Women’s Fiction | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

NINE WOMEN, ONE DRESS by Jane L. Rosen

July 13, 2016

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I don’t know if you’ve flown anywhere lately, but JetBlue asked me to get to the airport at least two hours early. My cab driver took a direct route, we missed the traffic on the George Washington bridge and I got to the airport a little earlier than I needed to. Of course I zipped right through TSA and got to spend all that time before my flight reading this fabulous book. Let me tell you I have never enjoyed waiting at an airport more!

It seems like once every year or so, an enchanting book falls into my lap. Books like The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, or Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. I am delighted to add Rosen to this list. Nine Women, One Dress is a completely compelling, utterly charming book and I loved every page.

So, the dress. The little black dress, the “it” dress that everyone (i.e. everyone important) has to have. Honestly, I kept thinking of the “blue and black or white and gold” internet sensation last year, but I digress. This book starts with the soon to be retired Morris, the pattern maker of this year’s dress. His family sent him to America on his own from Poland when he was 13 years old, and you can fill in the rest. The model who wore the dress is a fresh face right out of the deep South, and it makes her career.

Some of the other women are Felicia, who’s been in love with her married boss for almost as long as she’s worked for him. Recently widowed, Arthur is oblivious and dating a woman his daughter’s age. Until the sales folk at Bloomingdale’s get involved. One of them, Natalie, wears the dress as the hot date for a Hollywood celebrity who’s been outed.

Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character, and the story becomes richer and more complex as the pages turn in what is also a love letter to New York City. And Bloomingdales – I was happy to see that storyline, I’m a long time fan of the store.

If I could gift every one of you a copy of this book, I would. I was so sorry to turn the last page and spent the ride home from the airport telling my family all about it. I still can’t shut up about it – I’ve reserved it for several of my library patrons today.

I can guarantee that Nine Women, One Dress will be on my Best Books of 2016 list. Don’t miss it.

7/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

NINE WOMEN, ONE DRESS by Jane L. Rosen. Doubleday (July 12, 2016). ISBN: 978-0385541404. 272p.

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FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin

June 29, 2016

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Josie and Meredith are sisters with a lifelong, contentious relationship, like a lot of sisters. Added to their stress is the fact that their brother died in a car accident when they were young women.

Meredith ends up married to her brother’s best friend, and while the marriage seems great on the surface, she is afraid that she isn’t in love with her husband. She’s a successful lawyer, but hates her job. And while she loves her young daughter fiercely, she struggles with that relationship, too.

Josie is single, a teacher, and goes into a mild panic when one of her new students is the child of her ex-boyfriend, the one that got away, and his wife – who volunteers to be room mother.

Josie has a lot of guilt about the night her brother died. She also has decided to have a child via a sperm donor. Gabe, her best friend and platonic roommate, is the only one who is privy to Josie’s guilt and is also the most supportive person in her life.

As these women try and work through their individual problems, they are also trying to get past their own relationship problems. The story moves back and forth between their perspectives, making both characters empathetic.

Giffin’s a terrific storyteller and really brings these characters, and the peripheral characters as well, to life. This is a wonderful book about sisters, exploring both the joys and the heartaches that go along with that relationship. A very enjoyable read.

6/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin. Ballantine Books (June 28, 2016). ISBN: 978-0345546920. 400p.

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THE RULES OF LOVE & GRAMMAR by Mary Simses

June 2, 2016

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This is Simses’ second novel, and a lovely addition to the women’s fiction bookshelf.

Grace Hammond is having a bad day. She loses her job, her relationship goes awry and she becomes homeless, forcing her to head home to her parents and the small town where she grew up. Grace is an only child since her sister died, and she and her parents are still dealing with their grief.

Grace finds her sister’s old bike, a classic Schwinn, rusted and rotting out in the backyard shed. She takes it to the bike shop in town, where she corrects the grammar on their fliers and pisses off the owner’s son, Mitch. They work out a deal where she will organize the bike shop, which is a big mess, and they will work on her bike.

Meanwhile, the small town is all aflutter because there is a movie being filmed there. The director is Grace’s old high school boyfriend, and while they reconnect, things aren’t going as smoothly as Grace thinks they should be. Grace has a lot of thinking to do, and a lot of issues and relationships to resolve.

