A ho-hum contemporary fairy tale from Heller (Female Intelligence, 2001, etc.).
Perfectionist wife slips a potion into her less-than-perfect husband’s orange juice.
Elizabeth Baskin figures she’s doing him a favor. After all, Roger used to be her ideal man: brainy plus lots of fun in bed and out. But the handsome attorney has become a workaholic—and a jowly glutton with an appetite for Cheetos and penchant for long naps. He’s still a nice guy, but that’s not good enough for the exacting Elizabeth, an undercover inspector of swanky hotels for AMLP (America’s Most Luxurious Properties) who expects the best and usually gets it. She pays a call on Dr. Gordon Farkus of Beverly Hills (whose mysterious life-enhancing herbal concoctions get raves from celebrities) and afterward sneaks a packet of green stuff into her husband’s juice every morning. Bingo! Roger gets up from the sofa and is a sex machine who, um, takes Elizabeth on every available surface. He’s such fun that he makes Elizabeth into the one who wants to nap. So Roger dusts off his dancing shoes—and goes clubbing with a younger woman, not the predictable twist that control-freak Elizabeth had in mind. But Roger isn’t her only problem. A disgruntled hotel manager is harassing her because his establishment lost its coveted five-key rating thanks to her scathing review. Being a professional faultfinder isn’t as satisfying as it used to be—in fact, Roger is actually finding fault with her! Desperate calls to Dr. Farkus aren’t returned, so Elizabeth, figuring there must be an antidote, breaks in to ransack the doctor’s files and is promptly arrested. Contrite, she confesses all to Roger, who’s deeply hurt and heads for his favorite mountain to think things over. She goes after—and is followed by the disgruntled hotel manager, who ties her to a tree and . . . .
A ho-hum contemporary fairy tale from Heller (Female Intelligence, 2001, etc.).Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2002
ISBN: 0-312-26172-1
Page Count: 336
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2001
Moyes has mastered the art of likable, not terribly memorable, but far from simple-minded storytelling.
Popular British author Moyes (The Girl You Left Behind, 2013, etc.) offers another warmhearted, off-kilter romance, this one between a financially strapped single mother and a geeky tech millionaire.
Ten years ago, Jess Thomas got pregnant and dropped out of high school to marry Marty. Two years ago, hapless Marty temporarily moved out of their home on the southern coast of England to sort out his life. He never returned. Cleaning houses by day and working in a pub at night, Jess barely earns enough to support her 10-year-old daughter, Tanzie, and her 16-year-old stepson, Nicky, whom she’s been raising since he was 8. Jess worries constantly about sensitive Nicky, a moody goth regularly beaten up by the local bully. Math genius Tanzie presents a different crisis: She’s been offered a generous scholarship to a private school her current teachers say she needs, and Jess can’t come up with the balance. The only hope is winning prize money at a math tournament in Scotland, but how to get there? Meanwhile, one of Jess’ cleaning clients, computer whiz Ed Nicholls, has come to stay in his seaside vacation home to avoid publicity surrounding insider trading charges. He and Jess share an instant mutual dislike, but when he ends up drunk at the pub, Jess makes sure he gets home safely. Partly out of gratitude, but largely to escape pressure from lawyers, his ex-wife and his sister—who’s nagging him to attend his father’s birthday party—Ed offers to drive Jess, her kids and their large dog to Scotland. A road-trip-from-hell romantic comedy ensues, complete with carsickness, bad meals and missed signals. Unsurprisingly, hostility evolves into mutual attraction. But Moyes throws in a few wrenches, like Tanzie’s failure at the competition, Ed’s father’s cancer and the cash Jess has secretly kept since it fell out of Ed’s pocket at the pub that first night.
Moyes has mastered the art of likable, not terribly memorable, but far from simple-minded storytelling.Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-525-42658-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Pamela Dorman/Viking
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
PROFILES
A fun, snappy read about the over-the-top world of private school admissions and the unbreakable bonds of family.
The director of admissions at a prestigious private school attempts to balance her job, her family, and her love life in Frank and Youmans’ debut.
Once upon a time, Josie Bordelon was walking the catwalk as a sought-after fashion model. Now that she’s almost 40, she’s the director of admissions at Fairchild Country Day School, an ultraprestigious private school in San Francisco. Josie’s used to being the only black woman in a largely white male–dominated field, and after all these years, she knows what to expect from her job—overscheduled children, pushy parents, and a boss who wants to undermine her. While she may be killing it at work, her personal life is another story. She hasn’t had a serious boyfriend in years, much to the chagrin of her Aunt Viv and her best friend, Lola. It’s too bad that the only man who’s caught Josie’s eye lately is a married and gay dad of a prospective student. And even though Josie just wants her daughter, Etta, to attend an Ivy League college and major in something practical, Etta insists she wants to follow her ballet dreams and study dance at Julliard. But it turns out that Etta’s career goals aren’t the only shock Josie’s about to face—her job, her romantic life, and her own Aunt Viv have plenty of surprises up their sleeves. While Josie’s budding relationship is certainly interesting, it takes a back seat to the rest of the plot, and it never quite gets the chance to blossom. The book shines, however, when it comes to the Bordelon women, especially Josie’s hardworking and hilariously meddling Aunt Viv, who clearly loves Josie and Etta more than anything. The family’s bond comes across vividly on the page, manifesting in sometimes-gentle and occasionally not-so-gentle banter among the three women. Frank and Youmans create strong voices even for the side characters, like Josie’s no-nonsense teacher BFF, her quick-witted assistant, her clueless boss, and Etta’s snooty ballet teacher.
A fun, snappy read about the over-the-top world of private school admissions and the unbreakable bonds of family.Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-08502-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
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