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Saving Grace
Grace and Ted Chapman are widely regarded as the perfect literary power couple. Ted is a successful novelist and Grace, his wife of twenty years, is beautiful, stylish, carefree, and a wonderful homemaker.
But what no one sees, what is churning under the surface, is Ted’s rages. His mood swings. And the precarious house of cards that their lifestyle is built upon. When Ted’s longtime assistant and mainstay leaves, the house of cards begins to crumble and Grace, with dark secrets in her past, is most vulnerable. She finds herself in need of help but with no one to turn to…until the perfect new assistant shows up out of the blue.
To the rescue comes Beth, a competent young woman who can handle Ted and has the calm efficiency to weather the storms that threaten to engulf the Chapman household. Soon, though, it’s clear to Grace that Beth might be too good to be true. This new interloper might be the biggest threat of all, one that could cost Grace her marriage, her reputation, and even her sanity.
With everything at stake and no one to confide in, Grace must find a way to save herself before it is too late.
Powerful and riveting, Jane Green's Saving Grace will have you on the edge of your seat as you follow Grace on her harrowing journey to rock bottom and back.
But what no one sees, what is churning under the surface, is Ted’s rages. His mood swings. And the precarious house of cards that their lifestyle is built upon. When Ted’s longtime assistant and mainstay leaves, the house of cards begins to crumble and Grace, with dark secrets in her past, is most vulnerable. She finds herself in need of help but with no one to turn to…until the perfect new assistant shows up out of the blue.
To the rescue comes Beth, a competent young woman who can handle Ted and has the calm efficiency to weather the storms that threaten to engulf the Chapman household. Soon, though, it’s clear to Grace that Beth might be too good to be true. This new interloper might be the biggest threat of all, one that could cost Grace her marriage, her reputation, and even her sanity.
With everything at stake and no one to confide in, Grace must find a way to save herself before it is too late.
Powerful and riveting, Jane Green's Saving Grace will have you on the edge of your seat as you follow Grace on her harrowing journey to rock bottom and back.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
466 people are currently reading
11799 people want to read
About the author
Jane Green
94 books8,719 followersJane Green's twenty first novel, Sister Stardust, is out April 5th 2022.
She is the author of eighteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels, and known as one of the world's leading authors in women's fiction, with over ten million books in print, and translations in over 25 languages.
Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate.
She joined the ABC News team to write their first enhanced digital book— about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News as a live correspondent covering Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton.
A former journalist in the UK, she has had her own radio show on BBC Radio London, and is a regular contributor on radio and TV, including as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.
Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including anthologies and novellas, and features for The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self. She has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking, and has a weekly column in The Lady magazine, England’s longest running weekly magazine.
A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, Green is bringing out her first cookbook: Good Taste , with Berkley in October 2016.
She is a storyteller for The Moth radio hour on NPR,
and lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.
Jane's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Gr...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
She is the author of eighteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels, and known as one of the world's leading authors in women's fiction, with over ten million books in print, and translations in over 25 languages.
Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate.
She joined the ABC News team to write their first enhanced digital book— about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News as a live correspondent covering Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton.
A former journalist in the UK, she has had her own radio show on BBC Radio London, and is a regular contributor on radio and TV, including as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.
Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including anthologies and novellas, and features for The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self. She has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking, and has a weekly column in The Lady magazine, England’s longest running weekly magazine.
A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, Green is bringing out her first cookbook: Good Taste , with Berkley in October 2016.
She is a storyteller for The Moth radio hour on NPR,
and lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.
Jane's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Gr...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,655 reviews
November 10, 2018
This book really took me by surprise, I had read the blurb but let me tell you this, I don't think it does it much justice. You know those books that you start reading, think maybe it's going to be a bit average but before long you are sucked in and can't put it down as you HAVE to know what happens next?
This is one of those books! I absolutely found this a delightfully well written treat of a book. A great book to kick off early 2015 with.
Grace and Ted Chapman are widely regarded as the perfect literary power couple. Ted is a successful novelist and Grace, his wife of twenty years, is beautiful, stylish, carefree, and a wonderful homemaker. But what no one sees, what is churning under the surface, is Ted’s rages. His mood swings. And the precarious house of cards that their lifestyle is built upon.
Then it all starts to come undone when Ted's long time (years) personal assistant and home organiser leaves their employ. Enter stage left Miss "too good to be true" new Assistant coming to help them get Ted's work and Grace's home back on track again. But what IS that feeling about the new assistant that Grace cannot shake off?
Events start to occur that bring their marriage to the brink of disaster, the psychological undertones in this book are so cleverly written in, it's fantastic fiction. It really is. Grace's head gets messed with but by golly, so did mine!
I can't tell you more because the rest of it is what MAKES this book so good but it's dramatic, shocking, subtle, messy, dangerous, devious and the twists and turns just keep coming. Just wait until you read the Epilogue in this book - wow! just wow!
I loved it, it's as simple as that. It's clever, the plot is well executed, the writing is great, the characters brilliant both the ones you will love and hate and the train wreck scenes are outstanding.
One tiny little moan - there are recipes, yes, actual recipes of things that Grace loves to cook scattered through the book, you may love that concept or hate it, I didn't really care, but I did find the relevance connection was a bit weak.
Put this one on your list for 2015 books to read for sure. 4.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, many thanks.
This is one of those books! I absolutely found this a delightfully well written treat of a book. A great book to kick off early 2015 with.
Grace and Ted Chapman are widely regarded as the perfect literary power couple. Ted is a successful novelist and Grace, his wife of twenty years, is beautiful, stylish, carefree, and a wonderful homemaker. But what no one sees, what is churning under the surface, is Ted’s rages. His mood swings. And the precarious house of cards that their lifestyle is built upon.
Then it all starts to come undone when Ted's long time (years) personal assistant and home organiser leaves their employ. Enter stage left Miss "too good to be true" new Assistant coming to help them get Ted's work and Grace's home back on track again. But what IS that feeling about the new assistant that Grace cannot shake off?
Events start to occur that bring their marriage to the brink of disaster, the psychological undertones in this book are so cleverly written in, it's fantastic fiction. It really is. Grace's head gets messed with but by golly, so did mine!
I can't tell you more because the rest of it is what MAKES this book so good but it's dramatic, shocking, subtle, messy, dangerous, devious and the twists and turns just keep coming. Just wait until you read the Epilogue in this book - wow! just wow!
I loved it, it's as simple as that. It's clever, the plot is well executed, the writing is great, the characters brilliant both the ones you will love and hate and the train wreck scenes are outstanding.
One tiny little moan - there are recipes, yes, actual recipes of things that Grace loves to cook scattered through the book, you may love that concept or hate it, I didn't really care, but I did find the relevance connection was a bit weak.
Put this one on your list for 2015 books to read for sure. 4.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, many thanks.
June 7, 2022
Honestly, I kept checking the back of the book and the intro to see if there was any mention of this story being one big infomercial about mental disorder, over eating and vitamin deficiency:
"Vitamin D, omega-3s, Vitamin E, B-12, choline and inositol, SAMe, zinc, DHEA. Every day she pops handfuls of these pills, but right now, driving to Harmont House, foggy-headed after her lengthy afternoon sleep, embarrassed at being so ridiculous about Beth trying to do something nice for her, Grace starts to wonder if any of it is working.
Grace starts to wonder if Ted may be right. Maybe she is going crazy after all." Or:
"The house is quiet. Grace does what she always does now, a Pavlovian respnse to entering her kitchen: she puts her purse dows on the table and immediately opens the fridge, reaching an hand in before she even decides what she is going to eat, before she even thinks that they will shortly be eating dinner, that given the amont she has already eaten today, she cannot possibly be hungry. She reaches for the cheese and slices off a wedge, then another and another, before closing the door and going upstairs to change- her skirt cutting into her waist."
I could go on. I could quote the statistics told as "storyline" about how Americans are on all sorts of antidepressants about how Americans are the hightest percentage in the world of "supposed" bi-polar disorder:
"'Do you know, he says, shaking his head with disgust, 'ninety-five percent of these types of medications are prescribed in America, and America only makes up five percent of the world's population! What does that tell you about your diagnosis? Not to mention, and forgive me for getting worked up about this, but I just read that in 1996 the rate of diagnosis for bipolar disorder was one in twenty thousand. And do you know what it is today in America? Do you know?'
Grace shakes her head.
'One in twenty! And they think its going up to one in ten!'"
Throughout the book the characters remain flat and boring. Ted pops onto the scene to alternatingly to blow up about some selfish thing or to caringly accuse Grace of going nuts.
Grace's character runs about whipping up all manner of food items (recipes included) and when she's not popping something in to or out of the oven, she is castigating herself for something- too much sleep, not being organized, snapping at Beth (the assistant), dreading Ted. Beyond that nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g happens.
Add to that an oddly clunky writing style- simple present tense- and I was through.
