The Balance Project

by Susie Orman Schnall

Katherine Whitney has it all. She’s married, has two daughters, is the COO of Green Goddess & Co., a multi-billion dollar health and wellness lifestyle company, and with the release of her book on work-life balance, she is not only a media darling but she is a hero to working moms everywhere. In reality, though, Katherine’s life is starting to fall apart, and her loyal assistant Lucy Cooper is the one holding most things together. But when Katherine does something unthinkable to Lucy, Lucy is faced with a difficult decision. Will she choose to change Katherine’s life forever or continue being her main champion. Her decision could change the trajectory of both of their lives. The Balance Project is a story of loyalty, choices, and most of all balance as it explores the hot-button issue that all women struggle with.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Womens Fiction, Book Club, New York

250 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

Hi! Thanks for visiting me on Goodreads! Here's a little bit about me...

I am the author of five novels about ambitious women: ANNA BRIGHT IS HIDING SOMETHING, WE CAME HERE TO SHINE, THE SUBWAY GIRLS, THE BALANCE PROJECT, and ON GRACE. My writing has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, HuffPost, PopSugar, Writer’s Digest, Harper's Bazaar, and Glamour. I'm also a screenwriter currently shopping my first pilot and feature-length screenplay. A mother of three grown sons, I was born in Philadelphia, grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and now live with my husband in Charlotte, NC. When I'm not reading or writing you can find me pretending to be a graphic designer on Canva, doing a crossword puzzle, or hiking to the top of a mountain.

Instagram: @SusieOrmanSchnall
Website: www.susieschnall.com

Reviews

[Melissa]

http://www.chicklitcentral.com/2015/0...

[Emily Liebert]

A smart, refreshing, fast-paced read with twists and turns that will have you turning pages well past your bedtime. Schnall nails her portrayal of two heroines, in different stages of their lives, wrestling with the oft-debated question: Can women really have it all?

[Lauren]

The idea of ‘having it all’ is extremely appealing to me as a woman—after all, the thought of having a fabulous marriage, a great career, a growing family, and hobbies seems like the perfect life. Is work-life balance real? Can we really have it all? That’s what The Balance Project explores.

Side note, really quick. Susie Orman Schnall is the creator of The Balance Project, a series of interviews with accomplished women discussing balance. In fact, the novel was based off of this initial project. I first saw the project last year when I stumbled across an interview with Emily Giffin. I read several other interviews, but this was ultimately what made me request this novel.

Now. On to the meat of the review, shall we?

It’s told in first-person from Lucy’s point-of-view. Lucy is the personal assistant to Katherine, the badass leaning-in #ladyboss COO of Green Goddess. Lucy ended up in her position when she was denied the real job she wanted—a spot in digital media—but decided to get her foot in the door by taking the administrative spot. Three years later and she still hasn’t pursued a career in digital media, which turns out to be a big, ugly cloud hanging over her head for the duration of the book. After Katherine stabs her in the back, Lucy turns around and does the same thing.

You see, Katherine only seems to have it all. Her perfect facade doesn’t reveal that she doesn’t get to see her kids that much, that her sweet husband is considering leaving her, and that her life is completely chaotic and out of order.

It was kind of like a nicer version of The Devil Meets Prada. Because Katherine isn’t really devilish—she’s just kind of selfish.

On the other hand, marriage-phobe Lucy is also realizing her work-life balance is, well, unbalanced. Long hours and constant canceled plans have placed her own relationship with her hunky boyfriend Nick on the rocks.

As a main character, I liked Lucy. I could sympathize with her for the most part, though I did find her to be a bit of a spineless sissy much of the time. For a while, it was humanizing. After a while, it became whiny. However, her realistic musings and characteristics kept me not annoyed with her.

And though I have a weakness for sugar- and fat-laden coffees and processed food-like products made mostly of partially hydrogenated oils and ingredients I can’t pronounce, in my heart of hearts I was a health nut. Or would be someday.

