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3.24 AVERAGE
3.24 AVERAGE
Most of the time while reading this book, I felt like I was reading a script for a rom-com {in a good way}. Predictably gorgeous main character {I can see Amy Adams or Isla Fischer slipping into this role with their Manolos and slick business skirts}, devilishly handsome men with a secret heart of gold, an ex-husband who's jealous of Liddy's success. Which, honestly, made for perfect sick-day reading as it was light-hearted, predictable, and didn't require a lot of thought. 'Cuz honestly, when I'm taking NyQuil, I'm basically Karen from "Mean Girls."
HOWEVER, if you're looking for an original story line, move on along past this book. Deep character studies? Not gonna get it here either. Life-changing story arc that makes you re-examine your life? Nope. I'm not saying you need these qualities to be a good or enjoyable read, but you do need to manage your expectations for this book.
Complete review at https://mytablesofcontent.wordpress.com/
HOWEVER, if you're looking for an original story line, move on along past this book. Deep character studies? Not gonna get it here either. Life-changing story arc that makes you re-examine your life? Nope. I'm not saying you need these qualities to be a good or enjoyable read, but you do need to manage your expectations for this book.
Complete review at https://mytablesofcontent.wordpress.com/
I absolutely enjoyed "The Real Liddy James". I must admit that I had some trouble getting into the book because I found Rose (the new "stepmom") a more sympathetic character than the main character, who is Liddy James. They seemed to be a rather dysfunctional family post-divorce, which of course made Liddy's book premise even more hilarious. That said, once cracks started to show on Liddy's always-perfect exterior, I became very interested. When Liddy has her breakdown she becomes a real person, a real character, unlike this perfect mom who is also a workaholic and lives in a fabulously luxurious apartment and has two sons who go to expensive private schools, camps, after school activities, and want for nothing person who could never exist. Not really anyway, and I think that that is what she finds. At some point she buckled down and cared more about the idea of things she wanted (or thought she wanted) and was so fixed on keeping that alive that she never really looked up and took stock, until she had no other option. The real Liddy James is far more likeable and believable than the fake Liddy James, and it seems the other characters in the book feel the same way as I did. Let's face it, no one likes someone who seems perfect all of the time.
On a more personal note, I can definitely see myself having become the pre-breakdown Liddy James had I not become disabled. I cared about having a really good job that made good money. I planned on using said money to take care of my parents (like Liddy), care for my brother after my parents had passed, and care for my family that would inevitably come and make sure I could afford anything that wanted or needed. I also dreamed of doing/having it all, and would have likely pushed myself to do it in the same way Liddy James had. In some cases, you could say I was sort of lucky that I was forced to look at what matters before I got too invested, well in terms of real life, in terms of dreams I was super invested. It was a fall for sure, but it was far shorter than the one Liddy had. That said, I wouldn't mind being flush with cash because being sick is expensive!
On a more personal note, I can definitely see myself having become the pre-breakdown Liddy James had I not become disabled. I cared about having a really good job that made good money. I planned on using said money to take care of my parents (like Liddy), care for my brother after my parents had passed, and care for my family that would inevitably come and make sure I could afford anything that wanted or needed. I also dreamed of doing/having it all, and would have likely pushed myself to do it in the same way Liddy James had. In some cases, you could say I was sort of lucky that I was forced to look at what matters before I got too invested, well in terms of real life, in terms of dreams I was super invested. It was a fall for sure, but it was far shorter than the one Liddy had. That said, I wouldn't mind being flush with cash because being sick is expensive!
To me, this was a unique and enjoyable take on a been-done-before theme (woman trying to "have it all").
I wasn't sure about this book based on very mixed reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised. Liddy is an extremely successful divorce lawyer, mother of 2, and divorced from Peter. Peter is now in a relationship with Rose. We see these characters trying to struggle through family life together. As things start to get complicated for Liddy, she has to reevaluate who she really is. This novel modern, sharp, and witty. I found myself really rooting for the characters as they struggled.
