Falling For A Thirty Something Girl.

A Thirty-Something Girl by L.M. Stull

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Life has been anything but kind, and everything that can go wrong has. At an age when life should be coming together, and questions should start to be answered, Hope finds herself feeling very alone and terribly confused. As her life spirals out of control, she realizes she needs help. And she needs it quickly.

With the love and support of some dear friends, Hope slowly begins to find her true self, and along the way, she meets someone. Someone who makes her feel like living to see another day might just be worth it.

But with happiness, comes pain. Pain from a past that simply won't be forgotten. Walking a dangerously fine line between joy and utter despair, Hope wonders if happy endings really do exist. And if they do, is there one waiting for her?

I have continued my recent foray into women's literature and have just turned the final page on Lisa Stull's "A Thirty Something Girl".

And, once again, I came away from the reading experience very satisfied and convinced that my attraction to women's literature is growing ever more solid with each entry that I delve into.

Stull's novel is, at once an attractive read and one that is visceral. Having staged the tome through the first person perspective of her protagonist, Hope Jackson, Lisa has produced a remarkable voice that is confronting, heart wrenching and uncomfortable whilst being simultaneously perceptive, ironical, sexy and philosophical. We live through the eyes of Hope as she traverses the threshold of turning 30 and examining her life which has, up until now, coped with more than it's fair share of up's and down's. And, regardless of her gender, I found myself in empathy with Hope on more than a few occasions as she describes certain human foibles that both women and men alike share. It was a little confronting at times just how 'on the mark' Lisa was with her observations about the human condition and love.

The cast of supporting characters around Hope were an eclectic and attractive mix of friends and enemies who were all very well drawn and who I got to know and like very much. They are people I'd like to be around and get to know and, indeed, I identified a number of similar characters in my own circle who share the traits I found in the story.  The love interest, Sam, was a strong leading male who kept popping into my mind as a Clive Owen-esque character who smoulders confidently, while displaying remarkable vulnerability in his interactions with Hope (I was reminded of the film "The Boys Are Back" a little in my mental illustration of Sam).

Setting is another stand out in Lisa's novel. I am a very visual reader and I really enjoy being able to see the settings in a story. That can only be achieved through solid writing, the construction of place and atmosphere and Lisa achieves this soundly. Each time I delved back in to the story, I was easily transported. It was very satisfying.

The flow of the story was good too, although I found things progressing a little quickly in some instances and was wanting a little more fleshing out of certain scenes or progressions of scenes. But on this point, I don't sheet this home to the author, rather I think this is more a reflection of what I wanted from the story.

There are twists to the story that are revealed in a really good way. Some of them I kind of cottoned onto early, while others were quite unexpected. I enjoyed them all.

Lisa Stull has produced a lovely, lyrical and quite a sexy novel which I really loved and will be reading again. It is a worthwhile addition to your shelf or device.

LM Stull describes herself as a Washington, DC native who spends her days chained to a desk at a law firm in southern Virginia. When she’s not feverishly taking orders from attorneys, she writes. Her stories tell of the human spirit – sometimes sad, sometimes not – most can relate to them on some level or another.Lisa is another of those enthusiastic advocates for independent artists who can be found actively cross promoted and engaging in the on-line community, striking up conversation, talking about and highlighting worthy projects and people and encouraging others every chance she gets.


A case in point is her official website where, not only can you read about Lisa herself, you can also access a wealth of information, resources and tools for writers that are designed to help and encourage as well as inspire.


I encourage you to check her and her work out today. She is definitely one of my #authorsyoushouldknow.


DFA.