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be_art's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
joellec's review
hopeful
medium-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
dtwigg410's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
steph01924's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
This book was really easy to read. Seriously, I was sleepy and sat down to read for just a little while and...whoops, it's 2am and now I'm finished.
This book isn't going to wow you with its stunning originality - and I don't mean that as a diss, but it's true. One woman deals with the fact that she's become more of a mother and a wife than a fully-realized person, only to be thanked by her husband by being cheated on. Her sister is still in love with her ex-husband and of course antes up by falling in love again with an emotionally unavailable man. Plus she's a wedding gown designer! I mean, this is the stuff women's fiction is made of.
And yet, Higgins makes it all work. She makes her characters sympathetic, realistic, and while it's not without some flaws here and there, she weaves a heartwarming story. I wanted to shake both Jenny and Rachel at times, but I also couldn't fault them for their decisions. That is one thing I definitely enjoy about Higgins' work: She works hard to create fully rounded characters, often going off in little flashbacks and side tangents so you get an idea of past events that have informed the current situation. It doesn't work in every book, but I found it pleasant in this one.
FYI, this book features a small 'dying pet' subplot mid-way through, one of my least favorite tropes. There is some purpose to it other than trying to vainly tug at your heartstrings, and because the pet was not our main character's animal, I felt more disconnected to it than I normally do (these bits, even in books I'm not enjoying, usually bring the ugly cry). But be warned!
Two of the things that I dislike the most in some of Higgins' other books were toned down, much to my delight. There weren't too many crazy dog shenanigans, and the wacky internal monologues weren't really present, aside from Jenny's vivid married-life fantasies she was faced with a cute guy (and these were more funny than annoying thankfully). Yay!
This book was really easy to read. Seriously, I was sleepy and sat down to read for just a little while and...whoops, it's 2am and now I'm finished.
This book isn't going to wow you with its stunning originality - and I don't mean that as a diss, but it's true. One woman deals with the fact that she's become more of a mother and a wife than a fully-realized person, only to be thanked by her husband by being cheated on. Her sister is still in love with her ex-husband and of course antes up by falling in love again with an emotionally unavailable man. Plus she's a wedding gown designer! I mean, this is the stuff women's fiction is made of.
And yet, Higgins makes it all work. She makes her characters sympathetic, realistic, and while it's not without some flaws here and there, she weaves a heartwarming story. I wanted to shake both Jenny and Rachel at times, but I also couldn't fault them for their decisions. That is one thing I definitely enjoy about Higgins' work: She works hard to create fully rounded characters, often going off in little flashbacks and side tangents so you get an idea of past events that have informed the current situation. It doesn't work in every book, but I found it pleasant in this one.
FYI, this book features a small 'dying pet' subplot mid-way through, one of my least favorite tropes. There is some purpose to it other than trying to vainly tug at your heartstrings, and because the pet was not our main character's animal, I felt more disconnected to it than I normally do (these bits, even in books I'm not enjoying, usually bring the ugly cry). But be warned!
Two of the things that I dislike the most in some of Higgins' other books were toned down, much to my delight. There weren't too many crazy dog shenanigans, and the wacky internal monologues weren't really present, aside from Jenny's vivid married-life fantasies she was faced with a cute guy (and these were more funny than annoying thankfully). Yay!
dejasbookreads's review
4.0
I rather enjoyed this book. It was romantic yet dramatic. I loved seeing the two sisters in their own worlds but somehow come together.
jackiehorne's review
4.0
See full review at
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2015/09/no-more-mrs-nice-girl-kristan-higgins.html
ARC provided by NetGalley
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2015/09/no-more-mrs-nice-girl-kristan-higgins.html
ARC provided by NetGalley
laurenplug's review
5.0
First book I finished in two days in a while! The kind I ignored food for and half hardedly worked while sneaking glances at my phone to finish the book for.
alwaysbooking's review
5.0
Wow! This book it blew me out of the water. If you want a book that is going to tug at your heart and not let go this is it!! I'm pretty sure I will have a book hangover for days.. if not weeks. At one point my husband said he might take it away from me because my emotions were all over the place. I was happy crying and then sad crying... then there was the anger I felt at times. I'm so used to Kristan Higgins writing HEA novels and even though I knew this was not one of them I was blown away by how this writing style was so different. Way to go Mrs. Higgins I would like to see what other hidden gems you have up your sleeve!!!