Thank you to Penguin Random House (First to Read) for the opportunity to have read this book before it hits the shelves
It was an OK read, at first I was expecting a captivating book, a book I could not put down for a second, unfortunately that didn't happen, It wasn't terrible either, the writing style was great, interesting and with a good pace, but I couldn't feel a strong connection to the caracteres, there was in fact some connection in a few moments of the book, where I could understand her struggles and feel empathy for Liddy, despite all of this I think I expected more, when I finished the book I didn't feel accomplished for reading it, as it happens when a book can surprise me and enchant me. There's also the fact that some of it could be considered a little cliché, which makes it not so surprising when reading it, as a reader I like to be surprised and read things that are unexpected, not thinking ahead of what's coming and be right about it. Liddy is very focused on keeping her life "perfect"...even if it involves nightly ambient/wine bombs to get some sleep. It would appear that she has it all, but soon you find out it doesn't quite match that initial thought . We face her stress to keep her life steady and the same.
It was an OK read, at first I was expecting a captivating book, a book I could not put down for a second, unfortunately that didn't happen, It wasn't terrible either, the writing style was great, interesting and with a good pace, but I couldn't feel a strong connection to the caracteres, there was in fact some connection in a few moments of the book, where I could understand her struggles and feel empathy for Liddy, despite all of this I think I expected more, when I finished the book I didn't feel accomplished for reading it, as it happens when a book can surprise me and enchant me. There's also the fact that some of it could be considered a little cliché, which makes it not so surprising when reading it, as a reader I like to be surprised and read things that are unexpected, not thinking ahead of what's coming and be right about it. Liddy is very focused on keeping her life "perfect"...even if it involves nightly ambient/wine bombs to get some sleep. It would appear that she has it all, but soon you find out it doesn't quite match that initial thought . We face her stress to keep her life steady and the same.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Recommended Age: 18+ (discussion of sex, mature themes, and some cursing.)
Favorite Quote: "Of course Rose knew that this Liddy James was a brand - the Superlawyer! Supermother! Barbara had described - and her success was based on this image of Supercompetence! that allowed her to dispense advice on chat shows, represent celebrity clients, and write best-selling books."
I was provided a free copy of this book by Dayle for the purposes of writing this review. This did not influence my decisions about this book at all.
Liddy James is forty-four, fit, and fabulous. She's one of New York's top divorce attorneys, she's a bestselling author, and a mother of two. With her ruthless reputation of being a shark and her capsule wardrobe, she glides through the courtrooms and salons with ease. Her secret? She doesn't do guilt! However, when Rose, her ex-husband's new girlfriend, announces that she's pregnant, Liddy's nanny quits, the roof starts leaking, a high-profile divorce becomes too personal, and more, Liddy will have to decide whether she really can continue to not do guilt any longer or if she'll have to face the skeletons in her closet head on.
For the most part, this book was very enjoyable. The book offered insight on how even the most controlling person can easily lose control. There is never such a thing as having total control in this life. I also really enjoyed how the POV switched between the two main characters, Liddy and Rose, and how the reader is privileged to hearing the story from two different sides. Sadly while I have some good things to say about this book, such as it's an empowering read for women and it maintains a good deal of realism with custody issues and legal matters, I have a lot of bad things to say about it as well.
While I enjoyed the book for the most part, towards the end of the story I found myself very bored with the tale. The pacing grows slower and slower as your progress through the book. The book also seems to have great plot development until you get towards the end. Certain important elements to the overall plot seem to be horridly rushed towards the end and there isn't much harmony with the beginning of the book. Yes, I love plots that harmonize. I'm that weirdo who was disappointed by the lack of harmony between the original trilogy in Star Wars and the chronological first three movies of the series. I feel that a really good story will call back to the beginning of the story and there will be a sound resolution. This book ends rather abruptly and it's very upsetting that you aren't privy to the end of Liddy James. Maybe the author wanted to leave room for a sequel, but this book didn't read like a series. It read like a stand-alone so hopefully it will remain as such.
Another one of my complaints was that while Rose and Liddy were well developed characters for the most part, the other characters dulled in comparison. I feel the story could have benefitted from some more background information on Peter, Matty, Cal, etc. so that their actions would be better understood. Sometimes when any character outside of Liddy or Rose acted in what I would define as a strange manner, I had to stop and wonder why they did such an odd thing. For instance, Matty is Liddy's teenage son and while I could figure out why he did some of things he did in the book, I had to wonder why he did others when they seemed so out of character for him.