"Vitamin D, omega-3s, Vitamin E, B-12, choline and inositol, SAMe, zinc, DHEA. Every day she pops handfuls of these pills, but right now, driving to Harmont House, foggy-headed after her lengthy afternoon sleep, embarrassed at being so ridiculous about Beth trying to do something nice for her, Grace starts to wonder if any of it is working.
Grace starts to wonder if Ted may be right. Maybe she is going crazy after all." Or:
"The house is quiet. Grace does what she always does now, a Pavlovian respnse to entering her kitchen: she puts her purse dows on the table and immediately opens the fridge, reaching an hand in before she even decides what she is going to eat, before she even thinks that they will shortly be eating dinner, that given the amont she has already eaten today, she cannot possibly be hungry. She reaches for the cheese and slices off a wedge, then another and another, before closing the door and going upstairs to change- her skirt cutting into her waist."
I could go on. I could quote the statistics told as "storyline" about how Americans are on all sorts of antidepressants about how Americans are the hightest percentage in the world of "supposed" bi-polar disorder:
"'Do you know, he says, shaking his head with disgust, 'ninety-five percent of these types of medications are prescribed in America, and America only makes up five percent of the world's population! What does that tell you about your diagnosis? Not to mention, and forgive me for getting worked up about this, but I just read that in 1996 the rate of diagnosis for bipolar disorder was one in twenty thousand. And do you know what it is today in America? Do you know?'
Grace shakes her head.
'One in twenty! And they think its going up to one in ten!'"
Throughout the book the characters remain flat and boring. Ted pops onto the scene to alternatingly to blow up about some selfish thing or to caringly accuse Grace of going nuts.
Grace's character runs about whipping up all manner of food items (recipes included) and when she's not popping something in to or out of the oven, she is castigating herself for something- too much sleep, not being organized, snapping at Beth (the assistant), dreading Ted. Beyond that nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g happens.
Add to that an oddly clunky writing style- simple present tense- and I was through.
July 29, 2017
★★★★½
Saving Grace is a women’s fiction novel written by Jane Green. The main character, Grace is a woman who has lost who she once was. Don’t we all move in different directions and kind of become different people as we grow though? But growing and losing ourselves are two very different things. Grace’s life was very interesting to me. Among other things, she struggles with a secret fear that she will gradually and unknowingly succumb to her family history of mental illness. Circumstances in her life lead her to believe she may very well be going crazy, just like her mother, and she listens to those around her for advice. This story presents detailed characters, interesting relationship dynamics, lots of drama, a mystery, a romance, and abitch villain who had my anger surfacing (use some self-talk Jennifer...it’s just a book). But ultimately, this story brings to light concerns about the quick hand of physicians to medicate without exploring all the details, and how patients tend to not question their providers. After all, they know best, right?
I connected to this story in so many ways. Like Grace, I have a family history of mental illness that unfortunately is all too present in the back of my mind. I could empathize with her fears which made me feel incredibly invested in her character. I also work in the mental health field and see firsthand the impact pharmaceutical companies have on medication providers, thus causing the scripts to fly out the door at an alarming rate. I have seen psychotropic medication regimens completely change people in both immensely positive and horrifically negative ways. If you ever feel unsure about a course of treatment recommended to you, consider getting a second opinion. Not because you shouldn't trust your first doctor, but because a second opinion may provide you with even more information related to your original concerns, and different points of view can help you better problem-solve your options. Take control of your health, be with people who want the best for you, and be well.
Note: Because of how I emotionally responded to this novel, I could not give Saving Grace less than the 4½ stars I did. But in an effort to provide an honest review, I should note there were some oddities about the book. Readers begin reading one plot which switches directions fairly abruptly. I like the direction it switched to but it was a bit confusing and slightly distracting wondering when the plots would eventually intersect...which they never really did. Also, since Grace works as a caterer, Ms. Green generously peppers the story with delicious recipes. To be clear, I love to cook and always have my eye out for something new to try, so the recipes weren't the problem, but the placement of the recipes was a bit odd if you ask me. The audiobook experience may have contributed to my feeling though: listening to a book just to have a random recipe be recited all of the sudden. Or maybe each chapter and its inserted recipe connected in some way and I totally missed it. Regardless, I would have preferred to read the book and have a bonus cookbook in the back to refer to. That’s just me though. Again, I’m not complaining. I now have plenty of new recipes saved for a rainy day!
My favorite quote:
“I thought my entire life was coming apart, but I think I just realized that sometimes the thing you think is going to ruin your life is the thing that saves you.”
Saving Grace is a women’s fiction novel written by Jane Green. The main character, Grace is a woman who has lost who she once was. Don’t we all move in different directions and kind of become different people as we grow though? But growing and losing ourselves are two very different things. Grace’s life was very interesting to me. Among other things, she struggles with a secret fear that she will gradually and unknowingly succumb to her family history of mental illness. Circumstances in her life lead her to believe she may very well be going crazy, just like her mother, and she listens to those around her for advice. This story presents detailed characters, interesting relationship dynamics, lots of drama, a mystery, a romance, and a
I connected to this story in so many ways. Like Grace, I have a family history of mental illness that unfortunately is all too present in the back of my mind. I could empathize with her fears which made me feel incredibly invested in her character. I also work in the mental health field and see firsthand the impact pharmaceutical companies have on medication providers, thus causing the scripts to fly out the door at an alarming rate. I have seen psychotropic medication regimens completely change people in both immensely positive and horrifically negative ways. If you ever feel unsure about a course of treatment recommended to you, consider getting a second opinion. Not because you shouldn't trust your first doctor, but because a second opinion may provide you with even more information related to your original concerns, and different points of view can help you better problem-solve your options. Take control of your health, be with people who want the best for you, and be well.
Note: Because of how I emotionally responded to this novel, I could not give Saving Grace less than the 4½ stars I did. But in an effort to provide an honest review, I should note there were some oddities about the book. Readers begin reading one plot which switches directions fairly abruptly. I like the direction it switched to but it was a bit confusing and slightly distracting wondering when the plots would eventually intersect...which they never really did. Also, since Grace works as a caterer, Ms. Green generously peppers the story with delicious recipes. To be clear, I love to cook and always have my eye out for something new to try, so the recipes weren't the problem, but the placement of the recipes was a bit odd if you ask me. The audiobook experience may have contributed to my feeling though: listening to a book just to have a random recipe be recited all of the sudden. Or maybe each chapter and its inserted recipe connected in some way and I totally missed it. Regardless, I would have preferred to read the book and have a bonus cookbook in the back to refer to. That’s just me though. Again, I’m not complaining. I now have plenty of new recipes saved for a rainy day!
My favorite quote:
“I thought my entire life was coming apart, but I think I just realized that sometimes the thing you think is going to ruin your life is the thing that saves you.”
December 18, 2014
I received an advanced copy of Jane Green's latest novel from the publisher. Unfortunately, it is in drastic need of an editor. Characters traits are developed only to be completely dropped without explanation. The novel seemed to be developing in one direction before completely dropping one plot line and cramming in another. Character motives and decisions made absolutely no sense. Very disappointing.
June 10, 2019
contains spoilers...
I love Jane Green's early books, and I was super excited for this one. However, it just seems as though her writing has changed over her past few novels.
That being said, I found the main characters to be unrealistic. For someone so smart as Grace to take one doctor's advice and take 6 -plus drugs everyday for a disease she doesn't believe she has-- not believable. Also, her relationship with Ted didn't seem quite right either.
I thought it was crazy how many pages Green spent obsessing on how fat Grace was, ( and a size 8 is not fat anyway!) and then- what? a page or two at the end explaing Grace's final decision??
Skip this book and read Jemima J, or Bookends instead!
I love Jane Green's early books, and I was super excited for this one. However, it just seems as though her writing has changed over her past few novels.
That being said, I found the main characters to be unrealistic. For someone so smart as Grace to take one doctor's advice and take 6 -plus drugs everyday for a disease she doesn't believe she has-- not believable. Also, her relationship with Ted didn't seem quite right either.
I thought it was crazy how many pages Green spent obsessing on how fat Grace was, ( and a size 8 is not fat anyway!) and then- what? a page or two at the end explaing Grace's final decision??
Skip this book and read Jemima J, or Bookends instead!
December 28, 2014
2.5 Not my favorite of her by any means. Grace drove me crazy, I know her background and childhood played into it, but her naivetés was beyond belief. This was a quick read, loved the character Sybil, my kind of unpretentious gal. Loved all the cooking talk and recipes but just found this to be very gushy and a bit unbelievable.
Arc from netgalley.
Arc from netgalley.
November 23, 2014
I tend to like novels by Jane Green. Most chick-lit is uncomplicated and full of women who fawn over men they think are usually out of their league. These women tend to be unassuming, befuddled, insecure, and annoying. Although Green's novels are always well-written and entertaining, her main heroine, Grace Chapman, holds at least a few of those qualities.
