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Act Two
New Yorker Sadie Maddox is the toast of the classical-music world—and a bit of a diva. But lately her CD sales are sagging, not to mention parts of her anatomy. Maybe it’s time for a change. So when her agent suggests a professorship at a small liberal-arts college, Sadie decides to give it a go. Besides, she needs the money.
But the college is in rural Iowa. Sadie’s colleagues are intimidated, her students aren’t impressed, and she has to live far too close to farm animals. When Sadie meets Mac, a veterinarian, she assumes they have nothing in common—he is, after all, a country-music fan—and she’s counting the days until she moves back to New York. Yet, when Sadie is forced to spend time with Mac, she likes him. Her students really need her. And this quiet Midwest community begins to grow on her.
When the semester ends, Sadie packs up and decamps for the city that never sleeps…and finds she can’t either. Will she find the courage and grace she needs to embrace her Act Two?
But the college is in rural Iowa. Sadie’s colleagues are intimidated, her students aren’t impressed, and she has to live far too close to farm animals. When Sadie meets Mac, a veterinarian, she assumes they have nothing in common—he is, after all, a country-music fan—and she’s counting the days until she moves back to New York. Yet, when Sadie is forced to spend time with Mac, she likes him. Her students really need her. And this quiet Midwest community begins to grow on her.
When the semester ends, Sadie packs up and decamps for the city that never sleeps…and finds she can’t either. Will she find the courage and grace she needs to embrace her Act Two?
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2008
25 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Stuart
12 books219 followersKimberly Stuart wants you to know that authors write their own bios and are hardly reliable sources. Nevertheless, there are a few facts that stand out:
1. Stuart loves a good story, both written and lived.
2. Stuart loves imported chocolate and her children, though the order of her affections sometimes gets muddled.
3. Stuart writes both non-fiction and fiction, always with an infusion of faith. However, she seems to make Christians nervous. Read at your own risk, then, and e-mail her publisher if you must.
1. Stuart loves a good story, both written and lived.
2. Stuart loves imported chocolate and her children, though the order of her affections sometimes gets muddled.
3. Stuart writes both non-fiction and fiction, always with an infusion of faith. However, she seems to make Christians nervous. Read at your own risk, then, and e-mail her publisher if you must.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 7, 2024
I loved it!! You should read it!! It’s funny, sweet, and wholesome! A pg romance that leaves you feeling giddy and encouraged.
October 7, 2020
Fading opera star looking for a paying gig has a come-to-Jesus-lite moment and takes a 1 semester long position in Iowa. Cue fish out of water story, and of course falling for a of shockingly handsome, sincere local boy - after a few shenanigans involving cute kids and improper footwear.
I've read a couple other books by Stuart and I enjoy them as fun, quick reads. I had a few problems with this, mostly the whole college professor thing (No interview at all? Why on earth did they need a professor for only a semester? And the mix-up on living arrangements was pretty ridiculous). But honestly, my biggest beef is the weird straddling of sacred/secular. Mac attends church, but never has a single conversation with Sadie about her faith? Sadie is very jaded about life and offers quite a lot of sarcastic observations... and there are moments where she's letting her guard down, but the novel never fully crosses over to grab the "inspirational" moments. Now I'm certainly not complaining that this isn't a cookie cutter Christian romance (because honestly, they annoy me greatly. Loving Jesus ≠ everything being shiny, happy & perfect) but honestly, I think this would have been more believable if the author had just left the religion out entirely and embraced the Hallmark movie storyline
Honestly, the novel was forgettable but still was a fun read.
(borrowed via Overdrive)
I've read a couple other books by Stuart and I enjoy them as fun, quick reads. I had a few problems with this, mostly the whole college professor thing (No interview at all? Why on earth did they need a professor for only a semester? And the mix-up on living arrangements was pretty ridiculous). But honestly, my biggest beef is the weird straddling of sacred/secular. Mac attends church, but never has a single conversation with Sadie about her faith? Sadie is very jaded about life and offers quite a lot of sarcastic observations... and there are moments where she's letting her guard down, but the novel never fully crosses over to grab the "inspirational" moments. Now I'm certainly not complaining that this isn't a cookie cutter Christian romance (because honestly, they annoy me greatly. Loving Jesus ≠ everything being shiny, happy & perfect) but honestly, I think this would have been more believable if the author had just left the religion out entirely and embraced the Hallmark movie storyline
Honestly, the novel was forgettable but still was a fun read.
(borrowed via Overdrive)
October 27, 2017
I enjoyed the heroine's biting inner monologue; Kimberly Stuart really brought Sadie to life and I could clearly hear her voice in my head. Having been trained by many years of romantic comedy viewing, to me Sadie sounded exactly like a spoiled diva who would think of Iowa dismissively as a flyover state. However, 24 hours after I finished the book, I found that I wished there had been a little bit more of everything else. I put this on my women's fiction shelf mainly because there wasn't enough of the other elements to classify it differently, in my opinion. Sadie didn't spend enough time with her love interest to call it a romance. There weren't enough scenes of Sadie with her students for it to be a good school story. Sadie didn't show enough growth for it to be a Christian redemption or even a secular redemption story. So women's fiction it is for me, by default.
