kittykornerlibrarian's review
4.0
I enjoy the narrator's voice and her interactions with other characters. As the book goes on, some of the plot lines become a little contrived, but it's a fun, light read nonetheless.
llkendrick's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This was a fun, easy read. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, I found them all to be very relatable and realistic. The story line itself was also very realistic...it seemed like the kind of drama that really could happen to anyone.
This was a fun, easy read. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, I found them all to be very relatable and realistic. The story line itself was also very realistic...it seemed like the kind of drama that really could happen to anyone.
bbckprpl's review against another edition
4.0
I get the impression, sometimes, that this is more the type of fiction that "grown ups" like me are supposed to read - books that have main characters whose kids are getting married and whose marriages have ended. Usually, when someone says something like that to me, I tell them that they are ridiculous, because I am only 32! Years! Old! and I'm not married and I don't have kids. Also, am not a real "grown-up", ask anybody. Plus? I have read a lot of those books, and they are sooo boring: I'm sorry that you are having a mid-life crisis, but you'd think that the crisis part could at least be semi-entertaining and not just so horrible that you want to curl up in your bed and forget about reading altogether. So, ordinarily, when people recommend things like that to me, I tend to think it's because they're saying I'm too old for what I normally read (YA is for EVERYONE, haters!), OR that they have really horrible taste in books ("Good literature must be boring and depressing!") and disregard their opinions. But I read somebody's review of this book (can't remember where), and thought: 'Well, it doesn't sound horrible,' so here we are.
And it was really good. Yes, the main character's life is kind of in a shambles. But she knows it, and she's working on it, and she screws things up, and keeps her sense of humor, and doesn't ignore the parts of herself that have gotten her this far in her life, and just shows up. I mean, she shows up, and does her best (or sometimes not, but that's ok), and it's actually entertaining to read. This is a book about somebody who actually is a 'grown-up', and she's ok with that: being responsible and caring about her family and trying to make new friends when you have no idea how to do that anymore... it was relate-able, even though we aren't the same age. Which, if you ask me, is the key to any book's enjoyability: Picture books through grand literature, fantastical realm through realistic contemporary - Are you telling the truth? Can I recognize it as such?
There was definitely truth here, so I can recommend it.
And it was really good. Yes, the main character's life is kind of in a shambles. But she knows it, and she's working on it, and she screws things up, and keeps her sense of humor, and doesn't ignore the parts of herself that have gotten her this far in her life, and just shows up. I mean, she shows up, and does her best (or sometimes not, but that's ok), and it's actually entertaining to read. This is a book about somebody who actually is a 'grown-up', and she's ok with that: being responsible and caring about her family and trying to make new friends when you have no idea how to do that anymore... it was relate-able, even though we aren't the same age. Which, if you ask me, is the key to any book's enjoyability: Picture books through grand literature, fantastical realm through realistic contemporary - Are you telling the truth? Can I recognize it as such?
There was definitely truth here, so I can recommend it.
gettinglostinagoodbook's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely a light read. Upon purchasing it I did not expect much, but really enjoyed it. I though Darcy was clever and kind, working hard to become the person she truly wanted to be. It was interesting to watch how the characters grew and learned from one another. While the wedding seemed a bit overboard for me, the stresses of the situation seemed real. I was drawn into the characters, rooting for Darcy, Finney, and Annie the whole time!
bibliobabe94's review against another edition
3.0
Recently divorced Darcy's older son is getting married to Cami, who comes from a very wealthy family. It's the story of her getting through the whole wedding ordeal, while her ex's new woman tries to muscle in. Darcy is a very likable character, someone you would want as a friend. Overall nice story.
cmbwell's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I could relate to the main character (except for the climactic moment toward the end, ick) and thought overall the storyline was something new & different.
mishale1's review
3.0
I love how detailed this author writes her characters. You feel like you know them, you feel like you see characteristics of people you know in them, therefore you really care about what happens to them.
Darcy has been single about three years. Her youngest son is a senior in highschool, her oldest son about to graduate college and head to graduate school...in the midst of all these big life changes, her oldest son proposes to his girlfriend. This leads to Darcy meeting and interacting with her exhusband's new girlfriend.
The new girlfriend jumps into the wedding planning and takes over in major ways. You'll probably be very happy if you don't know someone like her in real life.
When she's rude to Darcy, and she can be very rude to Darcy, you will rightfully be very irritated with her.
The scene is definitely set for a very interesting year of wedding planning and a very interesting wedding.
Darcy has been single about three years. Her youngest son is a senior in highschool, her oldest son about to graduate college and head to graduate school...in the midst of all these big life changes, her oldest son proposes to his girlfriend. This leads to Darcy meeting and interacting with her exhusband's new girlfriend.
The new girlfriend jumps into the wedding planning and takes over in major ways. You'll probably be very happy if you don't know someone like her in real life.
When she's rude to Darcy, and she can be very rude to Darcy, you will rightfully be very irritated with her.
The scene is definitely set for a very interesting year of wedding planning and a very interesting wedding.
jessferg's review
2.0
This is my least favorite type of review to try and write. This book is totally okay. Despite a very lazy editor leaving lots of obvious typos, the writing is fine, the story is fine, the characters are fine - it's just soooo boring.
I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this, and I do think there is an audience that would absolutely adore it, but I'm not it.
Pretty much the entire book is the inside of this woman's head as she gets ready to attend her son's wedding - all the divided family crap, all the in-law meeting, all the planning, all the stupid clothes, - ugh. BORING.
Darcy (our narrator) spends a lot of time trying to convince us what a strong woman she is but not actually doing anything a strong woman would do. I didn't dislike her, per se, but at some point I def needed her to show me this backbone she kept claiming to have. I don't think I ever saw it.
When we finally get to something exciting (in the last 30 pages or so), it's event on top of event on top of event and of course our heroine is indeed a heroine and our villain is indeed our villain. (Should I say it again? I shall. Boring.)
But everything wraps up neatly and that's all that really matters, right?
In conclusion, I prefer Chuck Palahniuk.
I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this, and I do think there is an audience that would absolutely adore it, but I'm not it.
Pretty much the entire book is the inside of this woman's head as she gets ready to attend her son's wedding - all the divided family crap, all the in-law meeting, all the planning, all the stupid clothes, - ugh. BORING.
Darcy (our narrator) spends a lot of time trying to convince us what a strong woman she is but not actually doing anything a strong woman would do. I didn't dislike her, per se, but at some point I def needed her to show me this backbone she kept claiming to have. I don't think I ever saw it.
When we finally get to something exciting (in the last 30 pages or so), it's event on top of event on top of event and of course our heroine is indeed a heroine and our villain is indeed our villain. (Should I say it again? I shall. Boring.)
But everything wraps up neatly and that's all that really matters, right?
In conclusion, I prefer Chuck Palahniuk.
clairclairmarie's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
accovino's review
2.0
It was okay. Nothing special. I could identify more with the mom than the pseudo-step-mom which is weird, but she was a BITCH. (The pseudo-step-mom..) Kinda pissed me off because I've been in her position and I did everything I could to put the kid before anything else, but it seems like in every book I read it's the evil step-mom all over again. Something new, please??