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Palimony
Palimony is a darkly comic look at romance, marriage and divorce in the ever changing landscape of the “Age of Equality.”
With the divorce rate in the U.S. estimated as high as 50 percent, it’s pretty clear that the road to happily ever after is not without its detours. A host of readers will readily relate to this witty social satire of a culture that perpetuates personal conflict in the quest for billable hours.
Ross has recently forfeited his upscale suburban lifestyle, courtesy of a divorce gone nuclear. He pines for his former life, now lost to alimony payments. His only remaining taste of luxury comes from of his expense account while traveling for business.
On one of those trips, he meets Dave, a former Pharma VP, with his own alimony woes. Divorced from his attorney wife, and fired by his father-in-law, he too, must change his paradigm to stay afloat.
During a booze-soaked, flight to the coast, they hatch a plan that to solve both their problems: Woo the other’s ex with the goal of "cohabitation", the legal standard for eliminating alimony. With a laundry list of inside information and tons of coaching, getting to “shacking-up” seems entirely plausible.
The plan takes an unexpected detour when Ross falls for his intended target. Worse, Ross's snooping ex gets wind of his amour and would love to derail his whirlwind romance and ruin his happiness. Uncovering the truth about his relationship, or the one he has foisted upon her, will spell his doom. With true love and tens of thousands of dollars at stake, Ross can’t afford to let that happen.
My debut novel, Palimony is set in Charlotte, NC, a “New South” city which finds itself on a cultural fault line, where changing values come to a standoff with its Bible belt roots. A cast of characters in search of love will embark on a journey from revenge to redemption and ultimately, reconciliation.
Fiction with a dose of dark comedy, it’s a "Bonfire of the Vanities" take on modern marriage and divorce that would make a Kardashian proud while evoking “Strangers on a Train” with a vastly different end game.
With the divorce rate in the U.S. estimated as high as 50 percent, it’s pretty clear that the road to happily ever after is not without its detours. A host of readers will readily relate to this witty social satire of a culture that perpetuates personal conflict in the quest for billable hours.
Ross has recently forfeited his upscale suburban lifestyle, courtesy of a divorce gone nuclear. He pines for his former life, now lost to alimony payments. His only remaining taste of luxury comes from of his expense account while traveling for business.
On one of those trips, he meets Dave, a former Pharma VP, with his own alimony woes. Divorced from his attorney wife, and fired by his father-in-law, he too, must change his paradigm to stay afloat.
During a booze-soaked, flight to the coast, they hatch a plan that to solve both their problems: Woo the other’s ex with the goal of "cohabitation", the legal standard for eliminating alimony. With a laundry list of inside information and tons of coaching, getting to “shacking-up” seems entirely plausible.
The plan takes an unexpected detour when Ross falls for his intended target. Worse, Ross's snooping ex gets wind of his amour and would love to derail his whirlwind romance and ruin his happiness. Uncovering the truth about his relationship, or the one he has foisted upon her, will spell his doom. With true love and tens of thousands of dollars at stake, Ross can’t afford to let that happen.
My debut novel, Palimony is set in Charlotte, NC, a “New South” city which finds itself on a cultural fault line, where changing values come to a standoff with its Bible belt roots. A cast of characters in search of love will embark on a journey from revenge to redemption and ultimately, reconciliation.
Fiction with a dose of dark comedy, it’s a "Bonfire of the Vanities" take on modern marriage and divorce that would make a Kardashian proud while evoking “Strangers on a Train” with a vastly different end game.
350 pages, Word Doc
First published August 26, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 20, 2021
Well PALIMONY has entered the universe on May 18,2021 and by all accounts it is a leaner version and is receiving almost uniformly good reviews. If you would like to read it, especially those looking for an entertaining summer beach read, I would be eternally grateful. It has romance, intrigue, mystery, politics, psychology, and is a fun romp that goes from one end of the globe to another. Thank you in advance for giving it a look.