Jenny is a wedding dress maker, she makes one of a kind exquisite dresses. She's moving out of the big city to the suburbs. This is a big life change for her, while she has designed dresses for other companies she's branching out on her own. Jenny will be leaving behind an ex husband, his new wife, oh and their new baby. She can't seem to find the motivation to hate them for being perfect. I fell in love with Jenny in the first chapter she's just struggling to make sense with what is going on in her life. When she moves to the burbs she meets Leo her super. He's a really horrible super, however he is the best eye candy she's had in a while. I love that he tells her to stop "eye f***ing him" kills me every time. They seemed destined to be just friends through the whole book. (while me as a reader is like please fall for each other!!) At one point they need to locate the fuse box so Jenny is going into his cellar to fix the blown fuse and this is part of their conversation.
"You're surprisingly quiet," Leo says, clicking on a light.
"I'm assessing the odds of you murdering me down here"
"And?"
"I hereby deem you harmless"
"How emasculating," he says. "What are you looking for again?"
Leo doesn't even know what a fuse box is.. hehe. He has such high walls built around him that you know Jenny will probably never break through.
Then there's Rachel the lovingly perfect sister. With the great triplets (girls) and wonderful husband. Until she see's that text nothing is wrong. Once it starts spiraling for Rachel it doesn't stop. You are so drawn into her tragedy that is taking place. I cried more for Rachel than I did for Jenny. Rachel is the normal mom who thinks everything of the home that they have built. I love her undying love for her children throughout the book. I love how it documents her changing outfits multiple times a day, dealing with pee, poop, and vomit. These are normal things that most novels gloss over. I was up and down about her relationship with Adam. Should she stay or should she go?? There's one point where she admires herself in the mirror and she says about how her stretch marks have faded into small silver marks. How she can barely see them but she can feel them. About how average she is. Don't all of us as mothers feel this way??
There are so many great secondary characters in this book. The girls mother who is very patronizing yet loving. The new friend who would do whatever just to get out of the house. The boutique assistant whom is writing the ever changing novel. The friends that are getting married. Leo whom really isn't secondary but I enjoyed him thoroughly.
This book did not end as I thought it was going to. It kept surprising me with each page I turned. I highly recommend it!!
Jenny is a wedding dress maker, she makes one of a kind exquisite dresses. She's moving out of the big city to the suburbs. This is a big life change for her, while she has designed dresses for other companies she's branching out on her own. Jenny will be leaving behind an ex husband, his new wife, oh and their new baby. She can't seem to find the motivation to hate them for being perfect. I fell in love with Jenny in the first chapter she's just struggling to make sense with what is going on in her life. When she moves to the burbs she meets Leo her super. He's a really horrible super, however he is the best eye candy she's had in a while. I love that he tells her to stop "eye f***ing him" kills me every time. They seemed destined to be just friends through the whole book. (while me as a reader is like please fall for each other!!) At one point they need to locate the fuse box so Jenny is going into his cellar to fix the blown fuse and this is part of their conversation.
"You're surprisingly quiet," Leo says, clicking on a light.
"I'm assessing the odds of you murdering me down here"
"And?"
"I hereby deem you harmless"
"How emasculating," he says. "What are you looking for again?"
Leo doesn't even know what a fuse box is.. hehe. He has such high walls built around him that you know Jenny will probably never break through.
Then there's Rachel the lovingly perfect sister. With the great triplets (girls) and wonderful husband. Until she see's that text nothing is wrong. Once it starts spiraling for Rachel it doesn't stop. You are so drawn into her tragedy that is taking place. I cried more for Rachel than I did for Jenny. Rachel is the normal mom who thinks everything of the home that they have built. I love her undying love for her children throughout the book. I love how it documents her changing outfits multiple times a day, dealing with pee, poop, and vomit. These are normal things that most novels gloss over. I was up and down about her relationship with Adam. Should she stay or should she go?? There's one point where she admires herself in the mirror and she says about how her stretch marks have faded into small silver marks. How she can barely see them but she can feel them. About how average she is. Don't all of us as mothers feel this way??
There are so many great secondary characters in this book. The girls mother who is very patronizing yet loving. The new friend who would do whatever just to get out of the house. The boutique assistant whom is writing the ever changing novel. The friends that are getting married. Leo whom really isn't secondary but I enjoyed him thoroughly.
This book did not end as I thought it was going to. It kept surprising me with each page I turned. I highly recommend it!!
mkramirez's review against another edition
3.0
Fighting the urge to let the cheesy feel-good ending bump this rating up to four stars but at least it made me somewhat glad I stuck it out for all 12 hours of audio…