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Breaking Even
Meet Penelope Whittaker, an accountant. A sensible, do things the right way, soon-to-be-married accountant. Penelope is engaged to the wonderful, kind and caring Ben Miller ... a man she has known forever.
Enter Single Dad.
While on a school run, Penelope accidentally locks her keys in her car. A seemingly boring event, until she is offered aid by a very handsome (hubba, hubba) and personable Single Dad. Shaken by the encounter, or, more to the point, shaken by her reaction to the encounter, Penelope tries to put it where it on a shelf marked "Chance Encounters".
Life has different plans.
Just when Penelope thinks she has blown the whole encounter out of proportion, and made much out of nothing, she is thrown together by chance (or fate?) with Single Dad. Suddenly, he’s a part of her life and, even though Penelope knows it can only cause trouble, she is helpless to stop it. Besides, she doesn’t want to. At least, not until she finds out the unsettling truth about Single Dad.
Penelope is confused. Her family, friends and, most importantly, her fiance, Ben, even more so. Will she be able to find her footing and go back to where she used to be, safe in her carefully structured world? Or, will she take the path of redefining herself, possibly leaving Ben behind?
Enter Single Dad.
While on a school run, Penelope accidentally locks her keys in her car. A seemingly boring event, until she is offered aid by a very handsome (hubba, hubba) and personable Single Dad. Shaken by the encounter, or, more to the point, shaken by her reaction to the encounter, Penelope tries to put it where it on a shelf marked "Chance Encounters".
Life has different plans.
Just when Penelope thinks she has blown the whole encounter out of proportion, and made much out of nothing, she is thrown together by chance (or fate?) with Single Dad. Suddenly, he’s a part of her life and, even though Penelope knows it can only cause trouble, she is helpless to stop it. Besides, she doesn’t want to. At least, not until she finds out the unsettling truth about Single Dad.
Penelope is confused. Her family, friends and, most importantly, her fiance, Ben, even more so. Will she be able to find her footing and go back to where she used to be, safe in her carefully structured world? Or, will she take the path of redefining herself, possibly leaving Ben behind?
- GenresChick Lit
Nook
First published March 8, 2011
3 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Kat Kole
8 books28 followersKat is a UK bestselling author. Her books feature strong female characters, loyal friendships and family, all wrapped up together with a dash of humour. As you read this, she's working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 20, 2011
This book threw completely threw me...in a good way. It took me a little bit to figure out that the men in the book were brothers and all the women in the book were sisters-in-law or in Penelope's case, sister-in-law-to-be. Penelope is engaged to Ben and thinks that life is going well until she meets Single Dad while dropping her soon to be nephews off at school. (Note: I think usually the capitalization of the adjective noun moniker in chick lit means bad news). Breaking Even is no different.
I completely took the side of the befuddled Miller brothers during this one. There's a lot of girl drama in the book that had me a mixture of amused and appalled. The really funny part is that I get the automatic female response, being a girl and all, but seeing it happen in a book is definitely surreal. I had a few moments of panic where I thought to myself "please don't let me do this."
There is a really great makeover scene. Plus, having worked in the customer service field in the past, the first day working in a coffee shop scene is my personal favorite. I wish I could have done that kind of thing on my off days. I think I had dreams about doing it.
This book was kind of therapeutic for me because it let me really look at my own relationship kind of analytically and see the importance of communication. It's witty, charming and a great read. I really recommend this book to anyone who loves funny chick lit reads. The pacing of it is fantastic and is a rather quick read, I finished it in an evening. It would be a great beach read; even though it's doesn't take place at a beach, there's no reason why you can't take it to the beach, right?
I completely took the side of the befuddled Miller brothers during this one. There's a lot of girl drama in the book that had me a mixture of amused and appalled. The really funny part is that I get the automatic female response, being a girl and all, but seeing it happen in a book is definitely surreal. I had a few moments of panic where I thought to myself "please don't let me do this."
There is a really great makeover scene. Plus, having worked in the customer service field in the past, the first day working in a coffee shop scene is my personal favorite. I wish I could have done that kind of thing on my off days. I think I had dreams about doing it.
This book was kind of therapeutic for me because it let me really look at my own relationship kind of analytically and see the importance of communication. It's witty, charming and a great read. I really recommend this book to anyone who loves funny chick lit reads. The pacing of it is fantastic and is a rather quick read, I finished it in an evening. It would be a great beach read; even though it's doesn't take place at a beach, there's no reason why you can't take it to the beach, right?