January 5, 2022
Palimony is a word that has always tickled my funny bone. I mean, even the legal system doesn’t take it seriously. Regardless of your predisposition to the word, I guarantee from the second you crack open the book, you’ll be smiling until you close it.
Ross is an altogether good guy who is embroiled in acrimonious divorce negotiations. Godzilla, his ex’s lawyer, is hell bent on sentencing him to lifelong poverty and emasculation while preserving his narcissist ex’s existence of never doing anything and blaming everybody. Because of the opposition’s relentless vindictive take-no-prisoner warfare, Ross fears their teenage daughter’s well-being is at risk of becoming collateral damage. Ross worries if his attorney is up to the challenge. He desperately hopes so because she is the only lawyer in Charlotte willing to take on the formidable Godzilla.
Ross’s only respite is his company’s hefty expense account. During business trips, though fleeting, Ross basks in that vestige of his former affluent lifestyle. On a plane to Los Angeles he happens to meet Dave. Coincidentally, Dave is in the very same situation, only Dave’s ex is the polar opposite of Ross’s. Dave’s ex is an over-achieving attorney, fiercely competitive and obsessed with proving herself to Daddy - Dave’s employer. Well, ex-employer since divorce meant termination.
Ross and Dave immediately bond over their shared misery and pauperdom. If only there was a way to keep their heads above water and not drown. If only they didn’t have to pay the exorbitant alimony.
Is this beginning to sound like “Strangers on a Train”? Ross and Dave thought so, too. Only their master plan is not deadly. It is hilariously diabolical: They will break the alimony clause by seducing, then cohabitating with each another’s ex for 30 days. After compiling elaborate dossiers that profile the likes and dislikes of their ex-wives, the guys delude themselves into thinking their playbooks and cheat sheets guarantee success. A few of Ross’s friends join the cause with the stealth and passion of the French Resistance - especially the savvy Australian flight attendant with connections across the globe. What could possibly go wrong?
Timing must be flawless and it is comedic to a fault. Wooing ranges from woeful to wacky. To begin with, Ross coordinates an “accidental” meet up with his target by signing up for martial arts classes at her dojo with black and blue results. And Dave must figure out how to break up his mark’s relationship with a senior citizen. What’s the best way to uncling a clinging narcissist?
For me reading Palimony was like eating potato chips - I couldn’t stop. The never-a-dull-moment plot was so addictively unpredictable that the Down Under by-the-skin-of-your-teeth happily ever after came as a complete surprise. Moreover, I did not expect Palimony to take me to a depth that touched my heart. To win a more lucrative divorce settlement, immoral Godzilla might unscrupulously manipulate Ross’s daughter into testifying against her father. In order to protect her, Ross’s attorney must make a gut-wrenching decision. Should she risk her career by facing Charlotte’s prevalent Bible Belt culture that is intolerant of LGBTQ?
Steve Grossman’s stupendous writing prowess is matched only by his indefatigable wit and keen sense of humor. Palimony has the same unforgettable characters and compelling fingernail-biting plot with hairpin turns, heart-pounding ascents, stomach-lurching descents and dizzying twists as Alfred Hitchcock. That is, Alfred Hitchcock on laughing gas.
I can’t imagine anything better than eating a bottomless bucket of buttered popcorn while enjoying Palimony - on the big screen.
May 19, 2021
What an amazing book! When one speaks of divorce, the tone is normally dark or depressing. But Steve Grossman has managed to take this subject and make it beautifully entertaining. When it's normally the female's point of view, it is refreshing to read a story where the man's version is central. I found myself laughing and at the same time, extremely sympathetic to the ex husband's plight. This contemporary romantic comedy has wonderful characters that everyone can relate to. As a woman, wife, and mother, I could easily identify with all the characters that are involved in this perfectly told story. It was nice to read a book that let's you know that not every man is a bad guy, not every woman is a victim, not every lawyer is slimy, friendships are treasured, and forgiveness is something to be embraced. PalimonyI enjoyed reading this book so very much! I couldn't put it down.
