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The Spice of Life
Success can be a tricky proposition, intoxicating one moment and toxic the next. Vanessa Roth, CEO of her own advertising firm, is about to get the shock of her life; her husband of eight years has left her for another woman. As a result, Anna, her niece and only friend provides her with a healthy distraction. However, six weeks of Burlesque lessons is the last thing Vanessa saw coming as a gift for her fortieth birthday. Ultimately, she accepts the challenge against her better judgment and gets a lot more than she ever bargained for.
The Spice of Life is a heartwarming, humorous and inspiring novel about love, friendship, self-discovery, and letting go.
The Spice of Life is a heartwarming, humorous and inspiring novel about love, friendship, self-discovery, and letting go.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 17, 2013
25 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 18, 2013
I really enjoyed this book and on many occasions found myself laughing. I am so glad this wasn't about Vanessa getting revenge after learning her husband left her for another woman. Vanessa’s very wise niece, Anna, and her only friend provided her a gift that would help her get through her in a positive way that didn't leave her bitter and angry as she could have been. This was a heartwarming, humorous, inspiring story about love, friendship and self-discovery.
February 13, 2013
Contemporary Spice Not of This Life.
I’m not normally a Contemporary Women's Fiction reader and this book reinforced exactly why I choose to stay clear of the genre in the past. One word: Drama. The writer reveals her story as an immature college socialite would refer to a boy at the corner of a bar giving her a longingly familiar look: Eewww. There are one or two sentences that randomly convey substance, but then get lost in disjointed scenes offered as if the writer had to get all the scenarios in before the phrase “The End” was typed.
The story is about a middle-aged businesswoman married for 10 years who made a career out of ignoring her husband, a writer with little success and with no children between them to fill the void.
With her husband having an affair with her lawyer, her own male office assistant looking for the same from her, perhaps confusing what he needs with what he thinks he needs, the book manages to present a few of life’s basic lessons with minimal foul language and some moments of hilarity that seem out of place.
A gift certificate for burlesque lessons given to the main character gives the book its excuse for sexual overtures and fun-poking opportunities, but a poorly done rape-scene and “bad-friends-as-roll-models” make the story seem disconnected and inconsistent in its path.
All-in-all this is a very fast read because of limited vocabulary and overly simplistic sentence structure, and a read that will not require a second thought to grasp the essence of what’s happening…. much less at whether it should be re-read.
This is my first review for BookRooster.com and I did receive a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it… I just hope they allow me to review others – heck, I’ll even promise to stay away from this genre in the future!
I’m not normally a Contemporary Women's Fiction reader and this book reinforced exactly why I choose to stay clear of the genre in the past. One word: Drama. The writer reveals her story as an immature college socialite would refer to a boy at the corner of a bar giving her a longingly familiar look: Eewww. There are one or two sentences that randomly convey substance, but then get lost in disjointed scenes offered as if the writer had to get all the scenarios in before the phrase “The End” was typed.
The story is about a middle-aged businesswoman married for 10 years who made a career out of ignoring her husband, a writer with little success and with no children between them to fill the void.
With her husband having an affair with her lawyer, her own male office assistant looking for the same from her, perhaps confusing what he needs with what he thinks he needs, the book manages to present a few of life’s basic lessons with minimal foul language and some moments of hilarity that seem out of place.
A gift certificate for burlesque lessons given to the main character gives the book its excuse for sexual overtures and fun-poking opportunities, but a poorly done rape-scene and “bad-friends-as-roll-models” make the story seem disconnected and inconsistent in its path.
All-in-all this is a very fast read because of limited vocabulary and overly simplistic sentence structure, and a read that will not require a second thought to grasp the essence of what’s happening…. much less at whether it should be re-read.
This is my first review for BookRooster.com and I did receive a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it… I just hope they allow me to review others – heck, I’ll even promise to stay away from this genre in the future!
January 20, 2013
This is a well-written, mostly serious, and sometimes humorous, account of significant events in the personal and professional lives of three characters: Vanessa, a successful female executive; Corey, her assistant; and Frankie, Corey’s roommate. As the story begins, Vanessa is married, Corey sexually ambivalent and in no relationship, and Frankie in a relationship with an abusive man. In the course of the story, the personal relationships of the characters change as do the careers of two. The novel traces these changes from the separate points of view of each, who often interact with one other. This is definitely not a romance, even of the modern, cynical kind, and neither is it a soap opera. The story does have considerable emotional depth, inasmuch as all the characters undergo difficulties before the story ends; for example, Vanessa’s marriage crumbles, Corey leaves his job, Frankie is hospitalized. On the lighter side, Vanessa’s niece gifts her with a series of burlesque lessons, which challenge the straight-laced heroine. These lessons are humorously recounted in separate chapters, which I found quite informative regarding such technical matters as how to shimmy, apply pasties, and perform an important apparel check. The novel deals intelligently with several serious themes: relationships, plasticity of gender preferences, friendships, career, and betrayal.
March 10, 2013
I'll be honest -- I couldn't finish this book. I read a lot of books -- good and bad. My basic expectation is that books being sold in a bookstore have at least gone through minimal proofing to avoid typos and grammar errors. Yes, an occasional typo is fine, but there were so many errors in this book, I had to put it down.
What I did manage to read was a bit amateurish -- awkward dialogue, unpleasant main characters. Overall, I thought the book had a cute concept, so was definitely disappointed in its execution.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What I did manage to read was a bit amateurish -- awkward dialogue, unpleasant main characters. Overall, I thought the book had a cute concept, so was definitely disappointed in its execution.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2015
This book was light and remarkably easy to get into. I read it in just a couple of hours and felt attuned to the emotions of the lead female role, Vanessa from the first few lines. You experience her anger at her husband for leaving her for another woman that he refuses to name, to daring to let go of her prim professionalism when her niece gives her a gift for her fortieth birthday of lessons in Burlesque. It has some heart-warming moments of personal growth in it as she maneuvers through a divorce to a possible second chance at love.
February 17, 2013
Quick, easy, fun read. Free on kindle but not worth spending more than $4-$5!
January 30, 2019
Entertaining
This is a great chick-out story about a woman running her own as agency who loses sight of her personal life because she's too focused on being a successful businesswoman, something she became to ease the pain of never being able to have children. Suddenly she faced with major life changes when she finds herself unexpectedly divorced, taking burlesque classes, and even more surprisingly talking in love with her young assistant.
The characters are enjoyable. The plot keeps you interested without getting tedious and boring. I will definitely be reading other books by this author!
This is a great chick-out story about a woman running her own as agency who loses sight of her personal life because she's too focused on being a successful businesswoman, something she became to ease the pain of never being able to have children. Suddenly she faced with major life changes when she finds herself unexpectedly divorced, taking burlesque classes, and even more surprisingly talking in love with her young assistant.
The characters are enjoyable. The plot keeps you interested without getting tedious and boring. I will definitely be reading other books by this author!
March 15, 2013
Vanessa Roth is a strong independent business owner who has dedicated her life to creating one of the best marketing agencies in New Hampshire. Her world gets turned upside down when her husband informs her that he has been having an affair and is filing for divorce. Vanessa tries to dive into her work and keep focused when her niece gives her burlesque dance lessons as a birthday gift. This gift is just the start of more upheaval in Vanessa’s life including her allowing her assistant, Corey, and his roommate to crash at her home. It doesn’t take long for Vanessa to start having feelings for Corey, the handsome smart man who helps her through her work day. Vanessa will have to get over her control issues and break down the walls she has created for herself if she wants to have a relationship with him.
Vanessa is a deep and well-rounded character that many women can easily relate to. She keeps everyone at arms distance so she can focus on her career. It was really nice to watch her open up as the story unfolded. The relationship between her and Corey was well written and felt realistic. Frankie, Corey’s roommate, is a delightful character who uses her piercings and tattoos as a way to scare off people that might hurt her. I enjoyed the different ways that both female characters approached self-preservation and appreciated how they both changed throughout the story.
My biggest issue with the book is the way Frankie reacted to her violent attack. I understand how she keeps to herself and would prefer to deal with her drama on her own time, but I felt that we should have seen a bigger reaction. There were a few grammar and typing errors but I don’t think they would distract the average reader.
Overall The Spice of Life is an entertaining read that could have been much stronger but still worth the read.
