Just Breathe by Caroline Blake

From Goodreads

This is a story of two very different women, who forge an unlikely friendship.

Charlotte is a young lawyer living in London, with the world at her feet. She has a luxury flat, a sports car and plenty of money, yet she is unhappy. The job she used to love now gives her panic attacks.

On the advice of her doctor, she takes some time off work to de-stress and hires a cottage in Northumberland. But will the lack of wi-fi and London conveniences cause her even more stress?

Linda is a middle aged woman who has never had a career and lives under the control of her violent and abusive husband. When her husband goes missing, an over-zealous police officer begins to suspect that she is hiding something.

When the two women cross paths, they help each other in a way that neither of them would have predicted.

My thoughts

The Author is a local lady to the area that I live and a reading group that I am in had heard of her and this book, so it was chosen as a read for us.

Charlotte was struggling mentally due to her job, she was having panic attacks and something needed to change.  Taking time out from her job and moving to a cottage in Northumberland, she hopes that it will help her overcome her anxieties.

Linda is a middle aged woman with a very controlling and abusive husband.  Following his disappearance, she becomes the suspect that people begin to assume may have been involved with the disappearance.

As the two ladies meet and become involved, they realise that they can help one another in ways that they would never have believed.

This was an easy read that kept me reading as I wanted to know more about the lives of Charlotte and Linda as their lives became intertwined with one another.  How could two women from seemingly different worlds form a friendship?  Probably down to both of them having issues that they find that they can both help each other with.   Life is never easy for any of us and we all have our own crosses to bear, Charlotte and Linda where no different in this respect as they were learning to deal with their respective issues.