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brooke_review's review against another edition
4.0
This novel is not as trite as one might expect. I figured I was getting into a typical "wedding story," but found myself following a woman on her journey to self-actualization, all the while dealing with real emotions and conflict.
mamma_calls_me_francis's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book I had on my bookshelf that has been waiting to be read for a couple years. It was good and I enjoyed it but I probably wont read it again. It was a pretty quick read. Sent to my donation pile so someone else can enjoy it.
marthalama's review against another edition
3.0
I started this book a little ambivalent. I thought it was going to be another Chick-lit/"Sex in the City" clone with New York girls perpetually dissatisfied with the mostly perfect lives.
Well, it was and it wasn't. Quinn/Prudence, our heroine is leads a somewhat "only in books" like. Great job, perfect boyfriend, great New York apartment, and no money worries what so ever. So, what's she got to complain about, right?
First off, she lost her beloved father in 9/11. A plot device which could have been schmaltzy or just plain gimmicky. But instead is handled with care and restraint and really does work in this story. Second, she's not a "Oh, I can't wait to get married" kind of girl and a little panicked about whether or not she's happy about it. Finally, she's not sure she's over her first love, she's not sure her fiance hasn't just cheated on her with her best friend, she's not sure she loves her career, and she's really not sure what she thinks of her future Mother-in-law.
Now, I'm not usually a big fan of books where the girl has everything but she's "just not happy" (that part should be said in a whiny voice). But, this book works. Rowley makes her main character some one to whom you can relate and all the secondary characters are believable and endearing. I ended up stating you way to late to finish which is always the sign of a good book.
I know this book just came out yet, I'm still looking forward to see what Rowley does next.
Well, it was and it wasn't. Quinn/Prudence, our heroine is leads a somewhat "only in books" like. Great job, perfect boyfriend, great New York apartment, and no money worries what so ever. So, what's she got to complain about, right?
First off, she lost her beloved father in 9/11. A plot device which could have been schmaltzy or just plain gimmicky. But instead is handled with care and restraint and really does work in this story. Second, she's not a "Oh, I can't wait to get married" kind of girl and a little panicked about whether or not she's happy about it. Finally, she's not sure she's over her first love, she's not sure her fiance hasn't just cheated on her with her best friend, she's not sure she loves her career, and she's really not sure what she thinks of her future Mother-in-law.
Now, I'm not usually a big fan of books where the girl has everything but she's "just not happy" (that part should be said in a whiny voice). But, this book works. Rowley makes her main character some one to whom you can relate and all the secondary characters are believable and endearing. I ended up stating you way to late to finish which is always the sign of a good book.
I know this book just came out yet, I'm still looking forward to see what Rowley does next.
cac03's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book. Thought it would be a mindless summer read that I would start and never finish because I would become bored with it but I actually liked it and think it would be a great book club book.
imbookingit's review against another edition
3.0
I was fascinated by this hard working, hard drinking young woman, who was far more obsessed with looking good on her wedding day than she was with her groom.
Quinn's groom was a sweet mama's boy, but the book wasn't really about him. I had trouble keeping Quinn's friends straight, but the book wasn't about them either. All the supporting characters (her family, her coworkers, her personal trainer/therapist) were fun and worked well enough.
The odd thing about this book was that I kept thinking that a happy ending would consist of Quinn and Sage realizing that neither of them was ready to get married-- they both needed to grow up a little. You'd think that I'd hope that they'd do that growing up, because it seems like they could make a nice couple down the road, but that wasn't what I was thinking.
Quinn's groom was a sweet mama's boy, but the book wasn't really about him. I had trouble keeping Quinn's friends straight, but the book wasn't about them either. All the supporting characters (her family, her coworkers, her personal trainer/therapist) were fun and worked well enough.
The odd thing about this book was that I kept thinking that a happy ending would consist of Quinn and Sage realizing that neither of them was ready to get married-- they both needed to grow up a little. You'd think that I'd hope that they'd do that growing up, because it seems like they could make a nice couple down the road, but that wasn't what I was thinking.
lja8608's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed reading this book. I thought the characters were very well written and I felt as though I could relate to them. I did however have to knock it down to a 4 because it didn't make me want to consume it in one day, definitely a book that I could only read a little at a time.
colleenlovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
Life After Yes is smart, literary chic-lit with all the right components: witty, imperfect characters, a dynamic backdrop and emotions that run the gammit. Anyone who reads this will find some of themselves in between the pages, whether that is good or bad. You cannot help but love the characters with all their flaws because they are all of us, living and surviving as best they can.
Prudence Quinn O'Malley is a smart, slightly self-absorbed Upper Westsider who works as a lawyer and drinks for a hobby. The night after her man, Sage, proposes in Paris with a flashy ring picked out by his mother, Quinn has a dream that shakes her already brittle confidence. She worries about whether Sage is the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with or if it is even realistic to think you can have only one man in your life. As she contemplates her mama's boy fiance her ex, who she still hasn't figured out why she left, steps back into the light.
Quinn swirls around these issues in the pampered Upper West side of Manhatten shortly after the September 11th that changed all of America. This even more for Quinn since her father, the one man she seems to have no qualms about, died at the top of one of the twin towers that fell. She is afraid, confused and angry at times as she barrels towards her future. Can the flashes of happiness she has with Sage be enough to sustain her for her life? Or is the secret to that hiding in her past?