The last complaint I had was the biggest complaint I've had about this book. The book was not very easy to read in certain areas. Liddy is a divorce attorney and a lot of her story revolved around her office environment, which I could understand completely. Liddy is a workaholic and I wouldn't want a big chunk of her life to not be wrote about. However, a LOT of legal terms were used and a lot of the jargon would easily go over a good amount of people's heads. I work and have worked in Courthouses and the lawyer talk still went over my head. Sometimes I would have to reread the passages and sometimes I just completely gave up and skipped sections, hoping that what was said was not very pertinent to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I feel that this book would be a good read for someone who loved adult contemporary novels and loved books about strong, independent women then this book is for you! If you like romances, then this book might be for you as well since there are slight romances throughout the book. Or if you're someone whose looking to take a break from the YA fantasy/dystopian genre, then this book might be a nice break for you! While I had a lot of complaints about it my overall enjoyment of the book and the fact that the book was so insightful and inspiring outweighed a lot of the nit-picking I had with this book, and I think it would be like that for you as well.
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Recommended Age: 18+ (discussion of sex, mature themes, and some cursing.)
Favorite Quote: "Of course Rose knew that this Liddy James was a brand - the Superlawyer! Supermother! Barbara had described - and her success was based on this image of Supercompetence! that allowed her to dispense advice on chat shows, represent celebrity clients, and write best-selling books."
I was provided a free copy of this book by Dayle for the purposes of writing this review. This did not influence my decisions about this book at all.
Liddy James is forty-four, fit, and fabulous. She's one of New York's top divorce attorneys, she's a bestselling author, and a mother of two. With her ruthless reputation of being a shark and her capsule wardrobe, she glides through the courtrooms and salons with ease. Her secret? She doesn't do guilt! However, when Rose, her ex-husband's new girlfriend, announces that she's pregnant, Liddy's nanny quits, the roof starts leaking, a high-profile divorce becomes too personal, and more, Liddy will have to decide whether she really can continue to not do guilt any longer or if she'll have to face the skeletons in her closet head on.
For the most part, this book was very enjoyable. The book offered insight on how even the most controlling person can easily lose control. There is never such a thing as having total control in this life. I also really enjoyed how the POV switched between the two main characters, Liddy and Rose, and how the reader is privileged to hearing the story from two different sides. Sadly while I have some good things to say about this book, such as it's an empowering read for women and it maintains a good deal of realism with custody issues and legal matters, I have a lot of bad things to say about it as well.
While I enjoyed the book for the most part, towards the end of the story I found myself very bored with the tale. The pacing grows slower and slower as your progress through the book. The book also seems to have great plot development until you get towards the end. Certain important elements to the overall plot seem to be horridly rushed towards the end and there isn't much harmony with the beginning of the book. Yes, I love plots that harmonize. I'm that weirdo who was disappointed by the lack of harmony between the original trilogy in Star Wars and the chronological first three movies of the series. I feel that a really good story will call back to the beginning of the story and there will be a sound resolution. This book ends rather abruptly and it's very upsetting that you aren't privy to the end of Liddy James. Maybe the author wanted to leave room for a sequel, but this book didn't read like a series. It read like a stand-alone so hopefully it will remain as such.
Another one of my complaints was that while Rose and Liddy were well developed characters for the most part, the other characters dulled in comparison. I feel the story could have benefitted from some more background information on Peter, Matty, Cal, etc. so that their actions would be better understood. Sometimes when any character outside of Liddy or Rose acted in what I would define as a strange manner, I had to stop and wonder why they did such an odd thing. For instance, Matty is Liddy's teenage son and while I could figure out why he did some of things he did in the book, I had to wonder why he did others when they seemed so out of character for him.
The last complaint I had was the biggest complaint I've had about this book. The book was not very easy to read in certain areas. Liddy is a divorce attorney and a lot of her story revolved around her office environment, which I could understand completely. Liddy is a workaholic and I wouldn't want a big chunk of her life to not be wrote about. However, a LOT of legal terms were used and a lot of the jargon would easily go over a good amount of people's heads. I work and have worked in Courthouses and the lawyer talk still went over my head. Sometimes I would have to reread the passages and sometimes I just completely gave up and skipped sections, hoping that what was said was not very pertinent to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I feel that this book would be a good read for someone who loved adult contemporary novels and loved books about strong, independent women then this book is for you! If you like romances, then this book might be for you as well since there are slight romances throughout the book. Or if you're someone whose looking to take a break from the YA fantasy/dystopian genre, then this book might be a nice break for you! While I had a lot of complaints about it my overall enjoyment of the book and the fact that the book was so insightful and inspiring outweighed a lot of the nit-picking I had with this book, and I think it would be like that for you as well.