January 25, 2012
I loved this story! Excellent storyline told in a way that makes you feel all of the lust, pain, & anguish felt by all of the characters particularly Penelope, a very strong woman with strong feelings but always a sense of what’s right. Most of us have the felt the emotions of some if not all, of the characters at one time or the other.
Most enjoyable read, highly recommend.
Most enjoyable read, highly recommend.
January 21, 2012
Penelope has been engaged to Ben for quite some time but has not yet set a date. Ben has two brothers, Grayson and Paul who are married to Kim and Renee respectively. (At first I thought Renee and Kim were also sisters since the closeness between all of them seemed a bit over-the-top, but once I got a grip on how everyone was or was not related, it was smooth sailing.)
When Penelope locks her keys in her car after dropping her nephews off at school, she is rescued by Scott, an extremely handsome and friendly "Single Dad," Her strong physical reaction (and attraction) to Single Dad makes her re-think the choices she has made and threatens to throw the course of her future off kilter.
What I enjoyed most about this book was how close the reader was allowed to get into the minds of all of the characters as opposed to just one. I felt like I was a fly on the wall of someone else's family.
This book is very suspenseful and although I won't give anything away, I found myself wondering who Penelope would end up with and who she should end up with because sometimes it is not as simple as "you are engaged. You should marry the guy to whom you are engaged because he got there first." Sometimes people do not marry the right guy. And sometimes, they meet the right person while they are already attached to someone else. As such, I wasn't rooting for anyone in particular in this case. There were times during the book when I thought Penelope was completely in denial about how her feelings for Single Dad affected her relationship to Ben. But I also felt for her and understood her confusion as well as the excitement she felt with Scott even while she was engaged to and in love with Ben. And there were times I thought her sisters-in-law-to-be were extremely judgmental as if the possibility of Penelope deciding that Ben might not actually be the right guy for her was so unheard of or all about them. And I did not agree with their contention that it is not "normal" for a married/attached woman who sincerely loves her partner to also lust someone else unless that person is famous, like Bradley Cooper." Please. People can be in love with one person and still have lustful feelings for another. We cannot help who we are attracted to. All we can do is control what we do about it. I also felt really bad for the Miller brothers at times because those women could be serious drama queens!
Although the ending gave me the warm and fuzzies, I thought it was just a bit too convenient. I wish it had been a little more conflict before the happy ending.
In sum I thought the book was very easy to read, enjoyable and thought provoking.
When Penelope locks her keys in her car after dropping her nephews off at school, she is rescued by Scott, an extremely handsome and friendly "Single Dad," Her strong physical reaction (and attraction) to Single Dad makes her re-think the choices she has made and threatens to throw the course of her future off kilter.
What I enjoyed most about this book was how close the reader was allowed to get into the minds of all of the characters as opposed to just one. I felt like I was a fly on the wall of someone else's family.
This book is very suspenseful and although I won't give anything away, I found myself wondering who Penelope would end up with and who she should end up with because sometimes it is not as simple as "you are engaged. You should marry the guy to whom you are engaged because he got there first." Sometimes people do not marry the right guy. And sometimes, they meet the right person while they are already attached to someone else. As such, I wasn't rooting for anyone in particular in this case. There were times during the book when I thought Penelope was completely in denial about how her feelings for Single Dad affected her relationship to Ben. But I also felt for her and understood her confusion as well as the excitement she felt with Scott even while she was engaged to and in love with Ben. And there were times I thought her sisters-in-law-to-be were extremely judgmental as if the possibility of Penelope deciding that Ben might not actually be the right guy for her was so unheard of or all about them. And I did not agree with their contention that it is not "normal" for a married/attached woman who sincerely loves her partner to also lust someone else unless that person is famous, like Bradley Cooper." Please. People can be in love with one person and still have lustful feelings for another. We cannot help who we are attracted to. All we can do is control what we do about it. I also felt really bad for the Miller brothers at times because those women could be serious drama queens!
Although the ending gave me the warm and fuzzies, I thought it was just a bit too convenient. I wish it had been a little more conflict before the happy ending.
In sum I thought the book was very easy to read, enjoyable and thought provoking.
July 7, 2015
3.5/5
Penelope, a smart and sensible accountant, is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Ben. Things seem to be going well until she meets Scott, a gorgeous single dad, while dropping her nephews off at school. After hitting it off with Scott, she starts questioning her engagement, and starts feeling like they are in a rut, or are an “old married couple,” as she says. She begins to get a makeover, and fights with Ben nonstop, all the while daydreaming about Scott. Alongside her are the wives of Ben’s two brothers, Kris and Renee, who are also having some issues of their own, and together, they talk, gossip and share secrets about their relationships.
This was a really fun, fast read. I think that most women can relate to feeling like they are in that rut, and wanting to spice things up in their lives and relationships. Because of this, Penelope and her future sisters in law are very relatable characters with realistic drama.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but feeling somewhat upset and frustrated with Penelope. She has a really good guy who loves her, yet she keeps picking fights with him, and daydreaming about someone else. Maybe it just means he’s not the one for her? Or maybe they just need to work on their relationship?
I really liked Kris and Renee. The dynamic between the three females was great! They support each other, help each other out (dropping off each other’s kids to school, helping with Renee’s cake business), and even fight. They seem to be true best friends, not just sisters in law. They both had little story lines of their own which was a great extra to the story.
All in all, this was a fun little romance/chick lit read. If you’re in the market for something light, fresh, and true to life, this is the book for you! It could have used a bit more polishing and editing, but overall I think this was a nice debut from Kathleen Kole. I will definitely read her upcoming novel Dollars to Donuts.
This story is also appropriate for readers 14+, in my opinion. Nothing too graphic or inappropriate.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Penelope, a smart and sensible accountant, is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Ben. Things seem to be going well until she meets Scott, a gorgeous single dad, while dropping her nephews off at school. After hitting it off with Scott, she starts questioning her engagement, and starts feeling like they are in a rut, or are an “old married couple,” as she says. She begins to get a makeover, and fights with Ben nonstop, all the while daydreaming about Scott. Alongside her are the wives of Ben’s two brothers, Kris and Renee, who are also having some issues of their own, and together, they talk, gossip and share secrets about their relationships.
This was a really fun, fast read. I think that most women can relate to feeling like they are in that rut, and wanting to spice things up in their lives and relationships. Because of this, Penelope and her future sisters in law are very relatable characters with realistic drama.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but feeling somewhat upset and frustrated with Penelope. She has a really good guy who loves her, yet she keeps picking fights with him, and daydreaming about someone else. Maybe it just means he’s not the one for her? Or maybe they just need to work on their relationship?
I really liked Kris and Renee. The dynamic between the three females was great! They support each other, help each other out (dropping off each other’s kids to school, helping with Renee’s cake business), and even fight. They seem to be true best friends, not just sisters in law. They both had little story lines of their own which was a great extra to the story.
All in all, this was a fun little romance/chick lit read. If you’re in the market for something light, fresh, and true to life, this is the book for you! It could have used a bit more polishing and editing, but overall I think this was a nice debut from Kathleen Kole. I will definitely read her upcoming novel Dollars to Donuts.
This story is also appropriate for readers 14+, in my opinion. Nothing too graphic or inappropriate.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2011
Penelope Whittaker is as sensible as they come. Working as an accountant, soon to be married to another accountant, the loving Ben Miller who she has dated for years. Everything in Penelope’s life is stable and consistent. Until she meets Scott Harrison. After a chance encounter (and locking her keys in her car) Scott comes to Penelope’s rescue. And from there, her predictable life starts to spin out of control. Penelope is taken by Scott’s good looks, his devotion to his son, and his ease when chatting with her. Penelope keeps finding reasons to take her soon to be sister-in-law’s children to school, just to run into Scott. Those meetings turn into a coffee date, then lunch, then dinner. Before she realizes what is happening, Penelope is spending more time thinking about Scott than her fiancé, and fighting with Ben almost every chance she gets. Is Ben really the one for her? Or is life about to give Penelope a chance to break away from her good girl image?
Kathleen Kole is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and her latest novel Breaking Even. I was really intrigued by the story. Penelope’s character is very likeable, even though she is doing something extremely un-likeable- possibly embarking on an affair. But this is life, and that does happen. It was refreshing not to read another story about how horrible the man is and how he cheats, etc, etc. Kole really dives in her heroine’s story and why she feels the pull of another man, with a perfectly respectable fiancé waiting at home for her. I was never quite sure how the story was going to end, or which road Penelope would choose, which kept me invested throughout. And I thought there were some good smaller plot points with Ben’s brothers and their wives and how they deal with their marriages that was interesting to read about. There were times where the writing felt just a bit stiff, but overall I really enjoyed the book and thought it was a quick and interesting read. I will definitely be looking for more from Kathleen Kole.
