Abroad by Katie Crouch was one of my favorite books. I devoured it and pimped it out to everyone as if she was a family member I was proud of.
I also loved Girls In Trucks.
To say I'm disappointed in Embassy Wife would be an understatement.
It started off well, I was hooked and invested in these characters, though they were all shallow and unlikeable, and one was an outright idiot (who unbelievably is offered something at the end of the book that was ludicrous).
Towards the last half of the book, there became far too many coincidences. For most readers, coincidences in fiction are a killer. And then it just becomes a total farce.
Putting politics into this book might make it appealing to some readers, but most readers I speak to, are tired of politics. Politics has seeped into everything: from Peloton to Sports to Corporations. Readers desire escape, not the authors political agenda. I feel none of these characters actually grew by the end of the book. One other sticking point, Crouch will throw in many Namibia references (animals, food, sayings) but won't give a brief explanation. At least describe the food! I'm giving this two stars, probably because Abroad was SUCH A GREAT BOOK and I expected better.
Embassy Wife is scheduled to be released in July of 2021
