New Habits - Eleanor Stewart

"The sequel to the popular Kicking the Habit! When Eleanor Stewart abandoned her vows and her life as a nun, she found herself in the middle of the swinging Sixties – and soon joined in. Boyfriends, parties, and mini-skirts took the place of silence and restraint, as she pursued her career as a midwife and the men she met with equal commitment. Troubled by her relationship with her mother, and what she saw as a growing estrangement from her faith, she finally falls in love and settles down – only to discover her past catching up with her, as she faces infertility. But with her husband at her side, they battle to adopt two children. Will the dream of a happy family, that drove her out of the convent, finally come true?"

I LOVED this book. Eleanor Stewart is totally not what I was expecting as an ex-nun - she is funny, feisty and a little bit wild and if I had been around then I would have wanted to go for a drink with her. Eleanor's story is a no-holds-barred, honest account of her time in Portsmouth and Chichester, following her departure from her convent in Liverpool, (and she spent time in Southsea, where I lived in a student house many moons ago). At times it is a little shocking (and maybe slightly cringe-y for her children, Eleanor is very frank regarding her past!), but there are some real heart-breaking moments, which Eleanor deals with delicately and with real compassion. In all, a really beautiful story - the relationship between Eleanor and her husband is told with real honesty, from the moment they meet until the day they become adoptive parents. Truly inspiring, and with a real happy ending.

New Habits is out now and you can get it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Habits-Eleanor-Stewart-ebook

*I was lucky enough to receive a copy from the publisher as part of the Blog Tour*