That’s me to a damn T.

I think I sympathized the most with Katherine—she puts her career first. She wears that ‘I’ve got it all figured out’ facade. That is, until everything else spirals out of control—including her balance.

The underlying theme of the book was, surprise, balance. It was kind of like a self-help book wrapped up in a novel, which I really loved. It definitely had some great underlying messages and strong females (though I wish Lucy had been a little bit stronger). If anything, it weirdly makes me want to move to New York to get a career in something. Just because it sounds nice. And do they really have oversized bagels on every corner?

Overall, I loved this book. I rated it a 4/5 on Goodreads and would definitely recommend to those who enjoyed The Devil Meets Prada, Emily Giffin, and Lean In.

I received this book from NetGalley and SparkPress in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Lorilin]

I agree with another reviewer that this book has a “Devil Wears Prada” feel. This was a quick but relatable read. Makes me feel like my life is more under control than I give myself credit for.

[Jenny Belk]

This was my first book by Susie Orman Schnall. The opening line grabbed my attention: "Sometimes things fall apart because life has something better to come". From that first page I was hooked. This is a timely, modern take on making choices that allow you to live your most genuine, fulfilling life. It is fast-paced with endearing characters. It's not a how-to but a glimpse into what can happen when you think you have your life under control but in actuality it 's falling apart all around you. The choices that you make affect those around you in ways you sometimes don't expect. The key is to search your heart for what you really want and do whatever you have to do to balance your life and allow yourself to experience the rewarding life you desire. I loved this book and will look forward to reading more from this author. I highly recommend you read this book.

[Bethany Clark]

I don't think I could love this book anymore if I tried! My 14 year old daughter even made a comment to me this weekend about the fact that I read it so quickly! Oops? LOL
I have always found this topic of work-life balance so important, not only for women in general but personally for myself. I am a single mom with three children ages from 6-14 and I work full-time as a paralegal and I go to school part-time at night for my Masters in Human Resource Management. I know personally if I don't me time in there somewhere, I would explode or have a nervous breakdown! You can't juggle everything like Super Woman and think that pace will last forever. It won't, trust me, been there.
I will say Katherine Whitney puts up a pretty good front of being the woman that can do it all! She has two children, a great husband, is COO of a company, participates in school activities/boards, wrote a book and seems to be a hero!
But think about it, do you really think she's doing it all herself? Of course not, she has nannies (2) and assistants and so many other people assisting her - if she had to do it alone it would be over!
Lucy Cooper when to college for digital media, but the only position she could find at the time was being a personal assistant so here she is, she's Katherine's go to for just about EVERYTHING!
But then everything starts to get out of control! Katherine's marriage is in shambles, her kids barely know her, and her presence to the outside world is falling apart piece by piece.
And what about Lucy's world? Her boyfriend Nick is ready to leave her, she never sees her friends and she can't even remember the last time she worked out!
What happens next is for you to find out, and I suggest you pick up a copy today! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

[Suzanne]

I really don't know where to begin. I absolutely loved Susie Schnall's newest book, The Balance Project. I loved her style of writing in On Grace (on of my favorite books), so I knew I would love this, I didn't realize how much. I'm a working mom of two - so there were just way to many things that I had in common with Katherine. I loved how the story was told, and there were twists that I didn't expect to see coming. The love story between Lucy and Nick was written so well, you could feel Lucy's knots in your own stomach. I am especially a fan of authors who tie their stories up in the last chapter - so you can see where the characters end up six to nine months down the line. Oh, and Grace's little occurrence in the book - perfect touch. The only problem is now I'll have to wait for Susie Schnall's next book to come out! Would HIGHLY recommend to all of my friends and fellow readers.

