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Pretty Much Screwed
Known for her “hilarious and spot-on”* memoirs I’ve Still Got It…I Just Can’t Remember Where I Put It and If It Was Easy, They’d Call the Whole Damn Thing a Honeymoon , Jenna McCarthy turns her comedic talents to fiction with a novel about picking yourself up out of the gutter when life kicks you to the curb…
“I don’t love you anymore.”
For Charlotte Crawford, the worst part about being dumped after twenty years of marriage is that her husband, Jack, doesn’t want another woman; he just doesn’t want her.
Forty-two and clueless, Charlotte is a fish out of water in a dating pool teeming with losers. Just when she thinks she’s finally put her failed marriage behind her, it comes back to bite her in the ass…hard. Without warning, Charlotte finds herself staring down the barrel of a future she wouldn’t ( she would totally ) wish on her worst enemy.
Engaging, fearless, and relentlessly funny, Pretty Much Screwed is a story of love, loss, friendship, forgiveness, turtledoves, taxidermy, and one hilariously ill-placed tick.
*Celia Rivenbark, New York Times Bestselling Author
“I don’t love you anymore.”
For Charlotte Crawford, the worst part about being dumped after twenty years of marriage is that her husband, Jack, doesn’t want another woman; he just doesn’t want her.
Forty-two and clueless, Charlotte is a fish out of water in a dating pool teeming with losers. Just when she thinks she’s finally put her failed marriage behind her, it comes back to bite her in the ass…hard. Without warning, Charlotte finds herself staring down the barrel of a future she wouldn’t ( she would totally ) wish on her worst enemy.
Engaging, fearless, and relentlessly funny, Pretty Much Screwed is a story of love, loss, friendship, forgiveness, turtledoves, taxidermy, and one hilariously ill-placed tick.
*Celia Rivenbark, New York Times Bestselling Author
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2015
46 people are currently reading
950 people want to read
About the author
Jenna McCarthy
36 books123 followersI’ve been writing for a long time.
I submitted my first short story to Highlights magazine in 1977.
I never got a reply.
In high school I wrote a lot of really bad poetry. Mercifully, I didn’t save any of it.
The first thing I ever had published was an essay in my college newspaper. The typesetter misspelled the word "sing" as "sign" in the last line and the whole thing made no sense whatsoever.
After graduation I got a job writing copy for a big advertising agency. I would have stayed there forever if I hadn’t gotten laid off on my twenty-fifth birthday. I grabbed a stapler and some sticky notes before I was escorted out of the building by a police officer.
I started writing fabulous articles and submitting them to all of the Fancy New York City Magazines (FNYCMs). None of them were ever published, although I did get one really nice, hand-written rejection letter.
One day, a FNYCM Editor offered me a job. I was so excited that I took it without knowing the salary. A few years later, I moved to another FNYCM. And then another. Dozens more asked me to write articles in exchange for actual money. I moved to California, wrote a book, had some babies, and wrote several more books. I gave a TED talk, flipped a house on TV and learned how to play tennis. Right now I’m trying to give up processed food and teach myself how to write a screenplay. At the same time. It’s not easy.
Someday I’d like to start a petition to have the words mauve and moist removed from the English language.
I don’t like to brag, but I’m the luckiest person I know. I’m married to my best friend, I work in my pajamas and I have two beautiful, healthy, hilarious daughters. I like cats and sparkly things and laughing until my sides hurt. And hats. I really like hats.
Oh, and I’m not Jenny McCarthy. But you knew that, right?
I submitted my first short story to Highlights magazine in 1977.
I never got a reply.
In high school I wrote a lot of really bad poetry. Mercifully, I didn’t save any of it.
The first thing I ever had published was an essay in my college newspaper. The typesetter misspelled the word "sing" as "sign" in the last line and the whole thing made no sense whatsoever.
After graduation I got a job writing copy for a big advertising agency. I would have stayed there forever if I hadn’t gotten laid off on my twenty-fifth birthday. I grabbed a stapler and some sticky notes before I was escorted out of the building by a police officer.
I started writing fabulous articles and submitting them to all of the Fancy New York City Magazines (FNYCMs). None of them were ever published, although I did get one really nice, hand-written rejection letter.