I could not help but love Quinn. Even when she was being spoiled, touchy, self-centered and overbearing I still wanted to see the best in her. I wanted to giggle with her when she was able to laugh, scold her when she was being irrational with her sometimes too patient man and slap her silly when she made choices I found beyond bad choice. She made me laugh and she made me cry. I found so much of myself in her insecurities and didn't want to leave her behind. Quinn is a character that will stay with me. She embodies the inner struggle we all have when we try, or are forced, to grow up. Don't make the mistake of passing this one up. You will not be dissapointed.
Prudence Quinn O'Malley is a smart, slightly self-absorbed Upper Westsider who works as a lawyer and drinks for a hobby. The night after her man, Sage, proposes in Paris with a flashy ring picked out by his mother, Quinn has a dream that shakes her already brittle confidence. She worries about whether Sage is the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with or if it is even realistic to think you can have only one man in your life. As she contemplates her mama's boy fiance her ex, who she still hasn't figured out why she left, steps back into the light.
Quinn swirls around these issues in the pampered Upper West side of Manhatten shortly after the September 11th that changed all of America. This even more for Quinn since her father, the one man she seems to have no qualms about, died at the top of one of the twin towers that fell. She is afraid, confused and angry at times as she barrels towards her future. Can the flashes of happiness she has with Sage be enough to sustain her for her life? Or is the secret to that hiding in her past?
I could not help but love Quinn. Even when she was being spoiled, touchy, self-centered and overbearing I still wanted to see the best in her. I wanted to giggle with her when she was able to laugh, scold her when she was being irrational with her sometimes too patient man and slap her silly when she made choices I found beyond bad choice. She made me laugh and she made me cry. I found so much of myself in her insecurities and didn't want to leave her behind. Quinn is a character that will stay with me. She embodies the inner struggle we all have when we try, or are forced, to grow up. Don't make the mistake of passing this one up. You will not be dissapointed.
whatsheread's review against another edition
There are some books that are important because of what they have to say. There are others that are important because of how they make one feel. While it would be easy to classify Life After Yes as a book that is meant to teach readers a bit about life and becoming an adult, the true import of it lies in its emotional pull. For, it is the type of book that is easily forgotten a day or two after finishing it but it is the emotions felt while reading it that are the only thing to linger. Readers may not be able to discuss specifics months, weeks, or even days after, but they can discuss how the book made them feel. Confusion, blissful happiness, concern, dread, anxiety, hope, love, fear, sorrow – it is all there as Quinn undergoes a massive transformation from a selfish, superficial girl into someone mature enough to move on to the next stage of adulthood.
It may be a forgettable plot, but there are some redeeming qualities to Life After Yes, not including the powerful emotional connections one feels towards Quinn. Life After Yes is remarkably well-written with a depth to it that is as welcome as it is unexpected. The philosophical discussions about becoming a grown-up are brilliant as well as eye-opening, regardless of the age of the reader. The devastation and lasting trauma from September 11th are also pitch-perfect. Quinn’s trauma will dredge up memories and the strong emotions everyone felt on that fatal day. Most importantly, Quinn is so alive. She is vibrant, massively flawed, and very real. Love her or hate her, she is a force of nature.
Life After Yes has all of the hallmarks of a cute, flippant, coming-of-age romance and does teeter on that edge several times. However, Ms. Rowley’s brilliant characterizations and stellar writing save the novel from becoming too clichéd and create something more serious and philosophical than any romance story ever is. The details behind Quinn’s journey are not as important as the impressions and emotions one gets from following her on her journey and even those are not nearly as important as the lessons one learns and can adapt for one’s own life.
It may be a forgettable plot, but there are some redeeming qualities to Life After Yes, not including the powerful emotional connections one feels towards Quinn. Life After Yes is remarkably well-written with a depth to it that is as welcome as it is unexpected. The philosophical discussions about becoming a grown-up are brilliant as well as eye-opening, regardless of the age of the reader. The devastation and lasting trauma from September 11th are also pitch-perfect. Quinn’s trauma will dredge up memories and the strong emotions everyone felt on that fatal day. Most importantly, Quinn is so alive. She is vibrant, massively flawed, and very real. Love her or hate her, she is a force of nature.
Life After Yes has all of the hallmarks of a cute, flippant, coming-of-age romance and does teeter on that edge several times. However, Ms. Rowley’s brilliant characterizations and stellar writing save the novel from becoming too clichéd and create something more serious and philosophical than any romance story ever is. The details behind Quinn’s journey are not as important as the impressions and emotions one gets from following her on her journey and even those are not nearly as important as the lessons one learns and can adapt for one’s own life.
abookishaffair's review
5.0
I had found this book through a recommend on a book blog. It tells the story of Quinn, a woman in her late 20s, who gets engaged to a wonderful man but then gets cold feet. The shadow of her dad who was killed in the WTC attacks in 2001 hangs over her still (the book takes place a year after 9/11). Quinn isn't sure how to feel about her impending marriage. Is Sage right for her? What will happen to her blossoming lawyer career.
It sounds like a real chick-lit-ish book, no? While I do dabble in fluffy chick-lit sometimes, I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of the narrator. Quinn is a very realistic character and very easy to relate to. She shows that characters can be flawed as humans in the real world are and still be likable. I am so glad I picked up this book!
It sounds like a real chick-lit-ish book, no? While I do dabble in fluffy chick-lit sometimes, I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of the narrator. Quinn is a very realistic character and very easy to relate to. She shows that characters can be flawed as humans in the real world are and still be likable. I am so glad I picked up this book!
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