The King and the Quirky
by Heather Siegel
Thirty-four-year-old Heather Siegel is eccentric, artsy, and independent, and she doesn't believe in romantic fairy-tales. At least not until she meets her opposite in Jon, a man of science, logic, and kingly ego. Not only does she fall for the idea of love and "soulmates," she goes one step further—she moves to the suburbs of Long Island and invests wholeheartedly in marriage and motherhood. Naturally, it doesn't take long before she finds herself lost and adrift. To regain a shred of her old self, she embarks upon a series of quirky and painfully humorous entrepreneurial and health adventures. Can you be a stay-at-home mother and still be a feminist? Should we believe in the "true love" narrative? These are questions posed within this high drama of the mundane, in which (spoiler alert) no murder happens, no affair unfolds, and no death, illness, or trauma is suffered.
Momma Says: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Memoirs aren't something I normally even consider, mostly because I feel like we have enough reality in everyday life, especially everyday life in 2020. I'm not even exactly sure how long it's been since I have read a memoir. Nevertheless, this one just called to me. Maybe it was the title, which is terrific, or maybe it was the fact that I connected with it just from reading the blurb. I'm almost 16 years in to my own opposites attract, older man, found my one romance, so I can definitely relate. I tend to think it was a combination of the two, but whatever it was, this book turned out to be so much more than just another memoir. The story is a brilliant combination of sweet, emotional, hilarious, witty, and yes - quirky. And I loved every bit of it. I found myself looking again to make sure I was reading the right book because so much of it feels like a combination of women's fiction, chick-lit, and even romantic comedy. Don't get me wrong, it's not all sunshine and roses. Seriously, marriage is hard, it takes real work and effort, and when you're married to your complete opposite, there are days when you could just pinch his head off - or is that just me? I'd like to think not, and after reading this absolutely delightful book, I'm pretty sure it comes with the territory. In The King and the Quirky, Heather Siegel reminds us that maybe not everything needs to be taken so seriously, that life goes on and we shouldn't stop living it even when we don't necessarily like where it's going, and every so often it's okay to take the time to find ourselves again. I may have thought this book was out of my wheelhouse, but as it turns out, it felt like it was tailor-made for me. That aside, you don't have to be married to your opposite, or your spouse doesn't have to be older, you don't even have to be particularly quirky to appreciate this book. Honestly, if you've been married longer than a hot minute, or if you're a parent then you can relate to what Heather Siegel has to say. It's just an all-around fantastic book, and I'm so glad I've had the privilege of reading it.
❃❃ARC provided by the author
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