Denting the Bosch: A Novel of Marriage, Friendship, and Expensive Household Appliances

by Teresa Link

A gorgeously written, sharp debut novel about three middle-aged couples who find themselves unmoored in the prime of their lives, in the vein of Sue Miller, Anne Tyler and Meg Wolitzer
 
Three couples in San Diego—best friends, empty nesters living the California dream—have reached a tipping point. With the blurry years of child rearing and corporate ladder-climbing over, each pair is finally free to enjoy the golden years together. Until two of the husbands suddenly announce they want a divorce. As marriages and friendships unravel and the prosperity of the last few decades spins toward financial meltdown, Adele, Maggie and Sylvia find their carefully established footholds and expectations crumbling. Teresa Link's Denting the Bosch marks the debut of a talented new voice, and offers an alternatively hilarious and devastating assessment of modern life, marriage, middle age, friendship, money, sex and the American Dream.

Genres: Fiction, Adult Fiction, Womens Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit

288 pages, Hardcover

First published August 7, 2012

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the rare person theses days who is born, lives their entire life and dies within a small geographical radius. We are a society on the move, and most of us will feel the psychological and emotional challenges of moving to a new city or town far from home at least once in their life. Denting The Bosch weaves the story of Adele's move with her husband and children from her comfortable life in suburban New York to North County, San Diego with the lives of her new best friends Sylvia and Maggie and their husbands. Ms Link writes wonderfully about yearning for something that seems unattainable, yet forging a path toward the goal of attaining an elusive dream. This underlying theme is woven into the lives of all three couples with very different yet satisfying outcomes; the reader is drawn into the lives of these interesting six people as we witness one relational apocalypse after another as we fervently hope for the best for each of them.
As a transplant to California (and, unlike Adele, a happy transplant), I have to take off my hat to Ms Link for her incredibly perceptive insights into the cultural abyss that exists between US coasts--anecdotes of SoCal life that she nails right on the head in her novel. California truly is a nation unto itself in so many ways that often cause culture shock to those of us who land on its beautiful shores from distant places. Ms Link manages to detail this with wonderful and subtle humor that will leave readers who have never spent time in California (particularly southern California) shaking their head and saying, "Really??" But I believe that this, after all, is Ms Link's point. To some, California is the land of milk and honey, and for others--well, not so much.
Once in a while a novel comes along that really hits home on a personal level, and Denting the Bosch is one of those special novels. I really loved this book; the integration of complex social themes with phenomenal character development leaves me wanting more from this promising new author.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a First Reads for me - I won this as a Giveaway.

This is the story of 2 couples living north of San Diego. They are all in their mid-fifties and all have grown children. They also all have troubled marriages. In Denting the Bosch we discover how each couple copes with their marriage difficulties. Throw in the great recession of 2008 and Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme and things get a bit hairy for everyone. The author also ends with an epilogue and I like epilogues. I like to know what happens (or doesn't happen) when I finish the last page.

At first, I didn't care for any of the characters. I was having trouble relating to any of the women but as the story progressed it got more interesting and I saw more of the individuals coming to the surface. I found myself curious about how each woman would deal with the obstacles being thrown up in their near perfect lives. It was also nice to read about SoCal because in between starting this book and finishing this book I took a trip out to the beach in San Clemente. Unlike one of the women in this book, I really enjoy Southern California.

One good moral of this story is - Women, pay attention to your finances! Even if you're not working outside the home! (I was a bit amazed to think there are women out there really like this but I am sure there are.) The women in this story are fairly affluent (well, pre-2008 affluent). I remember gazing longingly at a Bosch dishwasher back in the early 2000's but I had to settle for a Kenmore.

[Annette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps the theme of this book is "selfishness". Unfortunately it is a novel for which there is ample evidence in this new age of indulgence in denial of consequence--the yuppies (of whom I am one) grown older. When a man or woman fills their life with "self", is it any wonder that he/she ends up with nothing? Nothing, even amidst plenty? This book is bent. No one wins in the end--except maybe Maggie and Paul, and they go by the literary wayside before the end. I can't imagine a woman suffering unimaginable trials and learning nothing! As a "mature" woman, she comes away from sweet associations with abandoned disabled children bitter and angry--even pinching one, hard, for the child's crime of being alive! The craftsmanship? Well, a little long for such a short story. Efforts at titillation that seemed desperate. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads!*