Grace Chapman has the picture perfect life. She's married to a successful author, has a beautiful, talented daughter, and a knack for creating the perfect dish. The only problem is that these things are all not true. Her life isn't as perfect as it may seem. In fact her life isn't as perfect as she would even like to think it is.
From the beginning, there is tension on every page. As the narrator describes Ted Chapman, Grace's husband, it's almost certain where the pages will lead in this book. Instead, Green totally changes the course and doesn't go with such a predictable plot, and brings us instead more of a cautionary tale. Actually, two cautionary tales.
Without giving too much away, Grace and Ted are in need of a personal assistant when Beth falls into their laps. She's perfect. Beth is able to help Grace with her household duties, as well as calm the storm that is Ted. But... there's just something about her Grace can't quite put her finger on. Something that just isn't right.
Before long Grace is questioning everything about her life, her husband, and this Godsend. This is when the second cautionary tale comes in to play. It's in reference to the American need to label all things and all people.
Because I must have a gripe with almost every novel, I think what was most annoying about this novel was Grace. I know that most women in these novels are supposed to be a little annoying. They ignore signs that any blind person can see. They make dumb moves and almost always base their worth on a men. Grace is no different. She's absolutely draining because she's so weak. I guess that's the point. No one can save us but ourselves.
Saving Grace is an interesting novel that will leave readers more aware of who they welcome into their lives and homes and running from their own truths. Jane Green always manages to reel me in with her writing and absolute need to finish the story. I am compelled to see it to the end no matter how much I like or dislike her characters. One other plus about this book is that it has recipes. Recipes are huge for a lot of women... so please, by all means, this book is for you.
Copy provided by St. Martin's Press via netgalley
Grace Chapman has the picture perfect life. She's married to a successful author, has a beautiful, talented daughter, and a knack for creating the perfect dish. The only problem is that these things are all not true. Her life isn't as perfect as it may seem. In fact her life isn't as perfect as she would even like to think it is.
From the beginning, there is tension on every page. As the narrator describes Ted Chapman, Grace's husband, it's almost certain where the pages will lead in this book. Instead, Green totally changes the course and doesn't go with such a predictable plot, and brings us instead more of a cautionary tale. Actually, two cautionary tales.
Without giving too much away, Grace and Ted are in need of a personal assistant when Beth falls into their laps. She's perfect. Beth is able to help Grace with her household duties, as well as calm the storm that is Ted. But... there's just something about her Grace can't quite put her finger on. Something that just isn't right.
Before long Grace is questioning everything about her life, her husband, and this Godsend. This is when the second cautionary tale comes in to play. It's in reference to the American need to label all things and all people.
Because I must have a gripe with almost every novel, I think what was most annoying about this novel was Grace. I know that most women in these novels are supposed to be a little annoying. They ignore signs that any blind person can see. They make dumb moves and almost always base their worth on a men. Grace is no different. She's absolutely draining because she's so weak. I guess that's the point. No one can save us but ourselves.
Saving Grace is an interesting novel that will leave readers more aware of who they welcome into their lives and homes and running from their own truths. Jane Green always manages to reel me in with her writing and absolute need to finish the story. I am compelled to see it to the end no matter how much I like or dislike her characters. One other plus about this book is that it has recipes. Recipes are huge for a lot of women... so please, by all means, this book is for you.
Copy provided by St. Martin's Press via netgalley
October 17, 2014
Sorry for the hints of plot and spoilers but to explain my rating I felt I needed to include examples.
I didn't quite understand Grace and couldn't weigh up some of her actions against her character. She is seemingly a confident woman, yes she started off timid on the arms of this great author husband Ted, but after 25 years of marriage she is known in her own right as a chef, as a charity board member. Even confident women stay with abusive husbands, that's not my problem, she puts up with his outbursts but when she leaves Patrick and considers going to back to the SOB husband, after all that he has done to her, I just don't get it.
I don't see the need for a recipe each time she cooks, this is not a cook book and I just skimmed past them.
The power of suggestion is strong, and to some degree Beth suggesting to Ted that Grace is ill would work but it doesn't explain the physical symptoms Grace had. The concoction of drugs she was eventually put on would have explained her tiredness but the anger and energy she displayed before hand doesn't make sense.
It may have been improved by hearing some of the plot from Beth's POV. Her actions are sinister but I'm not convinced by her as all we see is her pleasant and innocent persona. If we heard some of her plotting perhaps I'd have been drawn in by the character more.
Lastly, the ending. I wanted some sort of justice and I was left feeling deflated. I understand not everything has to be happy ever after but there was no punishment or humiliation for Beth.
I didn't quite understand Grace and couldn't weigh up some of her actions against her character. She is seemingly a confident woman, yes she started off timid on the arms of this great author husband Ted, but after 25 years of marriage she is known in her own right as a chef, as a charity board member. Even confident women stay with abusive husbands, that's not my problem, she puts up with his outbursts but when she leaves Patrick and considers going to back to the SOB husband, after all that he has done to her, I just don't get it.
I don't see the need for a recipe each time she cooks, this is not a cook book and I just skimmed past them.
The power of suggestion is strong, and to some degree Beth suggesting to Ted that Grace is ill would work but it doesn't explain the physical symptoms Grace had. The concoction of drugs she was eventually put on would have explained her tiredness but the anger and energy she displayed before hand doesn't make sense.
It may have been improved by hearing some of the plot from Beth's POV. Her actions are sinister but I'm not convinced by her as all we see is her pleasant and innocent persona. If we heard some of her plotting perhaps I'd have been drawn in by the character more.
Lastly, the ending. I wanted some sort of justice and I was left feeling deflated. I understand not everything has to be happy ever after but there was no punishment or humiliation for Beth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2014
“A perfect stranger wants her perfect life.
Grace Chapman has the perfect life, living comfortably with her husband, bestselling author Ted, in a picture-perfect farmhouse on the Hudson River in New York State.
Then Ted advertises for a new assistant, and Beth walks into their lives. Organized, passionate and eager to learn, Beth quickly makes herself indispensable to Ted and his family. But Grace soon begins to feel side-lined in her home - and her marriage - by this ambitious younger woman.
Is Grace just paranoid, as her husband tells her, or is there more to Beth than first thought?”
This is a story that turned out to be a lot darker than I was expecting when I first entered Grace’s world. Although the story only shows us Grace’s perspective, you always feel that you are one step ahead of her in realising what is going on around her in this story of betrayal. I did like Grace, she is just a nice person, the sort of woman you would like to be friends with, although I did get quite exasperated with her as the story developed and she was being walked all over more and more. There were so many times during the read when I would have loved to have seen her stand up for herself a lot more than she did.
Her husband Ted is a different kettle of fish altogether, from the start we know he can swing from being charming to being absolutely vile in the bat of an eyelid, so I never liked him at all. Additionally, I didn’t “quite” fall for how his character developed in the story, it didn’t ring true in a way, even though it made damn good, entertaining reading.
It is the story of a woman having her life stolen from her. We watch everything around Grace starting to spin at first slowly and then spiral out of control until she is left with nothing, with even her reputation in tatters. We watch her slow struggle to get her life back on track and come back “better than ever” towards a showdown with her husband and Beth that you know from very early on in the book is inevitable at some point.
It is a very easy to read book with a dark theme that is compelling, it drew me in straightaway and I just read and read and read. Despite my misgivings about Grace being a doormat and Ted’s behaviour, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and highly recommend it. One nice little touch was the recipes printed at the end of each chapter. Thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
Grace Chapman has the perfect life, living comfortably with her husband, bestselling author Ted, in a picture-perfect farmhouse on the Hudson River in New York State.
Then Ted advertises for a new assistant, and Beth walks into their lives. Organized, passionate and eager to learn, Beth quickly makes herself indispensable to Ted and his family. But Grace soon begins to feel side-lined in her home - and her marriage - by this ambitious younger woman.
Is Grace just paranoid, as her husband tells her, or is there more to Beth than first thought?”
This is a story that turned out to be a lot darker than I was expecting when I first entered Grace’s world. Although the story only shows us Grace’s perspective, you always feel that you are one step ahead of her in realising what is going on around her in this story of betrayal. I did like Grace, she is just a nice person, the sort of woman you would like to be friends with, although I did get quite exasperated with her as the story developed and she was being walked all over more and more. There were so many times during the read when I would have loved to have seen her stand up for herself a lot more than she did.
Her husband Ted is a different kettle of fish altogether, from the start we know he can swing from being charming to being absolutely vile in the bat of an eyelid, so I never liked him at all. Additionally, I didn’t “quite” fall for how his character developed in the story, it didn’t ring true in a way, even though it made damn good, entertaining reading.
It is the story of a woman having her life stolen from her. We watch everything around Grace starting to spin at first slowly and then spiral out of control until she is left with nothing, with even her reputation in tatters. We watch her slow struggle to get her life back on track and come back “better than ever” towards a showdown with her husband and Beth that you know from very early on in the book is inevitable at some point.
