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Mrs. Saint and the Defectives
Critically acclaimed author Julie Lawson Timmer returns with a tale of how community can heal the brokenness in all of us. Markie, a fortysomething divorcée who has suffered a humiliating and very public fall from marital, financial, and professional grace, moves, along with her teenage son, Jesse, to a new town, hoping to lick her wounds in private. But Markie and Jesse are unable to escape the attention of their new neighbor Mrs. Saint, an irascible, elderly New European woman who takes it upon herself, along with her ragtag group of “defectives,” to identify and fix the flaws in those around her, whether they want her to or not. What Markie doesn’t realize is that Mrs. Saint has big plans for the divorcée’s broken spirit. Soon, the quirky yet endearing woman recruits Markie to join her eccentric community, a world where both hidden truths and hope unite them. But when Mrs. Saint’s own secrets threaten to unravel their fragile web of healing, it’s up to Markie to mend these wounds and usher in a new era for the “defectives”―one full of second chances and happiness.
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2017
3506 people are currently reading
8483 people want to read
About the author
Julie Lawson Timmer
5 books330 followersJulie Lawson Timmer grew up in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, and now lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband Dan, their children and two badly-behaved rescued dogs. By turns, she is an author, lawyer, mom/stepmom, and fledgling yogi. She is the author of FIVE DAYS LEFT (Putnam 2014), UNTETHERED (Putnam 2016) and MRS. SAINT AND THE DEFECTIVES (coming August 1, 2017 from Lake Union).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,129 reviews
July 11, 2017
This book read very slow to me and it seemed to drag on and on-the fact that I did not like the main character Markie at all did not help to push me to finish this book. I chose this as my free book from Amazon prime read for July-not a good pick on my part. I am not sure where all the 5 star reviews are coming from???Maybe I will pick it up from where I stopped reading someday-maybe not.
June 14, 2017
The cover for Mrs. Saint and the Defectives is spectacular; it is one of my favorite covers this year. The story inside is cute too, and while I adore my current neighbors, I would love to have Mrs. Saint and her Defectives in my neighborhood too. Recovering from a very public humiliation, Markie and her son Jesse move to a smaller home hoping to get away from prying eyes. Instead, they gain the attention of their new neighbor Mrs. Saint who makes it her personal business to help those in need including Markie and her son. While Markie is very slow to warm to her neighbor, Mrs. Saint tries to make her understand the importance of community and human connection. Timmer’s message is an important one, and the story is sweet and at times pretty humorous. I also loved the authentic and likeable characters. I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thoughts’ Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.
March 11, 2018
What a beautiful, funny book!! I love Mrs. Saint and all of her “Defectives” Even though, as Markie points out, that may not be the nicest thing to call them! Ronda, the cook who can’t cook, Bruce, the gardener who takes more time re-planting things than doing anything else, Patty, the maid who spend more time sitting outside smoking than actually cleaning ANYTHING and Frederick…. no one really knows what he does! They are characters who just get more and more lovable as the story delves deeper and deeper into their lives and how they came to work for the mysterious Mrs. Saint. Even characters who hold little importance were AMAZINGLY written! One of my favourite characters was Markie’s boss, Gregory. He’s not in it a lot, but everything involving him had me laughing out loud!!
““So . . . ,” he said, and when no other words came to him, he rocked on his heels and balled up his fists, holding them a foot or so apart. Stepping forward, he took what she believed was meant to be a golf swing. “I’ve been looking at your numbers from the past two weeks,” he said. He looked past her, pretending to watch his invisible ball land, then flattened a palm and used it as a visor to shield his eyes from the imaginary sun. “Ah, there it is,” he said. “Right near the, uh, cup . . . thing. With the, um, flag.””
“Gregory clasped his hands over his head and attempted a side bend, but the weight shift put him off balance, and he had to thrust an arm out against the wall of a nearby cube to catch himself. Recovering, he patted the cube wall as though he had been making a planned inspection of it all along, and then he shuffled back into the center of the hallway. He wiped a great deal of sweat from his forehead, checked his step-counter again, and smiled.”
This book made me laugh, and it made me cry. It was an amazing story with even better characters! There is so much to reveal and so much growth within it that you never want it to end!
““So . . . ,” he said, and when no other words came to him, he rocked on his heels and balled up his fists, holding them a foot or so apart. Stepping forward, he took what she believed was meant to be a golf swing. “I’ve been looking at your numbers from the past two weeks,” he said. He looked past her, pretending to watch his invisible ball land, then flattened a palm and used it as a visor to shield his eyes from the imaginary sun. “Ah, there it is,” he said. “Right near the, uh, cup . . . thing. With the, um, flag.””
“Gregory clasped his hands over his head and attempted a side bend, but the weight shift put him off balance, and he had to thrust an arm out against the wall of a nearby cube to catch himself. Recovering, he patted the cube wall as though he had been making a planned inspection of it all along, and then he shuffled back into the center of the hallway. He wiped a great deal of sweat from his forehead, checked his step-counter again, and smiled.”
This book made me laugh, and it made me cry. It was an amazing story with even better characters! There is so much to reveal and so much growth within it that you never want it to end!
July 1, 2017
Whenever I pick up a Julie Lawson Timmer book, I know I will be surprised at what is inside the pages. She can pull off many different types of writing styles and do it well. None of her books is formulaic so you never know what to expect.
Her books stand on their own but when I saw the cover for this one, I knew immediately I wanted to find out what was inside. Lake Union did a remarkable job of capturing the character of Mrs. Saint with the cover. How could you not want to pick this up?
The story is of newly single mom Markie and her teenage son, Jesse, who have to get back on their feet after one disappointment too many from her husband, Kyle. To start over, Markie moves them both to a new bungalow in a quiet neighborhood. That is until moving day, when Mrs. Saint quickly takes over the process, allowing her and her defectives to infringe on not only their new home, but their lives.
Parts of the relationships between the characters reminded me of Allie & Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde, where the people you never think you need in your life prove to be just the people you do need. But in their own way. There were a few instances I got frustrated with Markie and wanted to shake some sense into her, but I think Timmer's intention was to allow these defectives to do that in their own way.
My thanks to Julie Lawson Timmer's street team for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Look for this one to publish August 1.
Her books stand on their own but when I saw the cover for this one, I knew immediately I wanted to find out what was inside. Lake Union did a remarkable job of capturing the character of Mrs. Saint with the cover. How could you not want to pick this up?
The story is of newly single mom Markie and her teenage son, Jesse, who have to get back on their feet after one disappointment too many from her husband, Kyle. To start over, Markie moves them both to a new bungalow in a quiet neighborhood. That is until moving day, when Mrs. Saint quickly takes over the process, allowing her and her defectives to infringe on not only their new home, but their lives.
