself down, so to speak.With running as her new hobby, Megan starts to find some inner confidence.  She starts to stand up for herself---much to her friends' and family's annoyance.  They expect "pushover Megan" and are surprised and don't really like it when she starts saying no to them.  I wanted to stand up and cheer when Megan finally started standing up for herself!My favorite thing about Finding My Happy Pace is that it features Andrew from Planning to Live.  That's another thing I love about Wardell's books: while they are all stand-alone novels, sometimes characters from previous novels make appearances in future books.  I love that!  I was so happy to get to know Andrew better, because I really liked him in Planning to Live, and I loved watching him grow and change along with Megan.My one complaint about Finding My Happy Pace is that Megan felt a little one-dimensional.  Her character growth came too late for me: I wanted to see more of the "strong Megan" earlier in the book.  She stayed a doormat too long for my personal taste.I loved the ending, especially how Wardell handles Megan's most draining relationship.  I loved reading about Megan's marathon, and how she grows closer with her sister.  I really enjoyed Finding My Happy Pace and would recommend it to anyone!