One day, a FNYCM Editor offered me a job. I was so excited that I took it without knowing the salary. A few years later, I moved to another FNYCM. And then another. Dozens more asked me to write articles in exchange for actual money. I moved to California, wrote a book, had some babies, and wrote several more books. I gave a TED talk, flipped a house on TV and learned how to play tennis. Right now I’m trying to give up processed food and teach myself how to write a screenplay. At the same time. It’s not easy.
Someday I’d like to start a petition to have the words mauve and moist removed from the English language.
I don’t like to brag, but I’m the luckiest person I know. I’m married to my best friend, I work in my pajamas and I have two beautiful, healthy, hilarious daughters. I like cats and sparkly things and laughing until my sides hurt. And hats. I really like hats.
Oh, and I’m not Jenny McCarthy. But you knew that, right?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
June 12, 2019
SMART chick lit.
I adored reading Pretty Much Screwed. With this type of book, you never know how it is going to go. I am happy to say this was delightful from start to finish.
Charlotte's husband has left her. Not for another woman (or women). He just..left. For Charlotte it would have been easier if there WAS another woman. She doesn't get how Jack can just up and stop loving her.
People close to her encourage her to date so she does...only to find out she knows nothing about the modern dating mentality and what it is all about.
This book is both wickedly funny and somehow tender and poignant too. I am not going to go into what happens to Charlotte but it is absolutely a book worth reading and I loved it. I will look for more of this author's works.
I adored reading Pretty Much Screwed. With this type of book, you never know how it is going to go. I am happy to say this was delightful from start to finish.
Charlotte's husband has left her. Not for another woman (or women). He just..left. For Charlotte it would have been easier if there WAS another woman. She doesn't get how Jack can just up and stop loving her.
People close to her encourage her to date so she does...only to find out she knows nothing about the modern dating mentality and what it is all about.
This book is both wickedly funny and somehow tender and poignant too. I am not going to go into what happens to Charlotte but it is absolutely a book worth reading and I loved it. I will look for more of this author's works.
Read
August 4, 2015Nice ending, but a painful path to get there
July 3, 2015
Uproariously funny! McCarthy never disappoints. The perfect selection for your next beach outing or book club gathering!
October 14, 2015
Man, this book was not for me. It was probably my own fault for starting it, but I was hoping it wasn't quite as fluffy as it seemed. Spoiler: It's very, very fluffy.
July 6, 2015
I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at Jenna McCarthy's debut novel and was immediately - and happily - sucked into it. Already a fan of her hilarious nonfiction, I was excited to experience Jenna's storytelling voice and it did not disappoint. Tart, smart, and sharply observed, PRETTY MUCH SCREWED lives up to its comedic premise and delivers an addictively satisfying read. Prepare to embarrass yourself by snorting with laughter in public, because this is the book you'll be toting everywhere you go this summer.
August 26, 2015
Read my full review here: http://ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2...
Between the title and the cover image, I knew this would be a fun, light read. With the "four girlfriends" setup (why is always four?) readers are first given main character Charlotte's, best friend Lizzy's marriage meltdown. Though shocking, when privy to Charlotte's marriage (aka asshole husband) you can't help but hope that "the D word" is catching. I don't like when characters are absolutely clueless about obvious situations, and I found myself wanting to smack Charlotte a few times to wake her up. Along with a few eye rolls, I chuckled several times and found the conversations and banter realistic. I smiled as I read this and would recommend it to someone wanting a light read or to someone dating again after a divorce.
Between the title and the cover image, I knew this would be a fun, light read. With the "four girlfriends" setup (why is always four?) readers are first given main character Charlotte's, best friend Lizzy's marriage meltdown. Though shocking, when privy to Charlotte's marriage (aka asshole husband) you can't help but hope that "the D word" is catching. I don't like when characters are absolutely clueless about obvious situations, and I found myself wanting to smack Charlotte a few times to wake her up. Along with a few eye rolls, I chuckled several times and found the conversations and banter realistic. I smiled as I read this and would recommend it to someone wanting a light read or to someone dating again after a divorce.
June 24, 2015
I received this books in the goodreads first reads.
Lets talk first about the thinks I like. I like the author writing style I enjoy the first 192 pages of the book and then it went down hill from there.
What I didn't like about the book is the main character. Spoiler alert
So overall good writing.
