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kgormley's review against another edition
3.0
Decent story, although at times it seemed the author backtracked when it really wasn't necessary. I also didn't think her English accent, although fun to listen too, fit the story being told in first person by people who lived in California (and were native Californians). Definitely not a book for someone to pick up who doesn't like swearing ... there were several scenes that included a lot of vulgar language.
satomi's review
4.0
I had read this author's books when I was younger. Well, as I grew the target of the reader is older now.
Jemima J. is the tipical chick lit and targeted the single ladies. Now this is a book to target my age.
I want to read other books of this author also!
Jemima J. is the tipical chick lit and targeted the single ladies. Now this is a book to target my age.
I want to read other books of this author also!
eljabo's review against another edition
4.0
Heartbreaking - I really felt for the step-mom Andi. She seemed like someone I would like to hang out with. And although I thought the oldest stepdaughter Emily was a giant brat who deserved a time-out at the very least, she eventually grew on me.
The book is written in two voices - part is from Andi's perspective, part is from Emily's perspective. Emily's voice was a little weaker - but it was still interesting to hear the story from her point of view.
The book is written in two voices - part is from Andi's perspective, part is from Emily's perspective. Emily's voice was a little weaker - but it was still interesting to hear the story from her point of view.
mumtwogirls's review against another edition
3.0
I would give this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story though I found the ending dragged a bit.
ceeceerose's review against another edition
3.0
Told from the point-of-view of both a stepmother and a teenage girl, this novel really delves deep into what makes a family tick. The stepmother, Andi, is a woman desperate for a child of her own. She marries a man with two children...a pre-teen girl who causes little if any trouble and a full-blown teenager who is more than makes up for her sister's lack of trouble. Andi's struggles with her new marriage, her husband and her step-kids seem realistic and not fake in anyway. Emily, the teenager, comes to life on the page...angst and depression and self-hate all included. Green lets us watch this family's troubles play out...never forcing us to feel something that seems unnatural or unrealistic.
This is a heartwarming book about the troubles of one family and how they preserve and overcome. This is the first Jane Green book that I read all the way through and I would definitely read her again. She's not totally "chick lit" (or at least this one wasn't). There was a depth to this novel that most Kinsellas and other Chick Lit connoisseurs lack. I liked the characters and the development of them throughout the story. There were times when certain parts went on too long, but over-all, this is a good, solid story about family and the troubles they bear.
This is a heartwarming book about the troubles of one family and how they preserve and overcome. This is the first Jane Green book that I read all the way through and I would definitely read her again. She's not totally "chick lit" (or at least this one wasn't). There was a depth to this novel that most Kinsellas and other Chick Lit connoisseurs lack. I liked the characters and the development of them throughout the story. There were times when certain parts went on too long, but over-all, this is a good, solid story about family and the troubles they bear.
mybookishlifestyle's review against another edition
4.0
Only Jane Green Book I have not read....I hope I like it!
Really enjoyed this book---focuses a lot on being a step parent...good read!
Really enjoyed this book---focuses a lot on being a step parent...good read!
kellyherself's review against another edition
4.0
I love Jane Green. Her books are such easy reads but still maintain complexity. Complexity is exactly what this novel delivers. The main character, Andi, is caught in a rough situation. Her husband, Ethan, has two daughters from his previous marriage. Andi embraces both girls. She longs to be a mother. She embraces the two girls even more when it turns out that Andi is unable to become pregnant herself. In addition to her fertility issues, Andi has another problem: her step-daughter Emily. No matter how she tries to show Emily that she loves her, there is no getting through to Emily. Emily chooses to see Andi as the enemy and actively tries to destroy Andi and Ethan's marriage.
As if that weren't enough, at the age of 17, Emily turns up pregnant. Seven months pregnant before anyone, including Emily, knows that she is pregnant. Andi's struggle with Emily only increases. She cannot make Emily see how she cares while at the same time she is horribly envious of Emily being pregnant. And then there's Ethan. Ethan refuses to take a stand against Emily and the havoc she is causing in his marriage. How can they navigate the complex relationship challenges without destroying each other?
