Title: Emergency Exit Only
Author: Michelle Upton
Publisher: 29th November 2023 by HarperCollins Australia
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: contemporary, romance
Rating: 5 cups
Synopsis:
No evacuation plan, no safety net.
Amelia's quitting the daily grind to find her fantasy job.
But a shocking secret from the past shows her that where there's smoke, there's fire ... And sometimes you just have to save yourself.
Amelia Harris has played it safe all her life - but when a minor accident lands her in hospital, she dramatically quits the tedious office job she's had for a decade.
At a loss at what she wants to do next - and fast running out of cash - Amelia tries her hand at the dream jobs she's always fantasised about. Soon she's shadowing a thrilling cast of characters and professions - as a journalist, a florist, a wedding planner, a zookeeper, and more. Life couldn't be more exciting, especially when she meets the man of her dreams.
But when her mother, Toni, drops a truth bomb about their family, Amelia's whole world tilts on its axis. Meanwhile, each new job starts taking on a life of its own. Has she created a monster?
As she's about to find out, where there's smoke, there's fire, and sometimes you just have to save yourself.
A hilarious, big-hearted story about second chances from the author of Terms of Inheritance.
My Thoughts
‘Gary gasped. 'She's not!'
Craig bounced on his toes. "She is!' he squealed. 'She's doing it!'
Amelia evil-eyed her work colleagues as she marched past her desk and then did the thing she'd fantasised about doing for months. She pushed the bar on the emergency exit only door and opened it. Bright sunshine filled the office, and a piercing alarm rang out. Craig jumped up and down and pumped his fist in the air.
"You tell 'em, honey. You show 'em what you're made of!'
…
There was no going back.
WOW! WOW! WOW! I thought Michelle had hit the ball out of the park with her debut novel, Terms of Inheritance. I loved it. So I thought, could she do it again? You betcha! Emergency Exit Only came as such a fantastic surprise - I found it to be the perfect blend of reality and life lessons with a splash of humour and romance.
‘… talking about burnout and the importance of taking time to check in with yourself and ask if the life you've created is still working for you.’
At first I thought, ‘oh here we go … whiny, pedantic Amelia might really get on my nerves’. But gosh - her journey was sublime! Michelle has this incredible skill at combining lessons and laughter, morals and mayhem! The more I got into this book, the more I could not put it down. My highlighter was working overtime and my smile broadened as I turned each page to its fitting conclusion.
When I interviewed Michelle (see the blog) on writing Terms of Inheritance, she explained how the story allowed her to reflect on the many lessons she had learnt and the growth that ensued. I can see how once again she has put these life lessons to work through the challenges Amelia gives herself in trying to discover how to live her best life.
'I told myself it was normal. For twenty years, I convinced myself that was how everyone felt. I thought, everyone is anxious, everyone is tired, so why would I be any different? I thought if I could just make it to the weekend, I could carve out some time for me, and then I'd feel better, but of course, that was never enough.'
There is just so much to takeaway from this book but for me, Michelle’s tale spoke loudly about stepping out of your comfort zone in order to experience real growth. That you have to let go of what you know in order for life to happen to you - challenge you, exhaust you, reward you. This is a truly wonderful story - so real and relatable. A story of how a person is never too old to start afresh and learn to be true to yourself, especially when overcoming both internal and external forces. That letting go, forgiving and moving on are crucial and that your life’s attitude can determine so much. Emergency Exit Only …. read it. You won’t regret it.
‘She suddenly realised she had only one life to live, one chance to experience what it was like to be human. She had one opportunity to bear witness to it all. It was like she'd been asleep her whole life, and now, at thirty-five, she'd finally been jolted awake. Her mum had been right. This was an awakening.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