It is a very easy to read book with a dark theme that is compelling, it drew me in straightaway and I just read and read and read. Despite my misgivings about Grace being a doormat and Ted’s behaviour, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and highly recommend it. One nice little touch was the recipes printed at the end of each chapter. Thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
December 31, 2014
Utterly predictable and poorly written. The simplest, most basic rule of writing is show--don't tell. This author not only "told," she did not tell it well.
March 16, 2015
Grace Chapman has what most women want, the perfect life. Her husband, Ted, is a renowned literary author, her daughter has grown up and flown the nest without incident and she is regular in the society pages of upscale magazines, featuring the perfect home to go with the perfect marriage. However, not everything is perfect. Ted is controlling, her life is full of shallow acquaintances and lack of genuine friendships. The only thing that keeps her busy is her charity work. So much so, that when she recruits a new PA for Ted, she takes up the new empoyee's offer of assistance in her own day to day life. This is something she may live to regret...
I have been reading Jane Green novels for many years, having a nice collection on display in Bleach House Library. So, when I spotted this title, I looked forward to diving in for some reliable, quality female fiction. The narrative is not unique, there are many books, movies and even songs about women who are blindsided by 'the other woman' and while we all say that we would never miss the warning signs, it seems that a lot of women still do. Narrative aside, the first chapter had me ready for a character based novel, with Ted showing narcissistic tendencies and Grace playing the meek, bored, wealthy housewife that can be seen on reality TV worldwide. Hint: A wardrobe to die for does not a perfect marriage make.
I had problems with the story from the early stages of the book. The opening chapters led me to believe that Ted was a danger, violent and possibly ready to inflict some serious damage to the downtrodden Grace. However, from the second chapter, it became apparent that the biggest threat he posed was the slamming of a door or some silent treatment. Likewise, the opening scenes imply that Grace lives in terror, has no support and needs our sympathy. I have felt more sympathy for Wicked Stepmothers in Disney Fairy tales. She feels the need for 'help' in the house, which includes cleaners and now this PA, Beth. She needs help sorting out her pantry (such a chore), sorting through her collection of shoes and rain jackets at the back door (which should take about 30 minutes, max) and paying the household bills (so exhausting, as we all know). There is a constant pandering to the poor author husband, who remains mostly in his garden office, and then the offloading of unwanted designer clothes to the staff, before heading off to a homeless shelter to cook them designer meals. I am not totally convinced that the residents of the shelter wouldn't rather have more basic meals and a handful of the discarded clothes. Grace has a near meltdown when a charity lunch she has 'organised' has a hiccup (she left most of the organising to Beth, and therefore it went belly up) and the guests have to eat off paper plates and stand up, rather than sitting on colour co-ordinated chairs. The shallowness of the characters makes it very hard to identify with them and makes for very uncomfortable reading. When, later in the book, Grace falls asleep on a bench in a fancy London park (wearing cashmere, no less), she compares herself to the homeless that she had helped feed. Seriously???
The story goes from odd to plain bizarre when Beth's true intent becomes obvious to Grace (about six months after any sane person would have noticed) and the socialite flees a psychological exam in a hospital, barefoot, and heads to England. No one thinks to come and find her, her grown up daughter included, and one minute her funds are unavailable, next they are back again. Huge plot holes, an obvious love interest and a recipe at the end of almost all chapters (but not consistent, just making me hungry at inappropriate moments) make for a weird experience. Had it been written as a debut, I would say that it need major editing, more believable characters and a better storyline. I was very disappointed. It won't put me off Jane Green's novels, as I am a big fan of her work. I hope this was a one off blip and I can brush it under the carpet (with no help from cleaners).
I have been reading Jane Green novels for many years, having a nice collection on display in Bleach House Library. So, when I spotted this title, I looked forward to diving in for some reliable, quality female fiction. The narrative is not unique, there are many books, movies and even songs about women who are blindsided by 'the other woman' and while we all say that we would never miss the warning signs, it seems that a lot of women still do. Narrative aside, the first chapter had me ready for a character based novel, with Ted showing narcissistic tendencies and Grace playing the meek, bored, wealthy housewife that can be seen on reality TV worldwide. Hint: A wardrobe to die for does not a perfect marriage make.
I had problems with the story from the early stages of the book. The opening chapters led me to believe that Ted was a danger, violent and possibly ready to inflict some serious damage to the downtrodden Grace. However, from the second chapter, it became apparent that the biggest threat he posed was the slamming of a door or some silent treatment. Likewise, the opening scenes imply that Grace lives in terror, has no support and needs our sympathy. I have felt more sympathy for Wicked Stepmothers in Disney Fairy tales. She feels the need for 'help' in the house, which includes cleaners and now this PA, Beth. She needs help sorting out her pantry (such a chore), sorting through her collection of shoes and rain jackets at the back door (which should take about 30 minutes, max) and paying the household bills (so exhausting, as we all know). There is a constant pandering to the poor author husband, who remains mostly in his garden office, and then the offloading of unwanted designer clothes to the staff, before heading off to a homeless shelter to cook them designer meals. I am not totally convinced that the residents of the shelter wouldn't rather have more basic meals and a handful of the discarded clothes. Grace has a near meltdown when a charity lunch she has 'organised' has a hiccup (she left most of the organising to Beth, and therefore it went belly up) and the guests have to eat off paper plates and stand up, rather than sitting on colour co-ordinated chairs. The shallowness of the characters makes it very hard to identify with them and makes for very uncomfortable reading. When, later in the book, Grace falls asleep on a bench in a fancy London park (wearing cashmere, no less), she compares herself to the homeless that she had helped feed. Seriously???
The story goes from odd to plain bizarre when Beth's true intent becomes obvious to Grace (about six months after any sane person would have noticed) and the socialite flees a psychological exam in a hospital, barefoot, and heads to England. No one thinks to come and find her, her grown up daughter included, and one minute her funds are unavailable, next they are back again. Huge plot holes, an obvious love interest and a recipe at the end of almost all chapters (but not consistent, just making me hungry at inappropriate moments) make for a weird experience. Had it been written as a debut, I would say that it need major editing, more believable characters and a better storyline. I was very disappointed. It won't put me off Jane Green's novels, as I am a big fan of her work. I hope this was a one off blip and I can brush it under the carpet (with no help from cleaners).
February 8, 2017
I listened to my first Jane Green and found it to be OK. I picked it up not really knowing what to expect and what I thought at first took a bit of a different turn, but I quickly picked up on the fact that "Beth" was not what she appeared...and was too good to be true.
All in all, I found that I was ahead of the clues and so this was a bit predictable. A little far fetched maybe, though no less creepy. I do have to say that this is one of the few times I wish I had read the book and not listened to the audio. For one, there were recipes and a few that I would like to have jotted down, which is impossible when listening while driving! Second, the author narrated and though the main character of Grace was English, all the other characters had English accents as well. When my favorite down home American girl Sybill spoke with her English accent it just drove me crazy.
All that said, it was an entertaining listen and made the commute pass quickly. I would give Green another try.
All in all, I found that I was ahead of the clues and so this was a bit predictable. A little far fetched maybe, though no less creepy. I do have to say that this is one of the few times I wish I had read the book and not listened to the audio. For one, there were recipes and a few that I would like to have jotted down, which is impossible when listening while driving! Second, the author narrated and though the main character of Grace was English, all the other characters had English accents as well. When my favorite down home American girl Sybill spoke with her English accent it just drove me crazy.
All that said, it was an entertaining listen and made the commute pass quickly. I would give Green another try.
December 22, 2014
There is a good story waiting to break out of this muddle of a book. What is the main story here? Is it about a woman who escapes an abusive husband (the first impression)? Is it an expose of excessive prescribing of psychotherapeutic drugs, followed by more drugs to deal with side effects? Is it about misunderstanding of menopause symptoms? What about the manipulative employee? Each of these topics describes a good and thoughtful examination in an absorbing novel. Unfortunately Saving Grace doesn’t deliver because the author can’t decide what her focus is. I really wanted to like this book but was disappointed because none of issues raised gets the insightful treatment it deserves.
On top of the unsatisfactory story development, the advanced reader copy I read needed serious editing in the quarter or so of the text. Many of the mistakes distracted from the forward movement of the plot(s). Even assuming these problems are cleaned up, I cannot recommend this book for readers of intelligent literature.
On top of the unsatisfactory story development, the advanced reader copy I read needed serious editing in the quarter or so of the text. Many of the mistakes distracted from the forward movement of the plot(s). Even assuming these problems are cleaned up, I cannot recommend this book for readers of intelligent literature.
December 14, 2014
Grace Chapman's 'perfect' life is disrupted by the arrival of another woman who steals her husband.
This is an ordinary story written in an extraordinarily bad way. I am not sure what Green was doing, but the transitions between chapters were clumsy - as if they had been patched together as an afterthought. The pace is sluggish and the author preaches about mental disorders, medication and weight issues.
If you like cooking, there are lots of recipes dotted throughout the book.