Vanessa is a deep and well-rounded character that many women can easily relate to. She keeps everyone at arms distance so she can focus on her career. It was really nice to watch her open up as the story unfolded. The relationship between her and Corey was well written and felt realistic. Frankie, Corey’s roommate, is a delightful character who uses her piercings and tattoos as a way to scare off people that might hurt her. I enjoyed the different ways that both female characters approached self-preservation and appreciated how they both changed throughout the story.
My biggest issue with the book is the way Frankie reacted to her violent attack. I understand how she keeps to herself and would prefer to deal with her drama on her own time, but I felt that we should have seen a bigger reaction. There were a few grammar and typing errors but I don’t think they would distract the average reader.
Overall The Spice of Life is an entertaining read that could have been much stronger but still worth the read.
February 18, 2013
TITLE - THE SPICE OF LIFE
AUTHOR - JENNIFER L. JENNINGS
Vanessa Roth is a 39 year old who lives in Hanover New Hampshire with her husband, James, of 8 years. She is the CEO of her own advertising company. Many would say she is obsessed with money, her company and her reputation. She is cold, materialistic and power hunger with no friends.
On a night that Vanessa was flying high from closing a big deal with a major company, James is telling Vanessa he is wanting a divorce. What or where does she turn ? Her niece Anna steps in and surprises her with Burlesque lessons for her birthday. A distraction and a way to help Vanessa to let go of things she can not control. Vanessa's personal assistant, Corey Burns, was giving a challenge by Vanessa to spy on James and see who the other women is. Corey and Vanessa find they have alot more in common and along with Frankie, Corey's roommate a friendship is being formed. We see Vanessa transform into a different women. This book was wonderful. It had the right amount of "spice" it needed! Its a story of letting go and moving on.
WENDE SHEETS
STARS - 5 +++
juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
AUTHOR - JENNIFER L. JENNINGS
Vanessa Roth is a 39 year old who lives in Hanover New Hampshire with her husband, James, of 8 years. She is the CEO of her own advertising company. Many would say she is obsessed with money, her company and her reputation. She is cold, materialistic and power hunger with no friends.
On a night that Vanessa was flying high from closing a big deal with a major company, James is telling Vanessa he is wanting a divorce. What or where does she turn ? Her niece Anna steps in and surprises her with Burlesque lessons for her birthday. A distraction and a way to help Vanessa to let go of things she can not control. Vanessa's personal assistant, Corey Burns, was giving a challenge by Vanessa to spy on James and see who the other women is. Corey and Vanessa find they have alot more in common and along with Frankie, Corey's roommate a friendship is being formed. We see Vanessa transform into a different women. This book was wonderful. It had the right amount of "spice" it needed! Its a story of letting go and moving on.
WENDE SHEETS
STARS - 5 +++
juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
January 21, 2015
Vanessa Roth is a very succesful woman and the proud owner of an advertising company, and although she has put very hard work into her business, her obsession with it has sadly sucked away every other important aspect of her life, including her marriage. Now, Vanessa has to deal with the fact that she has no husband and no friends other than her niece, who decided to give her a very unexpected and unconventional birthday present. The Spice of Life is the journey of a woman who has to find her way back into enjoying life. She has to learn to take risks and letting go of her uptight self and she actually does that with the help of her niece, her assistant and some burlesque lessons.
It is a very sweet story that reminds us how to enjoy the important things in life. It is a fun, light read and I would totally recommend it. Although I have to warn you that there are a few spelling mistakes that even I could notice (English is not my first language), the story is a little predictable, and there wasn't enough dancing as I was expecting. But if you can get pass that I think you would really enjoy it. That is why I give it 3.5 stars.
It is a very sweet story that reminds us how to enjoy the important things in life. It is a fun, light read and I would totally recommend it. Although I have to warn you that there are a few spelling mistakes that even I could notice (English is not my first language), the story is a little predictable, and there wasn't enough dancing as I was expecting. But if you can get pass that I think you would really enjoy it. That is why I give it 3.5 stars.
September 29, 2013
I wanted to like this book, I really, really did. I love burlesque, I love the concept of finding one's self despite a partner, but then this book did everything I hated. It used rape just as a plot device and never really dealt with the actual issue. I'm still in awe of how quickly the victim dealt with her assault. If only staying busy meant you could suddenly be okay. *headdesk* The treatment of the bi/queer male character was disgusting. Also, why was Corey still confused? From everything he was staying he seemed to understand his sexuality, it was society that didn't get it. In what world does a queer person talk about his/her/hir own sexual history as a lifestyle?! To make matters worse, at no point did Vanessa become redeemable. I continued to hate her, especially after her treatment of her niece. The only thing I liked about this book was the burlesque elements. They were fun and entertaining.
