Ordinary Hazards by Anna Bruno (Review by Bruna Looby)

I am a fast-paced book lover and this book was definitely not that. I think this is a book for people that enjoy stories that develop a bit slower. The pages switch between past and present which made it a little confusing and it was hard to get situated at first. Emma got tired of her fancy, but exhausting, job in Manhattan so she left everything behind and moved to a small city to start over. She comes from a rich family who made sure she had the best education, but all she really wants is peace. She starts teaching at the local University and meets Lucas. They get married and the people from the small city seem to finally accept her – a stranger who was used to a glamorous life in Manhattan. Years later, Emma is sitting at the only bar in the city where everyone knows each other, and she’s depressed and drinking continuously. She is no longer with Lucas, and something very tragic happened to their family. In the parts where the story is happening in the present, we’re introduced to the town people which got a little tiring. I didn’t really feel any connection to the characters and eventually it just dragged on. Again, I think people who enjoy a more leisurely-paced story would like this book better.