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Every Tom, Dick & Harry: A Laugh-Out-Loud Romantic Comedy
From one of the most beloved comedic writers of our time comes a charming, laugh-out-loud tale of love and criminality, a pitch-perfect romantic comedy from the author of Ms. Demeanor.
Taking over her parents’ estate sale business is more than Emma Lewis bargained for. Coming from a long line of estate liquidators has its challenges but Emma was completely unprepared for the people she would meet. Pimps, prostitutes, crooked cops, art thieves? Should she turn down potential clients in need of decluttering just because they are shady and proud of it?
No.
A girl must make a living—and it could be more fortuitous than she ever imagined . . .
Taking over her parents’ estate sale business is more than Emma Lewis bargained for. Coming from a long line of estate liquidators has its challenges but Emma was completely unprepared for the people she would meet. Pimps, prostitutes, crooked cops, art thieves? Should she turn down potential clients in need of decluttering just because they are shady and proud of it?
No.
A girl must make a living—and it could be more fortuitous than she ever imagined . . .
432 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2025
931 people are currently reading
9538 people want to read
About the author
Elinor Lipman
27 books1,346 followersI love talking with readers - for 1:1s and Book Club visits, find me on Skolay: www.skolay.com/writers/elinor-lipman
Elinor Lipman is the author of 14 humorous novels about contemporary American society; essay and short story collections. Born and raised in Lowell, MA, she divides her time between Manhattan and the Hudson Valley of New York. She received the New England Book award for fiction in 2001. Her first novel, "Then She Found Me," was adapted for the screen, starring Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth and Matthew Broderick. Her fourth novel, "The Inn at Lake Devine" was adapted for the off-off Broadway stage by Tongue in Cheek Theater. In 2011-2012, she held the Elizabeth Drew chair in creative writing at Smith College. Her novel, “Ms. Demeanor," was a finalist for the 2023 Thurber Prize for American Humor. In 2021, her hometown Library, Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell, established The Elinor Lipman Prize, awarded annually to Lowell residents and students at Lowell universities.
Elinor Lipman is the author of 14 humorous novels about contemporary American society; essay and short story collections. Born and raised in Lowell, MA, she divides her time between Manhattan and the Hudson Valley of New York. She received the New England Book award for fiction in 2001. Her first novel, "Then She Found Me," was adapted for the screen, starring Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth and Matthew Broderick. Her fourth novel, "The Inn at Lake Devine" was adapted for the off-off Broadway stage by Tongue in Cheek Theater. In 2011-2012, she held the Elizabeth Drew chair in creative writing at Smith College. Her novel, “Ms. Demeanor," was a finalist for the 2023 Thurber Prize for American Humor. In 2021, her hometown Library, Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell, established The Elinor Lipman Prize, awarded annually to Lowell residents and students at Lowell universities.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 686 reviews
February 18, 2025
Cute story, I always enjoy this author’s books!
Once again, Elinor Lipman has delivered a delightfully escapist read. When I'm looking for a book with humor and heart I know that I can count on Lipman to provide it. This is a romcom/family story all wrapped in one.
Emma Lewis's parents have recently retired and she has taken over their estate sale business. They have moved away, so Emma is living in their home rent free. The house comes with a new lodger, Frank, a retired high school teacher whose cheating wife recently died after being struck by lightning. When Emma hears of a house being sold in a swanky neighborhood, she is excited to try to land the estate sale. Even after she finds out the house's history as a bed and breakfast was a loosely guarded secret cover for its function as the town brothel.
I love estate sales so the synopsis drew me in right away. Did I find the book a bit silly? Yes, but sometimes you just need an enjoyable escapist read between heavier books. I loved the "found family" aspects of this book, and the different romance angles for the different characters.
If you're looking for a goofy romcom that is entertaining and delightful, then definitely give this novel a try.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Once again, Elinor Lipman has delivered a delightfully escapist read. When I'm looking for a book with humor and heart I know that I can count on Lipman to provide it. This is a romcom/family story all wrapped in one.
Emma Lewis's parents have recently retired and she has taken over their estate sale business. They have moved away, so Emma is living in their home rent free. The house comes with a new lodger, Frank, a retired high school teacher whose cheating wife recently died after being struck by lightning. When Emma hears of a house being sold in a swanky neighborhood, she is excited to try to land the estate sale. Even after she finds out the house's history as a bed and breakfast was a loosely guarded secret cover for its function as the town brothel.
