"I Want a New Life" by Michele Poydence tells the story of three friends who are at the imperative crossroads of their lives: a mother and wife, Casey Swanson; Eliz Wilding, aka Wild Thing, a hardcore party girl who got engaged too quickly to a doctor she isn't sure she loves; and the meek Amana Anne Moore with a desire to answer her true calling of becoming a motivational speaker. One week is all they have to change their lives and to get a new life. Will these women succeed?

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was a pleasant and unforgettable ride. Funny, sharp and filled with wisdom (without being too self-righteous), this is a great book for women who yearn for a new and better life. A healing and motivational tale for everyone who feels their lives can’t positively progress and who are permanently in status quo. The protagonists were dynamic and perfectly developed with so much room to grow, so that I knew precisely who they were and what's in their minds, their strengths and weaknesses. I was emotionally connected with their personal struggles. This is a solid, fun, and inspirational book that could be read by both women and men. I highly recommend it to all readers who want to be enlightened through a well-written work of fiction. This book is a true gem and I hope I’ll be able to continue to read many of Michele Poydence’s works in the future.

If you've ever wanted to shout “I Want A New Life,” then this is the book for you. Michele Poydence's book “I Want A New Life” is the story of three women - Eliz, Casey and Amana Anne. These three friends make a pact to turn their life completely over to God for one week. It all begins with Casey waking up to a voice saying, “This is the day.” She is the mother of eighteen-year-old twins, the wife of Skip, a junk man, and a woman who just wants to run away. Eliz is engaged to be married to a man she has only known a few weeks and she already can’t stand him. Eliz spends most of her time in a drunken fog. Amana Anne, a widower, longs to be a writer and motivational speaker; there is just one problem--she is terrified of speaking in public. God is bigger than Casey’s frustration with her family, than Eliz’s addiction to alcohol, and he’s bigger than Amana’s fears. But how much can be changed in a single week?

Readers will enjoy this delightful tale of what happens when three women surrender all to God. Once they put their trust in God things begin moving quickly for the ladies. Each of the characters are well done and easy to relate to. I found myself connecting to Casey, however, different women will be able to link to a different character. This book will make a great book study and will generate a lot of discussion. This tale is Christian Chick Lit at its finest.

“I Want a New Life” by Michele Poydence is the story of three fictional women who commit to spend one week putting their lives completely in God’s hands. The results are amazing and Michele Poydence’s writing makes the characters alive, believable and inspirational. Casey, Amana Anne and Eliz are friends. They meet at the bridge, jog and share their stories. Each of the women is at a point where a life-changing event must take place. They make a pact to take the next week, follow where God leads and go on from there. Casey is a wife and mother feeling unneeded and unloved. She is ready to leave her family. Amana Anne dreams of becoming an inspirational speaker, but is afraid of failing. Eliz has just lost her job, broken her engagement and is quickly becoming an alcoholic. Casey volunteers for a missionary trip. She spends the week speaking with God, helping more people than she could ever have imagined, doing things she did not know she had the strength to do. Eliz encourages Amana Anne to plan a seminar for woman and volunteers to be her manager. Eliz works hard at planning and setting up the conference, while Amana Anne spends most of the week worrying. Each of the three women listens carefully to the Word of God and concentrates on following those directions. Casey, Amana Anna and Eliz learn things about themselves, dealing with others as well as meeting new people and realize how strong they really are and what can be accomplished in only a week.

“I Want a New Life” is filled with inspiration and is a must read for women of all ages. Michele Poydence is a woman who understands the importance of God and has shown the reader a road to travel to learn about the journey of being a woman. This is a wonderful God-related book without being preachy, but having warmth and humor.

Three women have one week to get a new life and finally realize those unfulfilled dreams. But, given their current depressing circumstances, is a new life possible? Maybe, with a bit of heavenly help, but when opportunities come, will these women grasp them with both hands, or turn tail and run? Are all things really possible with God?

These three friends are ten years apart in age and at different stages in their lives. Housewife Casey Swanson is married to the biggest slob in the world, with a house that resembles a permanent garage sale and twin boys beginning to resemble their dad. She hears an inner voice for the first time in her life: “This is the day.” Is this the day she leaves? A snap decision to go on a humanitarian mission to Mexico wakes her from her stupor.

Amana Anne Moore is widowed, and still bitter and resentful about her husband’s untimely death. She’s not sure about getting a new man, even when the new man is totally suitable and (hallelujah!) interested in her. She gets one last chance to become the inspirational speaker she’s always dreamed of becoming. Is the attractive Jake Sandstone a key to her dreams, and to unlocking her heart to love again?

Eliz “Wild Thing” Wilding has a drinking problem that wrecks it all. Every day is party day and Eliz is the ultimate party girl who would rather spend her last dollar on champagne than food. Then she loses her job, her fiancée—and almost her life—in a day. Can she turn it around in a week and get a fabulous new life?

Author Michele Poydence has written a heart-warming book that will appeal to a wide audience. Her characters are all unique, with some minor ones often stealing the scene. Readers will identify with the heroines’ problems and life issues. This book is not about making one’s life perfect; it’s about understanding the path we are on, making changes where necessary, and having the spiritual strength and faith to take that leap into the unknown. I enjoyed this book very much. Apart from the spiritual message, which readers of Christian fiction will appreciate wholeheartedly, the author also touches on life’s issues in a way that resonates with readers. Life is about having faith in oneself, and in whatever one believes in. The author has a lovely dry wit, and characters examine their issues in a humorous way. There are truly more than a few laugh-aloud moments. This is a thought-provoking book. It made me think. Highly recommended.