Meredith Stratton, at forty-four the owner of six elegant international inns, is about to celebrate her daughter's engagement. At this seemingly happy time in her life she begins to suffer from a strange illness that baffles everyone. Her doctor cannot find a physical cause for her debilitating symptoms, and desperate for answers, she seeks the help of a psychiatrist. Through therapy, Meredith peels back the layers of her life to discover the truth behind her most careful creation - herself. Determined to get well, Meredith traces her roots back to another country, where she learns about childhood experiences that dramatically changed her life. What she discovers is the key not only to the past but to her future happiness and fulfillment as a woman. Moving from the Connecticut countryside to the busy streets and suites of London, Paris, and New York to the pastoral beauty of a chateau in the Loire Valley, Her Own Rules is an exciting and suspenseful novel about secrets, survival, redemption, and love.
"Meredith Stratto , at forty-four the owner of six elegant international inns, is about to celebrate her daughter's engagement. At this seemingly happy time in her liife she begins to suffer from a strange illness that baffles everyone. Her doctor cannot find a physical cause for her debilitating symptoms, and desperate for answers , she seeks the help of a psychiatrist. Through therapy, Meredith peels back the layers of her life to discover the truth behind her most careful creation--herself.
Determined to get well, Meredith traces her roots back to another country, where she learns about childhood experiences that dramatically changed her life. What she discovers is the key not only to the past but to her future happiness and fulfillment as a woman.
Fascinating tale taking place in various parts of the world...full of suspense, secrets and love!
I only give this 2 stars because I was able to read the entire thing. The writing is dry, choppy, and frustratingly repetitive. Not only do we hear the same "they saved me" story over and over again in detail, but even when the characters talk they repeat themselves. It's like the author had a thesaurus and her goal was to use at least 2 synonyms in each sentence. The characters were flat, and I couldn't feel anything for them. Everything is rehashed over and over, but the ending- which is the only good part of the book- is unbelievably fast. I don't recommend if you treasure your sanity!
