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afoley8's review against another edition
3.0
Similar to a lot of Peterson’s other books. Entertaining to read but quite shallow. A happy ending but still not something you’d read to get any smarter.
velvetlibrary's review against another edition
1.0
Right. So. I'm pretty sure this is the worst rating I've ever given a book. That would probably be because this was one of the worst books I've ever read. Ever.
Let's start with Jamie, who likes to think of herself as so much better than her Grid neighbours, because she comes from a 'normal' background. That's great, sweetheart, but evidently your horse is so high that you can't see anything from all the way up there. She claims not to be consumed by the world she lives in, but... Her children are just as spoiled as her Park Avenue neighbours'. She complains about how shallow and vapid her 'friends' are for making fun of her clothes, only to do the same to an colleague. She 'doesn't care' about Grid events and society and looking the part, but practically has a breakdown when her appearance is slighted or they struggle to attend an event. Her husband's affair seems to be the thing to finally end their marriage, even though she spend most of the book lusting after the manny (yes, I know they don't really do anything, but when women have emotional affairs, it's comparative to men having a physical one). Basically, I just found her hypocritical and bitchy. And not in a fun, 'love-to-hate-her' way. I just hated her.
Personally, I don't believe this book needed to be published. There is already plenty of vapid chick-lit in existence and most of it (in my experience) is better than this. That being said, since apparently someone did think the world needed to read this, it could have been a third of the size. This 390-page story could easily have been told in under 150 pages. Aside from the Jamie-Peter sexual tension (which got a bit tired, to be honest. Just sleep with him or cut him loose) and the Jamie-Phillip marriage tension (which also got tired. Divorce him or work it out), there wasn't much happening storyline-wise. At least nothing of importance.
There just really wasn't much to recommend this book. I found the characters flat, boring and lifeless. The storyline got old. The writing wasn't great - I mean, I've got a long way to go before being published and I've done better than this. It just. Wasn't good.
Let's start with Jamie, who likes to think of herself as so much better than her Grid neighbours, because she comes from a 'normal' background. That's great, sweetheart, but evidently your horse is so high that you can't see anything from all the way up there. She claims not to be consumed by the world she lives in, but... Her children are just as spoiled as her Park Avenue neighbours'. She complains about how shallow and vapid her 'friends' are for making fun of her clothes, only to do the same to an colleague. She 'doesn't care' about Grid events and society and looking the part, but practically has a breakdown when her appearance is slighted or they struggle to attend an event. Her husband's affair seems to be the thing to finally end their marriage, even though she spend most of the book lusting after the manny (yes, I know they don't really do anything, but when women have emotional affairs, it's comparative to men having a physical one). Basically, I just found her hypocritical and bitchy. And not in a fun, 'love-to-hate-her' way. I just hated her.
Personally, I don't believe this book needed to be published. There is already plenty of vapid chick-lit in existence and most of it (in my experience) is better than this. That being said, since apparently someone did think the world needed to read this, it could have been a third of the size. This 390-page story could easily have been told in under 150 pages. Aside from the Jamie-Peter sexual tension (which got a bit tired, to be honest. Just sleep with him or cut him loose) and the Jamie-Phillip marriage tension (which also got tired. Divorce him or work it out), there wasn't much happening storyline-wise. At least nothing of importance.
There just really wasn't much to recommend this book. I found the characters flat, boring and lifeless. The storyline got old. The writing wasn't great - I mean, I've got a long way to go before being published and I've done better than this. It just. Wasn't good.
alittlebookish's review against another edition
2.0
I ended up reading this in one day. It was an easy read and if you're looking for something fun and mindless then this is a book for you. I have to say that while I enjoyed reading this book the main character bothered me. She couldn't make up her mind and never stood up for herself. Even at the very end when she has made the obvious decision, she remains ambiguous about her decision. The ended also left too much to the imagination. It doesn't tie things up at all. The title character was endearing and always held strong to what he believed in. I give this book 2.5 stars out of 5.
jerkyf's review against another edition
1.0
I tried. I really did. Jamie is a big shot television news producer, which is somehow a part time job. Fine. This is not a career for ambivalence, for whining, for *seeking validation from a manny at every freaking turn*! She wonders how Peter will feel about every decision she makes, both personal and professional. No matter how close she'd become to him, or how brilliant she thought he was, there is no justification for her utter lack of confidence. She bows to her bosses, her make co-workers, her husband, and now a manny? Someone she'd just met, who watched private videos without her permission? Just, no. That's not how that works. And her lack of follow up? She goes to a birthday party two days after the biggest story of her career, in the midst of the upheaval, knowing that it's blowing up while she's eating tomato and butter sandwiches?? (By the way, really? Butter on tomatoes? Do people really eat that??)
And the servant to the husband thing, she's so unhappy that she's considering cheating, but she's still running his errands? It's just too much. I hate her and her appeasing ways.
And the servant to the husband thing, she's so unhappy that she's considering cheating, but she's still running his errands? It's just too much. I hate her and her appeasing ways.
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