Denting the Bosch is the story of three couples: Adele and Drew, Sylvia and Carl, and Maggie and Paul. The chapters switch between the viewpoints of these characters, but the main perspective is through Adele.
Adele is a native East coaster who has been somewhat forced to relocate to San Diego with Drew. Their three boys are already attending college in California. Drew is completely in love with everything about San Diego, but Adele wants nothing more that return home to the East coast. This conflict creates a huge strain on their marriage.
The three couples go out of town together to celebrate Sylvia's 55th birthday, and during this time, Carl announces that he has been having an affair with his secretary and wants a divorce. This is a huge shock to Sylvia, who cannot imagine her world without Carl.
Maggie has an ok relationship with Paul. They dont talk much, but they have an "amazing" sex life that keeps them connected. Deep down, she is still dealing with the loss of her true love, Mitch, and constantly wonders what life would be like with him.

All three couples met in college. Both Sylvia and Adele gave up their careers to be stay at home moms and support their husbands through their hectic jobs so their whole world is tied into their adult kids and their husbands. What are they without their husbands in the picture? Adele struggles to figure that out after learning about Drew's multiple infidelities. Sylvia seems completely incapable of even thinking about the answer to that question, and just hopes that Carl will snap out of it and stay with her--even if that means he has a mistress on the side.

Maggie feels like she needs to do something to help her friends, so she talks them into going on vacation--just the three of them. They go to a natural hot spring in the middle of British Columbia. The trip does not go as she had intended, but the friends learn things about themselves that they hadn't realized before.

The book started out a little hard to follow. Not only do you switch perspectives between the characters, but the characters themselves are not always coherent and it's hard to distinguish between what is a flashback of the past, what's the present, and what is just the confused, jumbled thoughts of a destroyed and emotional person. I did eventually get used to this, and things were easier to discern. It helps once you know more about the characters, too.

As a women, a lot of this was hard to read, and I felt depressed for at least the first 2/3 of the book. You see clearly what these women have given up for their families and to allow their husbands to be successful, all to be treated like they are worthless. I could not feel sympathetic to Drew or Carl whatsoever. That being said, all three women had some serious issues that were probably a problem before the husbands were unfaithful.

This book does show how complex marriage and friendships are, and how hard communication is. I will be thinking about it for a long time.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second of recent books I have read that featured really really disgusting characters. I took this out of the library because I had seen it on Goodreads, the title was funny, and I am the same age as the women in the book. The writeup compares Ms. Link to Anne Tyler and Sue Miller; let me tell you she is not even remotely as talented. Good grief. There are a lot of inconsistencies, including the title; the Bosch is mentioned once early on in the novel and appliances never come up again. So why use that in the title? Secondly the characters are Jewish, yet one mentions the Lord and going to church on Easter and Christmas. I don't think so. 2 of the 3 husbands are complete and utter asses, I do not think that this rings true for my demographic. 66% of the husbands I know are not bastards. Then, very near the end of the book a completely new character is introduced for the last 2 or 3 chapters. Why? If the point of this book is to talk about enduring friendships, where was this woman in the beginning? And as to comments regarding East vs West coast, and the cultural differences, there was one woman in the book who was unahappy in California, that hardly constitutes a wide discussion of culture. Lastly, and I promise I will stop, most women my age do not discuss blow jobs, and most of our husbands are not off screwing other people. This novel does not ring true at all. Very disappointing.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book club selection so I didn't know what to expect. I almost gave it one star, but felt that was a bit too harsh (I guess I'll reserve that for books I can't finish since life is too short to finish a bad book). Overall impression: the book was ok, nothing extraordinary (compared to more recent reads: Wild, A Visit from the Goon Squad, The Imperfectionists).

I found it difficult to get into the story at the start, I didn't connect with any of the characters or care where the story was headed. It started to pick up in the middle and then fell apart again. The characters are hard to empathize with -- they don't seem to have any redeeming qualities that make you care what happens in their lives. The writing style was excessively wordy -- if I have to use my dictionary repeatedly on pages it disrupts the flow (thank goodness for kindles) -- and in other spots Harlequin romance novel-esque that seemed out of place and thrown in for the sake of being provocative.

With so many other great books out there to read, I'd skip it. I think I'm still reeling from spending $13 on this new release...

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Very good debut novel about 3 long-time married couples at the turning point of their marriages with well drawn characters and real situations. This novel of marital and relationship angst is told from all viewpoints, which can sometimes be detrimental when trying to fully develop all of the personalities in the story but the author did a good job with a couple of minor exceptions. A couple—no,wait, almost all of the characters annoyed the heck out of me but I cared enough to find out what happened to them, and there were poignant situations that were beautifully written and made me look at parts of my own long-time marriage.