I love estate sales so the synopsis drew me in right away. Did I find the book a bit silly? Yes, but sometimes you just need an enjoyable escapist read between heavier books. I loved the "found family" aspects of this book, and the different romance angles for the different characters.
If you're looking for a goofy romcom that is entertaining and delightful, then definitely give this novel a try.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
cannot-finish-this
May 14, 2025Weird turn into a brothel/escort story that lowkey feels like it hates women a bit
March 14, 2025
A retired couple’s daughter takes over their estate sale business. I had to stop after page 100. Boring story and characters. I like this author but not this time.
July 26, 2025
The writing was cute but the plot was a SLOG to get through. Nothing happened but so much minutia happened and then some very unrealistic things happened and overall I was annoyed.
February 13, 2025
A cute and easy read if you’re looking for something light and low stakes.
Elinor Lipman has written some truly excellent comic fiction over the years. This book is not on that list (I was shocked by how little humor it had), and it reads more like a sweet women’s fiction book. I prefer Lipman when she’s demonstrating her razor sharp wit, but there is space for books like this, especially if you’re feeling like you need a bit of charming escapism.
The story does have some structural issues as well, and gets a bit messy in the details despite the fact that the bones of the plot should be relatively straightforward. In short, I expect better quality of content from Lipman and was thus a bit disappointed, but I also didn’t mind reading this.
Lipman’s best work that I’ve come across is (by far) My Latest Grievance, which I’ll always recommend over any of her other offerings, but this one is worth a look and might make a fine beach read for the spring or summer.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Elinor Lipman has written some truly excellent comic fiction over the years. This book is not on that list (I was shocked by how little humor it had), and it reads more like a sweet women’s fiction book. I prefer Lipman when she’s demonstrating her razor sharp wit, but there is space for books like this, especially if you’re feeling like you need a bit of charming escapism.
The story does have some structural issues as well, and gets a bit messy in the details despite the fact that the bones of the plot should be relatively straightforward. In short, I expect better quality of content from Lipman and was thus a bit disappointed, but I also didn’t mind reading this.
Lipman’s best work that I’ve come across is (by far) My Latest Grievance, which I’ll always recommend over any of her other offerings, but this one is worth a look and might make a fine beach read for the spring or summer.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
March 24, 2025
Enjoyed this light and somewhat predictable rom-com escapist read. The author tries to make it a bit risqué with a super mild presentation, think rated PG at its most sordid, backstory of the house at the center of the estate-sale story. The main characters are warm and cozy, and the book is exactly what we have come to expect from this author.
June 5, 2025
I picked this up after reading it was about an estate-sale business with some risqué clients. I was hooked immediately. With no other expectations going in, this got progressively worse for me, to the point that I hated it by the end. I really should have stopped reading after 70 pages. Ultimately, this was not for me on so many levels.
Keep reading if you want to hear me go off.
My main issues (spoiler-y):
-every character was boring and surface level.
-the protagonist is in her early thirties but sometimes acts like a helpless teenager and other times seems like an old woman. Those things are fine on their own, but together it just seems incongruent, and as a self-identifying boring woman in her early thirties, I would have found her painfully boring to be around. And her vibe gives insecurely self-righteous (? I don’t know how else to describe her).
-certain circumstances felt icky to me. Like the protagonist standing up for an upset male friend but not doing the same for a woman (this woman was feeling publicly shamed by a man who had displayed his artwork of her naked body. There was a lot of work around by the author to make it not seem so bad, but it really gave me the ick). And the sex-positive energy at the beginning that became less and less so.
-also, pick a plot. At some point I wasn’t sure if this was meant to be a normal life story, grown up Scooby-Doo/Nancy Drew (mystery, but just barely), or a coming-of-age at 30-something. Again, all fine on their own, but confusing and pointless when put together.
-there were plot twists and some very gentle shock factor happenings that just kept popping up. I think that’s where a lot of my anger towards the book came from. The writing style was thriller/mystery and the content was watered down romance. Or maybe light comedy.
-I’ve also never seen a Hallmark movie in my life, but I imagine this is what it would be. I’m sorry, but I am not buying two people in their early thirties getting engaged after secretly dating for three weeks. If there was any kind of romance, compatibility, or affection between the two, then, sure. Also, getting married in a high school gym because everything else is booked and everyone in your life went to or taught at that school? That’s not cute where I come from.