Lets talk first about the thinks I like. I like the author writing style I enjoy the first 192 pages of the book and then it went down hill from there.
What I didn't like about the book is the main character. Spoiler alert
So overall good writing.
January 15, 2019
A light, midlife chick lit novel about a woman whose marriage unravels and the aftermath of drama that follows, Pretty Much screwed was a perfect escapist, if a little insipid, story. The writing is good, the characters flawed (except for Jesse- but a Prince Charming is a stock feature of a chick lit, no?), and the plot well paced. 3 stars.
June 14, 2016
PRETTY MUCH SCREWED: The Death of Cupid
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
Oh my goodness! I am not the easiest woman to live with and have been known to bitch at or scold my husband, but even I would have found Charlotte, the main female character in the story hard to live with. I almost felt Jack, her husband, to be the hero when he finally made the move to dump her. “Almost” because Jack was a complete and total A-hole with few redeeming qualities. Whether he had good qualities when they met and married wasn’t clear to me. But even if he had, I figured living with the shrewish Charlotte would have worn him down to the lazy jerk we meet. Or, it is possible that Charlotte became shrewish because he was a jerk.
That’s why my sub-title for this post is The Death of Cupid: It is possible to kill love.
By the last third of the book, I figured out that the abrasive woman trope (is that a trope) was a literary device so Charlotte would be able to grow and realize her part in her relationship failures. Jack still had zero redeeming qualities.
Some of the characters in the book are nuanced as well: Charlotte’s daughter, and her friend Lizzy.
Like the blurb says, the hilariously ill-placed tick is pretty funny. And there are some other funny things in the story.
There is one scene in the book that made me think the author had been at the same restaurant in Boston in July of 1982 that I visited with my soon-to-be husband. Watching, and hearing, a guy tell his wife he was leaving her was as uncomfortable then as it was to hear in the audiobook. He had brought a suitcase to lunch though so,….
This brings me to the story’s relatability.
I’m a few years older than Charlotte and Lizzy, and sometimes I think they act older than they are, but I could relate to their woes. The issues between Jack and Charlotte are very much the issues faced in many marriages. And, what Charlotte finally learns is good to take note of. The characters’ many foibles make them feel real. Charlotte’s abrasive manner of dealing with her husband was a little over-emphasized and is the reason I spent hours looking for public domain images for “shrew,” “nag,” and “fishwife” to use in my featured image for this post.
The book brought to mind a couple of posts I read this past winter. In one, a guy wrote about how his wife was leaving him because after 20 years he still wouldn’t put his glass in the dishwasher, but he goes on to say the glass issue wasn’t the cause but a symptom of his not really taking things she asked for – simple things — seriously. By not taking her requests seriously, he realized, he realized he had shown a lack of respect (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew...). The other article talked about not nagging one’s husband because a wife is not her husband’s mother, and nagging can become abusive (I think this is it: http://www.tickld.com/x/woman-realize...).
I read the latter, and it really has had an impact how I interact with my husband. To be fair, he read the former and it has made him more responsive to my requests. Honestly, the two posts are two sides of the same coin and with this book demonstrate the cycle of a lack of respect and rebuke.
The narrator’s voice has a sultry but upbeat tone and her reading was well-modulated and did not take away from the story. I wondered why the author, a public speaker and actress, did not narrate the book herself.
I felt ambivalent about the book, probably because after many years of marriage it struck too close to home in the sense of a cautionary tale: Relationships take gentle care and feeding, from both sides. Love can be killed.
It was very interesting to watch Charlotte turn into a better and happier person!
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
Oh my goodness! I am not the easiest woman to live with and have been known to bitch at or scold my husband, but even I would have found Charlotte, the main female character in the story hard to live with. I almost felt Jack, her husband, to be the hero when he finally made the move to dump her. “Almost” because Jack was a complete and total A-hole with few redeeming qualities. Whether he had good qualities when they met and married wasn’t clear to me. But even if he had, I figured living with the shrewish Charlotte would have worn him down to the lazy jerk we meet. Or, it is possible that Charlotte became shrewish because he was a jerk.
That’s why my sub-title for this post is The Death of Cupid: It is possible to kill love.
By the last third of the book, I figured out that the abrasive woman trope (is that a trope) was a literary device so Charlotte would be able to grow and realize her part in her relationship failures. Jack still had zero redeeming qualities.