I really enjoyed this book, it is as charming as Simses’ first, The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café. If you are looking for a light, entertaining beach read, look no further.

6/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE RULES OF LOVE & GRAMMAR by Mary Simses. Little, Brown and Company (May 31, 2016). ISBN: 978-0316382069. 384p.

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HEAT WAVE by Nancy Thayer

May 21, 2016

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Narrated by Kathe Mazur

Loved the narrator, always a plus for an audio book.

I liked the story but I had some issues.

This is about a young woman who is happily married with two young daughters living a fairly blissful life on Nantucket. Carley truly loves her life; she’s a happy homemaker and mom, that is until her husband dies suddenly from a heart attack.

She inherits their big old house on the Sound that has been in her in-law’s family for years, but no money. Her husband had made a lot of bad investments and unbeknownst to Carley, they were broke. Her in-laws invite her to move her family in with them, but she demurs. Instead, she turns her big home into a bed & breakfast. Just like that she’s in business.

Carley’s husband’s best friend, Wyatt, helps her out, offering advice and taking Carley and the girls sailing. While her daughters are visiting their grandparents in New York, Carley runs into Wyatt and they end up spending the week together, mostly in bed. They don’t tell anyone though, Carley thinks it is too soon. She spends the rest of the book teetering between admitting to herself that she has fallen in love with Wyatt and then talking herself out of it because it was too soon or she was afraid of what her kids or her in-laws or her friends would say. It really started to grate on me.

There are other subplots involving her best friends, adultery, secrets and more, but Carley is always at the heart of it all. It was an enjoyable read but you really have to suspend your disbelief. The book was published in 2011, so I had some issues with unprotected sex with a man who is extremely sexually active, another character gets pregnant after two one night stands with different men, the fact that everyone on this island has no money issues at all, including the broke widow, and a few other little things. But I got past it and enjoyed the book. Ultimately, it was an entertaining read.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HEAT WAVE by Nancy Thayer. Random House Audio. ASIN: B005745JK0. Listening Length: 9 hours and 38 minutes.

Paperback: Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (May 29, 2012). ISBN 978-0345518323. 336p.

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Win The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews!

May 17, 2016

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Mary Kay Andrews returns to her mystery roots with her latest beach read, and I couldn’t be happier.!

From the publisher:

Some people stay all summer long on the idyllic island of Belle Isle, North Carolina. Others come only for the weekends-and the mix between the regulars and “the weekenders” can sometimes make the sparks fly. Riley Griggs has a season of good times with friends and family ahead of her on Belle Isle when things take an unexpected turn. While waiting for her husband to arrive on the ferry one Friday afternoon, Riley is confronted by a process server who thrusts papers into her hand. And her husband is nowhere to be found.

So she turns to her island friends for help and support, but it turns out that each of them has their own secrets, and the clock is ticking as the mystery deepens…in a murderous way. Cocktail parties aside, Riley must find a way to investigate the secrets of Belle Island, the husband she might not really know, and the summer that could change everything.

Told with Mary Kay Andrews’ trademark blend of humor and warmth, and with characters and a setting that you can’t help but fall for, The Weekenders is the perfect summer escape.

Mary Kay writes great characters and setting, and this book is no exception. Twelve year old Maggy will bring back your own pre-teen’s worst behavior to the forefront, no holds barred. I do not miss those days! And Riley, as a woman on the verge of divorce facing widowhood instead, has all the emotional ups and downs a real life counterpart would have. There are several red herrings and lots of suspects so the mystery plays out nicely as well.

This was another really enjoyable book from one of my favorite authors. If you’d like to win your own copy, read on…

To win a copy of THE WEEKENDERS by Mary Kay Andrews, please send an email to contest@gmail.com with “WEEKENDERS” as the subject. You must include your U.S. street address in your email.

All entries must be received by May 30, 2016. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States only. Your prize will be sent by Tandem Literary.

One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

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THE ASSISTANTS by Camille Perri

May 3, 2016

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Chick lit is back, and in a good way.

Tina Fontana has a great job, at least to those looking in on the outside. She is the executive assistant to Robert Barlow, the head of a multinational media conglomerate. My thought immediately went to Rupert Murdoch, but who knows.