What happens when the super woman loses it? Good question. I found Liddy to be likeable, relateable, and entertaining. Was a quick read and a very engaging story. Would def recommend.
Read my full review here:
http://ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2016/11/review-real-liddy-james-by-anne-marie.html
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I received no additional compensation.
My Review:
This jumped on my radar as soon as I saw it. I tried to request a copy and let's just say it was one of the longest, weirdest, and funniest go-rounds I have had in book blogging. Originally, the cover caught my eye (just like The Guineveres) and the topic always intrigues me, "working mothers." I liked that this novel wasn't the same old formula of the mother "having it all," then being overwhelmed and deciding that she's going to stay home with her kids (too martyr-y to me.) This story was great because we get an inside look at the lives of the people around "the working mother" to see how everything is really being juggled by multiple people, plus the sacrifices everyone is making in a complex (yet very amicable) family. I didn't really love the ending (but no spoilers!) so I can't say I would really recommend this book to anyone. However, if you want to know that you're not alone in your quest to pretty much be two places at once when you have a job outside the home and are a mother, this book had some good laughs.
http://ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2016/11/review-real-liddy-james-by-anne-marie.html
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I received no additional compensation.
My Review:
This jumped on my radar as soon as I saw it. I tried to request a copy and let's just say it was one of the longest, weirdest, and funniest go-rounds I have had in book blogging. Originally, the cover caught my eye (just like The Guineveres) and the topic always intrigues me, "working mothers." I liked that this novel wasn't the same old formula of the mother "having it all," then being overwhelmed and deciding that she's going to stay home with her kids (too martyr-y to me.) This story was great because we get an inside look at the lives of the people around "the working mother" to see how everything is really being juggled by multiple people, plus the sacrifices everyone is making in a complex (yet very amicable) family. I didn't really love the ending (but no spoilers!) so I can't say I would really recommend this book to anyone. However, if you want to know that you're not alone in your quest to pretty much be two places at once when you have a job outside the home and are a mother, this book had some good laughs.
This book was a solid read about another overloaded woman finding balance.
I related quite a bit to Liddy in that I also often put too much on my plate, and I took some pleasure in seeing how she dealt with everything as it came, but I didn't enjoy seeing it all fall apart as it inevitably would. And while in most chick flick books this would be funny--cringeworthy, but funny--I found myself just cringing.
I didn't really like Liddy. I wanted to and I could see the aspects where I was supposed to sympathise with her. However, I found myself not really caring, and thus when she decided to chase her family history I found myself flipping pages just to get to the end.
Sebastian ended up being my favourite character--a competing divorce lawyer, he provides some comic relief and kept me on my toes. I generally don't like to adore the male figure, but he was fantastic and elicited a lot of angry emotions from me.
On the other hand, I found myself getting really annoyed with the way the kids in the book were treated--I felt like they deserved more than they received, especially Cal, the younger one.
I probably won't ever reread this one, but it nonetheless kept me occupied.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I related quite a bit to Liddy in that I also often put too much on my plate, and I took some pleasure in seeing how she dealt with everything as it came, but I didn't enjoy seeing it all fall apart as it inevitably would. And while in most chick flick books this would be funny--cringeworthy, but funny--I found myself just cringing.
I didn't really like Liddy. I wanted to and I could see the aspects where I was supposed to sympathise with her. However, I found myself not really caring, and thus when she decided to chase her family history I found myself flipping pages just to get to the end.
Sebastian ended up being my favourite character--a competing divorce lawyer, he provides some comic relief and kept me on my toes. I generally don't like to adore the male figure, but he was fantastic and elicited a lot of angry emotions from me.
On the other hand, I found myself getting really annoyed with the way the kids in the book were treated--I felt like they deserved more than they received, especially Cal, the younger one.
I probably won't ever reread this one, but it nonetheless kept me occupied.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.