Parts of the relationships between the characters reminded me of Allie & Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde, where the people you never think you need in your life prove to be just the people you do need. But in their own way. There were a few instances I got frustrated with Markie and wanted to shake some sense into her, but I think Timmer's intention was to allow these defectives to do that in their own way.
My thanks to Julie Lawson Timmer's street team for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Look for this one to publish August 1.
August 9, 2017
*Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for (CLEARLY) honest and free review!*
Sometimes i read a book, finish it and go on goodreads and see this big list of 5 stars reviews and just... don't understand? Did i read a different book?
Get a different kind of story? Read it wrong? How can it be that everyone else seems to LOVE It and i am sitting here thinking- what did i just read?
and not in a good way?
This was one of those books... so lets get into the nitty-gritty details about what i thought about it and not share a 5 stars review as so many others did!
The Good (or okay honestly)
- Mrs Saint. Because honestly that is what she actually is in many ways.
Yes she is incredibly forward, and i would HATE having her as a neighbour with how she very firmly implants herself into the life of her neighbour. But she means good, and i am sure that if Markie (the main character) would really wanted to have nothing to do with Mrs. Saint she could have made it clearer. But Mrs Saint was a wonderful addition and in most aspects a great character to read about.
- Very easy read and mostly entertaining. Its a super quick and easy read that can easily be read in one sitting so clearly the writing itself is very easy to read and fly through.
The "not so great":
- the plot:
it was utterly predictable. The only thing i wasn't sure about what was going on was the details of the relationship between Frederic and Mrs. Saint. But honestly? I didn't really care what exactly was going on between those too, because ... why would i care?
- the defectives:
The side characters that Mrs Saint "helps" by employing them are sometimes okay, sometimes nice, sometimes incredibly annoying and sometimes simply there to fill pages -or that is how i felt about it. I liked the idea of someone actually "picking" people and specifically helping them when they need it and not in a way of "here take the money and spend it" but in a "you have to do the work and than you get the money" and letting people that always felt like they were not good enough, finally feel like they actually can accomplish things. (that is more a praise towards Mrs. Saint through so... yeah) still it was nice to see those characters but after a while and the constant repetitiveness of how those "defective" people handled situations it got boring... fast!
The Bad:
- Markie
First of all that name?
Is that even a name?
And than... she was horrible. She spends chapters, after chapters overthinking things and than never actually doing what she thought out to do! I mean yes she manages to find a job, a place to live and keeps her kid alive. Congratulations! But she is a complete Doormat! And in the most horrendous way!
She is mean and judgmental and only does things because she has no backbone to say "yeah no that doesn't work for me, sorry!" instead the lets it happen and we get chapters of her complaining about it! Just what? She lets herself be the one used by her husband, her parents and than Mrs. Saint ( in many ways) and her defectives and constantly complains about it but never actually does anything about it. Only over using the phrase "its my fault" -well yes it is! USE YOUR WORDS WOMAN!
HATED MARKIE!
- Jesse.
Excuse me while i use the most horrendous "teenage boy trope" in existence and we get Jesse. The cute little nerdy boy that hates everything the moment he can't say in his save little private school bubble.
He is NOT a little kid! He clearly had to hear what his father did and instead of helping his mother he is words he is a complete brat about a horrendous situation? Not that i like Markie and she is clearly stupid in many situations but still, she did try her best in many moments after the father left. So the least the kid could have done was try as well. I hate it when authors write teenagers as if they are still to much of a child to understand what is going on.
You know what is going on, you understand money troubles as a child and even more so as a teenager! And you can tell a freaking 13 or 14 year old that his father is a cheating lying stupid idiot!
So not a fan of the kid!
- the "rich people suck at life!" commentary.
Throughout this entire book we constantly get the message that rich people are too stupid for everything (well other than Mrs. Saint- she clearly knows how to spend her money right, just ask the author!) I have no idea if it that is really how America works, but it was way to extremely portrait for me. There were too many moments where it was made clear how wrong Markie or others of her earlier "circle" behaved in a situation but it was simply put off with a "well thats how it is" and that didn't work for me.
- the constant "thats bad for..." preaching (hey if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck lets call it what it is!)
Can we just stop with the "a TV in a kids room is bad", "video games a bad" "parents HAVE to know each and every person their kid hangs out with during school and especially after" and the one i LOVED "cheating men HAVE TO BE FORGIVEN and the women should just suck it up" or in the words i heard it "why didn't you do your freaking job woman and tried to keep the cheating hidden better?"
I hated how many different moments this book had where it was so clearly stated that something was BAD simply because it was not what everyone else in the book was doing. Mrs Saint loved having people around. So clearly Markie enjoying the quiet and NOT having people around is BAD.
If a child doesn't have parents that are constantly asking what they are doing the child AND the parent is BAD. If a child doesn't have that kind of parent it clearly is up to no good and can only be a BAD influence... it goes on, and on, and on in this book.
And i am sorry but NO!!!!
Yes some things i am sure are true to some extent, but you can't over simplify it all and just say its all bad.
Thats just... NO!
All in all??
Sorry.
NO.
Didn't work for me.
It was a nice idea. But the actual book is not great and it did not work for me at all.
Sometimes i read a book, finish it and go on goodreads and see this big list of 5 stars reviews and just... don't understand? Did i read a different book?
Get a different kind of story? Read it wrong? How can it be that everyone else seems to LOVE It and i am sitting here thinking- what did i just read?
and not in a good way?
This was one of those books... so lets get into the nitty-gritty details about what i thought about it and not share a 5 stars review as so many others did!
The Good (or okay honestly)
- Mrs Saint. Because honestly that is what she actually is in many ways.
Yes she is incredibly forward, and i would HATE having her as a neighbour with how she very firmly implants herself into the life of her neighbour. But she means good, and i am sure that if Markie (the main character) would really wanted to have nothing to do with Mrs. Saint she could have made it clearer. But Mrs Saint was a wonderful addition and in most aspects a great character to read about.
- Very easy read and mostly entertaining. Its a super quick and easy read that can easily be read in one sitting so clearly the writing itself is very easy to read and fly through.
The "not so great":
- the plot:
it was utterly predictable. The only thing i wasn't sure about what was going on was the details of the relationship between Frederic and Mrs. Saint. But honestly? I didn't really care what exactly was going on between those too, because ... why would i care?