This is an ordinary story written in an extraordinarily bad way. I am not sure what Green was doing, but the transitions between chapters were clumsy - as if they had been patched together as an afterthought. The pace is sluggish and the author preaches about mental disorders, medication and weight issues.
If you like cooking, there are lots of recipes dotted throughout the book.
November 2, 2014
They were the envy of all who knew them: Ted, the bestselling author, and his wife, Grace, a food editor and on the board of a home for abused women. They lived in Sneden's Landing, near Manhattan, in a gorgeous home sometimes featured in magazines.
But behind closed doors, there were cracks in the façade that showed up in the form of Ted's temper and in Grace's vulnerability. A vulnerability based on her fear of turning into her mentally ill mother, a secret she has carefully kept for years.
When Ted's beloved assistant Ellen leaves to go stay with her sick mother, they hire Beth, who comes to them with high recommendations...or so they think.
What happens next is the stuff of nightmares. Will everything in Grace's world crumble around her before the nightmare ends? Why is everything turning upside down? Why is the psychiatrist Ted recommended saying such impossible things to her? And how will she finally save herself before her life is over?
Will going home to her native England help her sort out her life and discover the truth? Will Lydia, the mother figure she has cherished from her past, help her sort things out?
A page-turner that I could not put down, "Saving Grace" aroused every imaginable emotion and then some, and even as I suspected some of what might be going on long before any of the characters did, that fact did not in any way detract from my enjoyment. I was totally engaged and loved the characters of Grace, Sybil, and Lydia...and loathed both Ted and Beth.
The settings of the homes and their décor also drew me in, as I love visualizing the scenes in the books I read. Jane Green has really done it with this one, in my opinion. Her fans, as well as any readers who love drama that touches on mental health issues, will love this book.
The only thing I didn't enjoy were the recipes after several of the chapters. For foodies, however, those could be a plus. 4.0 stars.
But behind closed doors, there were cracks in the façade that showed up in the form of Ted's temper and in Grace's vulnerability. A vulnerability based on her fear of turning into her mentally ill mother, a secret she has carefully kept for years.
When Ted's beloved assistant Ellen leaves to go stay with her sick mother, they hire Beth, who comes to them with high recommendations...or so they think.
What happens next is the stuff of nightmares. Will everything in Grace's world crumble around her before the nightmare ends? Why is everything turning upside down? Why is the psychiatrist Ted recommended saying such impossible things to her? And how will she finally save herself before her life is over?
Will going home to her native England help her sort out her life and discover the truth? Will Lydia, the mother figure she has cherished from her past, help her sort things out?
A page-turner that I could not put down, "Saving Grace" aroused every imaginable emotion and then some, and even as I suspected some of what might be going on long before any of the characters did, that fact did not in any way detract from my enjoyment. I was totally engaged and loved the characters of Grace, Sybil, and Lydia...and loathed both Ted and Beth.
The settings of the homes and their décor also drew me in, as I love visualizing the scenes in the books I read. Jane Green has really done it with this one, in my opinion. Her fans, as well as any readers who love drama that touches on mental health issues, will love this book.
The only thing I didn't enjoy were the recipes after several of the chapters. For foodies, however, those could be a plus. 4.0 stars.
December 30, 2014
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
WOW, Jane Green the "queen" of women's fiction once again delivers, a complex and "scandalously" delicious account of one woman’s search to find herself, and another woman’s obsession to make her disappear. I believe #16 may be her best book yet!
Grace is a strong, caring, and driven woman, married to Ted Chapman, a famous novelist for over twenty years, with a grown daughter; a picture perfect life from the exterior. However, Ted is not an easy man to get along with, as verbally abusive. Grace is coming from an abusive childhood herself, tolerates it and learns to walk on egg shells, living in a prison tiptoeing around his moods.
When they met, she was enamored with him, as she was a lowly assistant cookbook editor; however, as time moved on things were not so glamorous. When Ted’s personal assistant has to quit, due to taking care of her elderly parents, Grace is desperate to hire a replacement, as she does not need the added stress of taking care of Ted's business, as she has enough to deal with in running the household, the social engagements, and she is busy as Chef at the Harmont House, a home founded ten years ago in Nyack for families escaping abuse and addiction, helping them get back on their feet.
Grace’s friend Sybil came to her and asked her if she would be interested in joining the board, and she wanted to do more and rolled up her sleeves and became actively involved. Grace is passionate about cooking, gardening and helping those who cannot help themselves; more so as a way to heal the wounds of her past.
Whatever her passions, whatever her work, she still has time for Ted, as she must make time for him as expects to be number one priority in her life. In a rush to hire sometime, a young woman fitting the bill shows up at a dinner and appears to be a perfect fit. Without a lot of background checking, she hires this woman. She is delighted with her assistance initially; however, soon she takes over more and more responsibilities; not only for Ted, but worms her way into every aspect of their lives, from personal to financial. The suspense is movie worthy.
When strange things begin happening, making Grace feel as though she is losing her mind unbelievable; Grace is worried and goes to the doctor. He diagnoses her with bipolar disorder, and puts her on tons of medication. She is so heavily medicated she can barely get out of bed, with all sorts of side effects and weight gain and her life is falling apart piece by piece.
She is heartbroken as this is what happened to her mother, and surely this cannot be happening to her, as she has none of the same symptoms. From bad to worse, and in the meantime her life is being taken over by a manipulative person and her husband is being sucked into the web of deceit. As a race against time she has to escape before they commit her. She has to get out of the country and back to England to her friends and to her safe haven and the support of those who love and care for her survival.
This is a book for every woman, young and old alike. A poignant and compelling story of one woman’s plight is so realistic, it could happen to anyone. Especially in America with all the pharmaceutical drugs they throw out to women. When a woman is going through menopause, her hormones are all over the board (five years of this for me) and I refuse to take any meds, as number one, allergic and second, I believe most all drugs are unhealthy as why I am a vegan and take no medications.
A riveting tale of one woman’s battle to get her life back. I was unaware until after I read the book, Jane Green, the author experienced something similar, when she was misdiagnosed and was over medicated for something she did not have and took her a year to get off the heavy meds to get back to her life. View Video with autobiographical elements of her novel.
A highly-charged subject which is front and center in today’s world. Highly recommend, SAVING GRACE, as no one can convey a story as well as master storyteller, Jane Green. Her passion for food, gardening, and life shines through so eloquently on each and every page, for an engaging and satisfying read. Loved the ending! Nice touch with the front cover; after you read you will understand the meaning.
The setting is so vivid and detailed, could image myself in Dorest at the storybook cottage in Cerne Abbas with the beautiful farmland and countryside, near the village; a place where Grace no longer feels guilt, and does not have to worry about measuring up. How fitting!
Many yummy sample recipes are included throughout the novel, as well. Even though I am a strict vegan, and could not participate in the epicurean delights; passed along the many recipes to friends and family with rave reviews.
SAVING GRACE, a definite PRE-Order and receive a "free" Jane Green, HAPPY FOOD e-Cookbook, just in time for your holiday entertaining!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
WOW, Jane Green the "queen" of women's fiction once again delivers, a complex and "scandalously" delicious account of one woman’s search to find herself, and another woman’s obsession to make her disappear. I believe #16 may be her best book yet!
Grace is a strong, caring, and driven woman, married to Ted Chapman, a famous novelist for over twenty years, with a grown daughter; a picture perfect life from the exterior. However, Ted is not an easy man to get along with, as verbally abusive. Grace is coming from an abusive childhood herself, tolerates it and learns to walk on egg shells, living in a prison tiptoeing around his moods.
When they met, she was enamored with him, as she was a lowly assistant cookbook editor; however, as time moved on things were not so glamorous. When Ted’s personal assistant has to quit, due to taking care of her elderly parents, Grace is desperate to hire a replacement, as she does not need the added stress of taking care of Ted's business, as she has enough to deal with in running the household, the social engagements, and she is busy as Chef at the Harmont House, a home founded ten years ago in Nyack for families escaping abuse and addiction, helping them get back on their feet.
Grace’s friend Sybil came to her and asked her if she would be interested in joining the board, and she wanted to do more and rolled up her sleeves and became actively involved. Grace is passionate about cooking, gardening and helping those who cannot help themselves; more so as a way to heal the wounds of her past.
Whatever her passions, whatever her work, she still has time for Ted, as she must make time for him as expects to be number one priority in her life. In a rush to hire sometime, a young woman fitting the bill shows up at a dinner and appears to be a perfect fit. Without a lot of background checking, she hires this woman. She is delighted with her assistance initially; however, soon she takes over more and more responsibilities; not only for Ted, but worms her way into every aspect of their lives, from personal to financial. The suspense is movie worthy.
When strange things begin happening, making Grace feel as though she is losing her mind unbelievable; Grace is worried and goes to the doctor. He diagnoses her with bipolar disorder, and puts her on tons of medication. She is so heavily medicated she can barely get out of bed, with all sorts of side effects and weight gain and her life is falling apart piece by piece.
