"A Beautiful Day Once" by Tracy Joy Jones

 


Eden Parrish has always loved Groundhod Day. It's her birthday, after all. She's seen the Bill Murray film so many times she can quote it in her sleep. A decade ago, when she was a teenager, she made a deal with her two best friends: in ten years they would meet together in Woodstock, Illinois, where the movie Groundhog Day was filmed, and celebrate in style.

Now the long-awaited day has come, but as Eden prepares to see her friends, one thing after another goes wrong. Will Abby and Isla make it? Why is Isla's brother Wilder suddenly reappearing when his sister has become distant?

Setbacks and foibles mean Eden's birthday is far from what she anticipated, and when tragedy strikes, it's time to reevaluate many things about her life.

This book has several distinct parts. The beginning is quite introspective, and the story takes a while to get underway. The middle is a romance, and the last part deals with family issues and personal choices. It would be hard to classify it as a particular genre. Also I would not necessarily recommend this book for those who have not seen the film Groundhog Day. There are so many references and inside jokes that it doesn't read the same without being familiar with it. I actually stopped in the middle and put the book aside until I had the chance to watch it, which I did because I'm a huge fan of the author, but if I was not otherwise invested I can see why this might have been a miss for me.

There are many good things about this story! It's funny and clever, and the family issues are handled pretty well. I would recommend this book for fans of the author or for fans of Groundhog Day.

This novel is available free for signing up for the author's newsletter. Click here for more information.