Rant over.
Keep reading if you want to hear me go off.
My main issues (spoiler-y):
-every character was boring and surface level.
-the protagonist is in her early thirties but sometimes acts like a helpless teenager and other times seems like an old woman. Those things are fine on their own, but together it just seems incongruent, and as a self-identifying boring woman in her early thirties, I would have found her painfully boring to be around. And her vibe gives insecurely self-righteous (? I don’t know how else to describe her).
-certain circumstances felt icky to me. Like the protagonist standing up for an upset male friend but not doing the same for a woman (this woman was feeling publicly shamed by a man who had displayed his artwork of her naked body. There was a lot of work around by the author to make it not seem so bad, but it really gave me the ick). And the sex-positive energy at the beginning that became less and less so.
-also, pick a plot. At some point I wasn’t sure if this was meant to be a normal life story, grown up Scooby-Doo/Nancy Drew (mystery, but just barely), or a coming-of-age at 30-something. Again, all fine on their own, but confusing and pointless when put together.
-there were plot twists and some very gentle shock factor happenings that just kept popping up. I think that’s where a lot of my anger towards the book came from. The writing style was thriller/mystery and the content was watered down romance. Or maybe light comedy.
-I’ve also never seen a Hallmark movie in my life, but I imagine this is what it would be. I’m sorry, but I am not buying two people in their early thirties getting engaged after secretly dating for three weeks. If there was any kind of romance, compatibility, or affection between the two, then, sure. Also, getting married in a high school gym because everything else is booked and everyone in your life went to or taught at that school? That’s not cute where I come from.
Rant over.
February 27, 2025
The blurb is totally misleading. This is written like/feels like a cozy mystery (though it's even lighter on the mystery than typical cozies) and it's definitely not LOL-funny or a "pitch-perfect romantic comedy." So weird to describe this book that way. It's good-humored, sure, but it's a stretch to reference "one of the most beloved comedic writers of our time" or refer to this as "charming."
Even putting aside the over-promises, this one doesn't really deliver enough. I liked the premise, I liked the central character just fine, I liked her story arc and future prospects, and I really liked her friendship with her former teacher/boarder. But punching up the low-stakes mystery just a bit and developing the romance more and upping the overall feelings and ideas would have made this a lot more interesting. As written, however, this novel is hard to categorize, because it doesn't do enough to be chick lit or "women's" fiction or anything else, really.
Mostly, though, the marketing spin in the synopsis makes me really cranky. It might've been rated a 2.5 and rounded up if not for that.
Even putting aside the over-promises, this one doesn't really deliver enough. I liked the premise, I liked the central character just fine, I liked her story arc and future prospects, and I really liked her friendship with her former teacher/boarder. But punching up the low-stakes mystery just a bit and developing the romance more and upping the overall feelings and ideas would have made this a lot more interesting. As written, however, this novel is hard to categorize, because it doesn't do enough to be chick lit or "women's" fiction or anything else, really.
Mostly, though, the marketing spin in the synopsis makes me really cranky. It might've been rated a 2.5 and rounded up if not for that.
Read
December 18, 2024I was getting close to halfway through and still didn't care about these boring white people. I thought the estate sale aspect would grab me, but nothing really grabbed me about this book. I didn't really know or care about the characters, which wasn't the case for me with a bunch of previous Elinor Lipman books. It could be me? I've been realizing that more than a month past the election, I'm still not really okay, and as always, my reading is one of the way this manifests itself.
Still- next!
Still- next!
December 4, 2025
Do you like quirky? Elinor Lipman is the Queen of Quirky. She was one of my first authors that truly got me into reading. I adore her! She sets all of her absolutely hilarious quirky scenarios in a Massachusetts (or New York) setting. Originally, she was a Columnist and Humorist for the Boston Globe. Now she lives in NYC and in some other warm weather climate. But its clear she has a penchant for unusual situations, and for her beloved Massachusetts.