She is heartbroken as this is what happened to her mother, and surely this cannot be happening to her, as she has none of the same symptoms. From bad to worse, and in the meantime her life is being taken over by a manipulative person and her husband is being sucked into the web of deceit. As a race against time she has to escape before they commit her. She has to get out of the country and back to England to her friends and to her safe haven and the support of those who love and care for her survival.
This is a book for every woman, young and old alike. A poignant and compelling story of one woman’s plight is so realistic, it could happen to anyone. Especially in America with all the pharmaceutical drugs they throw out to women. When a woman is going through menopause, her hormones are all over the board (five years of this for me) and I refuse to take any meds, as number one, allergic and second, I believe most all drugs are unhealthy as why I am a vegan and take no medications.
A riveting tale of one woman’s battle to get her life back. I was unaware until after I read the book, Jane Green, the author experienced something similar, when she was misdiagnosed and was over medicated for something she did not have and took her a year to get off the heavy meds to get back to her life. View Video with autobiographical elements of her novel.
A highly-charged subject which is front and center in today’s world. Highly recommend, SAVING GRACE, as no one can convey a story as well as master storyteller, Jane Green. Her passion for food, gardening, and life shines through so eloquently on each and every page, for an engaging and satisfying read. Loved the ending! Nice touch with the front cover; after you read you will understand the meaning.
The setting is so vivid and detailed, could image myself in Dorest at the storybook cottage in Cerne Abbas with the beautiful farmland and countryside, near the village; a place where Grace no longer feels guilt, and does not have to worry about measuring up. How fitting!
Many yummy sample recipes are included throughout the novel, as well. Even though I am a strict vegan, and could not participate in the epicurean delights; passed along the many recipes to friends and family with rave reviews.
SAVING GRACE, a definite PRE-Order and receive a "free" Jane Green, HAPPY FOOD e-Cookbook, just in time for your holiday entertaining!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
June 11, 2017
A little predictable and the heroine was somewhat naive. OK more than somewhat. The epilogue could have been shorter. And you really wanted the villainess to get hers, but still a good ending . Perfect for a long drive.
January 20, 2015
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
My Review: Jane Green has a solid reputation as an author of women's fiction. Many years ago I had read one of her books and remember enjoying it. But it wasn't until last month that I picked up another book by Green -- Another Piece Of My Heart and listened to the e-audio version. Unfortunately that book, and sadly, Saving Grace haven't lived up to my expectations for this popular author.
I found Saving Grace to be very predictable. You could see Beth's 'game' a mile away but I gave the author some leeway and assumed she'd throw some big twist at the reader. This never happened. As soon as Beth told Grace to email her references warning bells went off in my head (as would most people) but sadly, not in dear Grace's head.
Another deal breaker for me is when I don't feel connected to the main character. This was the case with Grace. Sure, I felt bad that her world was crumbling down around her but it was Grace's personality and lack of strength that got to me quickly. She was cowed by her verbally abusive husband and seemed a little dim for having to farm out dealing with the day-to-day issues to a stranger and couldn't even pay bills or organize a kitchen pantry on her own. I think she was supposed to be some Martha Stewart-type woman ... and at times she was with her cooking etc but she definitely didn't have any power.
Grace was then pushed out of her life and marriage much too easily to be believable with the final straw that pushes her over the edge being the fact that tables, chairs and appropriate napkins weren't delivered for one of her famous 'do's'. It was silly and the fact that she doesn't see who was behind it immediately is laughable. It's this continual acceptance of the events that happen to her without asking for help, second opinions or even just standing up for herself that I found frustrating. She struggles to make any decisions for herself for the entire book.
There was also a unique addition to the book that I wasn't expecting. There were several recipes included throughout the book and while I realize that Grace enjoys to cook I wasn't sold on including these recipes in a contemporary fiction read. They felt like an afterthought or a distraction more than a bonus.
Finally, there were some loose ends that weren't tied up by the end of the book and I find that frustrating. For example, why did the reader not find out the motive of the psychiatrist? Why was so much time devoted to the back story involving Grace's mom? Why did Beth zone in on Grace's family specifically?
In the end, this book was not a hit with me. With no twists or turns, cliched characters and a very predictable plot this book felt like it should be a movie of the week. This was not the kind of book I was expecting from a seasoned author like Jane Green.
My Rating: 2/5 stars
** This book review, as well as hundreds more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I also share hundreds of my favourite recipes. **
My Review: Jane Green has a solid reputation as an author of women's fiction. Many years ago I had read one of her books and remember enjoying it. But it wasn't until last month that I picked up another book by Green -- Another Piece Of My Heart and listened to the e-audio version. Unfortunately that book, and sadly, Saving Grace haven't lived up to my expectations for this popular author.
I found Saving Grace to be very predictable. You could see Beth's 'game' a mile away but I gave the author some leeway and assumed she'd throw some big twist at the reader. This never happened. As soon as Beth told Grace to email her references warning bells went off in my head (as would most people) but sadly, not in dear Grace's head.
Another deal breaker for me is when I don't feel connected to the main character. This was the case with Grace. Sure, I felt bad that her world was crumbling down around her but it was Grace's personality and lack of strength that got to me quickly. She was cowed by her verbally abusive husband and seemed a little dim for having to farm out dealing with the day-to-day issues to a stranger and couldn't even pay bills or organize a kitchen pantry on her own. I think she was supposed to be some Martha Stewart-type woman ... and at times she was with her cooking etc but she definitely didn't have any power.
Grace was then pushed out of her life and marriage much too easily to be believable with the final straw that pushes her over the edge being the fact that tables, chairs and appropriate napkins weren't delivered for one of her famous 'do's'. It was silly and the fact that she doesn't see who was behind it immediately is laughable. It's this continual acceptance of the events that happen to her without asking for help, second opinions or even just standing up for herself that I found frustrating. She struggles to make any decisions for herself for the entire book.
There was also a unique addition to the book that I wasn't expecting. There were several recipes included throughout the book and while I realize that Grace enjoys to cook I wasn't sold on including these recipes in a contemporary fiction read. They felt like an afterthought or a distraction more than a bonus.
Finally, there were some loose ends that weren't tied up by the end of the book and I find that frustrating. For example, why did the reader not find out the motive of the psychiatrist? Why was so much time devoted to the back story involving Grace's mom? Why did Beth zone in on Grace's family specifically?
In the end, this book was not a hit with me. With no twists or turns, cliched characters and a very predictable plot this book felt like it should be a movie of the week. This was not the kind of book I was expecting from a seasoned author like Jane Green.
My Rating: 2/5 stars
** This book review, as well as hundreds more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I also share hundreds of my favourite recipes. **
November 30, 2014
I would like to first thank Net Galley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
On the outside Grace and Ted Chapman are look to be the perfect couple to everyone they know, but behind close doors that isn't the case at all. As a stay at home mom Grace has been the perfect wife taking care of her husband in the best of times as well as the worst (which seem far more frequent). Ted's standing the literary community seems to be going down hill book by book and Grace seems to be the one that receives the brunt of his anger.
When Ted's assistant needs to leave for personal reasons, their lives seem to crumble. Grace begins to worry little by little that she is falling apart and becoming her mother.
Then out of the blue, the perfect assistant comes along. Beth comes into their lives and looks to be a savior that is sent to help turn their lives around and help them before they are ruined.
Soon Grace realizes though, that Beth is not what she seems and Grace needs to fix herself before she loses everything from her family to her life and even her sanity.
This book will have you guessing what will happen at each turn and wondering how someone that seemed so perfect for the family could be the worst thing that ever happened to them till the very end.
On the outside Grace and Ted Chapman are look to be the perfect couple to everyone they know, but behind close doors that isn't the case at all. As a stay at home mom Grace has been the perfect wife taking care of her husband in the best of times as well as the worst (which seem far more frequent). Ted's standing the literary community seems to be going down hill book by book and Grace seems to be the one that receives the brunt of his anger.
When Ted's assistant needs to leave for personal reasons, their lives seem to crumble. Grace begins to worry little by little that she is falling apart and becoming her mother.
Then out of the blue, the perfect assistant comes along. Beth comes into their lives and looks to be a savior that is sent to help turn their lives around and help them before they are ruined.
Soon Grace realizes though, that Beth is not what she seems and Grace needs to fix herself before she loses everything from her family to her life and even her sanity.
This book will have you guessing what will happen at each turn and wondering how someone that seemed so perfect for the family could be the worst thing that ever happened to them till the very end.
February 21, 2015
Grace Chapman has been married to mega-author, Ted for over 20 years. They love each other and from the outside they have the perfect.life. In reality, Ted is self-centered with a raging temper and an ego that needs constant stroking. After growing up with a verbally abusive, mentally ill mother, Grace is used to walking on eggshells and good at placating Ted's anger until the storm passes.
Their life gets turned upside down when Ted's long term assistant, Ellen leaves her job. Enter Beth, the new, too-good-to-be-believed assistant and Grace's life begins changing in ways she could never imagine.
At times Grace is a victim which I found both frustrating and also true to life, making her a more well-rounded character. This is clearly Grace's story and most of the other characters felt one-dimensional to me. In the end, Grace takes charge of her life, grows and changes and kept me turning pages to see how she'd turn out
Their life gets turned upside down when Ted's long term assistant, Ellen leaves her job. Enter Beth, the new, too-good-to-be-believed assistant and Grace's life begins changing in ways she could never imagine.
At times Grace is a victim which I found both frustrating and also true to life, making her a more well-rounded character. This is clearly Grace's story and most of the other characters felt one-dimensional to me. In the end, Grace takes charge of her life, grows and changes and kept me turning pages to see how she'd turn out
February 16, 2016
SAVING GRACE Hardcover Giveaway Contest (ends 2/29/16): https://crowdedearthkitchen.com/2016/...
This is an AMAZING book - it's quiet at the beginning, but grabbed me as the middle approached, and I couldn't put it down until all the pieces came together. The story lines made me think "Gone Girl meets Single White Female". Sometimes heartwarming, sometimes creepy, sometimes romantic, and sometimes suspenseful - this book has it all. I enjoyed the hops back and forth between the US and England, along with the delicious sounding English recipes scattered throughout the novel. I also include recipes in my novels, and hope my own are half as good as the recipes in Saving Grace! What an engaging read - I'm looking forward to reading more by Jane Green.
This is an AMAZING book - it's quiet at the beginning, but grabbed me as the middle approached, and I couldn't put it down until all the pieces came together. The story lines made me think "Gone Girl meets Single White Female". Sometimes heartwarming, sometimes creepy, sometimes romantic, and sometimes suspenseful - this book has it all. I enjoyed the hops back and forth between the US and England, along with the delicious sounding English recipes scattered throughout the novel. I also include recipes in my novels, and hope my own are half as good as the recipes in Saving Grace! What an engaging read - I'm looking forward to reading more by Jane Green.
January 6, 2018
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I usually enjoy Jane Green's work a great deal but felt a bit let down by this book. The premise was intriguing and who would not be keen to see whether Grace Chapman would stand up to her bully of a husband, or indeed the seemingly indispensable assistant they employ? However the story became too predictable and I often felt Grace to be too much of a doormat to believe in her completely. Very often I found myself wanting to shake Grace for being so passive and wanting to slap Ted for his total self absorption. The inclusion of all the recipes was bizarre and quite annoying while adding nothing to the unfolding of the plot. I was glad to see Grace allowed herself to be happy in the end but would have felt better about the book as a whole if Beth got some sort of payback for her schemes.
I usually enjoy Jane Green's work a great deal but felt a bit let down by this book. The premise was intriguing and who would not be keen to see whether Grace Chapman would stand up to her bully of a husband, or indeed the seemingly indispensable assistant they employ? However the story became too predictable and I often felt Grace to be too much of a doormat to believe in her completely. Very often I found myself wanting to shake Grace for being so passive and wanting to slap Ted for his total self absorption. The inclusion of all the recipes was bizarre and quite annoying while adding nothing to the unfolding of the plot. I was glad to see Grace allowed herself to be happy in the end but would have felt better about the book as a whole if Beth got some sort of payback for her schemes.
February 11, 2015
It's a bad sign, I think, that the tagline for this book --A perfect marriage can also be the perfect target dot dot dot-- is quickly disproven within the first few pages. Apparently, a by and large loveless marriage with abuse and piss poor communication is perfect so long the people within the marriage are wealthy and reasonably world famous. From the word go the only thing 'perfect' about these people are their money, image and status. So yes, I suppose if one is materialistic and status conscious, yes the tagline applies.
dot dot dot
'kay.
Saving Grace is the story of Grace Chapman, your basic garden variety lovely and lovable-sweet-beautiful-scatterbrained-self doubting Mary Sue Everywoman. Grace's husband Ted is both a colossal manchild and world famous author who's literary star is on the wane. After his long time assistant quits, Grace finds Ted's frequent tantrums, emotional abuse and fits of pique unmanageable on her own, and goes in search of a new babysitter/assistant for him. Enter Beth the seemingly perfect assistant, perfect in the same way their marriage is perfect, all meaty hamfists "But IS she what she seems???"
Of course not. Ho hum.
This book could have been so many things, but it wasn't. It tiptoes around the periphery of interesting and serious subjects which...well, upon reflection I realize are suddenly very en vogue with books right now, at least the ones I've read in the past few weeks. Unfaithful, upper class husbands in established marriages to gracious upper class pre-menopausal women, predatory ingenues and nasty things that supposedly don't happen in such perfect (and did I mention, upper class) marriages. Saving Grace truly doesn't bring anything new to the table, it only barely skims the surface and offers little by the way of insight to the subject of abuse, infidelity and aging within a marriage.
Further, it's just all been done before. Literally. I read this book with a sense of déjà vu; I know I've read other books about still gorgeous and gracious fortysomethings who volunteer at a battered women's shelter even though shocker gasp plot twist, they themselves are in an abusive relationship. Even the addition of recipes at the ends of each chapter has been done before. While the whole Single White Female vibe had the potential to be interesting, it too ends up just a tired old cliche which eventually came across as somewhat tone deaf oblivious to how creepy such a thing would actually be.
There's no plot twists or turns, it's straight forward to the end. Exactly what you suspect may happens, happens. Honestly, there's barely even a plot arc or character development, aside from Beth becoming almost cartoonishly evil.
Saving Grace is straight forward and predictable, a very safe entry in a long line in the genre. It bubbles on being engaging but instead is the chick lit equivalent of a by the numbers coloring page targeted to six year olds. Basic, flat, unimaginative. But all the same good, for a quick bit of entertainment so long as you don't mind coloring with the big fat crayons which come only in an eight pack of primary colors, the ones that aren't any good for detail.
However, it was not the dull predictability of Saving Grace which made it warrant one star. The real problem I found with this book was the author's cavalier attitude toward mental illness. Green is offensive and ignorant, bipolar disorder is written off basically a made up American disease. I found it baffling how the protagonist would mull over the fact her bipolar mother would have benefited greatly from medication and treatment for her illness while often on the same page decrying BPD as being phony, over diagnosed and made up. The book's send up of the treatment for BPD and mental illness was shameful, ignorant and I'd go so far as to say harmful. I wouldn't claim to know the statistics on how many are truly over medicated but it's kind of some BS to see that even in today's day and age, when we all should know better, mental illness being dismissed as minor or made up entirely.
If it weren't for the utter stupidity in which the author chose to handle mental illness, I'd have been willing to bump this up to two stars. If it weren't for the hateful and ignorant mishandling of a serious mental disorder, this book would have been okay. Dull, lack luster and predictable but okay. The kind of book picked up in a hurry to be read in airports or on beaches and then just as quickly forgotten. But this brainless bit of fluff actually found a way to be offensive. One star. It's a bad book. Don't waste your time and certainly don't waste your money.
dot dot dot
'kay.
Saving Grace is the story of Grace Chapman, your basic garden variety lovely and lovable-sweet-beautiful-scatterbrained-self doubting Mary Sue Everywoman. Grace's husband Ted is both a colossal manchild and world famous author who's literary star is on the wane. After his long time assistant quits, Grace finds Ted's frequent tantrums, emotional abuse and fits of pique unmanageable on her own, and goes in search of a new babysitter/assistant for him. Enter Beth the seemingly perfect assistant, perfect in the same way their marriage is perfect, all meaty hamfists "But IS she what she seems???"
Of course not. Ho hum.
This book could have been so many things, but it wasn't. It tiptoes around the periphery of interesting and serious subjects which...well, upon reflection I realize are suddenly very en vogue with books right now, at least the ones I've read in the past few weeks. Unfaithful, upper class husbands in established marriages to gracious upper class pre-menopausal women, predatory ingenues and nasty things that supposedly don't happen in such perfect (and did I mention, upper class) marriages. Saving Grace truly doesn't bring anything new to the table, it only barely skims the surface and offers little by the way of insight to the subject of abuse, infidelity and aging within a marriage.
Further, it's just all been done before. Literally. I read this book with a sense of déjà vu; I know I've read other books about still gorgeous and gracious fortysomethings who volunteer at a battered women's shelter even though shocker gasp plot twist, they themselves are in an abusive relationship. Even the addition of recipes at the ends of each chapter has been done before. While the whole Single White Female vibe had the potential to be interesting, it too ends up just a tired old cliche which eventually came across as somewhat tone deaf oblivious to how creepy such a thing would actually be.
There's no plot twists or turns, it's straight forward to the end. Exactly what you suspect may happens, happens. Honestly, there's barely even a plot arc or character development, aside from Beth becoming almost cartoonishly evil.
Saving Grace is straight forward and predictable, a very safe entry in a long line in the genre. It bubbles on being engaging but instead is the chick lit equivalent of a by the numbers coloring page targeted to six year olds. Basic, flat, unimaginative. But all the same good, for a quick bit of entertainment so long as you don't mind coloring with the big fat crayons which come only in an eight pack of primary colors, the ones that aren't any good for detail.