Some of the characters in the book are nuanced as well: Charlotte’s daughter, and her friend Lizzy.
Like the blurb says, the hilariously ill-placed tick is pretty funny. And there are some other funny things in the story.
There is one scene in the book that made me think the author had been at the same restaurant in Boston in July of 1982 that I visited with my soon-to-be husband. Watching, and hearing, a guy tell his wife he was leaving her was as uncomfortable then as it was to hear in the audiobook. He had brought a suitcase to lunch though so,….
This brings me to the story’s relatability.
I’m a few years older than Charlotte and Lizzy, and sometimes I think they act older than they are, but I could relate to their woes. The issues between Jack and Charlotte are very much the issues faced in many marriages. And, what Charlotte finally learns is good to take note of. The characters’ many foibles make them feel real. Charlotte’s abrasive manner of dealing with her husband was a little over-emphasized and is the reason I spent hours looking for public domain images for “shrew,” “nag,” and “fishwife” to use in my featured image for this post.
The book brought to mind a couple of posts I read this past winter. In one, a guy wrote about how his wife was leaving him because after 20 years he still wouldn’t put his glass in the dishwasher, but he goes on to say the glass issue wasn’t the cause but a symptom of his not really taking things she asked for – simple things — seriously. By not taking her requests seriously, he realized, he realized he had shown a lack of respect (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew...). The other article talked about not nagging one’s husband because a wife is not her husband’s mother, and nagging can become abusive (I think this is it: http://www.tickld.com/x/woman-realize...).
I read the latter, and it really has had an impact how I interact with my husband. To be fair, he read the former and it has made him more responsive to my requests. Honestly, the two posts are two sides of the same coin and with this book demonstrate the cycle of a lack of respect and rebuke.
The narrator’s voice has a sultry but upbeat tone and her reading was well-modulated and did not take away from the story. I wondered why the author, a public speaker and actress, did not narrate the book herself.
I felt ambivalent about the book, probably because after many years of marriage it struck too close to home in the sense of a cautionary tale: Relationships take gentle care and feeding, from both sides. Love can be killed.
It was very interesting to watch Charlotte turn into a better and happier person!
February 4, 2016
Oh I did not like this book.
I mean, I really appreciated the comedy of this book. All the reviews said it was funny and I definitely found myself laughing at points but the rest of it?
No.
Just...no.
Mainly because I couldn't stand any of the characters. I mean these were all supposed to be grown ass women. They had children. Grown children. They had jobs. They had lived life. And all they cared about was men. Being single is the worst thing in the whole entire world and a fate worse than death and oh my god, you need to find a new man as quickly as possible because god forbid you spend five seconds alone. That's all I got from this book.
I mean I could have appreciated most of it...even the idea of her being so tempted to get back with her ex even though he was so clearly an asshole but...no, no. The whole thing was hitting you over the head with the idea that if you don't have a man, you basically might as well whither up and die.
Anytime Charlotte was single, she was pathetically depressed. And no where in the book did she grow. She didn't find a new passion, she didn't excel at work, no...she was just either trying to get back together with her ex or trying to find a new man.
Or worrying about her weight. Which fine, women have a lot of pressure on them but dear lord, I was tired of hearing about the weight. Like...really?? She was more concerned with the size of her ass than what the hell was going on with her kids. Who she didn't seem to give two shits about. I mean, she was too busy with the weight and the dating and everything else to take two seconds to wonder how her kids were handling the divorce. Hell, all they were good for was feeding her info.
Oh and the guy she ended up with was disgustingly perfect. Like...right out of a Disney movie idea of Prince Charming who could do no wrong. Yuck.
I'd be willing to try one of Jenna's non-fictions, her humor was good but this book...not so much.
I mean, I really appreciated the comedy of this book. All the reviews said it was funny and I definitely found myself laughing at points but the rest of it?
No.
Just...no.
Mainly because I couldn't stand any of the characters. I mean these were all supposed to be grown ass women. They had children. Grown children. They had jobs. They had lived life. And all they cared about was men. Being single is the worst thing in the whole entire world and a fate worse than death and oh my god, you need to find a new man as quickly as possible because god forbid you spend five seconds alone. That's all I got from this book.
