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Lauren Takes Leave
Here’s the truth: Wife, mother, and middle school teacher Lauren Worthing needs some time off from her busy, suburban life. So when a jury duty summons arrives, it creates the perfect alibi for ditching her slightly unfulfilling career, slightly spoiled children, slightly absentee husband, and slightly criminal babysitter.
With uninhibited friends like Jodi Moncrieff and Kat O'Connell by her side, Lauren takes leave of her senses and embarks on a weeklong pleasure bender.
From the chilly exam room of a local dermatologist’s office to the marble master bathroom of a suburban McMansion, Lauren explores deep, probing questions that come with middle age and upper middle class complacency. Questions like, who is she, really? And, why didn’t anyone tell her not to pole dance in Louboutins? Before the week is over, Lauren and her friends have moved far away from the chick-lit stereotypes they've become and closer to the lying, cheating, stealing bad-asses they didn't know they'd ever want to be.
Lauren Takes Leave is a riotously funny tale of women on the verge.
From the chilly exam room of a local dermatologist’s office to the marble master bathroom of a suburban McMansion, Lauren explores deep, probing questions that come with middle age and upper middle class complacency. Questions like, who is she, really? And, why didn’t anyone tell her not to pole dance in Louboutins? Before the week is over, Lauren and her friends have moved far away from the chick-lit stereotypes they've become and closer to the lying, cheating, stealing bad-asses they didn't know they'd ever want to be.
Lauren Takes Leave is a riotously funny tale of women on the verge.
- GenresHumor
407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
325 people want to read
About the author
Julie Gerstenblatt
5 books148 followersJulie Gerstenblatt holds a doctorate in education in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post and Cognoscenti, among others. When not writing, Julie is a college essay coach, as well as a producer and on-air host for A Mighty Blaze. A native New Yorker, Julie now lives in coastal Rhode Island with her family and one very smart shichon poo. Daughters of Nantucket is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 24, 2012
Warning: this review contains spoilers!
Lauren Takes Leave sets a new standard for the chick lit/women's fiction/beach book genre. Julie Gerstenblatt's marvelous novel kept me up until well past midnight last night and left me wishing for more! It's a hilarious riff on the 80's movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, except this time it's the teacher (ha!) who uses a jury duty summons to skip out on her job, her husband, children, and (almost) her sanity. Gerstenblatt's prose is rip-roaringingly funny and includes a cast of zany characters that are as diverse as they are funny: sardonic Kat, narcissistic Jodi, You Tube rapping sensation MC Lenny, Satanic suburban mom Leslie, and mega-movie star Tim Cubix (who Lauren and friends happen upon in South Beach and who is concealing a few secrets of his own). No sooner has Lauren embarked on an illicit jaunt to Miami than she is confronted with a former high school crush who is convinced they belong together. Before the weekend is over (spoiler alert!), Lauren finds herself tattooed, marching in South Beach's Gay Pride parade alongside a dead body, and found out by her husband and employer.
Gerstenblatt's prose is energetic and well-observed. She writes possibly the funniest dialogue I've read in years. But here's the thing that sets this novel apart. It's a novel about contemporary women who behave badly--at times really badly!--and yet they get away with it (to a large extent) the same way male protagonists have been sowing wild oats forever without too many consequences. This feels unprecedented in women's fiction. It's a celebration of women behaving badly--women who are also professionals and mothers and pillars of their suburban community. So many women's novels are about shopping and sex, not necessarily in that order. This one takes the current formula and turns it on its ear. It's got many of the elements (suburban ennui, a little shopping) which only sets the characters on their madcap journey over the course of one week. Oh, and did I forget? These women have real emotions, real problems personal and financial, and real lives. They're just like us, but better written. Julie Gerstenblatt is the heir apparent to Susan Isaacs and Nora Ephron, and I hope she gifts us with her writing for years to come.
So pour yourself a cocktail, get comfy in your beach chair, and make sure you have no interruptions on your horizon. Let Lauren Takes Leave transport you away!
Lauren Takes Leave sets a new standard for the chick lit/women's fiction/beach book genre. Julie Gerstenblatt's marvelous novel kept me up until well past midnight last night and left me wishing for more! It's a hilarious riff on the 80's movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, except this time it's the teacher (ha!) who uses a jury duty summons to skip out on her job, her husband, children, and (almost) her sanity. Gerstenblatt's prose is rip-roaringingly funny and includes a cast of zany characters that are as diverse as they are funny: sardonic Kat, narcissistic Jodi, You Tube rapping sensation MC Lenny, Satanic suburban mom Leslie, and mega-movie star Tim Cubix (who Lauren and friends happen upon in South Beach and who is concealing a few secrets of his own). No sooner has Lauren embarked on an illicit jaunt to Miami than she is confronted with a former high school crush who is convinced they belong together. Before the weekend is over (spoiler alert!), Lauren finds herself tattooed, marching in South Beach's Gay Pride parade alongside a dead body, and found out by her husband and employer.