I really couldn't put this book down. I expected to finish it much quicker than I actually did, but life got in the way of my reading. Green crafted such great characters. Andi is so sympathetic as the wife who is struggling with so many issues. Emily is sympathetic, too. I kind of wanted to hate her for all the trouble she was causing, but I just couldn't. When parts of the narrative are delivered by Emily and you get inside her head and emotions, it becomes nearly impossible to hate her. Ethan was very frustrating as a character. I just wanted him to take action already. Do something! But don't let these problems destroy you!
The plot could easily have been a tired cliche, but it wasn't. There were many surprises hidden along the way, the biggest being Emily's pregnancy. Green used the great characters she had created to keep the tension and drama high, while still surprising you.
I really enjoyed this novel. I highly recommend it. I also recommend any of Green's other works. I have not read a bad one yet!
As if that weren't enough, at the age of 17, Emily turns up pregnant. Seven months pregnant before anyone, including Emily, knows that she is pregnant. Andi's struggle with Emily only increases. She cannot make Emily see how she cares while at the same time she is horribly envious of Emily being pregnant. And then there's Ethan. Ethan refuses to take a stand against Emily and the havoc she is causing in his marriage. How can they navigate the complex relationship challenges without destroying each other?
I really couldn't put this book down. I expected to finish it much quicker than I actually did, but life got in the way of my reading. Green crafted such great characters. Andi is so sympathetic as the wife who is struggling with so many issues. Emily is sympathetic, too. I kind of wanted to hate her for all the trouble she was causing, but I just couldn't. When parts of the narrative are delivered by Emily and you get inside her head and emotions, it becomes nearly impossible to hate her. Ethan was very frustrating as a character. I just wanted him to take action already. Do something! But don't let these problems destroy you!
The plot could easily have been a tired cliche, but it wasn't. There were many surprises hidden along the way, the biggest being Emily's pregnancy. Green used the great characters she had created to keep the tension and drama high, while still surprising you.
I really enjoyed this novel. I highly recommend it. I also recommend any of Green's other works. I have not read a bad one yet!
thepickygirl's review against another edition
3.0
Andi marries Ethan in her late 30s, but she's glad she waited. She and Ethan are in love, and for the first time, Andi knows she's with the right guy. The only thing lacking is a child of her own, and Ethan isn't overly concerned as he already has two daughters, Sophia and Emily. Sophia adores Andi and has from the first time they met. Emily is another story. The first time she sees Ethan hold Andi's hand, she shoves Andi out of the way, without a word of rebuke from Ethan. Andi wants Emily to, if not love her, accept her, but the harder Andi tries, the less Emily warms to her. Tension escalates as Emily enters adolescence and begins drinking and sneaking in at all hours. Andi doesn't feel it's her place to correct Emily, and Ethan is so fearful of losing Emily's affection that he consistently fails to take up for Andi, pitting the two women against one another. When Emily gets pregnant, it will bring Andi's marriage and her family to the breaking point, and she's not sure she can take any more.
Is this book typical for me? Not at all. It has a pink cover, y'all. WITH a heart. However, I was in the mood for something a little different.
Did I want to ring Emily's neck? You guys. This little youknowwhat so had it coming. Andi tried so hard to be there for her, and Emily just kept figuratively slapping her in the face. It was really difficult to watch Andi take so much crap over and over again.
What did I think of Ethan, who allowed his daughter to act this way? Gah. It's rough because you could see how torn he was. He loves his wife. He loves his daughter. He gets to the point where he's so incredibly frustrated that he just shuts down, and honestly, I can see how easily this could happen. He's a good guy. He's a loving husband and father, but he just cannot deal with these women.
So...overall impressions? I enjoyed this book. As a 30-year-old woman who hopes to someday marry, the idea of stepchildren is horrifying. This book did not lessen that. I admire people who mesh families and do it well because I can see how I would just out and out hate Emily. She's as cruel as only a teenager can be, and it would be so difficult to feel as if you could not discipline a child who lived in your house and acted that way.