[Brooke]

The author does a great job in this book of having Lucy make huge decisions in her life while putting a fun spin on them.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair]

"The Balance Project" is the story of Lucy, a young 20-something trying to make it in New York City. She has ideas about what she wants to do as a career but when an opportunity comes up to work for Katherine Whitney, America's queen of balance, Lucy thinks that's her foot in the door. What she doesn't realize is that Katherine really doesn't have it all figured out and the balance that she preaches about doesn't reflect her real life. Lucy is trying to keep it all together but Katherine's lack of balance seems to bleed into Lucy's life. This is a book about standing up for yourself and following your dreams. It's also the story of how looks can definitely be deceiving.

Lucy is a fantastic character. I like that the author told the story from her perspective so we really get a front row seat to all of her dealings with Katherine. Lucy definitely feels like a real person. Anyone who has just been starting out their career will recognize the desperation that Lucy has in trying to hold onto an opportunity that is wreaking havoc on her life. In the beginning of the book, Lucy seems to know what she wants and is trying to hold it all together to get there even if it means pushing away her boyfriend of eight years - she is sure that he will understand! Surprise, surprise, he doesn't understand and Lucy's life descends into greater cause chaos. We see Lucy eventually realize that having it all may look a little bit different than we initially think.

I love books that make me feel something and this book definitely made me feel a whole range of emotions. I was legitimately nervous as I watched both Lucy and Katherine's lives unravel. Being a person who favors order, the chaos really grabbed me. The ending of this book was great and I know that it is one that I am going to be thinking about for quite awhile (no spoilers!!!).

Between the topic at hand and the pop-culture references, this book is definitely very of the moment. With books like Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In" and many others, it's hard to get away from the whole "women having it all discussion." As someone who has been in the workforce for awhile and is now a new mom, I know that topic is very much on my mind a lot recently. This book is a fictional look at what that actually means to have it all and how difficult it can actually be to find that balance. It's also the story of how balance looks different for each person. Overall, I enjoyed this section will take on a timely topic!

[Barbara]

While I read most genres, I don't read as much female fiction or chick-lit. I think the last "real" chick-lit book I read was "The One That Got Away", by Bethany Chase. That was as an ARC and I don't know if I'd have picked this up, if my online book friend Hailey Fish hadn't traded traded with me. I'm really glad she did!

This was a fun enjoyable story and I genuinely liked the main character Lucy Cooper. It offered a behind the scenes look at young, professional life in NYC, working in a fast paced job and how difficult it truly is to lead a balanced life as a working woman.

Lucy is stuck in a high stress job as the personal assistant to Katherine Whitney, COO of Green Goddess, a health food chain. The demanding pace is ruining Lucy's personal life and she's starting to resent Katherine. Given the chance she decides to get back at Katherine, though she has second thoughts after going through with it. All works out in the end with Lucy's life getting getting back into balance, so to speak.

This book really makes you think about life as a working woman and mom. You just can't have it all. I don't care what anyone tells you!

[Lynda Loigman]

Move this book to the top of your TBR pile! The Balance Project is a must-read for all women, young and old, working and not. The issues it explores are themes we can all relate to, issues that will never go away and call for constant thought and discussion. More than that, this novel is an immensely well-crafted and satisfying read. Nothing is overlooked and the pacing is perfect.

This story felt more real to me than anything I have read in a long time. There are a lot of books out there with references to present-day pop culture and social media, but many times I feel like those references, while intending to make the books seem fresh and modern, end up making them feel dated and stale. Not this book! I can’t describe how the author accomplished this, but her book perfectly captures where we are right now in 2016. The writing was effortless and clever and everything about it just worked.

[TarHeelReader]

This book is a must-read for any woman. Having it all, what that means, the sacrifices involved; all of these topics are addressed perfectly through Lucy's and Katherine's characters. Well done and I recommend this to all my reader friends.

[Letty]

I really enjoyed The Balance Project. Good topic about "having it all," great characters, and overall just a wonderful, well-written, fast-paced book that I found hard to put down. I highly recommend it!

