Review: House Divided by Jami Deise

House Divided by Jami Deise
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Erin and her husband, Jack live their professional lives on opposite sides of the aisle. Erin's blood bleeds blue, while Jack reports on all things red. When they are home, all of that is put to the side. Jack really doesn't believe most of the garbage he reports on, which makes their relationship work. But when Jack gets a new job at the same time Erin loses hers, their relationship and family will be put to the test.

Thank you to Jami Deise for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is the first book I have read from this author and it was a great political/family novel.

What would you do, if you found out your family was about to hit it big time? That you're husband's name was about to be on everyone's lips. All of a sudden people are nicer to you and things just seem to come easier. Erin feels very skeptical about Jack's new job and doesn't like the man it is turning him in to. He used to be laid back and right now, he seems on edge about everything. Erin has just lost her job, but the whole operation shut down after the election. She is eager to find a new job, but Jack insists she stays home with the kids since he will be making so much money. But money isn't everything and it definitely isn't buying them happiness.

I will say this about Erin, she is a strong willed woman who I'm not sure if I could fill her shoes. Some women enjoy working, I am one of those as well, especially when it's a job that I enjoy. So if I had lost that job, through no fault of my own I would be devastated and I would expect my husband to be by my side. I don't think Erin had that opportunity to mourn her job the way she wanted. She comes home to tell her husband about it just to find out he's landed a new job himself making a million dollars a year. It's more money then they have ever seen, but Erin is still a little skeptical about it. When she sees changes in Jack that she is not used to, it further confirms her suspicions that maybe this isn't the right job for him. The fallout from the two of them is immediate. Jack telling her that she doesn't need to work, she can stay home with their kids, when that is the last thing she wants to do.

Overall this was a cute quirky book. It touched me since it was based where I live. I was able to read this book quickly and it was hard to put down.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

1. Where is your favorite place to write?

My favorite place to write is my dining room table, which looks out onto our pool and the Boca Ciega Bay.

2. What is your favorite book of all time(not one of yours)?

Favorite book is I Don't Know How She Does It

3. Do you think your personality is more like Erin's or Jack's?

I'm definitely more like Erin

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Review: Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin



Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



Aviva Grossman has made a mistake, but so has Aaron Levin. One of them will continue to lead a normal life and one of them will go into hiding and move hundreds of miles away from their home until the secret comes out in the open. Similar to the story between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, Aviva Grossman has had an affair with a Congressman she was working for in South Florida. When the scandal breaks, Aviva can no longer get a job or leave her house without being recognized. So she changes her name to Jane Young, leaves the state, and cuts ties with her old life. But now she wants to run for Mayor of her small town and her secret will no longer be safe.

I decided to read this book for a couple of reasons. I have seen the book at the library for a while and I wondered about the woman on the cover. A few people I know have read the book and enjoyed it. This book was better than OK, but not great for me. The book is told from four different perspectives, spanning a time from when the affair begins, to 13 years later when Aviva, now Jane runs for Mayor.

1. Rachel Grossman, Aviva's mother, is a good Jewish mother. She tries to do her best for all of those around her, but it doesn't always pay off. (This part of the book was the hardest for me to get through)
2. Jane Young, the event planner in Allison Springs, Maine. She is a single mother whose main focus is raising her young daughter to be nothing like her old self.
3. Ruby Young, Jane's daughter. Ruby tells her part of the story through emails with her pen pal in Indonesia as part of a school assignment. (this was my favorite part of the book)
4. Embeth Levin, the Congressman's wife. Her part of the story was quite interesting. You wonder what goes through the mind of a wife who has been cheated on especially one in such a public light
and finally from the woman herself
5. Aviva Grossman. We find out about the affair and how it all happened and the aftermath of the scandal. Aviva writes in a Choose Your Own Adventure style, but she has already chosen the path the story will take. Aviva ran from her problems to in Florida to become Jane in Maine and make a new life for herself. But once her secrets are revealed, will she be able to maintain her new life?

The reason I gave this book 3.5 stars is because I felt as if there was something missing. I'm not sure exactly what it was. I didn't enjoy the mother's part of the story and I wasn't too keen on the ending. Overall, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy general fiction.

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