This one is set with a young woman who takes over her parents Estate Sale Business in her hometown, and takes in a boarder, her high school algebra teacher. She and the teacher begin to date a mother son team. Her paramour is the very correct new Police Chief of the town. However, the estate business leads her to her next HUGE sale. Only problem, is the house (of ill repute) in question was actually a brothel. This leads our heroine Emma to understand that the older generation of the town all knew and was involved in the goings on of the place. And introduces a whole cast of quirky characters, including the former and disgraced chief of police. Its a really fun ride! And the title, Every Tom Dick and Harry , turns out that refers to the clientele that roamed through the small hometown that was apparently noted for the very special Bed and Breakfast. Love Elinor Lipman, who never fails to entertain. She and her absolutely crazy characters and situations are just so enjoyable. This was not my favorite of hers by far, but was really fun all the same. Don't Stop Elinor. You're doing great and you have a fan in me!
This one is set with a young woman who takes over her parents Estate Sale Business in her hometown, and takes in a boarder, her high school algebra teacher. She and the teacher begin to date a mother son team. Her paramour is the very correct new Police Chief of the town. However, the estate business leads her to her next HUGE sale. Only problem, is the house (of ill repute) in question was actually a brothel. This leads our heroine Emma to understand that the older generation of the town all knew and was involved in the goings on of the place. And introduces a whole cast of quirky characters, including the former and disgraced chief of police. Its a really fun ride! And the title, Every Tom Dick and Harry , turns out that refers to the clientele that roamed through the small hometown that was apparently noted for the very special Bed and Breakfast. Love Elinor Lipman, who never fails to entertain. She and her absolutely crazy characters and situations are just so enjoyable. This was not my favorite of hers by far, but was really fun all the same. Don't Stop Elinor. You're doing great and you have a fan in me!
March 4, 2025
This isn't my normal read, but it still caught my eye. I liked the first maybe 70 pages, but after that I kept thinking "when is this going to end?".
Things I liked:
* Frank! What a sweet character. I'm a sucker for old people with a heart of gold.
* Beth! I found her to be a sweet addition.
* The idea of what the plot could have been if a better editor got their hands on it before publication
Disliked:
Things I liked:
* Frank! What a sweet character. I'm a sucker for old people with a heart of gold.
* Beth! I found her to be a sweet addition.
* The idea of what the plot could have been if a better editor got their hands on it before publication
Disliked:
December 11, 2024
A subtle romcom with twists galore!
Emma Lewis is taking over her parents Estate Sales business as they retire. She’s living in their home, rent free as they move to Cape Cod. She also takes in boarder, a retired teacher like her father.
She’s reluctant at first, but he turns out to be a huge blessing in disguise. He’s intelligent, experienced and super helpful.
Her first big estate sale is a huge home with an impressive address. However, as she learns more, she discovers it’s a brothel masquerading as a BnB. Lots of craziness here.
She meets the young, handsome chief of police who’s helpful and fun.
Her boarder’s wife was killed by lightning on a golf course the year before, and didn’t leave her house to him in her will. They find out she was a hoarder and a thief!
The characters, the humor and twists make this a super fun book!
Thanks Edelweiss and Harpers.
Emma Lewis is taking over her parents Estate Sales business as they retire. She’s living in their home, rent free as they move to Cape Cod. She also takes in boarder, a retired teacher like her father.
She’s reluctant at first, but he turns out to be a huge blessing in disguise. He’s intelligent, experienced and super helpful.
Her first big estate sale is a huge home with an impressive address. However, as she learns more, she discovers it’s a brothel masquerading as a BnB. Lots of craziness here.
She meets the young, handsome chief of police who’s helpful and fun.
Her boarder’s wife was killed by lightning on a golf course the year before, and didn’t leave her house to him in her will. They find out she was a hoarder and a thief!
The characters, the humor and twists make this a super fun book!
Thanks Edelweiss and Harpers.
April 5, 2025
ass. the only reason I finished reading this was so I could say I read the whole thing when giving a bad review. pretty much the only redeeming quality/fulfilling piece of this book was the friendship that blossomed between Emma and Frank. Emma was a bizarre character that had no depth and the plot was SO RANDOM. I really really wanted to like this but I just couldn't. the more the book went on, the more I hoped it would improve but (in the audiobook) the last 1.5hrs dove off a cliff.
February 18, 2025
Mildly entertaining, a few too many colorful characters to keep track of.
September 5, 2025
Elinor Lipman is always an enjoyable read, and this story really cheered me up with its combination of absurd situations treated with pragmatism and humor, and warmth between the main characters.