However, it was not the dull predictability of Saving Grace which made it warrant one star. The real problem I found with this book was the author's cavalier attitude toward mental illness. Green is offensive and ignorant, bipolar disorder is written off basically a made up American disease. I found it baffling how the protagonist would mull over the fact her bipolar mother would have benefited greatly from medication and treatment for her illness while often on the same page decrying BPD as being phony, over diagnosed and made up. The book's send up of the treatment for BPD and mental illness was shameful, ignorant and I'd go so far as to say harmful. I wouldn't claim to know the statistics on how many are truly over medicated but it's kind of some BS to see that even in today's day and age, when we all should know better, mental illness being dismissed as minor or made up entirely.
If it weren't for the utter stupidity in which the author chose to handle mental illness, I'd have been willing to bump this up to two stars. If it weren't for the hateful and ignorant mishandling of a serious mental disorder, this book would have been okay. Dull, lack luster and predictable but okay. The kind of book picked up in a hurry to be read in airports or on beaches and then just as quickly forgotten. But this brainless bit of fluff actually found a way to be offensive. One star. It's a bad book. Don't waste your time and certainly don't waste your money.
January 27, 2020
Any book with a setting of New York drags me in just to read the sights as for the story it's okay but I don't think it's very memorable. I like the ending for Grace I feel she is much better off, without her in the story I would have given up, she was a good character.
March 14, 2017
2015 Reading Challenge: A BOOK WRITTEN BY A FEMALE AUTHOR
"A perfect stranger wants her perfect life" except her life wasn't perfect, and neither was the stranger.
I really liked the book, though the idea kind of scared me. Because... Duuh! Someone comes in your life and wrecks it without you even noticing, that sure is scary as hell.
I barely remember when was the last time I felt so angry when reading a book. Beth was a total b**ch and Grace was willing to accept everything thrown at her and could even make herself guily for stupid things. Getting angry when someone takes your car without permission? You'd be wierd if you wouldn't.
Ted was so child-like; annoying, bossy and he didn't believe a word Grace said. What a marriage you have there! Well done, how do you guys do it? Wow... idiots
Patrick's character was so undeveloped. Reading his words it was like he never grew up, like he was stil 19. The way he talked, what he said. I know he was supposed to be this funny guy, but... Nevertheless, I liked him!
She and Jack would laugh about the outfits- the skirts got shorter and the heels grew higher week after week- but each time she saw Jack and the assistant having a conversation, she grew nervous.
"A perfect stranger wants her perfect life" except her life wasn't perfect, and neither was the stranger.
I really liked the book, though the idea kind of scared me. Because... Duuh! Someone comes in your life and wrecks it without you even noticing, that sure is scary as hell.
I barely remember when was the last time I felt so angry when reading a book. Beth was a total b**ch and Grace was willing to accept everything thrown at her and could even make herself guily for stupid things. Getting angry when someone takes your car without permission? You'd be wierd if you wouldn't.
Ted was so child-like; annoying, bossy and he didn't believe a word Grace said. What a marriage you have there! Well done, how do you guys do it? Wow... idiots
Patrick's character was so undeveloped. Reading his words it was like he never grew up, like he was stil 19. The way he talked, what he said. I know he was supposed to be this funny guy, but... Nevertheless, I liked him!
She and Jack would laugh about the outfits- the skirts got shorter and the heels grew higher week after week- but each time she saw Jack and the assistant having a conversation, she grew nervous.
June 11, 2016
Where to begin with a long list of complaints about the characters, vapid thoughts and preposterous plot. End of review.
Why even two stars? There were glimpses of child hood that resonated for me.
Why even two stars? There were glimpses of child hood that resonated for me.
March 16, 2015
Jane Green is one of my favorite authors, and I'm glad Saving Grace does not fail to disappoint. Her novels always seem to be well-written, and she attains your attention right away from the first page. Grace Chapman has the perfect life with her husband Ted .. on the outside only. Their private life consists of Ted's mood swings and rage, although, he is not abusive. Grace has a few dark secrets of her own that no one knows, not even her husband.
From the beginning of the chapter, you can imagine the tension Grace goes through. I couldn't understand why Grace stayed in this marriage for so long, twenty-five years to be exact - she's successful herself without her husband. I realized, that she's fragile and not as strong as she should have been. Grace soon needs a new assistant and then right along comes Beth.. Beth seems like a perfect replacement for her old assistant, and then slowly, Beth starts to take over Grace's life.
I liked Grace, I thought she was talented and I loved reading her cooking recipes. Although, I did feel that she was Ted's doormat at times. Grace is a weak and a vulnerable character, no one can save her except herself. Her vulnerability is based on her fears and her dark secrets. Saving Grace is a story about a woman who's life is stolen from her, her role from Ted's life is taken away by another woman. I thoroughly enjoyed this read from beginning to the end.
The plot and concept of the novel isn't original and somewhat predictable towards the end, I did like the ending though, but I wasn't too keen on what happened with Beth afterwards. I've seen this concept plenty of times in movies, but it's always great reading about it. I was hooked on reading Saving Grace beginning to the end, I could not wait to find out what happens next in Grace's life.
I hated the character Beth, I'm guessing she has some psychological disorder. Beth and Ted deserved each other, they're both manipulative and selfish. I liked it when Grace built her courage and confidence up to fight her own battle, and get her life on the right path. Saving Grace deals with deceit, mental illness, body image, and downright evil people. Although, I'm not a huge fan of the cover, but it is a fantastic read.
Disclosure: Review Copy was sent free of charge courtesy of St. Martin's Press.
From the beginning of the chapter, you can imagine the tension Grace goes through. I couldn't understand why Grace stayed in this marriage for so long, twenty-five years to be exact - she's successful herself without her husband. I realized, that she's fragile and not as strong as she should have been. Grace soon needs a new assistant and then right along comes Beth.. Beth seems like a perfect replacement for her old assistant, and then slowly, Beth starts to take over Grace's life.
I liked Grace, I thought she was talented and I loved reading her cooking recipes. Although, I did feel that she was Ted's doormat at times. Grace is a weak and a vulnerable character, no one can save her except herself. Her vulnerability is based on her fears and her dark secrets. Saving Grace is a story about a woman who's life is stolen from her, her role from Ted's life is taken away by another woman. I thoroughly enjoyed this read from beginning to the end.
The plot and concept of the novel isn't original and somewhat predictable towards the end, I did like the ending though, but I wasn't too keen on what happened with Beth afterwards. I've seen this concept plenty of times in movies, but it's always great reading about it. I was hooked on reading Saving Grace beginning to the end, I could not wait to find out what happens next in Grace's life.
I hated the character Beth, I'm guessing she has some psychological disorder. Beth and Ted deserved each other, they're both manipulative and selfish. I liked it when Grace built her courage and confidence up to fight her own battle, and get her life on the right path. Saving Grace deals with deceit, mental illness, body image, and downright evil people. Although, I'm not a huge fan of the cover, but it is a fantastic read.
Disclosure: Review Copy was sent free of charge courtesy of St. Martin's Press.
January 9, 2015
The central storyline of a woman insidiously integrating into the life of Grace and Ted Chapman could have been interesting. However; there are many missed opportunities to have Beths POV, to add motive and potentially a more sinister element to the story.
The real issue with the book is that no character is particularly likeable, except maybe Lydia and Patrick. Grace, the protagonist is 1 dimensional. We are constantly being told about her amazing body, her amazing food, how amazing other people think she is (except her abusive husband Ted).
Which leads me to Ted, who is awful. Grace constantly states how much fear and anxiety he produces in her. How much a bully is he, how she cannot consider standing up to him- which I understand, I know people stay in abusive relationships for years or forever.
The writing was ordinary as well.
Very disappointed!
The real issue with the book is that no character is particularly likeable, except maybe Lydia and Patrick. Grace, the protagonist is 1 dimensional. We are constantly being told about her amazing body, her amazing food, how amazing other people think she is (except her abusive husband Ted).
Which leads me to Ted, who is awful. Grace constantly states how much fear and anxiety he produces in her. How much a bully is he, how she cannot consider standing up to him- which I understand, I know people stay in abusive relationships for years or forever.
The writing was ordinary as well.
Very disappointed!
January 28, 2015
I didn't love it, for several reasons. The one that upset me the most is that I think the author missed out on a really valuable chance to address verbal and emotional abuse. The characters just patted the abuser on the head as if all men can be that cold and vicious and manipulative. That's actually not normal, and that should have been addressed. Grace's (the protagonist) "aha!" moment wasn't very believable or well written. I didn't really FEEL it. Also, there wasn't near enough development of how the assistant was working to destroy Grace's life. Grace allowed that there had been things that had been off, items that had been misplaced, etc., but there weren't enough specific instances. Character development was lacking.
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