However, parts of this book I struggled with because of the unusual storytelling style. The novel is written in present tense, which usually doesn't bother me, but it was pretty annoying here. Plus, the entire first half of the novel was told from Andi's perspective. Suddenly, halfway through, the narrator begins to switch between Andi and Emily. Well, by that time, I pretty much couldn't stand Emily and had no desire to hear what she had to say, and in my mind, she never redeemed herself enough that I enjoyed her narrative voice. She's incredibly selfish whereas Andi, though she does make some mistakes, is largely generous and loving. Had Emily's narrative voice come in sooner, it may have changed my feelings of INTENSE HATRED, though I'm not sure it really would have. The thing is, I know there are people out there just like her, so it's really not far-fetched at all.
And last but certainly not least, did this book include salsa dancing? YES! If you don't know, I love to salsa dance. I've been dancing for years and love a salsa club. Green includes a great scene where Andi and her friends go dancing, and it was perfect. She says, and I quote, "Dark, and sweaty, and filled with dark good-looking men eyeing the women up and down, they realized quickly that what was missing from these clubs was a threat. The men weren't eyeing the women seductively, but rather to see who was a good dance, whom they would choose next, not as a lover, but merely a partner in the sensual beat." This is what I love about salsa dancing. Going to a salsa club is a unique experience. You're judged, not by how tiny your skirt is or how much boobage is hanging out, but by how you dance. It's an amazing feeling, and I love that guys will ask you to dance, smile and dance with you and then settle you back in your seat with no expectation. It's. Amazing.
So all in all, this book was outside my normal reading experience, but I enjoyed it.
Is this book typical for me? Not at all. It has a pink cover, y'all. WITH a heart. However, I was in the mood for something a little different.
Did I want to ring Emily's neck? You guys. This little youknowwhat so had it coming. Andi tried so hard to be there for her, and Emily just kept figuratively slapping her in the face. It was really difficult to watch Andi take so much crap over and over again.
What did I think of Ethan, who allowed his daughter to act this way? Gah. It's rough because you could see how torn he was. He loves his wife. He loves his daughter. He gets to the point where he's so incredibly frustrated that he just shuts down, and honestly, I can see how easily this could happen. He's a good guy. He's a loving husband and father, but he just cannot deal with these women.
So...overall impressions? I enjoyed this book. As a 30-year-old woman who hopes to someday marry, the idea of stepchildren is horrifying. This book did not lessen that. I admire people who mesh families and do it well because I can see how I would just out and out hate Emily. She's as cruel as only a teenager can be, and it would be so difficult to feel as if you could not discipline a child who lived in your house and acted that way.
However, parts of this book I struggled with because of the unusual storytelling style. The novel is written in present tense, which usually doesn't bother me, but it was pretty annoying here. Plus, the entire first half of the novel was told from Andi's perspective. Suddenly, halfway through, the narrator begins to switch between Andi and Emily. Well, by that time, I pretty much couldn't stand Emily and had no desire to hear what she had to say, and in my mind, she never redeemed herself enough that I enjoyed her narrative voice. She's incredibly selfish whereas Andi, though she does make some mistakes, is largely generous and loving. Had Emily's narrative voice come in sooner, it may have changed my feelings of INTENSE HATRED, though I'm not sure it really would have. The thing is, I know there are people out there just like her, so it's really not far-fetched at all.
And last but certainly not least, did this book include salsa dancing? YES! If you don't know, I love to salsa dance. I've been dancing for years and love a salsa club. Green includes a great scene where Andi and her friends go dancing, and it was perfect. She says, and I quote, "Dark, and sweaty, and filled with dark good-looking men eyeing the women up and down, they realized quickly that what was missing from these clubs was a threat. The men weren't eyeing the women seductively, but rather to see who was a good dance, whom they would choose next, not as a lover, but merely a partner in the sensual beat." This is what I love about salsa dancing. Going to a salsa club is a unique experience. You're judged, not by how tiny your skirt is or how much boobage is hanging out, but by how you dance. It's an amazing feeling, and I love that guys will ask you to dance, smile and dance with you and then settle you back in your seat with no expectation. It's. Amazing.
So all in all, this book was outside my normal reading experience, but I enjoyed it.