Valerie Anthrope is a hard as nails, cut-throat business woman. She's the boss. She's in control and answers to no one. She's had quite a bit of sadness in her life and she's happy to be alone, thank you very much.
THE FALL OF THE MISANTHROPE: I BITCH, THEREFORE I AM, by Louise Wise is a smart novel that deals with serious issues. It's a romantic comedy that confronts clinical depression. I'm stating this at the top of this review because it's important. But you must know, Louise Wise is able to, dare I say, thread a serious theme throughout her humorous, clever book - not an easy task for a writer to achieve, but she does successfully.
If any of you reading this have been tormented by or are still struggling with depression you know how paralyzing it can be. Louise does a brilliant job describing the protagonist's struggle with the disease in a way we can relate to or learn from. If not you, perhaps you have someone in your family or a friend that's suffering. This may help you understand that person better, as well as enjoy a cheeky novel. (Cheeky... That's a British word I learned from Louise. FYI: The book is full of British humor!)
"I closed my eyes. It wasn't the usual feeling some people had of not wanting to climb out of bed in the morning. I really did not want to get up. There was a feeling of darkness inside me; but it had weight too. Pressure, and it was building fast."
This is a clear description of the protagonist, Valerie just trying to take on the day. She believes she has been cursed since she was a little girl when her brother died and then her parents passed. Now at twenty-six, she keeps herself isolated and immersed in insurance work at Sunny Oak Brokerage!
She visits her family grave yearly and it's there she meets an eccentric old woman, Ellen Semple who ends befriending Valerie and showing up at her Brokerage company looking for a job. Ellen takes it upon herself to become Valerie's, Fairy Godmother and make her life burst with sunshine! Ellen isn't the only ray of sunshine that unexpectedly comes into Valerie's life. There's a whole rainbow. Well, you'll just have to read the novel. But as I like to write, this is a rom-com, so there is a happily-ever-after.
There's an element of magical realism and somewhat of a fairytale, but I love the characters Louise creates. They're fully developed and each has their own uniquely developed personalities. When I finished reading, I thought I might like a sequel, but I'll leave it up to Louise. I still might, but I did LOVE the ending!
Thank you, Miss Louise Wise. xo cindy