[Jennifer]

The main character of this novel, Lucy, is a 25 year old woman working as an assistant to successful business woman Katherine. Katherine is not only the COO of a company, but has also become famous for a book she wrote about how women can do it all and still have balance in their life. But of course she is relying heavily on poor Lucy, who has no balance in her life at all and is increasingly unhappy in work and her love life as a result.

I’m a big fan of Susie Orman Schnall so I decided to go back and read this book she wrote in 2014. It’s very different than her later books - feels more early 2000s chick lit and rather Devil Wears Prada-esque. I found myself frustrated with Lucy for taking so long to stand up for herself and not sure I loved the ending. But I did love the message that of course no one can be perfect in every sphere of their life, and it was a quick and engaging read. 3.75 stars

[Jena]

“You’ve got to make your own dreams happen, Lucy,” Ty says. “Sounds a lot like you’re helping to make someone else’s dreams happen.”

The Balance Project is such a fun read! Very reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada and The Nanny Diaries, The Balance Project is about the life of a working woman who earnestly and whole-heartedly believes that women can have the perfect life, everything they’ve ever wanted. If only they balance everything just right.

That woman is Lucy Cooper’s boss, Katherine Whitney, COO of a juice empire. Her new book, The Balance Project, has launched her into a new level of success with millions of women dying to know how they too can successfully have it all.

Lucy on the other hand, does not have it all. She doesn’t want to be an assistant forever, so her career isn’t exactly moving on the right track. And she doesn’t want to get married, which her boyfriend Nick is adamant about, so relationship may also be slightly unbalanced. When Katherine begins to fall apart at the seams, it falls even more on Lucy to hold it all together for her. Which is fine, until Katherine betrays Lucy unexpectedly. Not Lucy has to make a choice, and that choice will impact the course of her life. And Katherine’s.

“It sure doesn’t seem like your life is all that balanced, and you’re at ground zero of this balance operation.”

This book is a very fun read! And very funny! Lucy has an internal dialogue that is sarcastic and witty, which made her very enjoyable to read. Even when she makes the wrong choices, or doesn’t stand up for herself, she’s written in such a way, that it doesn’t feel cliche. She feels very real to me.

I think we’ve all had moments in our lives when we actively justify things that are happening, or make decisions we instantly regret, or even decisions we later regret. The thing I enjoyed about Lucy was it didn’t matter if you didn’t agree with how she processed things, or her decisions. The point was you understood. And were usually entertained along the way.

“It feels like there are crack-addicted trapeze artists in my stomach, and they are just beginning their routine.”

I really liked how we are introduced to the situation and characters without a giant info dump at the beginning. The flashbacks and narration is well paced and done so that it feels very natural to the progression of the plot. We learn a lot about Lucy and Katherine in the first chapter through a clever use of an interview. We also get a very real sense of the pressure Lucy feels as Katherine’s assistant in that first chapter. I loved that the tone and pace were introduced and maintained very consistently throughout the entire book.

Ava, her best friend is probably my favorite character. She’s the only one who I liked the entire time. It would be easy to hate the best friend who loved her job and made everything look easy while also posting an inspirational quote daily, but Ava is so kind and awesome you just want to be friends with her. I really loved that, because it’s so easy to go Mean Girls these days. It was nice to not have that cliche love/hate your best friend trope, and to also have a character that I genuinely adored throughout the entire book.

“Ava works at Cosmo – she is a fun, fearless female – as an associate features editor. She loves her job, and by love I mean she would make out with her job if she could.”

Nick, I wasn’t a fan of. And this part may get a touch spoiler-y so BEWARE! I didn’t like how the author managed to hold every other character accountable to their shitty behavior EXCEPT FOR NICK! Somehow he gets to act like a complete jerk to Lucy, give her a really intense ultimatum and in the end, he gets off the hook. Something about his list and how he handled her rejection just really didn’t sit well with me. It reeked of control issues and a refusal to compromise that didn’t fit with the rest of the books message.

