We Did This Once Before

A Novel

By: Lynne M. Spreen

Narrated by: Jenny Myers

Broke and lonely, Kim is about to make the worst decision ever.

Divorced and struggling, middle-aged Kim is hanging on by her fingernails. When her elderly mother invites her to move home to Florida, to the lush island of her childhood, Kim is tempted. She could spend time with Mom, start her dream business, and craft the perfect new life.

On the other hand, Mom has a masters in manipulation, and there’s a reason Kim fled to California in her youth. But, she’s too mature and experienced now to fall into the same family drama.

Telling herself it’ll all work out, Kim loads a rental trailer with her last few belongings and heads for Estero Island, hoping she isn't making a huge mistake.

©2021 Lynne M. Spreen (P)2022 Lynne M. Spreen

Lovely story

Enjoyed this book so much. Reminds me to set boundaries and not solve other peoples problems.

Love this book!

As a “seasoned” citizen, and a people pleaser, I enjoyed the story of a woman making peace with her past and family, caregiving and moving forward into the next chapter of life. Well written as well as entertaining story.

I feel seen...

I wonder how many adult kids have read this book and thought, this is my story!? I related to so much from start to finish (without the romance, darn it!) Kim felt the pull of her 'I can fix it' gene and moved across the country to help her elderly, ailing mother only to find out it was worse than expected.
I listened to Jenny Myers as she narrated this book and, just wow! She has perfect voice for this book. She made me believe every character.
I highly recommend this book!

Great Story, Fantastic Narration… But Oh, That Mom

I listened to the audio version of this book, and wow, the author really knows how to bring a story to life. This is the second book I’ve read (well, listened to) by her, and I’m quickly becoming a big fan of her writing style. It’s smart, relatable, and pulls you in without trying too hard.

As someone who's middle-aged myself, the theme totally hit home. Kim’s story: broke, lonely, and trying to rebuild her life, felt so real. Her move back to her childhood home in Florida, chasing a second chance while trying to dodge old family wounds, made for such an engaging read. You can’t help but root for her, even as you’re internally screaming, “Don’t do it!”

Now, I have to be honest, Kim’s mom drove me absolutely nuts. I know she was supposed to be a difficult character, but whew! Manipulative doesn’t even begin to cover it. That dynamic was frustrating, but also kind of the point, right? It added a layer of tension that kept me invested, even when I wanted to reach into the story and shake someone.

All in all, I loved the book. It was heartfelt, a little messy in the best way, and so well-written. If you're into stories about fresh starts, complicated family ties, and women rediscovering their strength later in life, this one’s for you. Just prepare yourself for that mother-daughter drama, because it’s real.

I liked it! Very chill.

This book saved me during an internet outage!
Unable to work, watch anything, etc. I simply got lost in this and found that I liked it. Excellent vibes.

Packs:

Fresh starts.
Life after divorce.
Later-in-life (FMC is 50).
Aging gracefully & bodily changes.
Adventure.
Domestic abũ$e.
Elderly abũ$e.
New friendships and found family.
“Slow living” feel.
Small town.

Overall:
A slow-paced read that packed lots of drama and a bit of chaos. Very fun.

4 stars.

Audio:
Good! Smooth overall sound quality + good narration. 4 stars.