Read
February 20, 2025I'm not going to assign a rating to this book, because I've been reading Lipman's books for 35 years and I'm not likely to stop now. But honestly, this one was so awkwardly tone-deaf that I came close to DNF-ing it. The small town police chief as the Love Interest put me on edge, but the plot is offensive on several levels. There are some nice interactions between the MC and her lodger, a retired teacher, and between the MC and her parents. Honestly, I don't know why Lipman doesn't just write MCs who are closer to her own age (75). Her millennial MCs act and sound exactly like Boomers.
I suppose my sense of humor went missing in January 2025 (I'm not hopeful for its return anytime soon) but 75% of the book was cringe. I will say that I found the ending to be unintentionally hilarious though.
I suppose my sense of humor went missing in January 2025 (I'm not hopeful for its return anytime soon) but 75% of the book was cringe. I will say that I found the ending to be unintentionally hilarious though.
January 2, 2025
Elinor Lipman's charming latest centers on Emma Lewis, a thirty something who is taking over her parents' estate sale business as they retire to Cape Cod, and moving into their house. Before they go, they set her up with a boarder, a friend and former colleague (they were both teachers) who has recently lost his wife in a freak lightning strike on the golf course. When Emma comes across real estate listing for a large house on the best street in town, she proposes helping the owner empty it, not knowing that its bed and breakfast is just one of the businesses operated there. Shady characters, new love interests, art theft, family complications, all make this a fun read, and for me especially the western Massachusetts setting is a treat.
April 13, 2025
While this book has a busy plot with plenty of drama and intrigue, it has the emotional depth of a spoon. The main character, Emma, experiences and discovers so much crazy stuff throughout the book, but the author doesn't describe any kind of emotional reaction from her until one event at the end-and because there is no meaningful build up to this event her reaction feels completely unearned.
Honestly, almost none of the characters expressed or responded to emotions in a normal way, I don't think I've ever read a book like this.
Honestly, almost none of the characters expressed or responded to emotions in a normal way, I don't think I've ever read a book like this.
March 17, 2025
3.75 stars
I always enjoy her multi-layered, sort of screwball plot lines.
I always enjoy her multi-layered, sort of screwball plot lines.
July 19, 2025
Definitely the worst book I’ve read in a while. It lacked cohesion, fully-fleshed out characters, believable dialogue, tension... I only finished it because of my book group.
March 10, 2025
I have been meaning to read Elinor Lipman's Ms. Demeanor ever since it came out in 2022, but since I'm slow I haven't gotten to it yet. That doesn't mean I didn't jump at the chance to read Every Tom, Dick & Harry and I’m so glad I did! I didn’t know what I was missing, and I loved this bighearted romcom filled with themes of family and buried secrets. I laughed continuously throughout the book, and I couldn’t get enough of Lipman’s brand of humor. There is romance mixed in with silly antics, small town drama, and plenty of memorable moments. I loved that the story is centered around an estate sale business and the way the title came through in the book cracked me up.
This is a great book to listen to on audio and I adored Piper Goodeve as the narrator. She was so perfect as the voice of Emma and listening to her made me exceptionally happy. She perfectly captured the tone of the storyline as well as its characters and listening to her narration probably made me laugh even more. The romance is closed door with no spice, so it is perfect for all you Hallmark Christmas movie lovers out there, and while the ending felt a little rushed for my liking, I did love the way everything came together. You might not like this if you don’t enjoy things wrapped up in a neat bow, but for me it was perfect.
Read this if you are on the hunt for something memorable, unique, and goofy!
My Spice Rating: N/A; Closed Door
Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is a great book to listen to on audio and I adored Piper Goodeve as the narrator. She was so perfect as the voice of Emma and listening to her made me exceptionally happy. She perfectly captured the tone of the storyline as well as its characters and listening to her narration probably made me laugh even more. The romance is closed door with no spice, so it is perfect for all you Hallmark Christmas movie lovers out there, and while the ending felt a little rushed for my liking, I did love the way everything came together. You might not like this if you don’t enjoy things wrapped up in a neat bow, but for me it was perfect.
Read this if you are on the hunt for something memorable, unique, and goofy!
My Spice Rating: N/A; Closed Door
Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 30, 2025
Literally grabbed this book from the library because it was in the new books section & the name sounded kinda funny. A fun story of a woman, Emma, who is taking over her parents’ estate sale business. She lands a really big deal & it takes some interesting turns along the way. Definitely a lot of small town drama going on. I enjoyed this one; especially the finding family aspect, but at times it was hard for me to keep up with all the characters.
