The first few paragraphs brought me to tears but I still read on wanting to find out how Betta would move on and the things she would do. I agree with the other readers that this book is depressing, and whatever she did to make herself happy didn't quite cover her sadness era. It would've been better if the author wrote how she really coped with the loss and made it one of those open-ended ones but I think it ended abruptly. I'll definitely never read this again, I don't want too much drama. The good thing about her writing is she takes you there and makes you feel what Betta felt, and makes you wonder what you would do. Would you make some friends and try to reach out? The best thing she did was move out of their old home, she did herself a favor doing that. The Year of Pleasures ironically is a year of moving on and coping with the dead of someone you love. ( )

This was the first book I have ever read by Elizabeth Berg and it was a treat. I loved the characters - Delores the real estate agent, Jovani the roommate and Lorraine the good friend. And, of course, Matthew, the "last puppy in the cage". I even liked the "mean" ones - Melanie and Lydia. Berg made the Midwest seem so romantic I had fantasies about moving to a place that actually has seasons so I could gather fall leaves and lay them across my own kitchen windowsill. When she wrote about awkward moments like the forced friendly conversation with her Boston neighbor Sheila and the first date with Tom, it seemed so real I felt embarrassed for Betta! The Year of Pleasures was a delightful read and I will definitely be looking for other books by Elizabeth Berg. I may have one appear in my mailbox. There was this website - readberg.com -that offered, in exchange for a short review, to mail a "classic" Elizabeth Berg book while supplies last. It's the while supplies last that will probably kick me out of the free book line - I'm sure I am late to the party..again! ( )

What a sweet book, and I use the word "sweet" on purpose. It is a tender and rather light story of a woman dealing with the grief of losing her husband and trying to move on with her life. Berg created really enduring characters that help her with the challenge of moving on. For a book on grief, I found it more hopeful than depressing and it had a great message for all those who have lost someone they loved. ( )

I have to say, I had my reservations about this book. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but when I picked it up at the library the style seemed to be aimed at more mature women, and I worried that I didn’t have enough life experience to fully appreciate a book about a woman who has lost her husband of many years to cancer.

I needn’t have worried. I became thoroughly absorbed in the story of Betta Nolan, a woman in her fifties, recently bereaved and trying to follow her husband’s last wishes for the direction her life should go after his death. The reader first meets her driving through the American countryside. She and John had dreamed of packing up their lives and driving randomly until they came across a nice town where they could start a new life. Now Betta is taking up the challenge on her own, both as a distraction from her grief and to honour her promise to live her life to the full.

The story meanders through her unhappiness, her bravery, and her faltering steps as a single woman in a new place. She meets new people, catches up with old friends, and nurtures her lifelong dream to open a beautiful shop called ‘What A Woman Wants’, full of vintage treasures and comforting femininity. She reaches out to young people and old people alike, takes risks, and reaps the rewards. Slowly grief begins to give way to hope and the whispers of a happy future, with wonderful memories instead of painful regret.

I think this story has something for everyone – it is full of wisdom and humour, it has a mixed bunch of characters to appeal to different readers, and anyone who has ever lost anyone can relate to Betta’s journey, whether they have been bereaved after thirty years or broken up with a boyfriend after a few months. Ultimately it is a novel about simple pleasures, counting blessings, taking chances and making the most of every precious day – and that’s something we could all do with being reminded of every once in a while. I might just read more of Elizabeth Berg’s work now… ( )

I was disappointed in this book. I found it predictable and unrealistic. Everyone seemed to have unlimited incomes, everyone became immediate best friends, everyone's marriage was perfect. When it was over, I just thought "whatever." I expected better. ( )