Gerstenblatt's prose is energetic and well-observed. She writes possibly the funniest dialogue I've read in years. But here's the thing that sets this novel apart. It's a novel about contemporary women who behave badly--at times really badly!--and yet they get away with it (to a large extent) the same way male protagonists have been sowing wild oats forever without too many consequences. This feels unprecedented in women's fiction. It's a celebration of women behaving badly--women who are also professionals and mothers and pillars of their suburban community. So many women's novels are about shopping and sex, not necessarily in that order. This one takes the current formula and turns it on its ear. It's got many of the elements (suburban ennui, a little shopping) which only sets the characters on their madcap journey over the course of one week. Oh, and did I forget? These women have real emotions, real problems personal and financial, and real lives. They're just like us, but better written. Julie Gerstenblatt is the heir apparent to Susan Isaacs and Nora Ephron, and I hope she gifts us with her writing for years to come.
So pour yourself a cocktail, get comfy in your beach chair, and make sure you have no interruptions on your horizon. Let Lauren Takes Leave transport you away!
August 2, 2012
A FUN (AND FUNNY) FLIGHT OF FANCY.
I’m familiar with Julie Gerstenblatt from her Huffington Post columns, so when I saw that she’d written a novel, I didn’t hesitate to download it. I was in serious need of a brief “leave” from my own world of YA Lit and felt sure this author would have what it takes to spin a fun adult tale with plenty of laughs and memorable characters.
Gerstenblatt delivers the goods.
What starts with one small fib by main character Lauren, quickly gathers steam, becoming a colossal lie avalanche barreling downhill until it launches her and her sidekick pals off on a rollicking good adventure. Gerstenblatt takes her characters (and us) to the very brink of suspended disbelief collapse and gets away with it in style.
Another reader beat me to the punch in mentioning her Nora Ephron-esque style—a gift for writing funny, relatable narrative while creating characters who are delightfully flawed and therefore, endearing. Even the most despised of characters have their moments, and we glimpse what makes them the way they are, even feel for them - until they start behaving badly once more!
This was a truly fun romp and I highly recommend you take a leave with Lauren. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
I’m familiar with Julie Gerstenblatt from her Huffington Post columns, so when I saw that she’d written a novel, I didn’t hesitate to download it. I was in serious need of a brief “leave” from my own world of YA Lit and felt sure this author would have what it takes to spin a fun adult tale with plenty of laughs and memorable characters.
Gerstenblatt delivers the goods.
What starts with one small fib by main character Lauren, quickly gathers steam, becoming a colossal lie avalanche barreling downhill until it launches her and her sidekick pals off on a rollicking good adventure. Gerstenblatt takes her characters (and us) to the very brink of suspended disbelief collapse and gets away with it in style.
Another reader beat me to the punch in mentioning her Nora Ephron-esque style—a gift for writing funny, relatable narrative while creating characters who are delightfully flawed and therefore, endearing. Even the most despised of characters have their moments, and we glimpse what makes them the way they are, even feel for them - until they start behaving badly once more!
This was a truly fun romp and I highly recommend you take a leave with Lauren. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
August 24, 2012
I loved this book. Not only was it a great vacation read, it also brought some reality to the mommy lit genre. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in the dramatically silly situations that Lauren and her friends get themselves caught up in, but it also hit close to home with some of it's topics and made me re-examine what I was doing in my life and maybe make some changes (maybe I need a shiny new Chloe bag too!) myself. It also made me feel like the author knew what was going on in my head, which was reassuring. I look forward to Julie's future releases.
July 12, 2012
I LOVED IT!!! Just what I was looking for! A funny, smart read that made me think, but made me laugh more! Julie Gerstenblatt created characters that were easy to relate to and identify with. The adventure that takes place is fun, fast paced and kept me smiling. I highly recommend this book to all women who have balanced career, kids, marriage and a social identity. And women who have daydreamed about taking a leave from all of it just for a little bit...
December 16, 2012
A great escape read. Especially for teachers who feel like running and screaming into the night periodically. Or mothers, or anyone else who thinks that jury duty sounds like a well-deserved vacation. The capers that she gets into with her friends are wild and totally out of the norm. I laughed out loud several times reading this.
August 24, 2012
I really didn't enjoy this book. It was a little too light for me- a definite beach read, but too cliched and predictable.
December 24, 2013
This book was a great read I totally LOVED it!!!!!
January 5, 2025
First of all…. I’m psyched I could actually find this book! I adore the author, met her in person, and wanted to read it so badly that I could only find a Nook copy.