February 15, 2025
Pretty silly book about being in the estate sale business. Every character wasn’t believable but it helped me get through a long plane trip.
March 26, 2025
Terrible. How was this book even published?
May 4, 2025
2.5 stars, rounded up.
The real star of this book is illustrator Sanny Chiu, because without her super cute art on the cover I would have never been drawn to this book.
This was one of those books I picked up in store without ever hearing of it or seeing any reviews. Finding out it’s a book about estate sales based in Massachusetts where I live?! Sold!
Story started off strong and I was hooked, but the progression of the characters just fell flat and was not very believable. There was no emotional draw between charachter and reader which made their stories, especially love stories feel so unreal. Definitely dragged out in a lot of places, and felt almost like this should have been more of a first draft than final edit. There were SO many places the author could have taken the twists and really made a big impact, but instead the story was a little all over the place which made it feel disorganized.
The ending- ATROCIOUS- seriously what just happened?! Why… so unbelievable and rushed it ruined this book for me. Up until 90% of the book I was leaning towards a 4 star review, it’s a wholesome feel good book that is enjoyable-enough but that last 10% tanked it for me.
The cover appeals to a younger age group of 20-30 year age range, the contents of this book feel for suitable for a 50+ reader. It was cheesy, corny, feel good, but I can’t get past how flat this story was.
The real star of this book is illustrator Sanny Chiu, because without her super cute art on the cover I would have never been drawn to this book.
This was one of those books I picked up in store without ever hearing of it or seeing any reviews. Finding out it’s a book about estate sales based in Massachusetts where I live?! Sold!
Story started off strong and I was hooked, but the progression of the characters just fell flat and was not very believable. There was no emotional draw between charachter and reader which made their stories, especially love stories feel so unreal. Definitely dragged out in a lot of places, and felt almost like this should have been more of a first draft than final edit. There were SO many places the author could have taken the twists and really made a big impact, but instead the story was a little all over the place which made it feel disorganized.
The ending- ATROCIOUS- seriously what just happened?! Why… so unbelievable and rushed it ruined this book for me. Up until 90% of the book I was leaning towards a 4 star review, it’s a wholesome feel good book that is enjoyable-enough but that last 10% tanked it for me.
The cover appeals to a younger age group of 20-30 year age range, the contents of this book feel for suitable for a 50+ reader. It was cheesy, corny, feel good, but I can’t get past how flat this story was.
August 26, 2025
3/5 stars. I really wanted to love this book but it got worse as I kept reading. Everything that happened felt so random
March 4, 2025
Emma Lewis is living in the small town she grew up in, in the house she grew up in, and has taken over her parents estate sale business. Living in a small town means being surrounded by the people you have known your entire life including neighbors, friends, teachers, and former crushes. It also means that situations you were unaware of as a child can suddenly become disturbingly obvious as an adult, including in this case, a local house of ill repute which becomes a customer of Emma's newly minted business.
Elinor Lipman is one of those writers who writes well but occasionally slightly misses the mark and this is one of those cases. The story is cute and clever and like most light fiction, sometimes strains credulity, but didn't really make me care how it turned out. Still, the characters are pleasant enough and the book is certainly a decent diversion.
Elinor Lipman is one of those writers who writes well but occasionally slightly misses the mark and this is one of those cases. The story is cute and clever and like most light fiction, sometimes strains credulity, but didn't really make me care how it turned out. Still, the characters are pleasant enough and the book is certainly a decent diversion.
May 9, 2025
I mostly listen to audiobooks of memoirs and nonfiction, but I gave this fiction book a try. The narrator was good. I liked the characters and the plot was cute, a little unique (about a family who runs a business handling estate sales) but it felt like there was a lot going on and the pacing was chugging along fine and then towards the end lots of plot points were rushed to neatly tie everything up. It probably would have been better to leave some things open and let the readers think about it or to leave the possibility of a sequel.
February 17, 2025
Just the ticket for a fun, joyful read! Emma Lewis is taking over her parents' estate sale business so they can retire to the beach. They even let her live in the family home with a retired teacher renting a room to help with expenses. Not exactly what she was looking for, but with no better prospects, she's in. Her first big sale, on her own, is a grand, beautiful house of ill repute masquerading as a B & B. What could possibly go wrong?
February 6, 2025
First 50% was fun! Last 50% was hard to get through!
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