charliena's review against another edition
2.0
It's a good feeling type of book. A bit unrealistic story but if you're just reading it for "summer fun" it's ok. It will pass the time if nothing else.
Edit: I have sleept on it and changed my rating to 2/5. The main character is a alcoholic anorectic vegan who ignores her kids emotions and then has a meltdown when she has a on/off relationship with an actor. It's not a good story at all.
Edit: I have sleept on it and changed my rating to 2/5. The main character is a alcoholic anorectic vegan who ignores her kids emotions and then has a meltdown when she has a on/off relationship with an actor. It's not a good story at all.
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
2.0
i remember rating this book so low because the love interest reminded me of one of my perpetrators, in his mannerisms.
stevie28's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
0.5
monamd's review against another edition
5.0
“Isn’t that what drives us? Getting away?”
Stacet a poet and a mother of two boys. She lost her husband recently the she met Tommy the Hollywood star. They work together to turn her book in to a movie then they fall in love.
Really nice story I loved it so much. Also the writing style was so good and smooth.
The characters I liked them even though they were so selfish and mean.
Stacet a poet and a mother of two boys. She lost her husband recently the she met Tommy the Hollywood star. They work together to turn her book in to a movie then they fall in love.
Really nice story I loved it so much. Also the writing style was so good and smooth.
The characters I liked them even though they were so selfish and mean.
sandlynn's review against another edition
5.0
Liz Kay’s Monsters: A Love Story, published in 2016, is a romantically inclined novel with a bit of an edge. This is Kay's first novel. She has previously published poetry.
Like the author, our lead character, Stacey Lane, is a poet. She’s also thirty-something, newly widowed, and a mother of two young boys. Living in Nebraska, where her deceased husband was raised, Stacey has always felt a bit out of place. She grew up on the west coast and went to graduate school in the east, but having her sister and brother-in-law close by has been a help. Stacey has been more of a stay-at-home mom during her married life than a writer. She’s only published two books of poetry, but the latter one, Monsters in the Afterlife, a feminist take on the Frankenstein story, has gotten some traction. In fact, a Hollywood star has optioned it for adaptation, wants to produce, and invites Stacey to come out to his Caribbean vacation home to discuss the project. This invitation propels Stacey into Tommy DeMarco’s incredibly crazy life. DeMarco, in his latter 30’s, one assumes, is a charming, handsome womanizer. But he’s also smart, talented, and determined to make this book into a movie with the involvement of Stacey. Through the course of two years, not only do they work together off and on, but they carry on an affair at the same pace, falling in and out of each other’s lives, debating artistic visions, whether to have a relationship, how to deal with their children -- Tommy has a young, troubled teenage daughter from a previous relationship – as well as trust and honesty. In a sense, the poetry Stacey has written about Frankenstein almost becomes a metaphor for Stacey's life, a woman shaped by the men in her life at the time, i.e., either one that fits her traditional, steady, Midwest deceased husband or one that fits into Tommy’s glamorous, bohemian, ego-driven, alcohol and Xanax-fueled existence.
For a first novel, I found this story to be a popcorn popping, fast read. I honestly didn’t know how it would end nor how I wanted it to end. Did I want Stacey and Tommy to eventually make things permanent – if Tommy could ever *be* with one woman? Did I want Stacey to remain in Nebraska in the stable but less exciting arms of a doctor she begins to date at her sister’s urging? Or would it be best if they were both alone, with Stacey facing her grief and her artistic stagnation and Tommy finally growing up and getting control of his daughter. The romantic in me wanted things to work out, but it seemed an unreachable goal, since they were both damaged and not always good for each other. Be that as it may, I *can* recommend this story to romance readers, as long as you are not expecting absolute fidelity through the couple’s struggles, are not offended by profanity, and can look past all the heavy drinking without developing cirrhosis by osmosis. (In fact, I thought it amusing that Stacey was such a health-nut in terms of the food she feeds her children and eats herself, but has no problem sucking back the wine and vodka!) Anyway, if you enjoy books about artists, the artistic process, imperfect people attracted to each other and yet maybe not good for each other, you’ve found your story here! Luckily, it was right up my alley. I’d give it an A/A-.
Like the author, our lead character, Stacey Lane, is a poet. She’s also thirty-something, newly widowed, and a mother of two young boys. Living in Nebraska, where her deceased husband was raised, Stacey has always felt a bit out of place. She grew up on the west coast and went to graduate school in the east, but having her sister and brother-in-law close by has been a help. Stacey has been more of a stay-at-home mom during her married life than a writer. She’s only published two books of poetry, but the latter one, Monsters in the Afterlife, a feminist take on the Frankenstein story, has gotten some traction. In fact, a Hollywood star has optioned it for adaptation, wants to produce, and invites Stacey to come out to his Caribbean vacation home to discuss the project. This invitation propels Stacey into Tommy DeMarco’s incredibly crazy life. DeMarco, in his latter 30’s, one assumes, is a charming, handsome womanizer. But he’s also smart, talented, and determined to make this book into a movie with the involvement of Stacey. Through the course of two years, not only do they work together off and on, but they carry on an affair at the same pace, falling in and out of each other’s lives, debating artistic visions, whether to have a relationship, how to deal with their children -- Tommy has a young, troubled teenage daughter from a previous relationship – as well as trust and honesty. In a sense, the poetry Stacey has written about Frankenstein almost becomes a metaphor for Stacey's life, a woman shaped by the men in her life at the time, i.e., either one that fits her traditional, steady, Midwest deceased husband or one that fits into Tommy’s glamorous, bohemian, ego-driven, alcohol and Xanax-fueled existence.