Readers of complex family relationship novels such as those by Elizabeth Berg, Therese Fowler, and Anita Shreve will find a lot to like in this book. Also recommend for book groups, including those with mixed genders since viewpoints include those of the novel’s husbands.

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very hard book for me to read & follow. The characters jumped around alot and so when I put the book down for the night, if I didn't get to it the next day I had to reread to get the drift again of what was going on. It was a really hard book for me to follow with so many characters with so much going on in each persons life & also intertwined.

I didn't finish the book as my frustration with trying to follow it over took me. If you really enjoy a detailed book that you really have to pay attention to all the details & actions of everyone involved, this is the book for you. If you like an easy read, this would frustrate you.

[DLM · Rating 1 out of 5]

I not only didn't like anyone in this book, I didn't understand them. These women seemed more suited to having been born in the 30's than the 50's or 60's like they must have been (they were 50+ after 2001..). They don't watch their own money, they're that clueless? Generationally that makes no sense for women of that age. Why were some of the men aging hippies but the women Donna Reed type characters?

Also, either the book was so confusing that I missed something or there is a huge continuity problem regarding a missing cellphone (I won't say more to spoil it). Whichever, it caused a lot of confusion.

I wanted to like this book based on the premise and set up but just couldn't.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought at first, that this was chic lit fluff... and there was some of that but it was a lot deeper. I liked the book enough to read the last half straight through. It explored the secrets in long-time marriages, women who have no idea what their finances are and suffer because of it, infidelity. The way the California life-style was presented makes me never want to live there! It explored the friendships and support that develop between women and that was the best part of the book. I look forward to her next book.

[Edi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Characters all trying SO HARD to be what they think thry're SUPPOSED to be. I think my favorite business is that ALL THREE women in this story lose their cell-phones or forget them and don't have them when needed.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do you ever get inexplicably stubborn about a book and become determined to finish it, even though you don't like it very much? I didn't care for this book in the way I didn't care for Triburbia: I don't enjoy spending time in the heads of an endless parade of self-absorbed schmucks.

[Left Coast Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So here we have a well-crafted novel, a family drama, written 13 years ago that I’m reasonably sure nobody I know has read. One reason my conversations have fallen off in GR is I keep reviewing books nobody’s heard of. I doubt this one sold 5000 copies, and it probably has the worst title of the century. If this had somehow gotten some traction, I feel I could have a really good conversation about it with many of my GR friends, as has all the feels: the difficulties and rewards of marriage, loneliness, embarrassment, friendship, sex (both married and unmarried), acceptance, rejection and so forth.

I love a strong sense of location in books, and this one makes the location one of the major plot points. San Diego, California is in many respects unimprovable. The sea sparkles, there’s not enough rain to support a mosquito population, the climate seems perfectly tuned to the human animal. With a light jacket and a couple of pairs of shorts you can sit comfortably outside for twelve months of the year. The populace is fit and healthy, by and large, in a way that’s increasingly rare in the US. While most people would fight and claw to find a way to live there, it inspires deep despair in some people, and that’s part of what the book is about.

About half of US marriages end in divorce, and the number of failed marriages is even higher, with partners failing to find any comfort in one another. Being young and inexperienced stresses a marriage. Having kids can strengthen a marriage or ruin it. And this book points out that couples that have successfully raised families may lose their sense of mission after the kids are grown. It’s nobody’s fault, really, or both people’s fault, but more likely is the fault of societal rules that are unrelated to the way people actually evolved. All of these characters have flaws and are at times deeply unsympathetic. I thought the book was both observant and fair in describing the three marriages at the center of the story. It mostly lacked the high-drama scenes so popular in Hollywood, but instead seemed interested in how people actually react to what’s going on around them. “The stuff you worry about is never the stuff that actually happens,” thinks one character in the concluding chapter.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

I grabbed this at random from the library. So strange: How many people can find Carlsbad and Leucadia, California on a map? What are the odds that I'd grab the only book in the whole library set there? Because, for a couple of years, little Carlsbad (about thirty miles up the coast from San Diego) was my home. And at the time I lived there I was (physically) separated from my wife most of the time, flying home every other weekend. I was lonely. For me, reading this book felt a bit like finding out a total stranger had written a diary on my behalf. It was a very weird feeling.