I mean I could have appreciated most of it...even the idea of her being so tempted to get back with her ex even though he was so clearly an asshole but...no, no. The whole thing was hitting you over the head with the idea that if you don't have a man, you basically might as well whither up and die.
Anytime Charlotte was single, she was pathetically depressed. And no where in the book did she grow. She didn't find a new passion, she didn't excel at work, no...she was just either trying to get back together with her ex or trying to find a new man.
Or worrying about her weight. Which fine, women have a lot of pressure on them but dear lord, I was tired of hearing about the weight. Like...really?? She was more concerned with the size of her ass than what the hell was going on with her kids. Who she didn't seem to give two shits about. I mean, she was too busy with the weight and the dating and everything else to take two seconds to wonder how her kids were handling the divorce. Hell, all they were good for was feeding her info.
Oh and the guy she ended up with was disgustingly perfect. Like...right out of a Disney movie idea of Prince Charming who could do no wrong. Yuck.
I'd be willing to try one of Jenna's non-fictions, her humor was good but this book...not so much.
August 13, 2015
Charlotte Crawford’s husband of twenty years took her out for a nice dinner and told her he wanted a divorce. If that wasn’t bad enough he also told her there was no one else – he just didn’t want to be married to her anymore.
Charlotte’s best friend went through a divorce a year earlier so she knew how hard it would be. When the legal issues were finalized Charlotte had to start living again. She found that being single and dating was a different game than twenty years ago. Jenna McCarthy had me laughing as I read about Charlotte navigating 21st century dating via social media, texting, etc. She really met some winners.
While I liked a lot of this novel I had difficulty believing some of the decisions Charlotte made. That said, I really liked Charlotte’s best friend Lizzy as well as a certain chef named Jesse. I thought the novel wrapped up a bit too neatly but that aspect, along with McCarthy’s gift for telling an entertaining story, made Pretty Much Screwed a perfect beach read. 3.5 stars rounded up for GR rating.
*I received a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Charlotte’s best friend went through a divorce a year earlier so she knew how hard it would be. When the legal issues were finalized Charlotte had to start living again. She found that being single and dating was a different game than twenty years ago. Jenna McCarthy had me laughing as I read about Charlotte navigating 21st century dating via social media, texting, etc. She really met some winners.
While I liked a lot of this novel I had difficulty believing some of the decisions Charlotte made. That said, I really liked Charlotte’s best friend Lizzy as well as a certain chef named Jesse. I thought the novel wrapped up a bit too neatly but that aspect, along with McCarthy’s gift for telling an entertaining story, made Pretty Much Screwed a perfect beach read. 3.5 stars rounded up for GR rating.
*I received a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
July 29, 2015
I have read and loved Jenna's humor books, she's the foul mouthed funny friend I wish I had in real life. I wasn't sure I wanted a novel from her, because I love the REAL her, but man oh man was I wrong to worry.
This book is fucking hilarious!
Jenna is the kind of author you can say that about and not have anyone get offended, because her characters talk like real people talk, which means that when their lives fall apart they say fuck. Like, a fucking lot.
But that's not why the book is great. The book is GREAT because unlike most books that get classified as chick lit (which is a dismissive insult I'll address in another forum) this one has plot twists you never see coming, and they are hilarious, and suspenseful and even (gulp!) heartwarming.
That's right, the old cliche, I laughed, and I cried, and I fell in love with all the lovable characters in this book, and wished an early death and lots of wrinkles on the bad ones.
YOU WILL SO LOVE THIS BOOK!
This book is fucking hilarious!
Jenna is the kind of author you can say that about and not have anyone get offended, because her characters talk like real people talk, which means that when their lives fall apart they say fuck. Like, a fucking lot.
But that's not why the book is great. The book is GREAT because unlike most books that get classified as chick lit (which is a dismissive insult I'll address in another forum) this one has plot twists you never see coming, and they are hilarious, and suspenseful and even (gulp!) heartwarming.
That's right, the old cliche, I laughed, and I cried, and I fell in love with all the lovable characters in this book, and wished an early death and lots of wrinkles on the bad ones.
YOU WILL SO LOVE THIS BOOK!
