The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman ~ Book Review

Brett is a woman in her mid 30's who's life seems to be right on track.  A prestigious job making good money in her Mother's cosmetics company, great clothes, a wonderful apartment she shares with her handsome and up and coming lawyer  boyfriend.   She and her beloved Mom have a very close relationship, so when her Mom passes away Brett is overcome with grief.  But when her Mom's will reveals Brett with not inherit the CEO position in the company and that instead to receive any inheritance at all she must complete a list of tasks within one year, Brett is left stunned.  Even more distressing is that the list of tasks comes from a life list she wrote out when she was 14 years old.  How can a list from when she was a young teen have any kind of significance to her 34 year old self.  And some of the things on the list seem impossible and downright silly.  But at the urging of her boyfriend who does not want her lose the inheritance she reluctantly embarks on the mission to complete the tasks all under the watchful eye of a new lawyer her mother hired.  As she completes each task there is a "fulfillment envelope" from her Mother the lawyer gives her.  What was her Mother thinking in making her do these ridiculous adolescent dreams at this point in her life?

I started this book with great anticipation thinking it would be a really interesting premise.  And it was.  But as the story went on it started to really require me as the reader to suspend common sense and belief that this could actually happen and be pulled off.   I loved the close relationship depicted between Mom and daughter but the fact that in the letters the Mom seemed to actually be able to predict how her daughter would react to each task and how she would accomplish it seemed very far fetched no matter how well you knew your adult child.  I did like though that as a gift to her daughter through the accomplishing of childhood dreams, the Mother recognized and was trying to get her daughter to see how she had settled for a lot of things in her life.  The story has a lot of heartwarming and touching parts that were lovely to read and will cause the reader to think of what their life list is and whether it is being met in their own lives.  But the reality of a Mother reaching out from the grave demanding that her daughter "fall in love" and "have a baby or two" before the year is out to receive any kind of inheritance from her just seemed so unrealistic when all is said and done. 

 I liked it enough however to give it an 7.5/10

Reading Challenge Goals Met:  A book purchased in 2020-2022 and Read Your Shelf Challenge Prompt for March:  Growth (flower on the cover and growth of a character in this story)