June 17, 2017
I found The Spice of Life by Jennifer L. Jennings to be very well written and enjoyable. The author does a great job in describing the characters in a realistic way and it's very easy to envision all of the events happening. There were quite a few characters who all had things going on, but she did a great job in tying them all into the main plot in a way that worked very well from the beginning of the book right to the last page.
This was the first book that I've read by Jennifer L Jennings, but I will be looking into her other works since I enjoyed this one as much as I did.
I received a complimentary copy of The Spice of Life in return for an honest review.
This was the first book that I've read by Jennifer L Jennings, but I will be looking into her other works since I enjoyed this one as much as I did.
I received a complimentary copy of The Spice of Life in return for an honest review.
September 4, 2013
I got this book through BookBub. I downloaded a few free books to read on a trip I was taking. This book was a good choice as it was funny and an easy read. Vanessa Roth thinks she has it all: fantastic job, good looking husband, great house and money. It ends when her husband leaves her for another woman who will pay attention to her. Vanessa learns quickly how little she actually has in her life and thus begins the story. This is a good beach read but not one I would recommend for book clubs.
July 23, 2014
I read most of this book while traveling from British Columbia back to St. Louis. It was a good, light "travel read" and I enjoyed it, even though the characters were a little on the shallow side. Spoilers: much was made of Corey's bisexual orientation but it never really affected the story or his new relationship much. Also, the incident with Frankie was resolved far too quickly.
I did like the Burlesque angle, though--I did not know much about that activity prior to reading this book and found it interesting.
I did like the Burlesque angle, though--I did not know much about that activity prior to reading this book and found it interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2013
This book had me feeling very conflicted. I did enjoy the premise of the book but didn't feel the author did it a lot of justice. A very conservative woman whose husband is leaving her for someone else. It takes her through a journey of becoming comfortable enough with herself to start taking risks she never thought she would. Again, I love this premise but the writing didn't have enough descriptive qualities to make me be able to live the book while I read it.
March 20, 2013
4.5/5 It's a lovely book that gets your attention effortlessly. It does not look at life in a profound way, but isn't it the little tweaks on how you look at things that help you figure it all out in life anyway? I laughed and teared up while reading this book. To me, that's a good enough indication that it's worth reading:)
June 2, 2013
I enjoy books like this... where the main character is entirely flawed in a completely real way. Every woman on the planet can relate and sympathize.
Excellent read. A few very minor editing errors (you're/your mostly). The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the ending was abrupt and left it neat and tidy without ever explaining the extremely integral resolution. I need closure!
Excellent read. A few very minor editing errors (you're/your mostly). The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the ending was abrupt and left it neat and tidy without ever explaining the extremely integral resolution. I need closure!
February 20, 2013
Another free book from amazon. This one had a cute, light storyline - and was an easy read. I liked the themes of letting loose and female empowerment, but would have liked the characters to be developed a bit more.
August 9, 2013
This book has a very daily common situations. Is easy to read and the romanticism is not so sickly sweet. It is a good book, but I still prefer to read the Sarah Wood series books. The have the suspense touch that I am starting to love when reading a book.
September 1, 2013
Another free Kindle book. Husband leaves successful wife. She must figure out why. Niece offers burlesque lessons-a unique twist. Lessons learned. New loves found. Parts of this were painful, infertility, someone gets pregnant, life goes on.
September 1, 2013
Maybe I'll try again later, but I'm not really taking to this book. Predictable. Bland. I'm giving up on this at chapter 7
March 7, 2013
This is an easy read that gets easier as the pages turn. By the time I hit the last few chapters I had to push myself to finish. The conversation became boring and predictable.
August 4, 2013
This isn't the type of genre I normally (if ever) read, but I found myself engrossed with the characters. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book.
August 14, 2013
Great read! I enjoyed the story, and the way Vanessa struggled to gain her life back after her husband left. Love the idea of a burlesque class!
September 29, 2013
A good, quick read. It took me a while to like the main character Vanessa.
January 8, 2014
A good quick read.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews