What do you think?
Rate this book
The Starter Wife
there are starter jobs. starter cars. starter houses. and then there are starter wives.From the bestselling author of "Maneater" comes "The Starter Wife," a sexy, savvy, and wickedly funny novel about life after divorce and one woman redefining herself after years of marriage to a Hollywood studio head.
When her husband Kenny dumps her by cell phone mere months before their ten-year wedding anniversary, Gracie Pollock finds herself reeling. Though her nine-year role as the wife of a semifamous Hollywood studio executive often left her dry and she never fully embraced the "status" (according to Kenny), Gracie has grown accustomed to the unique privileges afforded by Tinseltown's brand of power and wealth: reservations at Spago on a Friday night; beauty treatments by dermatologists (Arnie), manicurists (Jessica), and colorists (Cristophe) to the stars; line-jumping at Disneyland with her daughter and Ugg-wearing celebrity offspring. And despite the fact she had consented to name their daughter Jaden in a (failed) attempt to lure Will Smith to one of Kenny's productions, Gracie believed she and Kenny were different from other Hollywood couples. She never thought she'd be a "starter wife." But now that her marriage is over, her phone isn't ringing, her mailbox is empty, and it's only through a faux pas by her world-class florist that she learns her husband has upgraded: Kenny is dating a pop tartlet.
With images of Kenny's 'tween queen everywhere she turns, Gracie seeks refuge at her best friend's Malibu mansion for some much-needed divorce therapy. Soon she's associating with all the wrong people, including a mysterious hunk who saves her from drowning, the security guard at hergated community, and -- God forbid -- Kenny's boss, one of Hollywood's better-known Lotharios.
With her signature wit, sassy style, and cameos of the rich and famous -- and wannabe rich and famous -- Gigi Grazer tackles the most delicious and dastardly details of a divorce and recovery, Hollywood style.
When her husband Kenny dumps her by cell phone mere months before their ten-year wedding anniversary, Gracie Pollock finds herself reeling. Though her nine-year role as the wife of a semifamous Hollywood studio executive often left her dry and she never fully embraced the "status" (according to Kenny), Gracie has grown accustomed to the unique privileges afforded by Tinseltown's brand of power and wealth: reservations at Spago on a Friday night; beauty treatments by dermatologists (Arnie), manicurists (Jessica), and colorists (Cristophe) to the stars; line-jumping at Disneyland with her daughter and Ugg-wearing celebrity offspring. And despite the fact she had consented to name their daughter Jaden in a (failed) attempt to lure Will Smith to one of Kenny's productions, Gracie believed she and Kenny were different from other Hollywood couples. She never thought she'd be a "starter wife." But now that her marriage is over, her phone isn't ringing, her mailbox is empty, and it's only through a faux pas by her world-class florist that she learns her husband has upgraded: Kenny is dating a pop tartlet.
With images of Kenny's 'tween queen everywhere she turns, Gracie seeks refuge at her best friend's Malibu mansion for some much-needed divorce therapy. Soon she's associating with all the wrong people, including a mysterious hunk who saves her from drowning, the security guard at hergated community, and -- God forbid -- Kenny's boss, one of Hollywood's better-known Lotharios.
With her signature wit, sassy style, and cameos of the rich and famous -- and wannabe rich and famous -- Gigi Grazer tackles the most delicious and dastardly details of a divorce and recovery, Hollywood style.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
112 people are currently reading
11706 people want to read
About the author
Gigi Levangie Grazer
11 books331 followersGigi Levangie is the author of six prior novels, including The After Wife and the New York Times bestseller The Starter Wife, which was adapted as a miniseries for USA Network.
She is the original writer of the screenplay for Stepmom and has written for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, and other publications. Levangie lives in Los Angeles.
She is the original writer of the screenplay for Stepmom and has written for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, and other publications. Levangie lives in Los Angeles.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 569 reviews
June 12, 2007
My first thought is that this book was intended for an audience that did not include me.
This book was not as enjoyable as I wanted it to be. The structure of narrative was somewhat halting because there were commas all over the place. I understand that it was a narrative, and we all think in long sentences, but the numerous commas and no periods was a little excessive. One thought would abruptly jump into the next in the same sentence.
If you know a lot of famous names, then maybe you'll like this book. For me, it was just blah blah blah.
The storyline was good, but could have been developed better.
This book was not as enjoyable as I wanted it to be. The structure of narrative was somewhat halting because there were commas all over the place. I understand that it was a narrative, and we all think in long sentences, but the numerous commas and no periods was a little excessive. One thought would abruptly jump into the next in the same sentence.
If you know a lot of famous names, then maybe you'll like this book. For me, it was just blah blah blah.
The storyline was good, but could have been developed better.
September 23, 2007
I admit it, I totally fell into the hype - the endless self-promo on USA and little plugs all over the place. Just enough so that you knew Debra Messing was in it and that she got dumped and nothing more. I watched the two-hour premiere of the "television event of the summer" and got hooked. I can't deny that I have a thing for the under appreciated woman who has to find her perfect soulmate before the end of the cinematic or literary event. Who doesn't want the happy ending and the shining knight?? I tried to hold out and watch the whole thing before I dove into the literary counterpart. I have a quirk and it works for me ... If I watch the movie first and then read the book I can love them both for their differences and departures. Conversely, if I read the book first and then watch the movie I am inevitably pissed and apalled at the mangled mess that is put forth to represent such fine literary work. Like I said, a quirk - which translates as: I can't help it and don't pick on me!
Getting back to something nearer to the topic I found that I enjoyed the different aspects of both and there are quite large differences between the two manifestations. I like having Debra Messing as the visual for the main character whether her name is Molly or Gracie - they both work. She looks much healthier in the movie than she ever did on W&G, and her character is by far less annoying than Grace. (Hmm... brainwave - bet they changed the charceter's name to Molly for the movie when they cast Debra to avoid any confusion with the highly successful W&G) I like the way Sam is depicted in the books as opposed to the guy they cast for the movie - more my type. The Lou M. story is so vastly different that I am going to refrain from commenting so as not to spoil anything for anyone. Overall I found the book very enjoyable as a light read for the summer. It was self-empowering and had the happy ending that I find more and more necessary to help me feel better about my life (how sad!) While the style and telling of the story seemed somewhat disjointed at times I couldn't put it down. I absolutely had to find out what happened at the end. I would recommend it to anyone who can look past some flaws.
Getting back to something nearer to the topic I found that I enjoyed the different aspects of both and there are quite large differences between the two manifestations. I like having Debra Messing as the visual for the main character whether her name is Molly or Gracie - they both work. She looks much healthier in the movie than she ever did on W&G, and her character is by far less annoying than Grace. (Hmm... brainwave - bet they changed the charceter's name to Molly for the movie when they cast Debra to avoid any confusion with the highly successful W&G) I like the way Sam is depicted in the books as opposed to the guy they cast for the movie - more my type. The Lou M. story is so vastly different that I am going to refrain from commenting so as not to spoil anything for anyone. Overall I found the book very enjoyable as a light read for the summer. It was self-empowering and had the happy ending that I find more and more necessary to help me feel better about my life (how sad!) While the style and telling of the story seemed somewhat disjointed at times I couldn't put it down. I absolutely had to find out what happened at the end. I would recommend it to anyone who can look past some flaws.
February 4, 2016
I bought this book five years ago, thinking that the story looked interesting, the cover was cute, and that I’d read it and immediately Netflix the TV show right after, since I had a “thing” for Debra Messing ever since I first watched Will & Grace.
Long story short, I never read it. It was one of those books that I always intended to read; I toted it around with me to school and back home for three semesters in a row, but I never got around to actually reading it. On my recent trip to New York City, I pulled it out from the book-ridden depths of my under-the-bed disaster zone, and I wondered what could have ever possessed me to buy it. As a young, blissfully unattached woman, what could I ever have in common with a mid-life washed-up Hollywood divorcee? And why the hell did I buy a book written by a woman named Gigi?