August 28, 2015
Fresh off the presses, Pretty Much Screwed is a starting-over novel with plenty of twists and turns in the often messy world of love and dating. Readers will find humor and heartache; friends that lift each other up while also holding each other accountable when bad decisions are made. Though Charlotte’s response to some really life-changing news (I’m referring to specific news delivered by a friend) was drawn more like a character in a movie than a novel (which is not necessarily a bad thing – just a noticeable difference in emotional tone and writing style that was more cinematic than novel-esque), Jenna McCarthy is a brilliantly comedic writer. With a body of work in both print and media, you can count on lots of laughs when Jenna’s around. So happy to read fiction by this author.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. For complete coverage, visit my book blog at: julievalerie.com/jenna-mccarthy/
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. For complete coverage, visit my book blog at: julievalerie.com/jenna-mccarthy/
October 31, 2015
I chose this book because it was recommended based on other books I have read. It was rated well so I gave it a try. It is awful to say the least. I got about halfway through and couldn't finish. I felt no sympathy towards any of the characters. The husband was a lazy uncommitted bore and the wife was a nagging, pushy mother/wife who had the maturity of a 13 year old. Who tells people that "really she has all she ever wanted for her birthday so doesn't need any gifts" and then expects her husband to go all out to find her that perfect gift that she's always secretly wanted and then gets mad when he doesn't. She knew what he was like when she was dating him. She even said that his aloofness is one of the things that she fell in love with. Whatever! I guess I was Pretty Much Screwed for buying this book.
August 9, 2015
I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads contest. I was hooked from the very beginning and found myself wanting to read just one more chapter constantly. Charlotte ended up in a divorce and through the story you see her changing and growing. She hit the bottom at one point and was in there until she finally decided to get her life back on track. During the journey Charlotte had her fun moments where I found myself laughing along. A book of romance, separation, humor, friendship, loss, and growth. Jenna McCarthy did not hold back and made the characters and scenario feel realistic and not staged. A great read in the end.
July 17, 2015
I picked up this book for a nice pool side read and it was PERFECT. The writing kept me on my toes, both laughing and thinking, and interested in the lives of the characters. I enjoyed the dissection of the protagonist's relationships with her husband, best friend, new lover and the others in her life. Marriage, divorce, friendship, parenting - it's all complicated. This book gives you permission to laugh things off and have hope for a joy filled future. Excellent choice for a summer-time read - fast paced, kept your attention and made you laugh. Now, just wondering how long I have to wait for the follow-up novel????
October 17, 2016
This was a really quick read. I found Charlotte, whom the story was about, to be a spoiled, vain and whiney 42 year old woman, I loved her best friend Lizzy though. How this woman could not see herself for what she was, was baffeling, but then, sometimes we don't see or choose not to see what's right in front of us. She does finally make her way through all the things happening and has sort of a light bulb moment where she sees herself and the things she did to help cause the up-ending of her life. Parts of this were funny and it wasn't a bad story just nothing really stood out. I really disliked her husband, so damn selfish.
July 13, 2015
Jenna McCarthy's first novel does NOT disappoint. After two hilarious memoirs, she delves into the world of divorce in a book so juicy you won't be able to put it down. It's the perfect summer beach read: funny, dishy, MEN - and why they're so lousy on first dates. Follow four close girlfriends down the path of love and loss and be glad it's not you! If it is? You'll commiserate and laugh. Hopefully.
July 14, 2015
I received this novel from Goodreads giveaway and I thank them for it. I was hooked on the back cover and could hardly wait to start reading the book.
I was not disappointed and hated to live my life as I wanted to keep reading. I was sorry when it was over. I loved the all characters, but Lizzy was just a little too perfect. Though I think that everyone was the too perfect friend, as well!
Thanks for a great novel!
I was not disappointed and hated to live my life as I wanted to keep reading. I was sorry when it was over. I loved the all characters, but Lizzy was just a little too perfect. Though I think that everyone was the too perfect friend, as well!
Thanks for a great novel!
August 4, 2015
Jenna McCarthy's first novel does not disappoint! She brings the same everyday humor that she has in her memoirs to this novel. I could not put down this book and found myself saying things like, "No! That did not just happen!" This is the perfect selection for your book club or if you are in need of a juicy summer read.
