Nancy's Review of Recession Proof by Kimberly S. Lin

*This review is part of Kimberly S. Lin's blog tour hosted by CLNB Blog Tours.

In her late twenties, Helen Jennings is stuck in a rut. She has had the same corporate job in finance and the same boyfriend for years until her life takes an unexpected turn. When she loses her job because of the recession, it forces her to take a look at where she is in life and where she really wants to be. She realizes that taking the easy, comfortable route has not gotten her any closer to her dream of being a writer. She breaks up with her boyfriend, Mark, and moves in with her pregnant best friend, Sophie. But trying to live life to the fullest isn't as easy as Helen thought it would be. She has a lot of doubts, which threaten to hold her back, but she decides to pursue writing anyway to see what happens. She won't know what could be unless she makes an effort. Helen embarks on a journey toward reaching the goals she has long put off by pushing through her fears and obstacles, and along the way, she finds romance, too.

Recession Proof conveys the message to never give up on your dreams and to always keep trying and striving for what you want. Helen is a likable, courageous character who picks herself up when she's down and shows remarkable determination. The secondary characters are supportive, especially Sophie, and are good friends to Helen during her time of confusion and uncertainty. There is a good balance between humor and serious topics like financial troubles and health issues. A few parts of the story are a bit confusing, but they don't take away from the rest of the well-done narrative. Recession Proof is an enjoyable read that will resonate with readers who are in a transitional time now or have gone through transitions before.

Kimberly S. Lin has a degree in economics. After college, she moved to Los Angeles and worked as a financial writer and hedge fund analyst but always dreamed of writing women's fiction. She is the former publisher of Minted Magazine, a career and lifestyle magazine that aims at empowering women. Utilizing her experiences, she writes stories that modern women can relate to. Kimberly resides in Orange County where she is working on her second novel. For more information, please visit her website.