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pixiepages's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting book, I couldn't stop reading it, so I guess it was good. It begins with Andi, who marries Ethan. Making Andi his second wife and a stepmom. His first wife was an alcoholic. His two kids Sophia and Emily are the complete opposite. Emily is amazing and gets along with Andi just fine. Emily on the other hand is a trouble maker and is on her way to self destruction. Her and Andi hate each other and Ethan refuses to acknowledge this. So many twists and drama in this book which makes for a good read.
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
3.0
When Andi met Ethan, should found a man with a ready made family. He came with his two daughters, twelve year old Emily and seven year old Sophia. Whilst she and Sophia instantly bond, Ethan's older daughter resents the new woman in his life, usurping her mother's rightful role. But Andi is desperate to be a mother, she was planning her family from the very first date so she throws herself into making a patchwork family, no matter what Emily throws at her.
Female characters whose only purpose in life is to reproduce irritate me. I know so many people will enjoy this book and completely relate to Andi but she made me want to throw the book out the window. I'm not saying it's not life-changing to find out you won't have kids but she has an amazing job, a too-good-to-be-true husband and at least one step-daughter who dotes on her. Yet she goes on like she has nothing else in her life. She is completely obsessed with getting Emily to treat her like a mother and I just wanted to side with Emily even though she was being a selfish teenager. She has got a selfish role model after all, Andi never really thinks what anyone else wants or needs. Even when she is momentarily distracted, the hope of a baby is dangled in front of Andi and she loses all reason again.
Emily's character actually saved the book for me. Yes she treats her step-mother horribly but Andi is such a wet blanket that she is just providing rope to hang herself with. A product of a broken home, Emily not only has to deal with every day school life but she has a mother who is an alcoholic and a step-mother that sees her as a replacement daughter that's not quite perfect enough, especially not when compared to her sister, Sophia.
I loved the rollercoaster ride of Emily's side of the story. Her narration doesn't start until after the bombshell has been dropped and you've already been painted a picture of her as a rebel teen. She understands a lot more than Andi would expect and she's been really stupid but she's also been used. To see her grow into an adult from her very lowest point in life is really touching, even though she makes irresponsible choices again and again.
Female characters whose only purpose in life is to reproduce irritate me. I know so many people will enjoy this book and completely relate to Andi but she made me want to throw the book out the window. I'm not saying it's not life-changing to find out you won't have kids but she has an amazing job, a too-good-to-be-true husband and at least one step-daughter who dotes on her. Yet she goes on like she has nothing else in her life. She is completely obsessed with getting Emily to treat her like a mother and I just wanted to side with Emily even though she was being a selfish teenager. She has got a selfish role model after all, Andi never really thinks what anyone else wants or needs. Even when she is momentarily distracted, the hope of a baby is dangled in front of Andi and she loses all reason again.
Emily's character actually saved the book for me. Yes she treats her step-mother horribly but Andi is such a wet blanket that she is just providing rope to hang herself with. A product of a broken home, Emily not only has to deal with every day school life but she has a mother who is an alcoholic and a step-mother that sees her as a replacement daughter that's not quite perfect enough, especially not when compared to her sister, Sophia.
I loved the rollercoaster ride of Emily's side of the story. Her narration doesn't start until after the bombshell has been dropped and you've already been painted a picture of her as a rebel teen. She understands a lot more than Andi would expect and she's been really stupid but she's also been used. To see her grow into an adult from her very lowest point in life is really touching, even though she makes irresponsible choices again and again.
curly83185's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a sucker for Jane Green books when I am in the mood for a quick chick-lit read. This book definitely didn't disappoint and I actually found the way it explored the emotions of motherhood to be far more complex and interesting than expected.
dsbressette's review against another edition
4.0
Jane Green is the master at exploring relationships and exploring difficult situations. She does an excellent job of making the characters very real in this book.
doublearegee's review against another edition
2.0
I read this from Burbank to Phoenix today. Very quick read. The story was a little too cut and dried for me. It felt like there was a lot of "oh, this is an issue. Here's a quick resolution!". I haven't read a Jane Green book in a while and after this I remember why.
jennielanz's review against another edition
2.0
This is a First Reads review.
In this book, Jane Green tells us the story of Andi and Emily, a step- mother and daughter at odds with each other. Both are extremely unlikable characters (in fact, I found myself wanting to move away from them and look in on the lives of their much more likable neighbors) and don't redeem themselves much by the end of the book. The unformed characters of the husband and other daughter only exist to add fuel to the flames at appropriate times.
Having read several other Jane Green books (Jemima J, Babyville, Bookends, Straight Talking), this book seemed a little more ambitious: she tries to focus on not only one single woman looking for love, but on the whole family dynamic. However, I found that she failed to deliver on making these characters worth getting to know. I think the lack of unifying voice throughout (the book was written sometimes in third-person omniscient, sometimes in first person, jumping from character to character) added to the confusion of who exactly I was supposed to be rooting for. Overall, a disappointing, but quick read.
In this book, Jane Green tells us the story of Andi and Emily, a step- mother and daughter at odds with each other. Both are extremely unlikable characters (in fact, I found myself wanting to move away from them and look in on the lives of their much more likable neighbors) and don't redeem themselves much by the end of the book. The unformed characters of the husband and other daughter only exist to add fuel to the flames at appropriate times.
Having read several other Jane Green books (Jemima J, Babyville, Bookends, Straight Talking), this book seemed a little more ambitious: she tries to focus on not only one single woman looking for love, but on the whole family dynamic. However, I found that she failed to deliver on making these characters worth getting to know. I think the lack of unifying voice throughout (the book was written sometimes in third-person omniscient, sometimes in first person, jumping from character to character) added to the confusion of who exactly I was supposed to be rooting for. Overall, a disappointing, but quick read.
k_cavacini's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoyed the writing, the characters in this book really bothered me. I almost stopped reading after the first few chapters because the family dynamic was really upsetting to me; I just wanted to step into the book and work out their issues for them.
pud50's review
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5