Lucy is a complex character for me as well. She is willing to admit her fears and her weaknesses, but is also willing to allow people to treat her pretty poorly at times. Namely her boyfriend and her boss. And while their behaviors can be rationalized, Lucy doesn’t seem to be able to stand up for herself in healthy ways until extreme situations hit. The interesting part is I actually really liked Lucy, so maybe I just wanted her to be a bit more of her own advocate. I wanted her to see her worth more than if felt she did.

I realize that we all have to go through bad jobs, and bad relationships, and bad friendships to learn where our boundaries are. This book is a good exploration of that process. I think Lucy did forgive Nick way easier than Katherine, and wish that Nick would have offered a little more reflection on his bad behavior like other characters.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this book. It was a very fast read, I finished in an evening, and there were multiple laugh out loud lines. Even though that part with Nick really bothered me (obviously because I can’t seem to let it go), the book was a good presentation on how important it is to balance your life when you’re young.

Lucy explores some very relevant issues facing most women at all ages. How do we balance work and personal lives? When is too much too much? Is marriage and being a mother right for you? These are all very real things that most women struggle with. I was really happy to have a book that is enjoyable to read without seeming preachy, but still gives a thoughtful examination of some of these struggles. I think that most women will find a lot of it relevant and relatable, not to mention sassy and thoroughly entertaining!

Thank you BookSparks and She Writes Press for sending a copy to read and review!

[Marne - Reader By the Water]

Stressed me out too much to bother reading it.

[Ashli]

I received an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

Lucy Cooper is having a hard time balancing everything in her life at the moment. She has a job as an assistant to Katherine Whitney who is a COO and who has written a well received book about women being able to have-it-all. Since the book was so successful among women, Katherine's life, therefore Lucy's life, has been crazier than ever. Because of this success, both of the women are having a hard time finding the balance that Katherine declares is easy and possible. It isn't easy for Lucy at all. Her relationship with her longtime boyfriend Nick is suffering BIG time. She is not able to make her relationship a priority by missing important dates and events that involve Nick. Lucy has a chance to make it up to Nick, but unfortunately Katherine's life interferes again and so there is no Nick & Lucy anymore.

To add insult to injury, Katherine has not been very nice to Lucy and even sabotages something that is Lucy's dream. Lucy is, of course, mad and hurt by Katherine's actions that she retaliates by doing something so out of character of her. Lucy wishes she could take it all back, but unfortunately the damage is set in motion where it makes both of their lives start tumbling down. Lucy has to find strength to go after what she wants instead of waiting for her life to happen.

I have followed Susie's blog for The Balance Project. She interviews women about "having it all." This book incorporates this idea by having Katherine write a book talking about this same idea. I think it's a very interesting idea and as women we are always trying to juggle it all. I don't have kids, so I can't imagine having to throw that in the mix, but I feel it in my own life too. I recently got married, go to school, work, maintain our house, etc and some days it does feel like to much. Sometimes I think to myself "How does everyone else do it?" When we see women that seem to glide along like it's nothing. However, a lot of women (especially people like Katherine) have a lot of outside help. This could be nannies, assistants, or housekeepers. They really AREN'T doing it all. In this book the main character has to change her perception of "having it all" and figure out what is the most important aspects of her life that she wants to excel at. Like in everyday life, Lucy and Katherine are dropping the ball somewhere. That isn't necessarily a bad thing and it doesn't mean that they are failing either. That just means they need to decide what is most important to them and go with it. This book is very relatable.