The author is well aware that marriage is not a guaranteed cure for loneliness. It didn’t really help that

The girls…they were everywhere. Barely dressed, their breasts warm and risen like fresh popovers, their slim hips clad in low-riding jeans that hardly covered their public hair. When they reached up or bent over, the red silk of their thongs formed a little vee where, at the base of their sacrums, delicate tattoos like lipstick marks drew his gaze.

I’ve been a gym rat most of my adult life and am not unfamiliar with sweat-glistening women of rare physical beauty. But I have never, anywhere, seen anyplace like my gym in Carlsbad. Good God. It was both the wealthiest and whitest city I’ve ever lived in, an astonishingly homogeneous population for the human mishmash that is California. These women were not teenagers but corporate sharks of all ages, for the most part, radiating health. It reinforced every stereotype of SoCal you've ever heard.

The author has a way with words: “She was wearing some kind of stretchy tubular thing that couldn't actually be called a dress, just a sort of perfunctory aquiescence to legality." She also won points for mentioning how nice the Carlsbad library was; absolutely true. But not everybody loves it: "She wiped her eyes with the edge of her vest and stared with raw hatred at the silly palm trees sticking into the cloudless sky."

What I totally failed to do there was make any friends. On my mornings off, I would often grab a coffee someplace and sit outside, trying to project an open and nonmenacing vibe. I would often see a small group of women sitting together and envy the ease with which women seem to build social nets. This novel awoke the possibility that the reason they’re sitting there together is that their no-good husbands have dumped them for a newer model.

This is a rambling disjointed review because reading the book felt like reliving parts of my rambling disjointed life.

[Leigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this because it is is set in Carlsbad, California where I grew up and it is about 3 couples who are slightly older than me with empty nests which I will have in less than 3 weeks. I was super disappointed in this book for several reasons and finished it by skimming the last 100 pages only to find out how the stories resolved. The author (a woman) showed through her writing a strong disdain for women. None of the characters were fully developed and most of the detail information about all three of them was negative. She was also negative in her portrayals of every peripheral female character except one introduced at the end to wrap up one of the story lines. That character came out of no where and become a major plot point. She was the only female to exhibit any positive qualities. She was a fantasy fairy god mother. The book claims to be satire. If so I call it heavy handed and simply mean. The two other issues I had with the writing are the lack of connection to North San Diego county. Reading it felt like reading about anywhere with names of businesses in the area thrown in to provide setting. Go read Sue Grafton’s alphabet series to see how to setting can become a character. She describes Santa Barbara in the late 80s and 90s perfectly without using any actual names of streets or businesses. Last problem I had is it felt like the author used a thesaurus to show off her knowledge of big word words yet none of her characters were particularly intellectual or well read. The big words felt out of place in this story. Also...pet peeve, the jewelry store is called Tiffany not Tiffany’s. The character who knew the earrings were fake would have certainly known that. Again, also, the expression is “rend my garments” not “rent” Editor is to blame for those slips.

[Carolyn Russett · Rating 3 out of 5]

would actually give it a 3.5
I do agree with tsome of the criticism - The women seem to be a bit of a throwback to the 50's.. they need to pay attention to their family finances, etc. But if you keep reading , the characters go a bit deeper and really are not all that much different from many women today. A little choppy reading in the beginning but it really pulls you in. Has an epilogue that ties things up which I liked. The title is odd and really comes from one line in the book So don't let that throw you.


Three couples in San Diego—best friends, empty nesters living the California dream—have reached a tipping point. With the blurry years of child rearing and corporate ladder-climbing over, each pair is finally free to enjoy the golden years together. Until two of the husbands suddenly announce they want a divorce. As marriages and friendships unravel and the prosperity of the last few decades spins toward financial meltdown, Adele, Maggie and Sylvia find their carefully established footholds and expectations crumbling.

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Check out http://www.infinitereads.com for other reviews and sundry thoughts!*

Reminiscent of Anne Tyler, Denting the Bosch, Teresa Link's incisive debut novel, examines the trials and tribulations of three middle-aged married couples in San Diego. When their friend Sylvia's husband announces he's leaving her for his secretary, Adele and Maggie feel stirrings of doubt about the solidity of their own marriages. Even after many happy years with Paul, Maggie still wonders what became of her first love, the political activist she was rebounding from when she met her future husband. Adele and her husband are locking horns over making their home in San Diego; Drew sees it as paradise, while Adele pines for New York. During a fight, Adele throws a coffee cup at her husband and instead hits their expensive stainless steel dishwasher. "You dented the Bosch," Drew exclaims, creating a metaphor for the fragility of their carefully constructed relationship.