With all that said, I still enjoyed Stuart's writing enough to seek out another one of her books. This was a pleasant diversion, even if I felt that nothing much had changed with Sadie in the end.
With all that said, I still enjoyed Stuart's writing enough to seek out another one of her books. This was a pleasant diversion, even if I felt that nothing much had changed with Sadie in the end.
November 6, 2017
Really sweet book, with a very unfulfilling ending. I also didn't expect or want the surprise religious aspect in the ending. Seemed very misplaced. none of the secondary characters (maybe with the exception of Jayne and Mallory) really became wholly fleshed out characters, not even love interest Mac, instead seeming Like charactitures. A light, entertaining read, just not good (hence the 2 stars not the 3) or well thought out plot wise.
August 19, 2018
I’d call it a “drippy” conversion story. I loved the character development but not necessarily the dialogue and I’m a pushover for stories set in Iowa. Kimberly boldly let God be a cereal character as well.
December 24, 2019
In the book titled ACT TWO, Kimberly Stuart delivers an indepth funny story that calls us to believe in GOD of second chance. Saddie Madox is the heroine, an artist and singer to be more precise, you'll love.
April 19, 2020
Too predictable.
Want to read
July 20, 2020overdrive
May 12, 2022
Hallmark with a religious slant.
August 3, 2011
I picked this book up from the new releases shelf at the library because the title caught my attention. I started giggling on the fifth page:
"Happy Hanukkah," I said and leaned over to peck him on the cheek.
"Thanks," Avi said around his return kiss. "And Merry Exploitation of Your Own Messiah."
The rest of the book was just as entertaining. Sadie, an aging opera star with a declining career, accepts a one semester guest teaching position at a liberal arts college in Iowa, a far cry from where she lives in Manhattan. As a vocal major myself, all the musical references were familiar and I think that helped my enjoyment of the novel as I could understand Sadie pretty well. As a mother of three boys, I also had a frame of reference for Jayne and her day to day life. As a native of Utah who visited Manhattan for the first time two years ago, I could understand Jayne's excitement for New York and Sadie's references to her home town. As a woman nearing the milestone of four decades, I loved the references to the hope that some things still have some perk. And on top of all that, this turned out to be Christian fiction which meant the book was blissfully clean. And while the Christian theme was definitely a big part of the story, I did not feel like it was overdone. It was just one of the many themes that the story contained. So I would have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a big city singer who learns to deal with small towns, children, pig farms, aging and religion. And I laughed. I mean, who wouldn't when faced with so many entertaining references to country music?
"Happy Hanukkah," I said and leaned over to peck him on the cheek.
"Thanks," Avi said around his return kiss. "And Merry Exploitation of Your Own Messiah."
The rest of the book was just as entertaining. Sadie, an aging opera star with a declining career, accepts a one semester guest teaching position at a liberal arts college in Iowa, a far cry from where she lives in Manhattan. As a vocal major myself, all the musical references were familiar and I think that helped my enjoyment of the novel as I could understand Sadie pretty well. As a mother of three boys, I also had a frame of reference for Jayne and her day to day life. As a native of Utah who visited Manhattan for the first time two years ago, I could understand Jayne's excitement for New York and Sadie's references to her home town. As a woman nearing the milestone of four decades, I loved the references to the hope that some things still have some perk. And on top of all that, this turned out to be Christian fiction which meant the book was blissfully clean. And while the Christian theme was definitely a big part of the story, I did not feel like it was overdone. It was just one of the many themes that the story contained. So I would have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a big city singer who learns to deal with small towns, children, pig farms, aging and religion. And I laughed. I mean, who wouldn't when faced with so many entertaining references to country music?
April 25, 2011
Forty-year-old Sadie Maddox is an opera singer but isn’t quite getting the high volume audience turn-out that she used to when she was younger. Sadie called a meeting with Avi Feldman, a high flautin agent who Sadie said only signed: “...a new client only if six-figures were involved”. She whole-heartedly agreed with Avi that she needed: “...a late career reinvention...”. Avi wanted Sadie to leave New York, go to Iowa and teach voice at Moravia College in Maplewood. Sadie was not impressed and this was not at all what she was expecting for a “career reinvention”.
Supposedly, Avi had rented a bungalow for Sadie to live in while she was in Iowa. However, when Sadie deplanes she is met by someone from the University who tells her she’s sorry but the bungalow had been sold, there is only one hotel in town and it’s booked with students so Sadie will be living with a family on a pig farm! For Sadie, this was akin to telling Queen Elizabeth that she had to live in an outhouse.
Then Sadie meets Mac, a veterinarian and she assumes they have nothing in common. He is a total country music fan and she’s counting the days until she can return to New York. When the semester ends, Sadie packs up and decamps for the city that never sleeps then finds that she can’t sleep either. Will Sadie find the courage and grace she needs to embrace her Act Two?
Supposedly, Avi had rented a bungalow for Sadie to live in while she was in Iowa. However, when Sadie deplanes she is met by someone from the University who tells her she’s sorry but the bungalow had been sold, there is only one hotel in town and it’s booked with students so Sadie will be living with a family on a pig farm! For Sadie, this was akin to telling Queen Elizabeth that she had to live in an outhouse.
Then Sadie meets Mac, a veterinarian and she assumes they have nothing in common. He is a total country music fan and she’s counting the days until she can return to New York. When the semester ends, Sadie packs up and decamps for the city that never sleeps then finds that she can’t sleep either. Will Sadie find the courage and grace she needs to embrace her Act Two?
January 8, 2010
I picked up this book on Dec. 29 when it became apparent that I wasn't going to finish the classic I was reading in time to count on my 2009 total and I needed one more finished book to complete my goal. I was looking for something absorbing, fun and that could be read quickly. This book fit all those requirements and I finished in about 24 hours.
Sadie Maddox has reached the age of 40 and finds her options as a world-renown opera singer dwindling. She agrees to teach for a semester at a small Iowa college and when her housing situation is mixed up she ends up staying at a pig farm. Despite the cold winter portrayed this felt much more like southern lit than a Midwestern tale, but that could just be the small town setting. The characters were fun if rather stereotyped and Sadie well learns that it is people that matter most in life, not fame or fortune.
Sadie Maddox has reached the age of 40 and finds her options as a world-renown opera singer dwindling. She agrees to teach for a semester at a small Iowa college and when her housing situation is mixed up she ends up staying at a pig farm. Despite the cold winter portrayed this felt much more like southern lit than a Midwestern tale, but that could just be the small town setting. The characters were fun if rather stereotyped and Sadie well learns that it is people that matter most in life, not fame or fortune.
February 7, 2017
Having recently moved to small-town Iowa from a large city (though not New York), this one made me giggle a bunch. Yes, our speed limit is 25 and yes, pork chops really do taste better here. really enjoyed the character development, though I would have liked to know more about Mac's back story. Nice, quick read on a winter day.
June 19, 2011
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. The book is about an old (40) opera star who is trying to figure out what to do in the next step in her life. Her shows aren't selling, and her voice just isn't what it used to be. Her agent suggests that she move to Iowa for a semester to teach at a small liberal arts school. The novel is about her life in Iowa as she tries to decide what act two of her life will be.
The novel is well written and has pretty good character development. It is a light-hearted quick read (I read it in two days) and a perfect summer chick-lit book. The novel is easy to relate to for the country bumpkin as well as the NYC diva, and I was happy to say I really enjoyed the novel.
The novel is well written and has pretty good character development. It is a light-hearted quick read (I read it in two days) and a perfect summer chick-lit book. The novel is easy to relate to for the country bumpkin as well as the NYC diva, and I was happy to say I really enjoyed the novel.
January 4, 2013
3.5 stars. I was really liking this book until the last quarter of it or so. The narrator is funny and I giggled out loud at some of her lines and thought processes. She is a famous NYC opera singer past her prime and her agent sends her to teach college classes for a semester in *gasp* rural Iowa. The characters are likable and the book was mostly well-written. Religion was sprinkled throughout which was ok, but the end really hit you over the head with it...and was poorly written in my opinion. All in all, I think this book had a lot going for it and the end fell really flat for me. Disclaimer: When I borrowed this ebook from the library, I didn't know it was Christian fiction (not my thing). I'm sure others feel differently about the ending.
August 10, 2009
Diva Sadie Maddox is losing it at the box office, so her agent sends her off into the wilds of Country Music--rural Iowa to teach music to the uncultured for a semester. She meets all these unsophisticated people, including large animal vet Mac who deals with all those smelly cows, etc. But when she flees back to the city, her life has been changed.
I was disappointed in this book. It was the usual big-city-girl-comes-to-Iowa stuff, with A Message. Since the author lives in Iowa, I had hopes of something a little more nuanced, but no such luck. I love classical music. I hated Sadie Maddox.
I was disappointed in this book. It was the usual big-city-girl-comes-to-Iowa stuff, with A Message. Since the author lives in Iowa, I had hopes of something a little more nuanced, but no such luck. I love classical music. I hated Sadie Maddox.
October 12, 2015
I had a little bit of a hard time getting into the beginning of this book, but once through the first 35 pages I got into it. Great writing, and wonderful story. Touching. I loved it that there was actually no swearing for a change, like so many books do these days. I liked the addition of being a christian/being in a faith filled family too. Made it more life like. The story was believable.
January 20, 2014
Fun...though predictable. Every possible stereotype of New Yorkers AND Iowans, I'm sure. But the redemption and "come back down to earth" stories are needed once in a while. I'm anxious to read more from this author.
September 2, 2009
Deftly written, funny, and very close to home.
June 24, 2012
Cute predictable story...I like the spiritual aspect of it.
July 9, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Her description o the country folk was just fine with me, and I didn't find the religion in my first "christian fiction" book to be at all heavy handed.
July 14, 2009
Nice story for Summer reading.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews