28-year-old single mother Sam spends her days working in the local supermarket and her Friday nights out with her friends letting her hair down at the White Horse. Life hasn’t been easy for Sam and her daughter, Beth (who always looks on the bright side) but she’s always hoped that one day she’ll break free from her past and meet The One.
But after a series of terrible dates with men she’s met through an internet dating site, that have all been as awful as her daughter's terrible jokes, she’s starting to lose heart - until her friends tell her they’ve set her up on a blind date. Sam’s horrified but finally she agrees to go. After all you never know when you might meet the man of your dreams; just maybe Sam’s happy ending is just about to begin….
But will Sam have to face up to her past before she can find a new future?"
Rating: 4/5
You can buy Woman Walks into a Bar as an eBook now.
When I heard about Rowan Coleman's new eBook 'Woman Walks Into A Bar', it wasn't just because Rowan is one of my favourite authors. It's because she has done an amazing thing with this book. Rowan is donating 100% of the royalties from her sales to the charity Refuge which helps women who are victims of domestic violence. Rowan's also run some amazing competitions to win prizes when you've bought her eBook, through both Facebook and Twitter. I of course couldn't resist reading it, and quickly clicked through to buy a copy of my own.
The book is the story of 28 year old single mother Sam. She's been unlucky in love ever since she left the father of her daughter, and has actually been quite happy that way. Her friends have tried to set her up on several blind dates, but to no avail. The men certainly haven't been ones that Sam can see herself settling down with, and she's sure she is destined to be single forever. But her friends promise her one final blind date that she will be pleased with... will Sam follow through with it and find her happy ending after all?
This is a very short book and I found that I whizzed through it quickly when I sat down with it on my iPhone Kindle app one evening (poor little Kindle has gone to heaven!). It begins quite quickly, introducing us to a shy and unsure-of-herself Sam, and I have to say I could relate to her straight away! She is sure that she is meant to be single forever, instead loving the company of her daughter and her friends, and her job too. Sam has an easy friendship with her two best friends, who also work with her at the supermarket, and they were fun to read about.
The book moves on in flashbacks, with Sam telling us of her terrible dates that she's had over the past few years, determined to get herself out there and see if she can meet a nice guy. Some of them are funny, some are shocking. It also goes back to Sam's relationship with the father of her child. The thing about Sam is she's had a bad experience in her past with men. The book covers the topic of domestic violence, in some graphic detail and isn't easy to read in parts. There's really only a few short scenes but that's enough to shock you and make you realise how some women (and some men) have to live day in, day out. It's a horrible reality to be faced with, but I feel Rowan handles it well in the book, delicately but makes certain you understand exactly what is you are reading about.
The book was short, the ending somewhat predictable but it didn't really matter. What did matter was highlighting the domestic violence relationship that Sam found herself in, and that she found the courage to get her and her daughter out of it before it was too late. For some women, it is too late, but Refuge is an amazing charity that helps the women who can escape their living hell. If buying this eBook for just 99p can help towards that, then I am pleased to do my bit. It's an eye-opening read, and made me grateful that I have never had to experience anything like that before. I liked Sam and her daughter, felt sorry for them and their past, and thought Coleman handled an emotive subject very well. I definitely giving Woman Walks Into A Bar a read, and helping donate money to a worthy charity at the same time.
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