In each of the three marriages, truth will out, forcing difficult choices and straining the wives' camaraderie. In the end, all six spouses must decide which transgressions can and cannot be forgiven.

While she maintains a wry humor, Link's exploration of her characters' lives is no light and frothy experience. She takes a frank and realistic look at all-too-real problems such as marital infidelity, economic instability and the ennui that can set in after year upon year of a stable relationship. However, the warmth and resilience of her three heroines is a tribute to the power of the female spirit and will leave readers ultimately hopeful and satisfied.

***This review originally appeared in Shelf Awareness Readers Edition. Sign up for this free and awesome newsletter at http://www.shelf-awareness.com for the latest news and reviews! This review refers to an ARC provided by Shelf Awareness.***

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was oh so pleased to have read Denting the Bosch as part of the Goodreads Advance Reader program and appreciate receiving a complementary book from the publisher.

Free book or not, Denting the Bosch shocked me with the wonderful literary quality of the storytelling. It is easily a five star novel. Not an "almost" or deserving of extra credit for one thing or another as I sometimes think. Teresa Link needs no extra credit or leaning on the scale to tip this into the category of something I'd give as a gift, recommend to others and reread for pleasure.

Far from being a simple story of a marriage, Denting the Bosch is really the story of the hopes, thoughts, desires and actions of at least eight people, including the partners in three marriages that have survived raising children and now are supposedly free from the pressures of making a life together. If a reader doesn't recognize parts of the characters that she has seen before, known in her own family even, I would be very surprised - and wonder if she just hadn't lived long enough.

This book hit all the right notes, drew me into the story, touched me with the writer's insight, helped me connect with the characters throughout and created a sense of peace, optimism and closure at the end. Not that I didn't want to shake people or throw crockery in reaction to some of the actions along the way.

People disappoint us and we disappoint ourselves. Our hearts are broken in tiny little ways all through our lives. This author weaves these tiny shards of life and experience together into a lovely fabric and smooths the ripples and folds into a somehow familiar, even though at moments uncomfortable tale. There will likely be few women of a certain age who do not identify, and take food for thought home from the experience of Denting the Bosch.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/22/12 Looking forward to receiving and reading my Goodreads giveaways book!
7/25/12 Wow! Thank you UPS for the quick delivery! Received Advance Reading Copy with a different cover.

The story of Slyvia and Carl, Adele and Drew & Maggie and Paul. The 3 couples are in their mid-50's and have been married long term. As they face empty nests in glorious sunny California, Carl and Drew think maybe they don't want to be married anymore. They have destroyed their marriage with infidelity. As the couples adjust to their new status, the friendships also challenge change and health issues are endured. The girls become catty and selfish and despite a good natured trip planned by Maggie to a spa in Canada, they are lost to their own sorrows. I really expected them to support each other. I also felt the ending was a little abrupt. A good book, intense, emotional, but not necessarily fun and lighthearted.

[Deb Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book as a First Reads prize, and started reading it right away... and then for some reason, it got put aside. I found it again recently (amazing what cleaning a room can turn up, eh?) and I'm so glad I did.

The writing is clear, evocative and very enjoyable. The characters are very well-drawn - we all know someone like each of the folks in this book. It was wonderful to follow along with their stories - to learn some of the hidden aspects of their lives, and how they contributed to the characters' souls.

The story is well-told, and riveting. Old dreams, old hurts and old assumptions are all brought into focus - challenged, heightened and soothed or renewed. It was enjoyable, seeing how things resolved. Not your typical "Hollywood" endings, nor storybook - but life-based and lovely.

I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it to my friends. Thanks for letting me read it!

[Waven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel revolves around three couples living in San Diego, California. The wives have been close friends for years and are rocked by the sudden announcement that one of their husbands wants a divorce. Soon the other marriages face their own crises and the pleasant, predictable lives they all had counted on begin unraveling. In trying to minimize the damage and reassemble their lives, they find that the people they thought they knew best are often strangers under the thin veneers of assumption and routine.

This is a story about place and identity, relationships and trust, family and chance. It is an easy read, nicely written, and the characters stand alone reasonably well. Some of the dialog is weak, and the characters are not always convincing, but overall it was a good read and an interesting look at differing perceptions. And though I would not really consider it deserving of four stars, it was too good for three; so I rounded up.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in the drawing from Good Reads. I was delighted because of all the books listed this was the book I was most interested in.