August 21, 2015
a) it is super easy to read and sucks you in! - read it in one day
b) perfect bookclub read - great topic for discussion!!!
c) if there were truly a man like Jesse, I would want to be married to him ... a girl can dream!
d) the writing is really good
b) perfect bookclub read - great topic for discussion!!!
c) if there were truly a man like Jesse, I would want to be married to him ... a girl can dream!
d) the writing is really good
January 20, 2018
The main character, Charlotte is annoying and whiny. It was hard to like her. I only stayed thinking she would wise up, but no, she was always a terrible person who ended up with a happy ending, when she shouldn't have.
August 7, 2015
This one had some really good laugh out loud belly laugh moments!
August 2, 2015
Super summer escape read.
August 25, 2015
4.5 OUT OF 5
October 22, 2015
Spot on about life.
February 8, 2016
bad Chick Lit
July 29, 2015
Review Originally Posted: Traveling With T
*Someone call Hollywood. This needs to be made into a movie. Pass the popcorn!*
This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.
Pretty Much Screwed
When Charlotte’s best friend, Lizzy, begins the process of getting a divorce; Charlotte supports Lizzy (while secretly being relieved that she’s not the one having to go on dates, get out there and meet people, reinvent her whole life- while being a mom AND competing with 20 year olds for available me).
Is Charlotte’s marriage perfect? No. Her husband doesn’t listen. She wishes that he would pick presents for her birthday that she wants, instead of things that no woman wants for birthdays (Toasters, anyone?) Charlotte actually finds herself annoyed at her husband fairly frequently. But he’s her husband and she loves him- plus they have the 2 kids.
Then the bomb……
He wants a divorce. Now Charlotte is on the other side- the wondering what she’ll do, the learning the joys terror of online dating, and so much more.
Just when Charlotte feels life is settled, things are good- she’s gotten used to being divorced, her life is flourishing, she’s lost weight! Life throws another curveball- and maybe even a lemon.
What will Charlotte do? Make some lemonade, of course!
Traveling With T’s Thoughts:
Full disclosure: When this book showed up in my mailbox, I thought it said Jenny McCarthy and was like “Oh… when did she write a book?” However, closer inspection (and a flip to the back cover to see a different picture) showed me that Jenna and Jenny- while sharing the same last name- were not the same people!
The Good:
The cover. It’s fun. It’s cute. Eye-catching. It’s a keeper!
The plot. Is it fully original? No. But that’s ok- because it’s a plot that entertains.
The characters. I liked Charlotte quite a bit. Lizzy, too. The dialogue between them was priceless.
This book has the potential to make you laugh a lot. It’s got some funny parts and it even has a kernel or two of a life lesson. After finishing the book, I tweeted “Someone call Hollywood and Kate Hudson- PREETY MUCH SCREWED needs to be made into a movie.”
Final thoughts: Cute book. I was entertained. I would check out another Jenna McCarthy book- however, while I enjoyed the book, I personally feel that this would make an even better movie. Someone call Hollywood and pass the popcorn!
*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*
Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,
T @ Traveling With T
*Someone call Hollywood. This needs to be made into a movie. Pass the popcorn!*
This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.
Pretty Much Screwed
When Charlotte’s best friend, Lizzy, begins the process of getting a divorce; Charlotte supports Lizzy (while secretly being relieved that she’s not the one having to go on dates, get out there and meet people, reinvent her whole life- while being a mom AND competing with 20 year olds for available me).
Is Charlotte’s marriage perfect? No. Her husband doesn’t listen. She wishes that he would pick presents for her birthday that she wants, instead of things that no woman wants for birthdays (Toasters, anyone?) Charlotte actually finds herself annoyed at her husband fairly frequently. But he’s her husband and she loves him- plus they have the 2 kids.
Then the bomb……
He wants a divorce. Now Charlotte is on the other side- the wondering what she’ll do, the learning the joys terror of online dating, and so much more.
Just when Charlotte feels life is settled, things are good- she’s gotten used to being divorced, her life is flourishing, she’s lost weight! Life throws another curveball- and maybe even a lemon.
What will Charlotte do? Make some lemonade, of course!
Traveling With T’s Thoughts:
Full disclosure: When this book showed up in my mailbox, I thought it said Jenny McCarthy and was like “Oh… when did she write a book?” However, closer inspection (and a flip to the back cover to see a different picture) showed me that Jenna and Jenny- while sharing the same last name- were not the same people!