Kathleen Kole is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and her latest novel Breaking Even. I was really intrigued by the story. Penelope’s character is very likeable, even though she is doing something extremely un-likeable- possibly embarking on an affair. But this is life, and that does happen. It was refreshing not to read another story about how horrible the man is and how he cheats, etc, etc. Kole really dives in her heroine’s story and why she feels the pull of another man, with a perfectly respectable fiancé waiting at home for her. I was never quite sure how the story was going to end, or which road Penelope would choose, which kept me invested throughout. And I thought there were some good smaller plot points with Ben’s brothers and their wives and how they deal with their marriages that was interesting to read about. There were times where the writing felt just a bit stiff, but overall I really enjoyed the book and thought it was a quick and interesting read. I will definitely be looking for more from Kathleen Kole.
June 21, 2011
Kathleen Kole's debut novel was such a fun, fast read. Penelope is an average woman with an average life until a chance meeting leaves her questioning when life became so routine and why she wasn't having a more spontaneous side. When future sister-in-law, Kris, innocently suggests that Penelope try some retail therapy, little did she know that she set Penelope off on a journey to change her life. I cheered Penelope on as she started to make changes, found myself sad for her when she became conflicted, and ultimately thrilled that she figured out her happiness. The supporting characters came in the form of her future sister-in-law's and their husbands, her fiance's brothers. They all had their strengths and weaknesses, but the ripple effect of Penelope changing her life brought on their own changes as well, which was handled in a believable way. Ms. Kole definitely has a knack for storytelling and knows how to captivate her readers and keep them intrigued. Anyone that has ever wondered if the grass is greener on the other side is going to love this book that not only explores that option but answers the question. Put this on your must read list!
November 29, 2011
Breaking Even: Kathleen Kole
Penelope has been engaged to Ben for three years now, but is still yet to set a date. Helping her future sister in law one morning with her nephews Pen meets Scott, or single Dad to Pen and her two future sister in laws. Scott sparks something in Pen who makes her question her relationship with Ben and what she really wants. The book follows as she figures that out and how effects her, Ben, Scott, Kris and Renee (her FSILs) and the rest of the family.
I thought the character development in this book was an important part if it's appeal to me. So,it I'd great that for her guest post Kole wrote about her relationship to the characters.
see it at: http://teaandscribbles.livejournal.com/2...
Overall, I would suggest this book to others and give it a 4 star review.
I was provided a copy of the book for review, but the summary and thoughts on the book are mine.
Penelope has been engaged to Ben for three years now, but is still yet to set a date. Helping her future sister in law one morning with her nephews Pen meets Scott, or single Dad to Pen and her two future sister in laws. Scott sparks something in Pen who makes her question her relationship with Ben and what she really wants. The book follows as she figures that out and how effects her, Ben, Scott, Kris and Renee (her FSILs) and the rest of the family.
I thought the character development in this book was an important part if it's appeal to me. So,it I'd great that for her guest post Kole wrote about her relationship to the characters.
see it at: http://teaandscribbles.livejournal.com/2...
Overall, I would suggest this book to others and give it a 4 star review.
I was provided a copy of the book for review, but the summary and thoughts on the book are mine.
February 28, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this book and fell in love with penelope. even though her relationship with scott was out of control I was routing for her to persue it but at the same time wanted her relationship with ben to continue as well. The author was was very good at making u fall in love with the leading lady and the men in her life I couldn't pick one over the other at first. The relationship with scott was new and exciting and makes u relate to the first time you had a crush but the sister in laws were always level headed and said it how it was which helped penelope stay grounded. It was nice that everyone was so close and the author was also very good at showing the love they all had for each other. nice light hearted book which would make a good holiday novel as well!
September 28, 2012
I really enjoyed this lovely book by Kathleen Kole. Kathleen's work is new to me, and it did not disappoint! I could so identify with Penelope, and the chemistry between her and the new single dad in her life literally jumped off the page. This was a quick read for me; I wanted to know how things would pan out and how Penelope would reconcile what was happening to her. I recommend to lovers of chick lit and well-written romances.
April 25, 2011
I liked this book by author kathleen Kole. I will give a more detailed review in my blog on June 15th.
July 12, 2011
A sweet love story. Well-written and a perfect way to spend an afternoon.
October 25, 2020
A cozy story....not a mystery...but an easy Covid, rainy day read.
July 9, 2012
This book started out really interesting. I liked the characters and the situations that they were in however my interest began to waiver slightly the further I read. An enjoyable chick lit story but not my favorite of the two I have read from this author.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews