Rise and Shine

3.5 stars.

The narrator of this audiobook was phenomenal.

I enjoyed the first half of the book thinking about how nice it was to read a novel that felt rather mundane (which actually made it feel rather magical). But then, it seemed to veer off into, for me, extra dramatic storylines that felt inorganic. I mean, I can see how everything that happens is possible; it just felt forced.

As a woman who went through the (unsuccessful) process of IVF twice at 30 and 31 years of age, the natural pregnancy of a 43 year old going through perimenopause is a miracle. What I couldn't wrap my head around was how Bridget didn't seem to have any concerns about a geriatric pregnancy. It was more focused on Irving not wanting to be a dad at 67 years of age. I understand that this wasn't where the story was focused, but it seemed a bit too easy peasy for me.

I will try another book by Anne Quindlen as I liked her writing style. If the shooting and pregnancy were left out of the book, it'd be a true four star rating for me.