Participant by Carmen Kemp

Summary

Sometimes falling apart is the only way to put yourself together...

Alexis spends most sunny California days in a drab cubicle toiling away at a job that crushes her soul, and goes home to a dysfunctional relationship that is doing a number on her heart. She’s plagued with discontent and haunted by an unsettling melancholy, which only worsens after her fiancé of almost three years packs up and moves out. Desperate to pull herself out of a downward spiral, she spends money she doesn’t have on classes at the Chloe Dillon Modeling and Acting Center. Unexpectedly, she discovers a passion for acting.

Self-discovery and new friendships abound at the Chloe Dillon Modeling and Acting Center, where she opens her eyes to positive affirmations and mingles with talented ambitious classmates. She believes she’s turning her life around as she painstakingly steps towards learning to love life and herself. Battling her way through self-doubt, fear, and depression, she musters the courage to risk it all, quitting her dreaded job and pursuing a huge opportunity that could help her break into the acting industry.

In the throes of preparation for the big acting showcase, she’s saddened to learn that her estranged fiancé has been diagnosed with a serious illness. Alexis, finding herself in a financially and emotionally precarious situation, must choose between a newly discovered ambition that might never become reality, and the relative safety and sense of loyalty she feels for the only man she has ever loved.


My Thoughts

This is definitely a great read!  I'm honestly not the target audience for this book and yet I still see the beauty in it.  I can relate to the pain, uncertainty, and self-doubt that Lexi feels.  I read a few other reviews and there are numerous posts about how this book relates to so many 20 something women.  I am not a 20 something any more but I can still feel connected to this character.

There are times when I am so thankful to have books sent to me and this is definitely one of those times!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.