Overall, it was great. I’m the same age as Lauren and have been married 12 years as well. I’m also a teacher, back in the classroom this year after a few years off. There were some laugh out loud moments. Everything does get wrapped up in a neat little bow, which is great for people who love happy endings. While the book itself was funny, Lauren is actually kind of a pain in the… you know what. She’s a bit vapid, a self-described JAP. She’s critical of other people’s appearances, but there’s never anything negative said about her, which is just a bit unrealistic in the highly competitive circle she runs in.
Definitely worth the read, and it’s a fun escape. I like that Nantucket was referenced and that Lauren actually finds something that she’s more interested in doing.
Thank you, Julie, for writing this!
Overall, it was great. I’m the same age as Lauren and have been married 12 years as well. I’m also a teacher, back in the classroom this year after a few years off. There were some laugh out loud moments. Everything does get wrapped up in a neat little bow, which is great for people who love happy endings. While the book itself was funny, Lauren is actually kind of a pain in the… you know what. She’s a bit vapid, a self-described JAP. She’s critical of other people’s appearances, but there’s never anything negative said about her, which is just a bit unrealistic in the highly competitive circle she runs in.
Definitely worth the read, and it’s a fun escape. I like that Nantucket was referenced and that Lauren actually finds something that she’s more interested in doing.
Thank you, Julie, for writing this!
November 30, 2020
I had higher hopes for this book but to me it just fell flat and somewhat desperate to be funny. Some of the stuff made zero sense and a lot of it was just so outlandish it was beyond anything comprehensible. There were really no likeable characters and it just dragged on for about 100pages too many.
September 2, 2019
Loved it! Very fun and just what I needed for the end of the summer!
March 27, 2013
Fun.
Julie Gerstenblatt is a former middle school English teacher who realized that it was time to leave the classroom when a lengthy stint on jury duty felt like the highlight of her career. As a comedy and culture writer for The Huffington Post and a humor columnist for The Scarsdale Inquirer and Scarsdale10583.com, Julie writes with candor about her life, her friends and family, and the particular demands of motherhood and wifedom in modern-day suburbia. Julie holds a doctorate in education from Columbia University. She and her husband live with their two children in Scarsdale, New York. Although she would love to live in the city, suburbia is the inspiration for most of her funny ideas, and so she will remain in Westchester until her neighbors kick her out. Lauren Takes Leave is her first novel.
Julie Gerstenblatt is a former middle school English teacher who realized that it was time to leave the classroom when a lengthy stint on jury duty felt like the highlight of her career. As a comedy and culture writer for The Huffington Post and a humor columnist for The Scarsdale Inquirer and Scarsdale10583.com, Julie writes with candor about her life, her friends and family, and the particular demands of motherhood and wifedom in modern-day suburbia. Julie holds a doctorate in education from Columbia University. She and her husband live with their two children in Scarsdale, New York. Although she would love to live in the city, suburbia is the inspiration for most of her funny ideas, and so she will remain in Westchester until her neighbors kick her out. Lauren Takes Leave is her first novel.
December 18, 2012
This was a book I got free on my Kindle. It wasn't the best, but it was cute. I could relate to the story. It is about a woman who is frustrated with her life and when she gets picked for jury duty, she is excited to get to miss work and her family for a few days. When the case settles the next day, she is bummed about having to go back to work, so she tells everyone she is still on jury duty. Then she takes some time and just goes off doing her own thing for a few days, trying to figure out some things.
I can understand, because almost everyday of my life I want to take "leave".
I can understand, because almost everyday of my life I want to take "leave".
January 13, 2013
In a word ... Cute. Interesting, fun, sometimes silly story line and fun to think "what if"? I enjoyed the lightness and the "girly" friendship although that is generally not my persuasion. But there is also an " out of control" element. Not a page turner and I did find myself wanting to get done.
September 9, 2012
I had a really hard time reading this book. There were too many cringe moments for me to enjoy the story.
January 27, 2014
Very light but funny and relatable.
January 10, 2013
light fast fun read. I enjoyed the craziness.
February 10, 2013
Liked it. A fun read :)
February 15, 2013
Fun read. Nothing deep, just a brainless read that wss just what I needed at the time. interesting twists in story. If you are not expecting too much you won't be disappointed.
August 11, 2013
Well, that was fun!
November 27, 2013
It is very hard to make me laugh out loud and I found myself doing it quite a few times with this book. Fun summer read...
September 5, 2013
Fun summer read.
October 26, 2013
Loved it!!! It kept changing directions unexpectedly and popping in all kinds of current references that made it fun!!!! Makes one think about being a bit more adventurous!!!!
June 1, 2014
my review is on my blog @ http://scifisstrs.blogspot.com/2014/0...
October 22, 2014
If Dave Barry were a woman, this is what he might write. I laughed and loved it.
September 5, 2014
Very enjoyable a nice light read when you want to escape
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews