Slightly Settled

Slightly #2

by Wendy Markham

Top Two Don'ts for the Office Party

Don't dress in a revealing manner. ( Don't wear the sexy scarlet, size-eight dress you couldn't fit into three months ago. The one that flaunts your firmed-up cleavage and newly discovered collarbones.)

Don't make a spectacle of yourself. ( Don't get drunk and make out with a really cute stranger for the whole company to see; he could turn out to be your boss's roommate.)

I didn't follow those tips, and here I am with a hot new man in my life, Jack.

But my friends are asking if I really want to bump into my boss in his boxers in the hallway of their apartment. After all, I am aiming for a promotion. And now, not only does my ex want me back, but the guy I used to think was Mr. Right just kissed me!

Three months ago I couldn't hold on to one guy. Now three want me. When did my life become so complicated?

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Ebooks

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2004

About the author

New York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub is the award-winning author of more than seventy published novels and has sold more than three million books worldwide. Under her own name, Wendy achieved New York Times bestselling status with her single title psychological suspense novels. Those novels and the women's fiction she writes under the pseudonym Wendy Markham have also frequently appeared on the USA Today, Barnes and Noble Top Ten, and Bookscan bestseller lists.

Wendy grew up in a large, close-knit family in rural southwestern New York State and decided she wanted to become an author while in third grade. She worked in two independent bookstores during college, then moved alone to New York City at 21 to pursue her dream. After stints as a book editor for a Manhattan publishing house and an account coordinator for a major advertising agency, she sold her first novel, the supernatural young adult thriller SUMMER LIGHTNING. Early in her writing career, she published in various genres including suspense, horror, historical and contemporary romance, television and movie tie-in, and biography. She also co-authored a mystery series with former New York City mayor Ed Koch and has ghost-written for a number of bestselling authors and celebrities.

Wendy now lives in the New York City suburbs with her husband of nineteen years and their two children. A 1986 graduate of the State University of New York at Fredonia, she proudly delivered the keynote commencement address at her alma mater in May 2008 and is serving a three-year appointment to the Dean's Advisory Council for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Reviews

[Obsidian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh wow, this second book really just went downhill for me. Tracey is 100 percent scared to be single. I really wish besides some characters giving that some lip service here and there, it actually had been addressed. Tracey throws herself into a something with a guy she meets at her job called Jack while also still harboring feelings for her ex and sort of wanting to be with a long time guy friend. The ending made me roll my eyes.

Tracey, without realizing it, is pretty much advocating taking pills (she takes them for anxiety) cause they are helping her to lose even more weight. She is still talking to her ex-boyfriend Will twice a week cause apparently she has no spine and cannot just ignore his freaking phone calls. When Tracey ends up meeting a guy at her job named Jack, she tells herself to just think of him as a transitional boy, but she of course starts thinking about weddings and being with him forever. She also still harbors a crush or something on her guy friend Buckley.

This whole book felt exhausting to me. I just wanted Tracey to get her crap together. Instead she is sitting in judgement of mostly everyone she is close to and ping ponging between two guys. I say two because Will is just a voice on the phone for the whole book.

[Blondish And Bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun (and funny) book! Tracey wears a sexy low cut gown (that she only recently trimmed down to fit into) to her company Christmas party—Mistake 1. She has too much to drink—Mistake 2. She makes out with a cute guy she's never met before, in front of everyone—Mistake 3. He turn out to be her boss's roommate—Mistakes keep piling up! But maybe this guy Mike can get her over her ex—who suddenly seems to want her back. Oh, and her best guy friend that she's always had a bit of a crush on is now single, and seems interested.

Tracey is a very likeable character, and her friends are entertaining. Wrapped up in a slightly surprising and definitely satisfying way. Not a deep literary novel but GREAT “chick lit”!

*only when posting this did I see that it is Book 2 in a 5 book series. Definitely going to read the rest of the series!!

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whhyyyyyy are these books so addicting to me?! This book follows our main character, Tracey, from the first book. She was dating a guy named Will but he was gross and left for the summer and she spent that summer losing weight and finding herself. This book definitely is a product of its time with some really inappropriate fat phobia and some less than stellar commentary on sexuality and gender identities. However, I love series like this where I can just get to know someone and tuck in to their life with them. In this one, Tracey is still good friends with Buckley (the guy she met in the first book who she thought was gay, thus shutting him down multiple times) and he's with someone else. She isn't overly put out by that and she meets a guy named Jack at her office Christmas party. There is a little bit of a love triangle between Buckley and Jack at times during this, but its mostly her time with Jack. She's continuing to lose weight and she's got a deep fear of gaining the weight back. All of the eating/diet/weight talk was definitely triggering for me and I would not recommend to anyone in the throws of eating issues themselves because it is pretty toxic. I really did like the discussion of independence vs dependence and companionship vs loneliness. In the end, Buckley gets back with his girlfriend and Tracey chooses to move in with Jack after a few months.

[emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

i couldn't get past chapter 2 i just did Not like this book

[Brittany S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial Impressions 4/15/12: Well, at first I was a little put-off by Tracey's naiveté, but I think she started growing up in this book. I really enjoyed seeing how she handled a new relationship and finally managed to make things all okay in her life. Great job wrapping up the end there! It wrapped up quite nicely and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.

Full review as originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: Whew, after a couple of serious book reviews, this was a nice light-hearted one to breeze through. I always recommend reading the first book in a series first, of course, but even though I was a little blank on the first book, Settled transitioned easily and I felt well-informed on Tracey's current life. As for the character of Tracey... Well, to put it lightly -- Sometimes she's a little too over the top for me. I was kind of annoyed with her being so eager to immediately make Jack her boyfriend after meeting him or turn Buckley into something more than friends and push the issue; she didn't really act on it and it was more of an inner monologue running throughout the book. Then again, maybe I was just so annoyed because it kind of reminded how I used to be at times back in high school and even in college... Hell, maybe it's a girl thing! I'm sure most of us do it at some point in time... I just found it a little distracting at times, but that's really the driving force behind the novel.

I really did like the conflict that Tracey has between the developing relationships she has with Buckley and with Jack. She creates somewhat of a love triangle for herself and there comes a point in the book where you really don't know who she's going to choose. I'm actually really glad it came to that. I wasn't expecting it and the author smoothly resolves the issue without (that we know of) severely damaging any characters.

Other than that, I thought the plot flowed really nicely throughout the book and you get a real sense of who the characters are and Wendy creates some really likable ones as well. Tracey grows up a little bit in this book so I look forward to seeing her progress in the next couple of novels!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Secone one in the series of 5; definitely better than the first one, her writing improves...

[Ivanna Willis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was in my 20's but re-reading it at 37 makes me cringe. The main character is so self involved bordering on neurotic.

[Susan Chow-Dukhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

After losing 50 lbs (with the help diet, exercise and prescription drugs for panic attack that also diminishes her appetite), Tracey Spadolini is now able to wear sexy clothing in a size eight. A svelte figure combined with drinking excessively and having sex with men she barely knows, appears to be the key to attracting men.
I did not find this novel to be a "fun journey for the reader", as indicated on the book cover. The women in this book are presented in a negative light. They are self-centred, immature, gossipy, only interested in getting married, or getting pregnant and make fun of the other women they don't like. The female sex is not perfect, but the personality faults of Wendy Markham's characters are overly exaggerated. I doubt this book would have been as successful, if it had been written by a man.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always worried when reading the second book of a series, especially if I really liked the first book. But this book didn't disappoint. Like others stated already, it isn't as NYC focused as in the first book, but you still get somewhat a sense of city life. I agree with another user that Tracey's friends were getting rather annoying--I'd say very hypocritical. It's almost made me wonder what the real motive was behind their "advice". I can't wait to read the next book in the series! I absolutely adore Tracey and her personality--I can see myself doing and saying some of the exact things she does.

This review is also posted on the LibraryThing website.

[Jeanine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tracy has gone from slightly single to slightly settled in this book. This is an easy, breezy chit lit read. I like that kind of thing from time to time. having a terrible head cold it wasn't difficult to spend some more time with Tracy after her disastrous relationship with Will is finally over. Will made her question her worth and really hurt her self esteem. Now she has to learn what she wants
and needs to make her life worthwhile. A wonderful dilemma every woman should have at least once in her lifetime...which man to choose to go forward with.

[Casarah Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy to read, follow with the character through a dating dilema. This is the kid of stories I could see being made into a movie and watching with a group of girlfriends. I would say this story was entertaining but predictable, new york girl, gay friend, boy problems... makes me think that these are must have components of any story set in new york. I will keep reading the series though because I truly did find it fun.

[Katrin Lindberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m on page 120 and there are 1 to many derogatory fat remarks. I could be too sensitive because I had also lost 50 pounds one point in my life and gained about 20 back. But the line, “will, was my boyfriend when I was fat. That I even had a boyfriend when I was fat is sometimes hard to fathom.”
Gross…. Size 8 plus 50 pounds made her a 14/16… the average sized woman in America.
Maybe I’ll miss the part when she realizes her poor attitude, but I am on to my next book.

[Elissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

For sure liked this book better than the first in the series, but the main character is still driving me a bit nuts. I'm hoping that, as the series progresses, she grows up a bit more. Plot is definitely on the thin side, but I'm interested enough to keep reading. Quick read.

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book! I'm on a roll lately. I enjoyed this just as much as the first book and am looking forward to the third installment, Slightly Engaged, which I now have coming through interlibrary loan. I also read Mike, Mike and Me from the same author. Just as enjoyable as this series.

[Shiva Shakthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why this book is so compelling to read??
At the same time something is missing and i am not able to figure it out properly.
I find the female protagonist little wishy washy, but that's like the endearing at the same time annoying trait. Some how i can relate to her because of the realness

[Benny Leoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://ioamoilibrieleserietv.blogspo...

[Tara Dominey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was better than the first. I'm starting to fall in love with the characters and that is going to make it necessary to finish this series!

[Leigha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow paced and not very exciting.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Pretty much love everything.

[Elusive · Rating 3 out of 5]

In ‘Slightly Settled’, Tracey dates a colleague Jack and instantly begins to envision a happily-ever-after scenario. Meanwhile, she’s still confused about her close friend Buckley and has to deal with her ex, Will who’s contacting her more regularly than he ever did.

In the previous book, I found myself feeling sorry for Tracey despite her being a pathetic doormat, mainly because Will’s arrogance was truly intolerable. However, in this book, I became increasingly irritated with Tracey. Everything’s a whole lot better – she has lost weight, she has a decent boss Mike and she’s getting attention from guys. Unfortunately, she still isn’t happy and finds things to complain about. For instance, she compares herself to her stunning friend Kate and still thinks about Will. Seriously. Then when she starts going out with Jack, she’s already framing their photo and wondering what it’d be like to live with him.

Basically Tracey hasn’t quite changed for the better. She’s somewhat hung up on Will and she knows deep down that she’s just really scared of being alone. So she instantly sleeps with Jack and chooses to be with him even though the best thing to do would be to take some time off dating, be on her own and you know, grow up and face reality. Despite her family and friends advising her to take things slowly and insinuating that Jack is too good to be true, she doesn’t listen. She goes to a shrink and that doesn’t help her either. Tracey is hopeless. She has this mentality that she’s nothing and can’t be happy without a guy.

When Jack suggests moving in together though they’ve only known each other for six weeks, she considers it. Seriously. Most of those six weeks are spent in bed rather than on meaningful conversations. As for Jack, he’s supposedly to be really good-looking and all that but I never understood why Tracey was so attracted to him because his personality didn’t quite exist. Meanwhile, the whole confusion between her and Buckley is ridiculous. It’s evident that they should be with each other (I’d feel sorry for him though).

Overall, the humour and the compelling writing redeemed what would have otherwise been a terrible story due to the annoying main character (Tracey).

[Francesca Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is also book two in a series I am reading. I know, I'm reading a lot of series right now. This series for some reason just speaks to me. Possibly because I am an Italian, clueless single in my twenties? Who knows? I am always excited to pick up one of these books because I just find Tracey so genuine and real. She has body issues and from all descriptions, is not perfect looking, which makes her an even better heroine to me. I mean, in general, we get it, pretty, skinny girls always get the guy - that's part of the reason this series is so nice. I feel like I know people who could be Tracey.

In terms of plot, it was well paced and interesting. I really enjoyed reading about Tracey's romantic dilemma's as well as her more simple ones. I, too, would have freaked out if my Secret Santa spent that much money on me. I was a little bit disappointed in the ending of the book - it seemed like a bit of a cop out. In a move I did not agree with, Tracey lost her mind over a football game (really??) - and magically it all gets resolved.

I'm hoping there will be more to this little fight in book three. Which is called Slightly Engaged. I'm kind of not rooting for the guy she ended up with in this book. So book three might be the end of my journey with Tracey if things don't come around.

Overall though, I loved it. Tracey seemed very real to me and her problems, though not life threatening and uber exciting were interesting to read about.

Check out more of my reviews at http://whatabookbitch.blogspot.ca

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the 'Slightly' series. Its not often in the chick lit world that as the series continues, the books stay good. It wasn't as great as the first one, but was still pretty decent. The main character stayed the same, as did her friends. It takes place a few months after the first book ended, and Tracey meets a cute guy at the office Christmas party who turns out to be her boss's roommate. Her friend Buckley who she's had a bit of a crush on since the first book breaks up with his girlfriend the same time that Tracey gets a new boyfriend. So now she wonders if she should dump Jack and hook up with Buckley because everyone tells her that Jack is the rebound guy. I mostly kept reading this book because I was curious to see who she ends up with. It wasn't the person I wanted her to end up with. But oh well. There's still 3 more books to go so far in the series so we'll see what happens.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! It was a fun, easy, beachy, chick lit kind of book. In fact, I read it in less than 12 hours. I didn't like it as much as the first book in the series (Slightly Single), but that definitely doesn't mean that I didn't like it at all! Tracey was still fun, funny and easy to relate to. I mean, which one of us hasn't been dating a new guy, wondering if it's too good to be true, holding our breath waiting for the other shoe to drop? Which one of us hasn't thought we were in love with our male best friend? And, which one of us hasn't held a candle for the "one who got away" even if he wasn't right for us to begin with? So, in that regards, it was totally a relatable book. But, I felt like so much of what made Tracey great in the first book was missing from this book. As I read on in the series (Slightly Engaged is up to be read tonight!), I'm hoping that the Tracey that was in book 1 reappears.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is currently my favourite chick lit series! Besides the characters, what I enjoy most is how the books are set in New York City. Each time I pick it up to start reading it is like I have stepped off a plane into New York. And so with that said, I am afraid to say that I am not looking forward to reading Slightly Suburban...

Tracey Spadolini has made my top 5 favourite characters list. She's funny and sarcastic and sometimes reminds me of myself. Much like Delilah Darling from 20 Times a Lady who is also in my top 5. Rarely do I laugh out loud while reading a book but so far I am on book 2 in the series and I have let a laugh escape me more than a few times.

If you are looking for a quick trip to New York City and you are like me and don't own a teleportation device, then I suggest reading this series. There is nothing better than exploring a new city with a couple of friends.

[Alicia Prevost · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read this a couple of weeks ago as I couldn't sleep and didn't want to read my much heavier book so jumped into this one and read it in a night.

This series is weird for me.

I like it. They're fun, light reads and I find myself laughing and feeling for the characters, who are all pretty well developed and entertaining. It's a good story and I loved the romantic plot in this one. I just feel like...I don't like it as much as I want to. I don't know how to explain it, I can't even explain what's wrong with the book there's just something...not working for me. Like...I feel like this is a book that I should be entirely eating up...like a Sophie Kinsella or Beth Harbison because it does feel like that on some level to me but I'm just...not.

I'm not sure if this makes any sense as a review or if it's helpful but...it is what it is. It's a good book, just...not or something.

Anyway, reading the next one, hopefully it will help me figure out how I feel.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fell upon this series and so far I have found that I can not put it down. As you know, all I require from a book is entertainment. I found this series so entertaining. Tracey is so insecure but I find her relatable if not a little too paranoid. But this is why we read Amelia Bedelia and Shopaholic, right? We sort of are attracted to the underdog. To women who make us feel good about ourselves. I am proud of Tracey for getting away from her boyfriend, Will. This novel is about Tracey finding a Transition Guy. Will it be Buckley? Will it be this guy named Jack? Will she fall into the toxicity of Will again? We don't know. She's lost weight. She's found herself and she's looking to be slightly settled.

[ReaderMT · Rating 2 out of 5]

****** 2.5 stars **********
There were several times were I had to put this book down and come back to it because I could not stand the main character most of the time. I could not appreciate her indecisiveness or immaturity or co-dependent-ness. The only way I was able to complete this book was from the humor - it's saving grace. I laughed out loud so many times and that good laugh is what kept me coming back and ultimately finish it. I did not realize this was the second book or that it was a five part series. I would definitely not read the first book since enough was detailed in this one and can't say that I would read the rest either.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a great follow up novel, but I'm invested in the series so I'll force myself to read the rest. Hopefully they'll get better. I found Tracey to be really annoying in this book. One minute she is talking about how great she looks but the next minute she has the worst case of low self-esteem. I also don't think her friendship with Bentley is very realistic. I'm curious to see what his role will be as the books progress. I found the plot to be non-existent and I was rushing to get to the end. I plan on reading some other books and coming back to the series later.

[Hoover Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly Settled is book 2 in the "Slightly" series by Wendy Markham. It is your typical chick-lit: part romance, part life-journey, all fluff. Tracey Spadolini finally dumped her loser boyfriend and is working to make positive changes in her life. Until said ex wants her back, her best guy friend kisses her, and she meets a new guy at the company Christmas party whom she spends the entire evening making out with. And said "new guy" turns out to be her boss's roommate. Everything is tied up (almost) nicely in the end. I enjoyed this book for what it is, a great summer fluff book.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to wait and read the first one in the series, but I really wanted to read this. I'm glad I didn't wait, this was funny, romantic, frustrating but good. Tracy seems to go with the "when it rains it pours" idea. She has no man and then she seems to have three. The one part I was a little upset about was with Buckley, she may have been upset with Jack but I guess it had to happen because in the end she chose Jack because she realized even though she was attracted to Buckley it wasn't meant to be more than that.