Review: The Theory of Opposites by Allison Winn Scotch

Title: The Theory of Opposites
Author: Allison Winn Scotch
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Camellia
Publish Date: November 12, 2013
Source: I received a copy from the PR; however, this did not affect my review.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "What happens when you think you have it all, and then suddenly it’s taken away?

Willa Chandler-Golden's father changed the world with his self-help bestseller, Is It Really Your Choice? Why Your Entire Life May Be Out of Your Control. Millions of devoted fans now find solace in his notion that everything happens for a reason. Though Willa isn’t entirely convinced of her father’s theories, she readily admits that the universe has delivered her a solid life: a reliable husband, a fast-paced career. Sure there are hiccups – negative pregnancy tests, embattled siblings - but this is what the universe has brought, and life, if she doesn’t think about it too much, is wonderful.

Then her (evidently not-so-reliable) husband proposes this: A two-month break. Two months to see if they can't live their lives without each other. And before Willa can sort out destiny and fate and what it all means, she’s axed from her job, her 12 year-old nephew Nicky moves in, her ex-boyfriend finds her on Facebook, and her best friend Vanessa lands a gig writing for Dare You!, the hottest new reality TV show. And then Vanessa lures Willa into dares of her own - dares that run counter to her father’s theories of fate, dares that might change everything…but only if Willa is brave enough to stop listening to the universe and instead aim for the stars."

My Two Cents:

In "The Theory of Opposites," Willa isn't really sure where her life is going. Her life is thrown into even more turmoil when she is fired for something that she really had no control over and her husband, Shawn, thinks that they should take a two month break. Willa doesn't think this is a good idea at first but as they decide to take the break and she starts breaking away from simply being one half of "Shilla" (Shawn and Willa together), Willa realizes that there is something to be said for standing on her own two feet. Add in a lot of family drama and comedy and a friend who dares Willa to get outside of herself and you have a very enjoyable story about independence and the journey to get there.

As someone who admittedly absolutely hates change (particularly when I don't have control over it), I really connected with Willa. Things are changing so quickly for her that she just doesn't want to do anything. Luckily she has a family and her best friend to push her along. I absolutely loved Willa's family. She has a dad who is so wrapped up in his ego from selling bazillions of self-help books that he doesn't really pay attention to his family. Her mother is trying to carve out her own life after standing in her husband's shadow for so long. Her sister is crazy as ever trying to deal with her own family. Her brother seems to have gotten into some major trouble with the law and has seemingly all of Hollywood supporting his release. You also have Nicky, Shawn's nephew, who provided a lot of comic relief throughout the book. These characters are fun and quirky and kept me wanting to read!

This was my first time reading something by Allison Winn Scotch but I can tell you that it won't be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. I love how close she allowed the reader to get to the characters. The characters have so much detail that they really seem to become real. There is a lot going on in this book and it could have easily become overwhelming but Scotch moves deftly through all of the different plot points and never loses the reader! This would be a great pick for when you're looking for great characters and a light read that still has a message!