For a first novel, I found this story to be a popcorn popping, fast read. I honestly didn’t know how it would end nor how I wanted it to end. Did I want Stacey and Tommy to eventually make things permanent – if Tommy could ever *be* with one woman? Did I want Stacey to remain in Nebraska in the stable but less exciting arms of a doctor she begins to date at her sister’s urging? Or would it be best if they were both alone, with Stacey facing her grief and her artistic stagnation and Tommy finally growing up and getting control of his daughter. The romantic in me wanted things to work out, but it seemed an unreachable goal, since they were both damaged and not always good for each other. Be that as it may, I *can* recommend this story to romance readers, as long as you are not expecting absolute fidelity through the couple’s struggles, are not offended by profanity, and can look past all the heavy drinking without developing cirrhosis by osmosis. (In fact, I thought it amusing that Stacey was such a health-nut in terms of the food she feeds her children and eats herself, but has no problem sucking back the wine and vodka!) Anyway, if you enjoy books about artists, the artistic process, imperfect people attracted to each other and yet maybe not good for each other, you’ve found your story here! Luckily, it was right up my alley. I’d give it an A/A-.
iggyebab's review
2.0
The start of this book was so promising. About 1/2 way in the "relationship" drama started to ruin the story for me. If this had been YA or New Adult, I would not have been so irritated by all the miscommunication or lack of communication and the immaturity. The main characters are in their 39's and have children. That makes me less tolerant of all the drama.
madamelibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
Not one of my favorite books. :( I wasn't sure of the purpose of the book until the end, which was the best part. The title finally made sense at the end too. I also didn't like the language. Whether I like it or not, I see how the occasional expletive fits the situation. In this case, f words were liberally saturating the pages. If this is the current method of speaking, I'm glad it's not in my corner of the world. I imagine I'm supposed to feel sympathy for the main character. I found her extremely selfish.
sjhunt27's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
fantaghiro23's review against another edition
5.0
So, you pick up a book even though you're not entirely convinced by the description. But you pick it up because you want to get to know it better since you need to talk about it. You start reading at 1AM, precisely because you have low expectations and you expect to put it down after 15 mins so you can get to sleep.
And then it's already 5AM and you're still reading the book. You've tried to put it down several times but you end up picking it up again because you want to know what happens next to the poet and the movie star who can't seem to get their shit together. You want to whack both of them over the head, but you also laugh at their banter. You finally go to sleep when you realize that you can barely read because your eyes are so damn fuzzy and besides, you're no longer in your 20s.
You read the last 150 pages during an afternoon lull in your work emails. You justify it by saying, "I work in publishing, goddammit." You realize you're late for your 4PM appointment because you just HAVE to finish the book and you want to bask in the glow of a great albeit dysfunctional romance. You bask in the glow so much, you decide to reread the last 20 pages, making you even later for that appointment.
You are so happy you took the time to get to know this book.
If the description catches you, great. Go for it. But even if it doesn't, and you're the type who likes adult romance masquerading as contemporary fiction, get to know this book.
And then it's already 5AM and you're still reading the book. You've tried to put it down several times but you end up picking it up again because you want to know what happens next to the poet and the movie star who can't seem to get their shit together. You want to whack both of them over the head, but you also laugh at their banter. You finally go to sleep when you realize that you can barely read because your eyes are so damn fuzzy and besides, you're no longer in your 20s.
You read the last 150 pages during an afternoon lull in your work emails. You justify it by saying, "I work in publishing, goddammit." You realize you're late for your 4PM appointment because you just HAVE to finish the book and you want to bask in the glow of a great albeit dysfunctional romance. You bask in the glow so much, you decide to reread the last 20 pages, making you even later for that appointment.
You are so happy you took the time to get to know this book.
If the description catches you, great. Go for it. But even if it doesn't, and you're the type who likes adult romance masquerading as contemporary fiction, get to know this book.
jpmindful50's review against another edition
4.0
This book was unexpected, in part because it's described like a typical romance. Instead, it is dark, and the characters are damaged and not always likable. I would not call this a love story, but a twisted relationship that sometimes borders on abusive. There are parts that are funny, but a lot of the banter that the book jacket labels as comedy has a much darker undertone that I feel was more to demonstrate how screwed up these people really are. I do think she could have gone deeper into the parallels between their relationship and Stacey's book, and she hinted at some pretty deep psychological issues but never explored them fully. But for all that, I actually liked this book and wanted to see what happened in the end. Don't pick this up expecting a light summer romance novel, because this is not it. I think it was a disservice to the author to market it that way.