- the defectives:
The side characters that Mrs Saint "helps" by employing them are sometimes okay, sometimes nice, sometimes incredibly annoying and sometimes simply there to fill pages -or that is how i felt about it. I liked the idea of someone actually "picking" people and specifically helping them when they need it and not in a way of "here take the money and spend it" but in a "you have to do the work and than you get the money" and letting people that always felt like they were not good enough, finally feel like they actually can accomplish things. (that is more a praise towards Mrs. Saint through so... yeah) still it was nice to see those characters but after a while and the constant repetitiveness of how those "defective" people handled situations it got boring... fast!
The Bad:
- Markie
First of all that name?
Is that even a name?
And than... she was horrible. She spends chapters, after chapters overthinking things and than never actually doing what she thought out to do! I mean yes she manages to find a job, a place to live and keeps her kid alive. Congratulations! But she is a complete Doormat! And in the most horrendous way!
She is mean and judgmental and only does things because she has no backbone to say "yeah no that doesn't work for me, sorry!" instead the lets it happen and we get chapters of her complaining about it! Just what? She lets herself be the one used by her husband, her parents and than Mrs. Saint ( in many ways) and her defectives and constantly complains about it but never actually does anything about it. Only over using the phrase "its my fault" -well yes it is! USE YOUR WORDS WOMAN!
HATED MARKIE!
- Jesse.
Excuse me while i use the most horrendous "teenage boy trope" in existence and we get Jesse. The cute little nerdy boy that hates everything the moment he can't say in his save little private school bubble.
He is NOT a little kid! He clearly had to hear what his father did and instead of helping his mother he is words he is a complete brat about a horrendous situation? Not that i like Markie and she is clearly stupid in many situations but still, she did try her best in many moments after the father left. So the least the kid could have done was try as well. I hate it when authors write teenagers as if they are still to much of a child to understand what is going on.
You know what is going on, you understand money troubles as a child and even more so as a teenager! And you can tell a freaking 13 or 14 year old that his father is a cheating lying stupid idiot!
So not a fan of the kid!
- the "rich people suck at life!" commentary.
Throughout this entire book we constantly get the message that rich people are too stupid for everything (well other than Mrs. Saint- she clearly knows how to spend her money right, just ask the author!) I have no idea if it that is really how America works, but it was way to extremely portrait for me. There were too many moments where it was made clear how wrong Markie or others of her earlier "circle" behaved in a situation but it was simply put off with a "well thats how it is" and that didn't work for me.
- the constant "thats bad for..." preaching (hey if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck lets call it what it is!)
Can we just stop with the "a TV in a kids room is bad", "video games a bad" "parents HAVE to know each and every person their kid hangs out with during school and especially after" and the one i LOVED "cheating men HAVE TO BE FORGIVEN and the women should just suck it up" or in the words i heard it "why didn't you do your freaking job woman and tried to keep the cheating hidden better?"
I hated how many different moments this book had where it was so clearly stated that something was BAD simply because it was not what everyone else in the book was doing. Mrs Saint loved having people around. So clearly Markie enjoying the quiet and NOT having people around is BAD.
If a child doesn't have parents that are constantly asking what they are doing the child AND the parent is BAD. If a child doesn't have that kind of parent it clearly is up to no good and can only be a BAD influence... it goes on, and on, and on in this book.
And i am sorry but NO!!!!
Yes some things i am sure are true to some extent, but you can't over simplify it all and just say its all bad.
Thats just... NO!
All in all??
Sorry.
NO.
Didn't work for me.
It was a nice idea. But the actual book is not great and it did not work for me at all.
July 5, 2017
Mrs. Saint and the Defectives is a quirky, humorous, but extremely heartfelt book. Markie has uprooted her son and herself following a divorce, far from the private school, country club life they were used to. The day she moves in, she is introduced to Mrs. Saint, a bossy, opinionated Frenchwoman, and her employees. As Mrs. Saint ingratiates herself into the lives of Markie and her son, Markie is annoyed, not only because she wants to be left alone, but because Mrs. Saint is less than forthcoming about her own life. As Markie learns more about the employees, she discovers a common bond....people who have been down on their luck, people who Mrs. Saint has stepped in to help....the defectives. Can this group of bedraggled misfits worm their way into Markie's walled off heart? And what deep secrets is Mrs. Saint hiding from Markie? The characters in this book are all so diverse and unique, and the interactions between them are sometimes humorous, sometimes so poignant, as Markie discovers what lies beneath. This is a very tender book about second chances and starting over, and about opening up our hearts to the defectives all around us. I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
July 25, 2017
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
I have to start by gushing over the cover, it’s so great and perfectly sets the stage for what’s inside. Mrs. Saint and the Defectives was a charming, quirky read with some great themes and hidden gems.
Markie and Mrs. Saint do not have very much in common, Markie is introverted and has no desire to get involved in her neighbors lives, she wants to heal from her divorce and concentrate on her son, Jesse. Mrs. Saint is abrasive, bossy and crosses boundaries constantly, she is SO over the top but I couldn’t help but be charmed by her. The rest of the characters were a group of misfits and oddballs and each had a unique and quirky personality, but most importantly they were all relatable on some level.
There are so many great life lessons here and Mrs. Saint with her wisdom and guidance teaches most of them. Family isn’t always about being blood related and sometimes bonds can be formed quickly and when you least expect it. I loved the last quarter, there were some unexpected surprises and a historical fiction vibe that was cool. There was a similarity to Maria Semple’s style her, so if you’re a fan of her work, you may like this.
I have to start by gushing over the cover, it’s so great and perfectly sets the stage for what’s inside. Mrs. Saint and the Defectives was a charming, quirky read with some great themes and hidden gems.
Markie and Mrs. Saint do not have very much in common, Markie is introverted and has no desire to get involved in her neighbors lives, she wants to heal from her divorce and concentrate on her son, Jesse. Mrs. Saint is abrasive, bossy and crosses boundaries constantly, she is SO over the top but I couldn’t help but be charmed by her. The rest of the characters were a group of misfits and oddballs and each had a unique and quirky personality, but most importantly they were all relatable on some level.
There are so many great life lessons here and Mrs. Saint with her wisdom and guidance teaches most of them. Family isn’t always about being blood related and sometimes bonds can be formed quickly and when you least expect it. I loved the last quarter, there were some unexpected surprises and a historical fiction vibe that was cool. There was a similarity to Maria Semple’s style her, so if you’re a fan of her work, you may like this.
July 16, 2017
My real problem with this book was the main character Markie. She is annoying and I really didn't care for her.
Through out the book she complains about how nosey Mrs Saint is but then she gets upset when Mrs Saint won't tell her anything.
She is very judgemental about some of the defectives but then at the end when she finally hears their stories she suddenly becomes more accepting.
She wants to know everything but give nothing.
The most amazing thing was how her and her waster of a husband managed to bring up such a well adjusted son in Jessie.
I got this book as a kindle first so I was less upset that if I had paid for it and I won't be looking out for this author again.
Through out the book she complains about how nosey Mrs Saint is but then she gets upset when Mrs Saint won't tell her anything.
She is very judgemental about some of the defectives but then at the end when she finally hears their stories she suddenly becomes more accepting.
She wants to know everything but give nothing.
The most amazing thing was how her and her waster of a husband managed to bring up such a well adjusted son in Jessie.
I got this book as a kindle first so I was less upset that if I had paid for it and I won't be looking out for this author again.
October 15, 2017
I can't resist a book about people with secrets, or about people who find community & family in unlikely places. This book fits both of those categories and I enjoyed it. At the same time, I can understand why people rated it lower. The main character is 45-year old Markie, the newly single mother of a teenage boy. Markie is trying to come to terms with a lot of things that have gone wrong in her life. She's depressed and she's stubborn, and she fails to see things that are obvious to the reader. So if you don't enjoy seeing from the perspective of a flawed character, then you may find Mrs. Saint and the Defectives more irritating than entertaining. Both Markie and her new neighbor, Mrs. Saint are a pain in the ass, so maybe this book isn't for everyone. Personally, I come from a long family history of pain in the ass characters irl (myself included, so I have been told), so I appreciated this book. I received a free copy from the Amazon Kindle First program, which is a nice way to take full advantage of that Amazon Prime membership!
August 31, 2017
Funny & Entertaining
When life throws you a curve ball, the best thing to do is start over. You pick yourself up and go through the motions until you get it right. This books characters are amazingly funny, somewhat incapable of dealing with society and willing to come together and help one another. All except Markie.
Markie has decided that her husband's infidelities are enough when she stumbles upon a group of mothers reviewing lewd pics of her husband and another woman. With not much support from her parents, she divorces her husband and moves to another town.
From day one, her next door neighbor has injected herself into Markie's life and Markie's not happy about it. Slowly but surely, in her own "bullish" way, she gets Markie to see that everyone needs someone and she's not alone to pick up the pieces.
Funny, entertaining and a little sad at the end.
When life throws you a curve ball, the best thing to do is start over. You pick yourself up and go through the motions until you get it right. This books characters are amazingly funny, somewhat incapable of dealing with society and willing to come together and help one another. All except Markie.
Markie has decided that her husband's infidelities are enough when she stumbles upon a group of mothers reviewing lewd pics of her husband and another woman. With not much support from her parents, she divorces her husband and moves to another town.
From day one, her next door neighbor has injected herself into Markie's life and Markie's not happy about it. Slowly but surely, in her own "bullish" way, she gets Markie to see that everyone needs someone and she's not alone to pick up the pieces.
Funny, entertaining and a little sad at the end.
July 2, 2017
This was my Kindle First selection for July 2017.
The good:
* Entertaining, easy read - I (and a lot of people by the look of reviews accumulating) finished this book within hours.
* The characters are interesting and likable. No one is totally good or always right, and no one is totally evil or always wrong. Like real people.
* The backstory of two or three characters are related to World War II, so people who know about those incidents mentioned could relate to it, and like the way it is presented in this book.
The bad:
* Predictability: Apart from the secret of the relationship between Mrs. Saint and Frederic, nothing came as a surprise. And even the one or two surprises were something we wouldn't care about because they were totally out of the blue (like the guest at Thanksgiving dinner).
* Unnecessarily meandering plot: While Markie spents chapters thinking what to do next, the readers know what will happen, what the solution to Markie's "huge problem" is, and we can see how deliberately the author puts one thing after another so that Markie will have to do what Mrs. Saint wants. This is downright weary for the reader - I would compare many of Markie's actions to watching a blind person walking around a maze, but that would be insulting the navigatiory skills of blind people.
* The repeated "high class society life is boring and bad", "rich people don't know how to raise kids or to love" motifs - These went out of fashion from Indian films in the 80's, so I would have guessed it happened at least a decade (if not a century) earlier in Western fiction and media. But I have no idea about American family life, so maybe the problem is still relevant, I don't know.
* The preaching - This is a tad unfair because the book does not really come off as preachy, and I don't know what the author's intentions or ideals are writing this book - she probably just wanted to write an honest entertainer. But by the time you finish the novel there are a few ideas that come out in high relief - video-games are bad for kids, kids should not be left to people of their own age, if they do, it must be with kids of respectable parents (Glenn) or parents you know very well, women loving only one man their whole life is great, cheating men must be forgiven (it's okay as one -off, but the epilogue hints a sort of repetition of such events), living as recluse minding your own business is bad, being introverted is bad, everyone needs some probing neighbour.. I find it difficult appreciate these being conveyed so innocently.
The good:
* Entertaining, easy read - I (and a lot of people by the look of reviews accumulating) finished this book within hours.
* The characters are interesting and likable. No one is totally good or always right, and no one is totally evil or always wrong. Like real people.
* The backstory of two or three characters are related to World War II, so people who know about those incidents mentioned could relate to it, and like the way it is presented in this book.
The bad:
* Predictability: Apart from the secret of the relationship between Mrs. Saint and Frederic, nothing came as a surprise. And even the one or two surprises were something we wouldn't care about because they were totally out of the blue (like the guest at Thanksgiving dinner).
* Unnecessarily meandering plot: While Markie spents chapters thinking what to do next, the readers know what will happen, what the solution to Markie's "huge problem" is, and we can see how deliberately the author puts one thing after another so that Markie will have to do what Mrs. Saint wants. This is downright weary for the reader - I would compare many of Markie's actions to watching a blind person walking around a maze, but that would be insulting the navigatiory skills of blind people.
* The repeated "high class society life is boring and bad", "rich people don't know how to raise kids or to love" motifs - These went out of fashion from Indian films in the 80's, so I would have guessed it happened at least a decade (if not a century) earlier in Western fiction and media. But I have no idea about American family life, so maybe the problem is still relevant, I don't know.
* The preaching - This is a tad unfair because the book does not really come off as preachy, and I don't know what the author's intentions or ideals are writing this book - she probably just wanted to write an honest entertainer. But by the time you finish the novel there are a few ideas that come out in high relief - video-games are bad for kids, kids should not be left to people of their own age, if they do, it must be with kids of respectable parents (Glenn) or parents you know very well, women loving only one man their whole life is great, cheating men must be forgiven (it's okay as one -off, but the epilogue hints a sort of repetition of such events), living as recluse minding your own business is bad, being introverted is bad, everyone needs some probing neighbour.. I find it difficult appreciate these being conveyed so innocently.
August 19, 2017
This is a wonderful book about family, friendship and neighbors. Markie's life has fallen apart after a public humiliation about her husband's infidelity. She and her teenage son move to a neighborhood where she doesn't know anyone and plans not to make friends. Her plan is quickly ruined by a small older French accented neighbor who quickly tries to pull Markie and her son into her world. The neighbor, Mrs. Saint runs a different type of household and has various very quirky and down on their luck people helping her - a cook who burns everything, a brash mother and her small daughter and a handyman who tends to mess up everything that he works on. As Markie resists being pulled into the life of the people next door, her son Jesse begins to get to know them. Markie finds that maybe its time to leave her intended isolation and accept the friendship being offered and the results of that decision are wonderful for her and her son.
This is a fun book to read - often funny but more importantly very timely with two main themes - joy in life can be found by helping people who need help and family is more than blood relations, its made up of the people we care most about.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
This is a fun book to read - often funny but more importantly very timely with two main themes - joy in life can be found by helping people who need help and family is more than blood relations, its made up of the people we care most about.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
June 15, 2017
Review to come closer to pub date.
Quick thoughts:
Prob more a 3.5 star read!
What a different world we would live in if we had a Mrs. Saint in our corner. Bossy, yes, but wants us to be the best version of ourselves possible. Sees the flaws, but doesn't make people feel bad- just accepts us and wants to remind us that we are something wonderful- even when we feel like life has kicked us when we're down
Marcie, on the other hand, I understood a lot of her motivations and thoughts, but I just wanted to say 'wake up and smell the Folgers!!!'
If you like fun and quirky characters- this book is for you!!!
Quick thoughts:
Prob more a 3.5 star read!
What a different world we would live in if we had a Mrs. Saint in our corner. Bossy, yes, but wants us to be the best version of ourselves possible. Sees the flaws, but doesn't make people feel bad- just accepts us and wants to remind us that we are something wonderful- even when we feel like life has kicked us when we're down
Marcie, on the other hand, I understood a lot of her motivations and thoughts, but I just wanted to say 'wake up and smell the Folgers!!!'
If you like fun and quirky characters- this book is for you!!!
July 2, 2017
Great idea but poorly written
Awkwardly written, repetitive prose and flat characters. Pass this one by, even if it's a free Kindle First choice...pick another book!!
Awkwardly written, repetitive prose and flat characters. Pass this one by, even if it's a free Kindle First choice...pick another book!!
February 8, 2019
We all have families we’re born into. The fortunate also have families they choose. This is a story about the latter.
July 31, 2017
I was sent a copy of this book by the author for an honest review.
This is a very quiet, character driven novel. It starts out a bit slow but once you develop a better feel for the characters you are drawn in. Markie and her son Jesse move into a bungalow in a community very different from where they came from. Markie has gone through a divorce and a major downsizing in status and wealth. Due to this she wants to remain quite reclusive. This becomes increasingly harder as her new next door neighbour, Mrs Saint, is determined to befriend her and insert herself in her life. Along with Mrs Saint comes her household staff which she has named the Defectives. Mrs Saint has befriended these people through the years. They have trouble working in the real world and following directions etc so Mrs Saint has provided them with a work place and structure in their lives. Mrs Saint has many secrets and that causes more aggravation for Markie. The book is well written and the characters are great. The finish is very touching and really rounds out the book. All the secrets are revealed and the ending is very heartfelt. I definitely recommend this book.
This is a very quiet, character driven novel. It starts out a bit slow but once you develop a better feel for the characters you are drawn in. Markie and her son Jesse move into a bungalow in a community very different from where they came from. Markie has gone through a divorce and a major downsizing in status and wealth. Due to this she wants to remain quite reclusive. This becomes increasingly harder as her new next door neighbour, Mrs Saint, is determined to befriend her and insert herself in her life. Along with Mrs Saint comes her household staff which she has named the Defectives. Mrs Saint has befriended these people through the years. They have trouble working in the real world and following directions etc so Mrs Saint has provided them with a work place and structure in their lives. Mrs Saint has many secrets and that causes more aggravation for Markie. The book is well written and the characters are great. The finish is very touching and really rounds out the book. All the secrets are revealed and the ending is very heartfelt. I definitely recommend this book.
July 30, 2017
This book could’ve been so much better if our main protagonist hadn’t been so willfully clueless/purposely obtuse. Some of the characters were actually a little charming and believable, as were some of the sub-plotlines. But, overall, this is middle-aged chick lit of a rather pedantic sort. And the only reason I’m bothering to write this much of a reaction to it is to remind myself down the road that just because I _can_ get a book for free as the Amazon Prime Kindle download of the month doesn’t mean that I _should._
July 9, 2017
Easy reading
This book isn't hard to put down. The main character is not very likeable, and the story drags a little.
This book isn't hard to put down. The main character is not very likeable, and the story drags a little.
September 23, 2018
I enjoyed Mrs. Saint and the Defectives much more than I thought I would. It was a quirky story that falls into the contemporary fiction genre, a genre which I usually hate but I would gladly make an exception for this story.
Mrs. Saint and the Defectives gave me A Man Called Ove vibes in terms of the feelings it produced in me. I was trying to hold back tears in the end (especially since I was reading it in the vet's waiting room).
I perceived Mrs. Saint to be one of those irritating busybodies who lords her superior knowledge over all of those who fall into her fiefdom. She considers those she takes under her wings to be "defectives." Our main character, Markie, just wants to withdraw from society completely, and lick her wounds in private, after the devastating blow of her husband's infidelity and divorce. She chafes under the suggestions of Mrs. Saint (however well intentioned they may be). Late does she realize that she, in fact, is one of those defectives and that Mrs. Saint benefitted her and her son's lives in ways she could never begin to repay.
This book was well-written. The characters were multi-dimensional. Their faults were displayed but so were their advantages. I found myself rooting for Markie, even though Mrs. Saint wasn't an antagonist in the traditional sense. Mrs. Saint was going to help Markie despite her resistance at every turn.
This was a heartwarming little story that I'd recommend to anyone feeling disheartened, cynical, or pessimistic about life or people in general.
Mrs. Saint and the Defectives gave me A Man Called Ove vibes in terms of the feelings it produced in me. I was trying to hold back tears in the end (especially since I was reading it in the vet's waiting room).
I perceived Mrs. Saint to be one of those irritating busybodies who lords her superior knowledge over all of those who fall into her fiefdom. She considers those she takes under her wings to be "defectives." Our main character, Markie, just wants to withdraw from society completely, and lick her wounds in private, after the devastating blow of her husband's infidelity and divorce. She chafes under the suggestions of Mrs. Saint (however well intentioned they may be). Late does she realize that she, in fact, is one of those defectives and that Mrs. Saint benefitted her and her son's lives in ways she could never begin to repay.
This book was well-written. The characters were multi-dimensional. Their faults were displayed but so were their advantages. I found myself rooting for Markie, even though Mrs. Saint wasn't an antagonist in the traditional sense. Mrs. Saint was going to help Markie despite her resistance at every turn.
This was a heartwarming little story that I'd recommend to anyone feeling disheartened, cynical, or pessimistic about life or people in general.
February 16, 2018
I gotta be honest. Markie could have raced down a mountain on a sled and saved Christmas with a heart 3 times bigger.... and I’d still hate her. but that didn’t happen and nothing about the plot going on around her was entertaining enough to salvage this book for me. I don't really know how to review this so I'm just going to make a list and rant because ranting is what I do best.
The Good
Jesse He's a good kid with shit parents. Maybe too good but his close relationship with Lola kept me reading when I was ready to give up. I really liked his role in the story. He bridged the gap between his mother's sanctimonious world and reality. He was far more mature than both of his parents combined and is the only person in the story who showed any real growth where growth was needed. Maybe had the story been told from his POV instead of Markie, I would have liked it more.
Basically every character not named Markie (or Kyle but he's not relevant enough to hate but especially Frederick. I love that sweet old man!
The Bad
Markie She is the worst kind of person. She’s a obtuse, nosy, entitled, judgmental and most of all a hypocrite who prioritizes her pride and reputation over the wellbeing of her own child. And we have to listen to her whine and complain for majority of the entire book. Not even a death could pull this woman's head out of her own ass. By the time she started to "change" for the better (this lasted for like 5 minutes) I didn't care anymore. I was annoyed and bored to the point of no return. I could have felt better about the story in general had just one person (any person) looked Markie in her eyes and said
"News Flash!! Your shit stinks and so does your parenting. You are a horrible person who married a horrible person and made horrible decisions for the wrong reasons. You deserve to sit in this tiny house alone forever."
I literally would have given 1 whole extra star just for that conversation. But it never happened. No one ever called her out on her shit and I don't think she ever fully realized these things on her own.
The Plot The entire plot of the book is Markie being tricked into being a decent human while she complains about having to be a decent human. Mrs. Saint (bless her heart) she has created a sort of pseudo-family "defectives" or people in need who she has gone out of her way to help without letting them know that she's helping them. You can tell early on that Markie and Jess will be slowing welcomed into the mix. It's a nice premise but it drags and we don't really get to know the defectives well enough to connect to them so it all comes back to Markie. Who is far too unlikeable to move a plot.
The Ending It was somewhat predictable but mainly because there was only so much that could be done with this plot. I think I checked out too soon to feel anything so even if a huge twist had come I would not have been moved We finally got Mrs. Saint's full life story which in my opinion was unnecessarily convoluted. Also I couldn't appreciate it because I was too pissed at Markie for asking about it in the first place. The entire book she'd been trying to pry painful personal details out of Mrs. Saint (while angrily accusing Mrs. Saint of invading her privacy) and getting mad when she wouldn't tell her. As if she was somehow entitled to this information. She finally pried the details out of someone else. A someone else she barely knew. At a terribly inconsiderate time. It just bugged me. Immediately after fully realizing the full extent of Mrs. Saint's generosity towards her and her son she proceeds to invade the woman's privacy. This is after she responded with ungrateful anger upon hearing what Mrs. Saint had done for her. Like, Who does that?
Overall this was a 2.5 for me. I started skipping chapters towards the end because I was just bored and I didn't care anymore.
The Good
Jesse He's a good kid with shit parents. Maybe too good but his close relationship with Lola kept me reading when I was ready to give up. I really liked his role in the story. He bridged the gap between his mother's sanctimonious world and reality. He was far more mature than both of his parents combined and is the only person in the story who showed any real growth where growth was needed. Maybe had the story been told from his POV instead of Markie, I would have liked it more.
Basically every character not named Markie (or Kyle but he's not relevant enough to hate but especially Frederick. I love that sweet old man!
The Bad
Markie She is the worst kind of person. She’s a obtuse, nosy, entitled, judgmental and most of all a hypocrite who prioritizes her pride and reputation over the wellbeing of her own child. And we have to listen to her whine and complain for majority of the entire book. Not even a death could pull this woman's head out of her own ass. By the time she started to "change" for the better (this lasted for like 5 minutes) I didn't care anymore. I was annoyed and bored to the point of no return. I could have felt better about the story in general had just one person (any person) looked Markie in her eyes and said
"News Flash!! Your shit stinks and so does your parenting. You are a horrible person who married a horrible person and made horrible decisions for the wrong reasons. You deserve to sit in this tiny house alone forever."
I literally would have given 1 whole extra star just for that conversation. But it never happened. No one ever called her out on her shit and I don't think she ever fully realized these things on her own.
The Plot The entire plot of the book is Markie being tricked into being a decent human while she complains about having to be a decent human. Mrs. Saint (bless her heart) she has created a sort of pseudo-family "defectives" or people in need who she has gone out of her way to help without letting them know that she's helping them. You can tell early on that Markie and Jess will be slowing welcomed into the mix. It's a nice premise but it drags and we don't really get to know the defectives well enough to connect to them so it all comes back to Markie. Who is far too unlikeable to move a plot.
The Ending It was somewhat predictable but mainly because there was only so much that could be done with this plot. I think I checked out too soon to feel anything so even if a huge twist had come I would not have been moved We finally got Mrs. Saint's full life story which in my opinion was unnecessarily convoluted. Also I couldn't appreciate it because I was too pissed at Markie for asking about it in the first place. The entire book she'd been trying to pry painful personal details out of Mrs. Saint (while angrily accusing Mrs. Saint of invading her privacy) and getting mad when she wouldn't tell her. As if she was somehow entitled to this information. She finally pried the details out of someone else. A someone else she barely knew. At a terribly inconsiderate time. It just bugged me. Immediately after fully realizing the full extent of Mrs. Saint's generosity towards her and her son she proceeds to invade the woman's privacy. This is after she responded with ungrateful anger upon hearing what Mrs. Saint had done for her. Like, Who does that?
Overall this was a 2.5 for me. I started skipping chapters towards the end because I was just bored and I didn't care anymore.
April 17, 2024
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית ואנגלית, קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/mrs-...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/mrs-...
July 20, 2017
Really enjoyed this book - it was my Amazon Prime free read for July.
There was always this underpinning of wanting to know more about who the characters REALLY were that kept me engaged throughout.
Highly recommended.
There was always this underpinning of wanting to know more about who the characters REALLY were that kept me engaged throughout.
Highly recommended.
September 5, 2017
I don’t know what initially drew me to this book. Perhaps recommendations from other readers. Possibly the cover, which stands out from most covers I’ve seen lately. All I know is that I’m glad I had the opportunity to read such a sweet and heartfelt story.
Markie is instantly a sympathetic character, given that her husband cheated on her, financially depleted her and their son, and then made her look like the “bad guy.” Her parents weren’t much help in the emotional support department. So what’s a girl to do but hide out in a faraway suburb for a while?
Making it impossible for her to hide, however, is her neighbor, a demanding older woman who sets her team of “defectives” out to help Markie and her son, even when they don’t ask for anything. However, this neighbor, Mrs. Saint, has a lot of secrets about her own life, and the lives of the “defectives.”
I liked so much about this novel. It was different from most stories I’m used to reading. I couldn’t put it down, for the most part. I just had to know what was going to happen and find out some long-awaited answers. In some ways, Mrs. Saint reminded me of someone I personally know and love, but won’t name any names. It is a good and pretty accurate comparison though.
There were some mysteries that I was able to piece together on my own, but there were plenty of surprises and shocking moments. After the answers were revealed, the story ended pretty quickly. It was satisfying, for the most part, but also felt abrupt. This is probably because I wanted the story to go on even longer, to spend more time with the characters and see what was in store for them next.
Overall, I really enjoyed Mrs. Saint and the Defectives and I definitely recommend it. It will warm your heart and make you look differently at things. And I can guarantee you won’t be able to stop thinking about it after you put it down!
My dream movie cast:
Markie: Brigid Brannagh
Mrs. Saint: Helen Mirren
Jesse: Peyton Wich
Frederic: Martin Shaw
Patty: Kristen Stewart
Kyle: Justin Theroux
Markie is instantly a sympathetic character, given that her husband cheated on her, financially depleted her and their son, and then made her look like the “bad guy.” Her parents weren’t much help in the emotional support department. So what’s a girl to do but hide out in a faraway suburb for a while?
Making it impossible for her to hide, however, is her neighbor, a demanding older woman who sets her team of “defectives” out to help Markie and her son, even when they don’t ask for anything. However, this neighbor, Mrs. Saint, has a lot of secrets about her own life, and the lives of the “defectives.”
I liked so much about this novel. It was different from most stories I’m used to reading. I couldn’t put it down, for the most part. I just had to know what was going to happen and find out some long-awaited answers. In some ways, Mrs. Saint reminded me of someone I personally know and love, but won’t name any names. It is a good and pretty accurate comparison though.
There were some mysteries that I was able to piece together on my own, but there were plenty of surprises and shocking moments. After the answers were revealed, the story ended pretty quickly. It was satisfying, for the most part, but also felt abrupt. This is probably because I wanted the story to go on even longer, to spend more time with the characters and see what was in store for them next.
Overall, I really enjoyed Mrs. Saint and the Defectives and I definitely recommend it. It will warm your heart and make you look differently at things. And I can guarantee you won’t be able to stop thinking about it after you put it down!
My dream movie cast:
Markie: Brigid Brannagh
Mrs. Saint: Helen Mirren
Jesse: Peyton Wich
Frederic: Martin Shaw
Patty: Kristen Stewart
Kyle: Justin Theroux
May 9, 2017
I absolutely loved this novel! If you're a fan of Anne Tyler or Fredrik Backman, you'll adore Julie Lawson Timmer's latest story. Charming and poignant, funny and wise, MRS SAINT AND THE DEFECTIVES is a delight from start to finish. Highly, highly recommend.
April 16, 2018
4.5 stars. If you liked A Man Called Ove, this is a terrific selection for you. It's somewhat like the female version, complete with an ending that is bitter-sweet.
This was such a fun, great "domestic" read. I'd describe it as the perfect whipped dessert. Rich but not heavy, refreshing but not light or "all air." Good to the last drop!
It's an adult coming-of-age story. There's no shortage of novels about women whose perfect lives turn out not to be so perfect, everything is shattered, and they have to rebuild and life turns out bigger and better than they ever expected... that is what this is and yet it feels fresh and different and not just another color of the same dress. Perhaps it's the richness of the characters or the methods brought to life in a singular meditation that make it special (see note about AA/Al-Anon below).
Anyone familiar with Al-Anon will also enjoy this story as our main character works the al-anon program (this is not stated IN the book, but it is what is happening and you can tell Timmer has familiarity with the program and 12-steps in general).
This was such a fun, great "domestic" read. I'd describe it as the perfect whipped dessert. Rich but not heavy, refreshing but not light or "all air." Good to the last drop!
It's an adult coming-of-age story. There's no shortage of novels about women whose perfect lives turn out not to be so perfect, everything is shattered, and they have to rebuild and life turns out bigger and better than they ever expected... that is what this is and yet it feels fresh and different and not just another color of the same dress. Perhaps it's the richness of the characters or the methods brought to life in a singular meditation that make it special (see note about AA/Al-Anon below).
Anyone familiar with Al-Anon will also enjoy this story as our main character works the al-anon program (this is not stated IN the book, but it is what is happening and you can tell Timmer has familiarity with the program and 12-steps in general).
July 5, 2017
MY REVIEW OF "MRS. SAINT AND THE DEFECTIVES" by Julie Lawson Trimmer
If things were difficult in your life, would you like the opportunity to have a second chance? In this charming novel, "Mrs. Saint and the Defectives", by Julie Lawson Timmer, the author discusses an "eccentric" community which has the feeling of family, and gives the people involved another chance for happiness
The genres of this novel are Fiction, Adult Fiction, and Women's Fiction.
The author describes her characters as "flawed", "defective",quirky, complicated and complex.
Markie and her son Jesse move away from their neighborhood, and community looking for a new start. Markie has been publicly humiliated by her husband, who has cheated, and caused her financial ruin. When they move to their newly rented bungalow, they meet Mrs. Saint, a European woman, with a heavy accent ,who immediately takes charge. She arranges for Markie and Jessie to get settled in. Mrs. Saint makes suggestions the way she thinks things should be, and somehow that is the way things are. Markie realizes that Mrs. Saint has provided meaningful jobs for other people who had lost their jobs and confidence. When everyone in the community works together, everything seems so much better!