Although there was duplicated words in one sentence and a mispelled word in another (Shame on the editor!), I couldn't put the book down. I did get confused with the characters at times and sometimes the backflashes were confusing. And some of those "big" words that the author threw in, like "uxorious", took my attention away from the story to look up. But I liked the way she developed her story and the characters. I loved the title, it speaks volumes about the marriages of the three couples. The author does a good job when the characters anaylze their selves and their marriages. I did find a couple of the scenes a little far fetched but for the most part, I felt like it could be any three couples that we have experienced in our lives. I would recommend this book as a "good read".

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Denting the Bosch was a surprisingly fantastic novel. I am 20-something and unmarried so I wasn't sure whether I would be able to relate to this book's boomer characters. I am happy to report that the main female characters all truly resonated with me - I saw myself in one or two of them, and many friends in others. The issues surrounding relationship dynamics and infidelity were well explored.

I also enjoyed the different characters’ takes on various locations. I’ve known people who move and can’t shake the bitterness over having left “home,” and this theme was nicely developed.

The writing style was strong and kept me engaged. I’m looking forward to hearing more about the new book Teresa Link is writing - she is a very talented author!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book I thought about all the people in my life who are also middle aged and what their relationships are like at this point in their lives. The author takes some very real issues that occur in long term marriages and puts them under the microscope. She examines friendships among women and the secrets they share. The women in the book pretty much put their own wants and dreams aside to follow their husbands ideals. Later in life, they discover lies and for some, question the validity of the relationship. This Goodreads giveaway was enjoyable and thought provoking. I'm hoping to read more by this author.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three couples living in San Diego on the verge of empty nests find that everything in their lives and marriages is not as solid as they once thought. When two of the three couples separate, everyone begins to examine their own lives. The women, best friends Adele, Maggie, and Sylvia, all have to try to figure out what to do - whether to fight for their marriages or move on.

While parts of this book were interesting, overall it was very depressing and shallow. Maybe that was on purpose to highlight the stereotypes of Californians, but I didn't like it. I really didn't like any of the characters much either, so overall I wouldn't recommend it.

[Anna Noga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book. Easy to read and the story was interesting enough to keep me engaged. Scared me though--don't want to reach that stage of life. My major complaint is that sometimes Americans think/portray Canadians as a bunch of yahoos living in the middle of nowhere, saying "eh" all the time. If done correctly, I find it amusing. However, in this book it made me roll my eyes. It just feeds this ridiculous stereotype made about Canadians. Maybe some of you should actually visit Canada and find out that we can speak, we don't all live in the forest and many of us are university educated.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three couples best friends Adele, Maggie and Sylvia find with the years of child rearing and helping husbands climb the corporate ladder over. Each pair is looking forward to enjoying the golden years together. Suddenly two of the husbands announce they want a divorce. As friendships and marriages unravel and the couples face some financial problems. As one of the couples lose almost all there money in a ponzi scheme. This is truly a heartfelt story about modern life, middle age, friendship and the American dream.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm easy...I loved it. Once I established each character and kept them straight, I enjoyed the story. Moreso, the subject matter was of interest..what exactly does a woman do once she is perceivably "done" her job as homemaker..once her children have grown and moved on, and when her husband's eye wanders and his hands (and more) follow? I enjoyed following what these characters did to either reinvent themselves or find their truth in their later years. I also realized I probably would hate living in California.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a First Reads winner book.

This was a good read that kept me captivated. I thought the relationships between the characters was true to life and displayed well through Link's writing. A very true look at relationships that fade over time made me feel very sad, yet also hopeful, for my own future. The only downfall of this book was the epilogue, which did tie everything up, but still felt like it just ended abruptly.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a Chic Lit book, but one with character and twists. I enjoyed it and learned a few new words. Several are Jewish words and my favorite is dybbuk, how could you not love that word. It has to do with death as you may have guessed. Another one was palliation (palliate)...look it up, a good word to describe much of political rhetoric. If you like the occasional female oriented book this one at least has some interesting plot lines.

[Melissa Lee-Tammeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was nicely surprised by this book. Three ill fitted friends in three different types of marriages, each in the midst of the ebb and flow of change. It spoke volumes, in very subtle ways, and crept up on the reader in a quiet, unhurried way. Truly a delight, yet left a bittersweet taste in knowing that not all marriages end well, if they end at all. And not all dreams and wants and needs truly make us happy. A thought provoking book in the guise of chick lit. Nicely done.