Even though it is a work of fiction, The Balance Project is also what many women struggle with everyday. There were times that Lucy forgoes her own dreams and happiness to stay as Katherine's assistant. She feels loyal and sympathizes that there is a lot going on in Katherine's life. She doesn't want to increase that burden. This spoke to me big time. I once had a job that was AWFUL and felt the need to stay even though at times I was so miserable. I felt loyal to the company and knew my leaving would be hard on the people I enjoyed working with. Lucy goes through the same thing. Sometimes the people on the outside can't understand, especially when she passes up on a dream jobs. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, the story and the message. It made me feel better about my own life and realize it's okay if I don't get everything done. There just are not enough hours in the day and I am okay with that. I think this book will be fun and very therapeutic for women. I know it was for me! As one of my favorite singers Kacey Musgraves says, "Having it all is a state of mind." :)

If you are interested about Susie's Balance Project, click here. She has over 60 interviews with women from all walks of life that give insight on finding that balance!

[Tara - runningnreading]

I'm such a huge fan of the author's actual The Balance Project; she has interviewed over 80 successful women (authors, actresses, attorneys, surgeons, designers, entrepreneurs) to find out how they make life work for them and it is fascinating. What she's discovered, in her own search for balance, is that it is a constant struggle for all types of women; women have an innate desire to "do it all" and her latest novel, while fictionalized, is inspired by this desire and its consequences.

Schnall, through her character Katherine, addresses some very current and significant contributions (for lack of a better term) to the concept of "doing it all," such as Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In and interviews with prominent psychologists and consultants on this phenomenon. I love the fact that Katherine believes that she is "doing it all" and has "achieved balance" in her life...until she doesn't. Schnall admits through her own blog that she has always been "a little obsessed" with whether the women she admires are "doing it all;" Katherine finds out, the hard way, that her definition of "doing it all" must evolve before her life falls apart.

What makes this novel so much fun, though, is that the story is told through the eyes of Lucy, her beleaguered and shamelessly loyal assistant; things begin to unravel for them both when Lucy starts thinking about the lack of balance in her own life and what it would take for her to live the life she wants.

"This is not about our close relationship. This is about Katherine knowing that I am clearly holding it all together for her. That my all-encompassing devotion to her career allows her to maintain this illusion that she is, indeed, America's Darling of Balance. [...] I'm tired of this shit. I want to work hard to further my own career, not someone else's."

I couldn't put this book down; I love Schnall's writing, the wit and sarcasm of her characters and the "putting it all out there" attitude of this story. I certainly found it entertaining after a tough day at work, as I forgot about dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine; I think you will, too.

[Jen]

Suffering a book hangover this morning! I started this book yesterday afternoon during my child's nap and was hooked immediately. The Balance Project is about Lucy Cooper, "Coop" trying to do her best in the professional world when all goes to hell. Her boyfriend of 8 years is ready for marriage, but fear on Lucy's side gets in the way. She loves her job and her boss, but still longs for the profession she intended to be in. Her world is spinning, spinning, spinning and then- catastrophe. Ultimatums, the struggle of loyalty, betrayal and revenge and following her dreams all come at Lucy fast within a short amount of time. I could not stop reading. After the kids were in bed, I ended up staying up til just after midnight to finish this book. It has a Devil Wears Prada feel, only with a more put together Andy and much, much nicer Miranda. Even if things get sketchy for a bit. Need an escape from YOUR troubles? Read Susie Orman Schnall's The Balance Project. I don't think you'll mind being in Lucy's hectic life for a while.

[K.J. Dell'Antonia]

Now, this is an all-out fun read,with that whole juicy life-on-the-inside-of-the-glossy world feeling you get from, say, The Devil Wears Prada. The assistant to a businesswoman who has written a Lean In style book on having it all has, of course, a perfect view when that whole having it all thing starts to implode. Any book called “The Balance Project” is bound to have a message about balance, and this one certainly does (the not-unexpected not everything is going to go perfectly when it’s all going at full tilt all the time), but it stays entertaining all the way through. It’s only failing is more of an oversight—the author seems to have been so caught up in the ways her two female main characters would explore their own questions about balance and “what do I really want” that she forgot to allow the male characters to do the same.