Of course, I ended up eating my words. At first, this book was kind of hard to get into, especially considering how little I have in common with the protagonist. About a quarter of the way through, though, I found myself laughing at Gracie’s ballsy attitude and her funny little internal dialogues. She goes from a rich, privileged “Wife Of” to a woman who has nothing to lose, and that’s something I found myself really admiring.
The story follows Gracie, fifty-something mother-of-one, wife of Kenny Pollock, big-time Hollywood producer, as she deals with a quite unexpected divorce. After a brief and static-y phone call break-up, her whole life comes crashing down around her, and she’s left to pick up the pieces. The very start is depressing, with its descriptions of her loneliness and desperation, but it picks up quite quickly, and the rest of the book follows her as she gets back into the swing of life, finding the love and happiness she would have never experienced if Kenny hadn’t given her the boot. She’s got a funny group of friends who are willing to go to any lengths to take her mind off the impending divorce and a handsome stranger to fantasize about in the meantime. Altogether, it was an enjoyable read.
It had highs, lows, laughs, and a happy ending. The book did seem quite dated, though (a quick Google check tells me it’s about 7 years old), with its continued mentioning of Britney Spears. Quite honestly, I thought it was written before 2005; Britney was on her downward cycle in 2005, right? Anyway, that was my only slight irritation. If you’re going to write about a celebrity, you might as well make it a good one.
Long story short, I never read it. It was one of those books that I always intended to read; I toted it around with me to school and back home for three semesters in a row, but I never got around to actually reading it. On my recent trip to New York City, I pulled it out from the book-ridden depths of my under-the-bed disaster zone, and I wondered what could have ever possessed me to buy it. As a young, blissfully unattached woman, what could I ever have in common with a mid-life washed-up Hollywood divorcee? And why the hell did I buy a book written by a woman named Gigi?
Of course, I ended up eating my words. At first, this book was kind of hard to get into, especially considering how little I have in common with the protagonist. About a quarter of the way through, though, I found myself laughing at Gracie’s ballsy attitude and her funny little internal dialogues. She goes from a rich, privileged “Wife Of” to a woman who has nothing to lose, and that’s something I found myself really admiring.
The story follows Gracie, fifty-something mother-of-one, wife of Kenny Pollock, big-time Hollywood producer, as she deals with a quite unexpected divorce. After a brief and static-y phone call break-up, her whole life comes crashing down around her, and she’s left to pick up the pieces. The very start is depressing, with its descriptions of her loneliness and desperation, but it picks up quite quickly, and the rest of the book follows her as she gets back into the swing of life, finding the love and happiness she would have never experienced if Kenny hadn’t given her the boot. She’s got a funny group of friends who are willing to go to any lengths to take her mind off the impending divorce and a handsome stranger to fantasize about in the meantime. Altogether, it was an enjoyable read.
It had highs, lows, laughs, and a happy ending. The book did seem quite dated, though (a quick Google check tells me it’s about 7 years old), with its continued mentioning of Britney Spears. Quite honestly, I thought it was written before 2005; Britney was on her downward cycle in 2005, right? Anyway, that was my only slight irritation. If you’re going to write about a celebrity, you might as well make it a good one.
July 13, 2010
Bleck! I am a huge chic-lit fan and DETESTED this book. I couldn't STAND nor believe the main character, Gracie. Obsess much? GOD.. she was annoying. And the sad thing was, I started out rooting for her. I mean, how horrible, her husband leaving her after almost 10 years of marriage. He was easy to hate, and I thought - great she's going to have some self-discovery, maybe learn and rebuild, etc. Instead, she turns into a PSYCHO, spying on neighbors becoming the poo police and running around pressing security guards for information on possible "singles". She obsesses about dating, but then gets a date and obsesses over how hideous she looks. For instance, she meets a guy, on the beach and then tears off running after his dog to look at the name tag so she can find his address? Um... psycho? "Gracie ran after the dog, full-force, sand spinning in the air under her feet. She felt like a movie heroine, chasing down her boyfriend before he left for the war." Okay, hyperbole. And that's part of what's annoying. I think the author was trying to be funny, but for me - I was flat out annoyed and unamused. After he "saved" her when she was kayaking she starts calling him her "boyfriend" wondering if her "boyfriend" eats breakfast. Wack-a-doo.
She spends her whole life talking about how fat/unattractive/ugly/wrinkled/old she is yet in 2 seconds of meeting any guy in her age bracker she immediately assesses how much he's going to hate her/not pay attention to her/have a 20-something girlfriend, yet also in the next breath wonder how their monogrammed towels will look and what kind of wedding they will have. What the heck? I can understand feeling unattractive, but she OBSESSES about it and in the long run I was annoyed by Gracie and didn't like her. This chic NEEDED to get dumped by her husband because she's nuts! That along with the stereotyped "gay" in the story and the utterly predictable ending, sigh... suck. Major suck.
She spends her whole life talking about how fat/unattractive/ugly/wrinkled/old she is yet in 2 seconds of meeting any guy in her age bracker she immediately assesses how much he's going to hate her/not pay attention to her/have a 20-something girlfriend, yet also in the next breath wonder how their monogrammed towels will look and what kind of wedding they will have. What the heck? I can understand feeling unattractive, but she OBSESSES about it and in the long run I was annoyed by Gracie and didn't like her. This chic NEEDED to get dumped by her husband because she's nuts! That along with the stereotyped "gay" in the story and the utterly predictable ending, sigh... suck. Major suck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2011
This book didn't know what it was. Sometimes the protag Gracie seemed like a teenager and sometimes she was an adult. And I hate kids that are like 3 yrs old but written like teenagers. PICK ONE!!!
Gracie is the wife of a Hollywood producer who gets told of her pending divorce over the phone. And she does nothing to do to fight it. He wants a divorce, I guess that is the way life is! So annoying, already. She moves into her friends beach house for the summer with her 3 yr old daughter and meets different and interesting people, included a hot, but homeless man, who of course, turns out to have a fortune of his own. And they live happily ever after. That pretty much sums it up.
There where some funny moments and scenarios but the story just would go in directions that didn't make sense or matter and then the author would have to spend like 3 chapters digging herself out of them.
Grade: C-
Gracie is the wife of a Hollywood producer who gets told of her pending divorce over the phone. And she does nothing to do to fight it. He wants a divorce, I guess that is the way life is! So annoying, already. She moves into her friends beach house for the summer with her 3 yr old daughter and meets different and interesting people, included a hot, but homeless man, who of course, turns out to have a fortune of his own. And they live happily ever after. That pretty much sums it up.
There where some funny moments and scenarios but the story just would go in directions that didn't make sense or matter and then the author would have to spend like 3 chapters digging herself out of them.
Grade: C-
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2021
I give up! I find myself getting annoyed by this book, especially by the main character. Time to move on.
May 5, 2015
I didn't mind this book as I was reading it, but a few months later and I've come to realize I really didn't like it that much at all. The main character wasn't bad, and the side characters were okay, but the sequence of events were too unrealistic for me to actually buy it. A woman whose husband leaves her for a newer model? Sure, I can buy that. She goes on a date with her husband's boss? That's funny and I like where it's going. Until it doesn't go there at all.
Instead I got the message that money really is the only way to live happily, after the book set us up to believe she would learn to live without it.
Instead I got the message that money really is the only way to live happily, after the book set us up to believe she would learn to live without it.
March 20, 2020
I didn't like this book at all. This book is about a woman who gets divorced from a movie producer and she becomes what is referred to in the industry as a "starter wife"-- a man's first wife. She talks a lot about being "the wife of-" and letting that define you. Her husband starts dating Britney Spears and theres a lot of mention of other celebrities in this book and I thought it was cheap and lazy writing to not take the time to develop your own characters. The main character, Gracie, has a gay best friend named Will and he's so over the top stereotypical it was offensive. Her best friend, Crickett is also super annoying and overall this book was just boring. She falls in love with a homeless guy named Sam but he secretly comes from money. It's like his whole identity is changed when you find out if his family has money or not and thats stupid. This book had a few parts that were a little comical, but overall I really didn't like this.
February 20, 2008
I've wanted to read Gigi Levangie's The Starter Wife since I read an interview with the author in the Guardian and just thought she sounded fascinating. Plus then, of course, there was the TV adaptation of the book starring the wonderful Debra Messing. Well, I finally got around to reading it and it was worth the wait.
Gracie Pollock is married to studio head, Kenny. She's a Hollywood wife, with a Hollywood house, Hollywood friends and a Hollywood beauty maintenance programme. She's not happy, but even so she's shocked when Kenny summarily
To read the rest of this review (and more!), please visit Trashionista
Gracie Pollock is married to studio head, Kenny. She's a Hollywood wife, with a Hollywood house, Hollywood friends and a Hollywood beauty maintenance programme. She's not happy, but even so she's shocked when Kenny summarily
To read the rest of this review (and more!), please visit Trashionista
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
unfinished
March 2, 2016Gave up - not because it was bad, but I just wasn't invested enough (I have too many other books to read to continue something I am not enjoying fully).
July 23, 2022
The show was so much better.
December 30, 2019
I'm giving this book two stars even though I didn't finish reading it. I'm sure there are others who like this type of story. I don't feel it's fair to give one star to a book if I didn't read it all the way through. For me, the writing was not my style. It felt choppy and incomplete. I didn't care for or understand the characters on any level and therefore didn't care what happened in the story.
February 5, 2021
Fun and tuned into Hollywood culture, The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer is a great book for readers looking for something off the beaten path. The book has a great sense of comedy, romance, and mystery and each chapter ends in a way you never thought possible. I would give this book an 8/10 because it was overall a good book.
December 29, 2023
I didn't hate this book, and was interested enough to finish it, but I could have taken it or left it.
The concept of the book was interesting and I think the beginning held promise. However, what I struggled with was the rest of the story. I realize that it is an exaggeration (or not, I'm not in Hollywood!) of how things are in LA, but what bothered me is that her husband is divorcing her before 10 years of marriage to make sure she gets nothing...but then she doesn't "do" anything after she is kicked out of the house. She simply lives rent free at her friends house, but how is she paying for all her Starbucks and drinking, etc. Even though she is kind of creating a new life for herself, she's not really. Great, she finds a new beau, but how are they going to afford to live? It was just a bit too far fetched for me.
The concept of the book was interesting and I think the beginning held promise. However, what I struggled with was the rest of the story. I realize that it is an exaggeration (or not, I'm not in Hollywood!) of how things are in LA, but what bothered me is that her husband is divorcing her before 10 years of marriage to make sure she gets nothing...but then she doesn't "do" anything after she is kicked out of the house. She simply lives rent free at her friends house, but how is she paying for all her Starbucks and drinking, etc. Even though she is kind of creating a new life for herself, she's not really. Great, she finds a new beau, but how are they going to afford to live? It was just a bit too far fetched for me.
July 13, 2020
Another psychological suspense book with hateful protagonists. Not for me.
October 8, 2024
I have no idea how, but around page 300 this changed from a 1 star to a 3 star for me. I hate that it took me 300 pages to care about the characters, so it’s a reluctant 3 star.
June 12, 2024
3.5 stars
This book was better than I anticipated it would be given the reviews and ratings. I enjoyed the witty writing, even though the book dated itself!
This book was better than I anticipated it would be given the reviews and ratings. I enjoyed the witty writing, even though the book dated itself!
August 24, 2011
Do you ever feel sorry for those poor, poor wives of rich men? You know, the ones who have so many awful appointments every day for getting their hair done and meeting with their personal trainers and decorators. It's so incredibly stressfull to have to look beautiful all the time. what responsibility they shoulder!
Okay, so it's pretty obvious that I don't have a lot of sympathy for their plight, and I think you kind of have to in order to read this book without rolling your eyes. The poor heroine gets dumped. And for Britney Spears no less! Yes, really, this author is all about the name dropping, which makes this book severely out of date to read just a few years after publication. The celeb couples mentioned aren't together any more, and no one thinks of Mel Gibson as a silent brooder any more. I kept reading because I thought it had to get better. There had to be an ah-hah moment where she realizes that real life is okay. But no. The "homeless" fella she falls for turns out to be a billionaire, of course.
Maybe you're better at suspending disbelief than I am, and maybe you do truly think that rich women have a tough lifestyle. If so, you'll probably relate to the intrepid former children's book author and current Wife-Of who leads this story. Or maybe you'll just cringe when she has to move out of her McMansion and stay at her best friend's Malibu vacation home when her marriage ends. Maybe you'll think indulging in pink diamond earrings is what you'd do right after a divorce. Maybe your ex would also date a famous pop star.
Maybe I would have liked this better if it was more recent. Or if I found it remotely relatable. Or if the author wasn't a cliche dropping wife-of herself (being married to producer Brian Grazer). Heck, maybe he left her once for a pop star and this is her own work of agony, who knows? But I'd skip it if I were you. Spend the time reading about people who mean something. Anything.
Or, if you want a book with a wealthy protagonist that *does* get to you, is relatable and is fascinating to read about, try "The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives" by Josie Brown - one of my favourite reads this year.
Okay, so it's pretty obvious that I don't have a lot of sympathy for their plight, and I think you kind of have to in order to read this book without rolling your eyes. The poor heroine gets dumped. And for Britney Spears no less! Yes, really, this author is all about the name dropping, which makes this book severely out of date to read just a few years after publication. The celeb couples mentioned aren't together any more, and no one thinks of Mel Gibson as a silent brooder any more. I kept reading because I thought it had to get better. There had to be an ah-hah moment where she realizes that real life is okay. But no. The "homeless" fella she falls for turns out to be a billionaire, of course.
Maybe you're better at suspending disbelief than I am, and maybe you do truly think that rich women have a tough lifestyle. If so, you'll probably relate to the intrepid former children's book author and current Wife-Of who leads this story. Or maybe you'll just cringe when she has to move out of her McMansion and stay at her best friend's Malibu vacation home when her marriage ends. Maybe you'll think indulging in pink diamond earrings is what you'd do right after a divorce. Maybe your ex would also date a famous pop star.
Maybe I would have liked this better if it was more recent. Or if I found it remotely relatable. Or if the author wasn't a cliche dropping wife-of herself (being married to producer Brian Grazer). Heck, maybe he left her once for a pop star and this is her own work of agony, who knows? But I'd skip it if I were you. Spend the time reading about people who mean something. Anything.
Or, if you want a book with a wealthy protagonist that *does* get to you, is relatable and is fascinating to read about, try "The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives" by Josie Brown - one of my favourite reads this year.
November 18, 2008
(What the hell? You have to take a break from the heavy literature sometimes.)
It was entertaining, but certainly not profound. It was kind of like reading a...well, like reading the type of movie you would see on USA in the middle of the afternoon. Go figure. I knew going in not to expect greatness, so taken for what it is, I did laugh out loud at a couple of scenes, and I enjoyed watching the "evil" characters get their comeuppance. However, the ending left me a little flat. Don't get me wrong, I generally prefer happy endings, but this one seemed like (a) it wrapped up a little too quickly, and (b) Gracie didn't really learn anything from the experience. Sure, she has her career back, and a man who genuinely appreciates her, but because he magically wound up with an inheritance she will probably go back to being vain again, if maybe a little less and with maybe a little more self-respect. Cheesy as it is, I almost wish they had found the "brown house" that she used to love early on in her marriage to Kenny, and that both would have had to work for it and been happy to do so. On the other hand, this is satire, so that ending probably wouldn't have worked either. If you consider the characters within the closed walls of their culture, they ended up as well as could be expected.
It was entertaining, but certainly not profound. It was kind of like reading a...well, like reading the type of movie you would see on USA in the middle of the afternoon. Go figure. I knew going in not to expect greatness, so taken for what it is, I did laugh out loud at a couple of scenes, and I enjoyed watching the "evil" characters get their comeuppance. However, the ending left me a little flat. Don't get me wrong, I generally prefer happy endings, but this one seemed like (a) it wrapped up a little too quickly, and (b) Gracie didn't really learn anything from the experience. Sure, she has her career back, and a man who genuinely appreciates her, but because he magically wound up with an inheritance she will probably go back to being vain again, if maybe a little less and with maybe a little more self-respect. Cheesy as it is, I almost wish they had found the "brown house" that she used to love early on in her marriage to Kenny, and that both would have had to work for it and been happy to do so. On the other hand, this is satire, so that ending probably wouldn't have worked either. If you consider the characters within the closed walls of their culture, they ended up as well as could be expected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2009
This was a good, escapist book, if you overlook the fact that it is very unrealistic. Gracie, the “starter wife,” gets dumped over her cell phone by her sleazy, egotistical husband but then soon falls for a guy she meets on the beach named Sam, who she later discovers is homeless, but no matter; she sleeps with him anyway. I could overlook that bit of unrealism, but I thought it was annoying that the book never once mentioned her going to see a lawyer about the divorce. And it wrapped up a little too neatly that “homeless Sam” actually turned out to be the heir in his billionaire family, so Gracie wasn’t left out on the streets after her divorce was finalized. But the book had the good message that women who focus on their looks are kind of stupid and you shouldn’t allow being in a relationship to make you lose who you are and make you stop doing what you love. Add to that the happy ending (which I’m always a sucker for) and I give it a B-.
December 8, 2018
This book was absolute shit. Honestly, I don’t know what others reviewers were reading but this book is not worth the 2 stars I originally gave it.
I've finally read The Starter Wife and I have questions......
1. Who in their right mind, after finding out someone is homeless, has sex with them in a sleeping bag, I'm assuming with no protection, where they "bunk up" for the night?
2. Name drop much
3. Saw what looked to be a promising series. Book not so much.
4. Starter Wife? NO! Starter human?
5. The only believable thing in this book was her husband leaving her for a up and coming to improve his career.
6. Clearly wrote this with the Will and Grace cast in mind
7. Oh homeless dude is old money.... just stop
8. Marries him? Co'mon man. No
9. And ends it like they have a normal life...... pulllleazzzzzeeeeee
Not worth a re-read. Giving this away. Glad I only spent 2$ on it.
I've finally read The Starter Wife and I have questions......
1. Who in their right mind, after finding out someone is homeless, has sex with them in a sleeping bag, I'm assuming with no protection, where they "bunk up" for the night?
2. Name drop much
3. Saw what looked to be a promising series. Book not so much.
4. Starter Wife? NO! Starter human?
5. The only believable thing in this book was her husband leaving her for a up and coming to improve his career.
6. Clearly wrote this with the Will and Grace cast in mind
7. Oh homeless dude is old money.... just stop
8. Marries him? Co'mon man. No
9. And ends it like they have a normal life...... pulllleazzzzzeeeeee
Not worth a re-read. Giving this away. Glad I only spent 2$ on it.
May 4, 2014
I started to read this book, but barely got a chapter in, before I stopped. I just didn't feel like reading a book filled with the lives of people with too much money and too little sense, or with the way a woman has to 'struggle' when she no longer has everything handed to her. I mean, really, who in the real world goes to the hairdresser once a week? Just reading about what fills the days of these women turned me right off. There are too many good books to read to bother wasting my time with this book.
Now, don't get me wrong, I do like light and breezy books at times, but they have to be well written and make me like the main characters - this book did not do that. I disliked the main character right off. So onto the next book!
Now, don't get me wrong, I do like light and breezy books at times, but they have to be well written and make me like the main characters - this book did not do that. I disliked the main character right off. So onto the next book!
April 13, 2020
I am soooo glad that I checked this out of the library and didn't pay for this garbage. I really should of listened to the reviews on this book before I wasted a day reading it. Actually, about half-way through I skimmed. The first couple of chapters weren't bad, but the rest was just awful.
Gracie, her ex-husband, her friends...they are the most pathetic, shallow bunch of fakes I've ever read about. What's even worse is that's the authors real life (maybe not the divorce part, but the rest of it).
In the end, all I have to say is DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!! I should of listened to the others, but I didn't, and now I regret that I wasted so much time when I could have been reading something worthwhile.
Gracie, her ex-husband, her friends...they are the most pathetic, shallow bunch of fakes I've ever read about. What's even worse is that's the authors real life (maybe not the divorce part, but the rest of it).
In the end, all I have to say is DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!! I should of listened to the others, but I didn't, and now I regret that I wasted so much time when I could have been reading something worthwhile.
December 28, 2008
I hated this book from the very beginning. I thought it might get better, but I was wrong. It took me 200 pages before I even cared what happened to Gracie, and I was disappointed by the way it all turned out. The information that Sam and Gracie shared with each other was never revealed, he's a homeless guy that turns out to be a billionaire (how convenient), and Lavender's recovery was never discussed. And Britney Spears? Are you kidding me?!
What really upset me is that this book was written by the wife of Hollywood producer Brian Grazer, so these characters are somewhat based in reality. And they are all stupid. No wonder everyone hates our country.
What really upset me is that this book was written by the wife of Hollywood producer Brian Grazer, so these characters are somewhat based in reality. And they are all stupid. No wonder everyone hates our country.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2015
I'm not the right audience for this - it's fun and funny, but I had a hard time identifying with the marital woes of a middle aged woman. Her spirit and humor were very relatable, but the plot and the title character's circumstances were just too foreign to me to be all that interesting or engaging. I know nothing about Hollywood and what it's like to be a rich wife in a big city like that – so her values and her thought processes didn't always make sense to me. (Not to mention, I really didn’t find Gracie’s body woes or all the plastic surgery talk interesting at all – and there was a lot of that to wade through – or skip over). Overall, I found it hard to finish.
June 20, 2007
ok so in a moment of desperation when i couldn't get to the library i picked this up at the grocery store because like i said i like to compare books that have been made into movies or television. Let me just say it wasn't all that bad. It definitely had a message hidden in there. But it is much better then the mini-series that is on right now.
October 28, 2008
This is one of those times that I actually thought the movie/TV series that came out of this book was better than the book... it started out funny enough but after awhile it was the same jokes, different designer name.
Definitely not at the top of my chick lit list.
Definitely not at the top of my chick lit list.
December 28, 2014
Starter wife is like a cleaner, less scary version of Jackie Collins Hollywood exposé. It is amusing to read about how one becomes a Hollywood Wife Of and how quickly one falls when you become the ex-wife of...
This is not a great book, it won't change your life but it is an amusing beach read
This is not a great book, it won't change your life but it is an amusing beach read
November 24, 2017
Had somewhat of a sense of what I was getting myself into while I started reading, but I honestly cannot finish this. It wasn't even the main character, but more so the writing style. Not a lot of dialogue, just a lot of exposition, which made it a bland read.
October 29, 2018
This one isn’t worth it. The main character is whiny and spoiled. The plot is either incoherent or unbelievable. The name-dropping is annoying and the references are dated. I wouldn’t have finished it but I needed to count it in my yearly reading challenge 😣
Displaying 1 - 30 of 569 reviews