While Tina seems to be in a rather powerful position, and in theory she is, having the ear of the big boss, the truth of the matter is that she doesn’t make much more than a bank teller or a teacher. She loves her job but wishes for more.

After a confusing mix up, Tina ends up having to put several thousand dollars of her boss’s travel expenses on her few credit cards, maxing them out. The charges get reversed, but Tina had already put in the expense seeking reimbursement. When the check arrives, she is torn; she knows she should return it, but it just so happens to be the same amount as the balance of her student loans. In a frazzled moment, she deposits the check and pays off her debt.

Of course she gets caught, but instead of getting fired, she is blackmailed into paying off someone else’s student loans. Then, as it always does with blackmail, it just gets worse. Eventually, things comes to a head, with unexpected and unbelievable results.

It’s always fun to root for the underdog, and Perri did a good job turning a criminal act into a cause célèbre. This is a fast, fun read, sure to appeal to any woman who feels stuck in a job that doesn’t utilize her education, skills and ambition.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE ASSISTANTS by Camille Perri. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (May 3, 2016). ISBN 978-0399172540. 288p.

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THE NEST by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

April 3, 2016

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This is the story of four siblings who stand to inherit an enormous trust fund when the youngest, Melanie, turns 40 years old. Of course, nothing goes as planned in this dysfunctional family tale of first world problems.

The Plumb patriarch didn’t believe in giving handouts to his kids, he wanted them to stand on their own feet. So he put aside a small amount of money for each of them, but he passed away and his money manager managed to grow the fund into millions of dollars. The Plumb mom, an odd duck to be sure, had control over the fund prior to inheritance. Shortly before the important 40th birthday, the eldest sibling is in a horrible car accident with a waitress – in a compromising position – a waitress who is not his wife. The mom decides to use the nest, as the kids call their trust fund, to pay his medical bills and more importantly, pay off the waitress and help settle his divorce.

The siblings are outraged when they find out their inheritance is but a paltry couple of hundred thousand dollars. They all have been living their lives depending on inheriting a great deal more, so they need to figure out how to live without it.

At times charming, but more often annoying, this was written in the vein of the much better This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. If dysfunctional family fun is your thing, you’ll love this book.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE NEST by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. Ecco (March 22, 2016). ISBN 978-0062414212. 368p.

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THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE by Lynda Cohen Loigman

March 21, 2016

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I am often asked how I decide which books to review. I hear about new books from all kinds of sources, publicists, authors, various review journals, etc. If it sounds like something I would like, or something I think my library patrons would like to know about, I’ll take a look at it. In this case, I heard about this book from the author’s sister-in-law.

I was working in the library when a woman, her mother and young daughter approached the desk. The younger woman asked if I had this book available but when I looked it up, I saw that our copy was checked out and in fact, all the libraries’ copies were checked out and there was a waiting list. Usually the reaction to such news is disappointment, so I was surprised when these women got all excited about it. That’s when I found out the author was related. They told me about the book, but just from the title alone I knew I would want to read it.

I was born in New York, and the first two years of my life were lived in a two-family house. My parents and I lived upstairs, and a nice lady named Mary Jane and her family lived downstairs. Mary Jane’s daughter was my babysitter. I don’t really remember living there, but on an occasional trip to the area my parents would point out the house so I had a good idea of what it looked like – very much like the cover of this book. So I was intrigued.

The story is about a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York and starts out in the late 1940’s. Abe and Mort are brothers, and when their father passes away they inherit the family business, a box manufacturing company. Abe is a natural born salesman, but Mort loves numbers and wants to become a mathematician. It quickly becomes apparent that Abe cannot run this business alone, so Mort drops out of college to help out. He hates his job and is resentful of his brother for forcing him into this position.

Abe marries Helen, and short time later Mort marries Rose. Abe and Helen soon have four boys, but Mort and Rose have three girls, driving another wedge between the brothers. Mort is jealous that he has no sons to carry on his name and treats his wife appallingly. He is judgmental and controlling, has little use for his daughters, and Rose is docile and sad about it all.

The brothers live in a two-family house, and Rose and Helen become the best of friends, closer even than sisters, helping each other out with the cooking, the kids and everything else. Then they both get pregnant at the same time. A few weeks before their due dates, their husbands are out of town on business when one of the worst blizzards in New York history hits the city. Both women go into labor, ambulances cannot get through nor can the doctor, but luckily there is a midwife a few doors down who delivered a baby and was stuck there because of the storm. The midwife makes her way down the block and delivers the two babies, a boy and a girl. She steps out for supplies, and Helen’s oldest daughter, Judith, comes in and is holding one of the babies. She asks whether it is her cousin or her sibling, and the two women look at each other and a deal is struck.

This story follows the lives of these women, their marriages and families, and how secrets can destroy lives. I laughed, I cried but most of all, I couldn’t put it down. I loved it. If you loved Joshua: A Brooklyn Tale by Andrew Kane, or you are a fan of Naomi Ragen, then this is the book for you.

3/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE by Lynda Cohen Loigman. St. Martin’s Press (March 8, 2016). ISBN 978-1250076922. 304p.

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OPENING BELLE by Maureen Sherry

February 2, 2016

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I love me a good play on words, and the title here really fits the bill. Set in 2008 just prior to the housing and credit bubble bursting, Isabelle – Belle to everyone – is a young woman living the dream. She’s a top trader at a small, prestigious brokerage house, married with three children, living on the upper West Side of New York City. Her kids are in the best private school money can buy, and her husband is a stay at home dad.

Belle works a lot of hours and there is some resentment that her husband doesn’t work and doesn’t take care of things the way she would like, but for the most part she seems happy, at least when she has a minute to think about it, which is pretty much never. Then Henry pops back into her life.

Henry is her former fiancé, who unceremoniously dumped her when she caught him cheating. He is now working for her biggest customer, and their day to day contact has him working overtime to get her back, but on his terms.

Belle’s work place is like a frat party on steroids. It would be hard to believe that in the 21st century women are still objectified in a work environment, but I know a woman in a similar situation – maybe not so much grabbing going on, but a definite boys club, with no girls allowed.

As the market heads towards its inexecrable crash, so does Belle’s world – her marriage, her job, everything she has been juggling for so long. But she is a not a professional for nothing, and her strong backbone stands her in good stead.

Interesting characters and a compelling situation make this a terrific read, with enough humor to lighten the load. I enjoyed this fast paced story immensely.

2/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

OPENING BELLE by Maureen Sherry. Simon & Schuster (February 2, 2016). ISBN 978-1501110627. 352p.

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THE FORGOTTEN ROOM by Karen White, Beatriz Williams & Lauren Willig

January 30, 2016

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Olive Van Alan, Lucy Young, and Kate Schuyler – three generations of women all connected to one grand mansion and a mystery that stretches through decades of war and change.

In 1892, Olive Van Alan takes a position working in the grand Pratt mansion. Olive, the daughter of the very architect who designed the building, is on a mission that involves finding evidence that her father was cheated out of his pay and career by the Pratts. But then Olive begins to fall for the youngest member of the Pratt dynasty. THE FORGOTTEN ROOM by Karen White, Beatriz Williams & Lauren Willig

In 1920, Lucy Young rents an attic room in Stornaway House. But Lucy knows the building as her mother did, as the Pratt mansion. Lucy doesn’t know her mother’s exact connection to the home, but taking a position at the law office of Cromwell, Polk, and Moore brings her one step closer to the answers she seeks.

In 1944, Kate Schuyler is a doctor working in Stornaway Hospital when young Captain Ravenel is brought in as a patient. Ravenel immediately recognizes Kate, or seems to, though Kate has never laid eyes on the man. What’s more, he calls her Victorine.

The connections between these three women and the stories that have led each of them to their current positions are all part of the tale, and it’s one that the three authors have woven together almost seamlessly. I’m impressed at how fluidly the narrative works – chapters alternate between the three women and I can only assume that each of the authors handled a particular character/story line a piece. And while each character had their own voice and personality, at no point did it feel as though the story had been penned by three different authors.

The Forgotten Room is highly enjoyable and definitely one I’d recommend to fans of historical fiction, WWII historical fiction in particular considering it’s Kate who kicks off the tale.

1/16 Becky LeJeune

THE FORGOTTEN ROOM by Karen White, Beatriz Williams & Lauren Willig. NAL (January 19, 2016). ISBN 978-0451474629. 384p.

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