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page)]

What a wonderful book! The Balance Project addresses a very pertinent issue for present day women – the issue of balance in day-to-day life. Today, there is so much pressure for women to try and excel at every aspect of life, and the novel succeeds in making the reader ponder what it really means to “have it all.” The main character, Lucy, is extremely likeable but also very human. I enjoyed following her story as it played out.

Susie Orman Schnall is a fabulous writer. She has a clever way of writing, at times directly addressing the reader, that works very well for this story. This is a thought provoking and totally entertaining read, and I did not want it to end. I look forward to reading her other book On Grace very soon.

[Cathy Zane]

After reading (and loving) Susie Orman Schnall's book On Grace, I was excited to read The Balance Project. And I wasn't disappointed. Much as she did in On Grace, the author brings the protagonist's inner struggles into the light of day where we can all relate. Fears, weaknesses, hopes, dreams and questionable decisions yield growth and ultimately a happy ending. But not without some twists and turns that kept me fully engaged. I appreciated the theme of finding balance vs. having it all and felt compassion for both of the main female characters, Lucy and Katherine. This is a great addition to the Women's Fiction shelves!

[vvb]

The struggles of balancing work, family and relationships is handled and explored seriously and thoughtfully in this tale.

I liked watching the character growth and final interactions at the end of the book especially in regards to the relationship between the two female characters, Lucy and Katherine.

Made me want to read the fictional book written by Katherine as I always like to read about tips and tricks to life.

[Mell Simons]

This book was great! For anyone who has struggled with balancing it all in life, this book will resonate with you. The story was a page-turner! Bravo to the author and SparkPoint Studio Press. Very well done!

[Diane Perry]

Awesome

This was an excellent read. I believe every woman can relate to this book at some point in their life. We have all been there. Big dreams and trying to balance it all. Sometimes we can and other times we fall completely apart. Highly recommend!!!!!

[Athena]

This is an important read for women! Finding that balance of career, family, friends and staying healthy it covers it all! Thought Provoking and current and long after you finish you will be reflecting or planning your next move.

[Kimberly]

A good story with a great message!

[Meredith Schorr]

We are reading this novel for my book club and I'm sorry I didn't pick it up sooner - I really liked it! It did remind me a bit of The Devil's Wear Prada, but in a good way. And there were enough differences that kept it original. I loved the whole premise of whether it is possible to have it all, and I absolutely stand by the conclusion reached in this book.

I really liked Lucy a lot. I spent most of the first half of the book yelling at her for not standing up for herself and for possibly letting an amazing guy like Nick slip away, but that's how I knew how vested I was. I related to Lucy on many levels and loved that she was a "regular" girl and not the best dressed, most put together, "it" girl type. The ending was very uplifting and put a smile on my face. Even though I can't imagine things turning out that way in real life, I was happy with how things went down.

The author has a great voice and writing style, and I'm now very excited to dig into On Grace.

[Pianogirl1126]

Great Book! It has such a great point. As a woman, it is a hard to balance a work life, family life, keep a marriage fresh and fun, be there as a friend, etc. This book addresses that and one of the main characters seems to do it just fine until it all ravels and the truth is revealed. we can't do it all and shouldn't be expected to. Something will end up being shorted - it is definitely hard - but you pick those things you want to spend your time on and then enjoy those - other things may slip a little (for me it may be folding laundry) but eventually it all gets done in the end. I would rather see my kids happy and my husband happy. and yes, even the dog and cats happy. That is what keeps me going each day. this book is a great read and it may have you reflecting a bit on your own life as you identify those things that you want to "keep you going" each day.

[Alona Perlin]

I enjoyed this book. It was an easy and fast read. In fact, I read it in one weekend! The only thing is that it was kind of a spin-off from the "Devil Wears Prada". I almost felt like the plot was identical and the characters were changed not to make it the same. Having said that, the characters were vivid and it was pleasurable to read and it left an impression on me. It was a memorable book.