The Good:
The cover. It’s fun. It’s cute. Eye-catching. It’s a keeper!
The plot. Is it fully original? No. But that’s ok- because it’s a plot that entertains.
The characters. I liked Charlotte quite a bit. Lizzy, too. The dialogue between them was priceless.
This book has the potential to make you laugh a lot. It’s got some funny parts and it even has a kernel or two of a life lesson. After finishing the book, I tweeted “Someone call Hollywood and Kate Hudson- PREETY MUCH SCREWED needs to be made into a movie.”
Final thoughts: Cute book. I was entertained. I would check out another Jenna McCarthy book- however, while I enjoyed the book, I personally feel that this would make an even better movie. Someone call Hollywood and pass the popcorn!
*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*
Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,
T @ Traveling With T
May 12, 2020
While the book is fast paced and will definitely keep you turning the pages, I did NOT care for it. I really didn't like Charlotte (the main character). Yes, her husband Jake is a douche-bag, but she was just as much at fault for the collapse of their marriage. She's nagging and bossy, and expects her husband to kiss her ass and tell her how wonderful she is all the time! Yet she never TALKS to him, and tells him what she wants. The whole birthday thing really irritated me. She DID say she didn't want anything, then bitched when he didn't get anything? I'm not a guy, but even I hate that crap. Men are not mind-readers. And then when they were in the restaurant and she was telling him what he could order off the menu? Ahhhh... don't think so. I would NEVER order for my husband, nor would he do it to me. He's a big-boy, he can pick out his own dinner
Then there was the whole Jesse thing. It was great, he's amazing, then boom...she just throws it all away for her jack-ass ex? Without TALKING to him about the situation? Idk...I probably would have wanted a definitive answer to "Are we getting back together?" before breaking up with someone as perfect as Jesse.
The ending was ridiculous. The story about Jesse cheating on his wife made no sense. It felt like it was thrown in at the last minute to justify to the reader why Jesse would stay with Charlotte after she lied to him. It was so out of character for the way he'd been built up as this perfect spouse/widower/boyfriend/chef/human being.
And can I just say...what 42 year old woman who's back out in the dating world DOESN'T USE BIRTH CONTROL?!?!
Nope...didn't like it. I flew through it cause I was hoping Charlotte would man-up and take control at some point, but in the end she didn't have to. Everything just works out like a perfect little fairy tale for her. Lame.
Then there was the whole Jesse thing. It was great, he's amazing, then boom...she just throws it all away for her jack-ass ex? Without TALKING to him about the situation? Idk...I probably would have wanted a definitive answer to "Are we getting back together?" before breaking up with someone as perfect as Jesse.
The ending was ridiculous. The story about Jesse cheating on his wife made no sense. It felt like it was thrown in at the last minute to justify to the reader why Jesse would stay with Charlotte after she lied to him. It was so out of character for the way he'd been built up as this perfect spouse/widower/boyfriend/chef/human being.
And can I just say...what 42 year old woman who's back out in the dating world DOESN'T USE BIRTH CONTROL?!?!
Nope...didn't like it. I flew through it cause I was hoping Charlotte would man-up and take control at some point, but in the end she didn't have to. Everything just works out like a perfect little fairy tale for her. Lame.
December 13, 2016
Charlotte Crawford gets dumped by her husband Jack, but for some unknown reason, she wants him back. I'll never understand why -- the man is rude, insensitive, obnoxious, and oblivious, and oh yeah, he has a very small penis. It's true that Charlotte is no prize herself, but Jack did her a favor by walking out of her life because it made room for new guy Jesse to walk right on in. Jesse is ridiculously perfect -- he has no baggage, owns a successful business, is good-looking, and loves Charlotte just the way she is. So yeah, it was just a teeny tiny bit hard to believe that Charlotte would dump him to run back to Jack who wanted her only for sex and housekeeping. Charlotte isn't even smart enough to notice -- instead, she fantasizes that she and Jack will remarry and life will be good. Uh huh. Of course, Jack wants nothing of the sort -- at least he's smart enough to know that the two of them were not meant to be. Just when Charlotte hits rock bottom, she runs into Jesse at Home Depot and we learn that being extremely forgiving is yet another one of Jesse's perfect qualities. Charlotte and Jesse live happily ever after. The end.
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