Book Review: Jeep Tour, by Gail Ward Olmsted

Buy the Book: Amazon | B&N

Book Type: Romance
Summary: A warm love story - a romance with just the right amount of humor.
Read my Author Interview with Gail (click here)

Gail Olmsted's Jeep Tour is a romance with just the right amount of humor (and an adorable rescue cat named Jagger). Side note: If you are a regular reader of the blog, or if you've read my 'about' page, you know that I'm a huge animal advocate! With a likeable protagonist, Jackie ("Jax"), who at 39 finds herself divorced and ready for a career change, we follow Jax on a journey of starting over. And we're rooting for Jax to succeed. The story is relate-able, realistic, and engaging. Who hasn't wanted to start their life over at some point?

I love Jax's Whack-a-Mole Theory of life. She explains: "I'm pretty sure it's a philosophy that I invented and it makes a lot of sense. Let me explain, First off, you know Whack-A-Mole, right? That carnival game where a player is issued a large mallet and is instructed to bash the heads of the little mole figures that keep popping up from their holes? The order is random as is the timing. You might get two or three pop-ups in quick succession, followed by a relatively calm moment with only one at a time.

Okay, stay with me here. Those moles? They represent what happens in our lives. Think about it. You finally get over your breakup? Ready to date again? BAM- pink slip at work. You finally find a new job and BAM- your sister calls to announce she's pregnant by her married boyfriend. The baby's born healthy and BAM- your landlord announces that your building is going condo and you don't have the down payment.

See what I mean?"

Jax's marriage dissolved, as sadly many relationships do. It wasn't an affair or an addiction that broke up the marriage. Rather, it was a lot of little things, added up over time. Both Jax and her ex-husband were devoted to their work. Although they loved each other, their communication faded, eventually to the demise of their relationship.

Jax shared "...got a degree, a job, got married, bought a house. I thought all that would make me happy, successful. But it hasn't worked out, not for me. I needed to go off-road and find my own way." Furthermore, she added: "I didn't want to stay where I wasn't wanted. There was no wind left in my sails."

Jax remains friends with her ex-husband, Robbie (with the occasional benefits, if you know what I mean). While their marriage dissolved, the attraction between them never did. When she decides to leave her job, her friends, her ex, and her comfortable life to move across the country for the chance at a fresh start, the only person she now knows is her crush, Rick. She is starting from scratch. No job. No place to live. No local friends. No marriage. She is starting from zero and wants to do it right this time.

I rated Jeep Tour, by Gail Olmsted - 5 stars. If you enjoy romances with a dash of humor, be sure to grab a copy of Gail's book!

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Stacey Ritz is a bestselling author and award winning writer. An empathetic and compassionate storyteller, Ritz wrote for a plethora of local and national news outlets, magazines, blogs, and websites (copywriter), prior to becoming a novelist. Her book, Covered in Pet Fur  has gained attention from RIVA Media and Animal Planet. She is the Executive Director and co-founder of Advocates 4 Animals, Inc. – a 501(c)3 non-profit animal welfare organization that has saved more than 11,000 lives (and counting). She currently resides in Ohio. Ritz is published through Rockville Publishing. You can interact with Stacey online via Stacey's Book Blog, on Pinterest, andInstagram.

Ritz writes the following genres:
Non-Fiction:
Motivation/Inspiration
Writing/Publishing
Animal Welfare
Fiction:
Romance/Thrillers

Click here to view Stacey's fiction books.

Click here to view Stacey's non-fiction books