Book Review: Lift Me Up by Milly Johnson
I was recently given the chance to read Lift Me Up by Milly Johnson. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I liked the cover and the description sounded interesting. It’s a short story that has a really nice message. I was left feeling happy and hopeful at the end of it. Although my review won’t be super long, I still wanted to share my thoughts here. So keep reading for my full review of Life Me Up by Milly Johnson.
What is Lift Me Up by Milly Johnson About?
A heartwarming story from Sunday Times bestseller Milly Johnson. Tam Remington had her life planned out. Until a conversation in a broken lift—with her worst enemy—changes everything.
For a decade, Tam has quietly held YorkMart together whilst others took the credit, making herself smaller in the process. When she’s briefly promoted to acting Managing Director, she finally has a chance to shine—until her promotion is snatched away and handed to Jack Cesaroni—the man brought in to do the job that should have been hers.
Tam expects nothing but disappointment from Jack. But when they’re trapped in a lift between floors thirteen and fourteen, he sees what no one else has: Tam is exceptional. That single word of recognition sparks something Tam thought she’d lost—and an unexpected connection she never saw coming.
Now Tam faces an impossible choice: stay being the smaller version of herself she’s become used to, or take a leap and reclaim the vibrant, authentic woman she once was—and discover how wonderful it could be if she lets someone see the real her… (from Amazon.com)
My Thoughts
Lift Me Up by Milly Johnson is a really impactful story. It might be a short story, but the author manages to fit in so many feelings and backstory. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
The main character Tam is in a bit of a freefall. With a controlling family and fiance, her life is barely her own. So when she’s given a temporary promotion at work, it means a lot to her. But eventually they hire someone new, and Tam is left to stew over the fact that Jack Cesaroni is being given a job that she is more than capable of handling.
Even though it’s a short story, it’s divided into chapters. In current day, Tam and Jack are on the way to a meeting when they get trapped in their office building’s old lift. But as readers, we are given glances into Tam’s everyday life through flashbacks. And it is bleak. I felt myself physically tensing up during the Sunday lunches with the family, or when Tam is discouraged from buying the wedding dress of her dreams.
The Message of this Story
I think what I liked so much about this story is the message. I loved that in the lift, Tam finally feels seen. In so much of her life she is invisible or like she has to cater to what other people expect of her. But in her professional life, and by Jack, she is appreciated for what she is and what she does.
I highly recommend if you’re looking for a short and quick read that will leave you feeling happy and positive. I am adding Milly Johnson to my list of authors that I want to read more of!