I love the idea of a family and community where everyone is accepted for who they are.I also appreciate how the author describes, forgiveness, family, friends, love and hope.
I would highly recommend this entertaining and intriguing novel. I received an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) for my honest review.
If things were difficult in your life, would you like the opportunity to have a second chance? In this charming novel, "Mrs. Saint and the Defectives", by Julie Lawson Timmer, the author discusses an "eccentric" community which has the feeling of family, and gives the people involved another chance for happiness
The genres of this novel are Fiction, Adult Fiction, and Women's Fiction.
The author describes her characters as "flawed", "defective",quirky, complicated and complex.
Markie and her son Jesse move away from their neighborhood, and community looking for a new start. Markie has been publicly humiliated by her husband, who has cheated, and caused her financial ruin. When they move to their newly rented bungalow, they meet Mrs. Saint, a European woman, with a heavy accent ,who immediately takes charge. She arranges for Markie and Jessie to get settled in. Mrs. Saint makes suggestions the way she thinks things should be, and somehow that is the way things are. Markie realizes that Mrs. Saint has provided meaningful jobs for other people who had lost their jobs and confidence. When everyone in the community works together, everything seems so much better!
I love the idea of a family and community where everyone is accepted for who they are.I also appreciate how the author describes, forgiveness, family, friends, love and hope.
I would highly recommend this entertaining and intriguing novel. I received an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) for my honest review.
July 1, 2017
Readers will be drawn to this book initially by its eye-catching cover but what will keep them reading is Lawson Timmer's heart-felt vision of family, second chances and redemption.
After a failed marriage and the public humiliation that accompanied it, Markie moves herself and her teenage son to a new town to start over. Her goal? To blend into the background, keep her head down and make some money.
But she didn't anticipate Mrs. Saint.
Mrs. Saint is a force to be reckoned with. She's an elderly whirling dervish of good intentions but how she puts those intentions into practice aren't for the faint of heart. Resistance is futile. Sure, she can be abrasive, she's a know-it-all and pushy but she's the grand dame of the neighbourhood who has her hand in everyone's lives for various reasons. She is drawn to help (whether they want it or not) the lost, the lonely and those who need someone in their corner.
I went into this book knowing I'd get a story that centered around family because that's what Lawson Timmer writes best. Not necessarily the traditional family unit because family isn't always born. Sometimes family emerges from the people we choose as family - friends, neighbours etc. The cast is made up of a melange of lost souls that Mrs. Saint has pulled into her small universe for different reasons. They are a diverse bunch and their interactions are sometimes quirky and humorous as well as poignant and touching.
Markie was slow to warm to Mrs. Saint (and outright hated her at times) and I was slow to warm to Markie. Some of her reactions felt over-the-top but even when I didn't agree with her behaviour there was always an inkling of her that I liked. The more she came to understand herself the more I could get behind her as a protagonist.
This book hits many of the 'great read' check marks. It's got an interesting premise, two important themes (family and the strength one gains from helping others) and is filled with heart, a bit of humour and even an intriguing mystery. What more could you ask for?
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
After a failed marriage and the public humiliation that accompanied it, Markie moves herself and her teenage son to a new town to start over. Her goal? To blend into the background, keep her head down and make some money.
But she didn't anticipate Mrs. Saint.
Mrs. Saint is a force to be reckoned with. She's an elderly whirling dervish of good intentions but how she puts those intentions into practice aren't for the faint of heart. Resistance is futile. Sure, she can be abrasive, she's a know-it-all and pushy but she's the grand dame of the neighbourhood who has her hand in everyone's lives for various reasons. She is drawn to help (whether they want it or not) the lost, the lonely and those who need someone in their corner.
I went into this book knowing I'd get a story that centered around family because that's what Lawson Timmer writes best. Not necessarily the traditional family unit because family isn't always born. Sometimes family emerges from the people we choose as family - friends, neighbours etc. The cast is made up of a melange of lost souls that Mrs. Saint has pulled into her small universe for different reasons. They are a diverse bunch and their interactions are sometimes quirky and humorous as well as poignant and touching.
Markie was slow to warm to Mrs. Saint (and outright hated her at times) and I was slow to warm to Markie. Some of her reactions felt over-the-top but even when I didn't agree with her behaviour there was always an inkling of her that I liked. The more she came to understand herself the more I could get behind her as a protagonist.
This book hits many of the 'great read' check marks. It's got an interesting premise, two important themes (family and the strength one gains from helping others) and is filled with heart, a bit of humour and even an intriguing mystery. What more could you ask for?
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 5, 2017
I've said before in my reviews that I have a love/hate relationship with the free Kindle First selections -- I keep choosing a book each month (even though most of my selections end up on the DNF shelf) because every now and then I find a diamond. Mrs. Saint and the Defectives is one of the diamonds.
Humor and over-the-top characters can work very well to make a point, and Ms. Timmer used them masterfully here. The moral of this book, as I see it, is not only that we all should actively help others, but that we should be willing to accept help as well. When we accept someone's offer of help we are often helping that person as much as we are helping ourselves. And don't we all need help sometimes? Of course we do. (Right now I'm humming "I get by with a little help from my friends.")
Even though there is a serious theme in the book, it is also light reading. So add it to your beach-read list. It will touch your heart and make you smile.
Humor and over-the-top characters can work very well to make a point, and Ms. Timmer used them masterfully here. The moral of this book, as I see it, is not only that we all should actively help others, but that we should be willing to accept help as well. When we accept someone's offer of help we are often helping that person as much as we are helping ourselves. And don't we all need help sometimes? Of course we do. (Right now I'm humming "I get by with a little help from my friends.")
Even though there is a serious theme in the book, it is also light reading. So add it to your beach-read list. It will touch your heart and make you smile.
July 14, 2017
This is one of my favorite books that I've read so far this year. The characters are well developed and the story itself is fantastic. While it wasn't exactly a light hearted read, there were super funny parts mixed with more serious parts. I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone.
May 24, 2017
Markie's life falls apart. Her husband Kyle cheats on her, they are completely broke, and she must quit her job. She moves with her son Jesse into a new house in a new neighborhood. As they are unloading the moving truck their new neighbor Mrs. Saint comes over and introduces herself. She plants herself firmly into Markie and Jesse's lives. She is overbearing but quite lovable. She has her team of "defectives" as she calls them that work for her at her house. They are people she has taken under her wing to help. After finishing the book, I can honestly say I want to live beside Mrs. Saint and be a defective. I loved this book and the characters are ones that will stay with you. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me an ARC in return for an honest review.
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