I do hope they make this book into a movie!
I do hope they make this book into a movie!
May 4, 2021
I admit it, I’m a sucker for a good contemporary romance.
Especially with a unique hook.
PALIMONY delivers on this. Usually, romance is told from a woman’s POV and follows a certain formula. Steve Grossman has boldly flipped that script with this humorous and yet poignant story focused on the very prevalent reality of marriages gone wrong—which end inevitably in divorce.
When ROSS meets a stranger on a business flight, they discover they have something in common. Both are not only getting divorced, but their wives are giving them a run for their money.
Literally.
And over a few scotches, as their stories mirror each other, they make a deal to target the other’s wife by making her fall in love with them. This way neither gets taken over the coals in their divorce settlements.
PALIMONY handles this reverse romance with humor and heartfelt emotion.
I can whole-heartedly say Steve Grossman tackles the hard topic of divorce settlements and the emotional effects it can have on the entire family.
But don’t be fooled.
Grossman may have flipped the script on this genre, but I can assure you the story delivers the kind of ending that will leave the reader with a smile.
May 24, 2021
Cleverly named ‘PALIMONY’, two recently divorced men, Ross and Dave, become ‘pals’ and hatch up a plan to botch their respective x-wife’s entitlement to ‘alimony’.
The pair swaps hot tips on how to win over each other’s wife with a view to achieving cohabitation, thus cancelling out alimony payments. But when Ross finds himself falling for his pal’s spouse, the story takes an unexpected turn.
What surprised me the most was the way author, Steve Grossman handled the ending. I foresaw the predictable, but Steve managed to create a beautifully crafted finale I didn’t see coming: one that was most satisfying, indeed.
Being an Australian myself, I was equally impressed with the accuracy in which Steve captured the essence of Broome Australia in the last third of the story.
Laughter, empathy, suspense: I experienced it all when reading this well-thought-out novel. From the witty prose to the extremely well-developed characters, the friendships, the hope, the pay-backs, the twists, and turns, it has it all.
The writing was extremely cinematic. I could definitely picture this novel as a film.
I thoroughly recommend buying yourself a copy of PALIMONY. You won’t be disappointed.
The pair swaps hot tips on how to win over each other’s wife with a view to achieving cohabitation, thus cancelling out alimony payments. But when Ross finds himself falling for his pal’s spouse, the story takes an unexpected turn.
What surprised me the most was the way author, Steve Grossman handled the ending. I foresaw the predictable, but Steve managed to create a beautifully crafted finale I didn’t see coming: one that was most satisfying, indeed.
Being an Australian myself, I was equally impressed with the accuracy in which Steve captured the essence of Broome Australia in the last third of the story.
Laughter, empathy, suspense: I experienced it all when reading this well-thought-out novel. From the witty prose to the extremely well-developed characters, the friendships, the hope, the pay-backs, the twists, and turns, it has it all.
The writing was extremely cinematic. I could definitely picture this novel as a film.
I thoroughly recommend buying yourself a copy of PALIMONY. You won’t be disappointed.
May 6, 2021
This book was so much fun to read - the whole way through. Steve Grossman gives us an insider's lived-in view on the absurdities of life, love, and, well, divorce, and does so with sharply written prose, hilarious dialogue, and a hard-to-put-down narrative that pushes the reader to the brink and then gently nudges him over the edge. All done in great tension and suspense, and with just enough romantic sweetness to balance the tang of the journey these unforgettable characters have taken on. Oh, and the author's witty writing talent convinces me this book will soon find its way into the hands of a Hollywood producer. Mazel tov, Mr. Grossman! - Morris Ardoin, author of "Stone Motel, Memoirs of a Cajun Boy"
July 4, 2018
I was thrilled to be asked to be a beta reader, but found myself wishing for a few hundred more pages. It was a terrific story of divorce, marriage, intrigue, revenge and suspense, with a good butt kicking thrown in.
Women might gravitate toward a love story more than men, but trust me guys, you will like it too. When Palimony is published, make sure not to miss it.
Women might gravitate toward a love story more than men, but trust me guys, you will like it too. When Palimony is published, make sure not to miss it.
May 6, 2021
It's edge-of-your-seat thrilling, fun, with so many loose ends halfway through I was sure they couldn't all be retied before it was over. But Steve Grossman manages to weave these story lines into a terrific surprise ending. What a great read!
May 21, 2021
It's so unusual to find a romantic comedy from a male perspective - I love the strong female protagonists, and the well-rounded characters. This great summer read will take you on a journey from Los Angeles to the east coast, and Australia. I loved the slow build and the twist at the end!
July 11, 2018
A whole new way of looking at divorce, alimony and the sheer genius it takes to screw it all up. I laughed, I cried and I cheered for the wonderful world of Palimony!
July 28, 2018
What a book!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this new take on divorce and bouncing back (excuse the pun!)
May 6, 2021
Loved this book from Page 1! Very refreshing to read about love and divorce from a guy's point of view. A fun, fast read with lots of twists!
July 6, 2018
I was given the opportunity to read a beta version of this story and therefore, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I had no expectations, so it turned out to be one of those pleasant surprises. This was a really fun read.
Steven creates a story with many twists and turns and yet keeps it all together beautifully. The characters are intriguing and it is very easy to root for them (those worth rooting for that is). Steven also does a nice job of interspersing romance, cunning, psychology and politics into this story. While a transplant, he also does a very good job of describing the city of Charlotte with the love of a native. I enjoyed Steven's attention to detail and descriptive prose. He shifted between the story arcs well and maintained the pace of the story.
I loved "Strangers on a Train" and "Throw Momma from the Train". This is another story in that vein that is worth the ride. When it finally comes out, pick it up and read it. I think you too will enjoy.
Steven creates a story with many twists and turns and yet keeps it all together beautifully. The characters are intriguing and it is very easy to root for them (those worth rooting for that is). Steven also does a nice job of interspersing romance, cunning, psychology and politics into this story. While a transplant, he also does a very good job of describing the city of Charlotte with the love of a native. I enjoyed Steven's attention to detail and descriptive prose. He shifted between the story arcs well and maintained the pace of the story.
I loved "Strangers on a Train" and "Throw Momma from the Train". This is another story in that vein that is worth the ride. When it finally comes out, pick it up and read it. I think you too will enjoy.
May 24, 2021
Palimony by Steve Grossman is a must read if you have ever been divorced or thinking about it. Heck you should read it if you are thinking of getting married, just for the many laughs. If you are a Hitchcock fan or middle aged or would like to live long enough to be middle aged. And wonders if life really begins at forty. If you are a woman who wonders how men really think or a man who wonders if you are the only guy who has “those thoughts.” There are capers and plots and burner phones and weekend parenting. There are exotic locations and suburban equivocations. Romance and Bromance and Marriage Equality and a Courthouse Bombing and Lawyers squaring off at sunset. No Spoiler Alert, it is really funny and teary too. Read it at the beach, on the chaise lounge, out on the deck with a bottle of your favorite, just read it.
October 14, 2021
Palimony is simply a great read. Steven Grossman takes an issue most of us (all of us?) can relate to, if not specifically then likely through the experiences of others. Great characters ranging from despicable to truly likeable combine to tell the story of how two men going through horrific divorces have a chance meeting and concoct an outrageous scheme to date each other's ex-wife in the hope of escaping the more devastating conditions of their respective divorce settlements. He does a great job of injecting humor and sarcasm into an otherwise serious issue. The story would make a great movie or mini-series.
May 27, 2021
Ross and Dave are in the same situation - each has a vindictive wife who is destroying them financially and emotionally in a brutal divorce. While commiserating with each other, they come up with a unique and ingenious plan to fight back on unreasonable alimony terms. But when they put the plan into motion, Ross hits an unexpected snag.
Steve Goodman is hysterically funny and infuses his humor in Palimony to make readers laugh while they sympathize with the men's struggle to escape toxic relationships without ending up on Skid Row. A must read!
Steve Goodman is hysterically funny and infuses his humor in Palimony to make readers laugh while they sympathize with the men's struggle to escape toxic relationships without ending up on Skid Row. A must read!
August 3, 2021
It takes a great story and storyteller for me to read a book compulsively and complete it within five days, which I did with Steven Grossman's 'Palimony'. I loved it for its wit and warmth—it's a light read with memorable characters, and perfectly suited to become a rom-com movie, complete with a couple of diminished real world practicalities...but who cares. Happily married, divorced or anywhere in between, this is a book I believe almost everyone will enjoy.
May 28, 2021
Fresh & Fun
This light-hearted romp is a story of an unlikely solution to dual divorce problems that will leave you laughing. It’s imaginative and fun. Perfect material for a future romantic-comedy on the big screen.
This light-hearted romp is a story of an unlikely solution to dual divorce problems that will leave you laughing. It’s imaginative and fun. Perfect material for a future romantic-comedy on the big screen.
May 20, 2021
Wonderful, mystery, humor, has it all
This book is refreshing, a twist towards the end. Well developed characters and the humor in it had me laughing through it all. A must read.
This book is refreshing, a twist towards the end. Well developed characters and the humor in it had me laughing through it all. A must read.
May 23, 2021
A fun book that I highly recommend. Loved the characters and the humor!
June 12, 2023
Ross Cameron may be a successful businessman, but his wife’s divorce attorney is notorious for wiping ex-husbands out financially. Having to take a business trip in the midst of the proceedings, he learns his cross-country seatmate Dave Morrison is in the same boat. The two continue to share their misery drinking late into the night in a bar. Including the unlikely loophole that if some other man should take up cohabitation with their exwife, then the alimony payments would stop.
But wait! Remember that old movie “Strangers on a Train?”
No, I’m not going to murder your ex.
But what if you were to woo her and move in with her? Just long enough to activate that loophole?
And thereby hangs the plot! The two agree to coach each other in a mad venture to rescue both their lives. Even sober, they decide the plan has merit and prepare exhaustive playbooks full of insider info and guidance. What could go wrong?
What doesn’t? The course of true divorce doesn’t run smooth either. First, how to actually meet up with the other guy’s ex and develop any kind of romantic rapport with her? Since both men have been out of the dating game long enough to be rusty, those playbooks really do help. Ross’s ex is a manipulative narcissist who intends to have somebody cater to her every wish, like the nice old man who seems to already have plans to do just that. Dave’s ex is another female lawyer, just what Ross needs in his life. Complications pile up, including a spectacular Australian stewardess who was in that bar that night. The biggest complication arises when Ross falls in love with Dave’s ex!
The escalating mayhem that ensues is worthy of the best Hollywood screwball comedy. Mr. Grossman doesn’t miss a beat. Nor does he ever lose the thread. No matter how many more people he gets involved in his increasingly tangled web, the reader always knows that Ross is the central character, the very heart of it all.
Although the handsome young Australian tycoon who just happens to own the perfect hotel for “destination weddings” does come off as a classic “deus ex machina” figure, you don’t mind. These people deserve him. I counted happy endings for FIVE couples, and a potential future romance for Ross’s teen daughter.
Remember that vicious man-hating divorce attorney? Wait till you see what happens to her.
But wait! Remember that old movie “Strangers on a Train?”
No, I’m not going to murder your ex.
But what if you were to woo her and move in with her? Just long enough to activate that loophole?
And thereby hangs the plot! The two agree to coach each other in a mad venture to rescue both their lives. Even sober, they decide the plan has merit and prepare exhaustive playbooks full of insider info and guidance. What could go wrong?
What doesn’t? The course of true divorce doesn’t run smooth either. First, how to actually meet up with the other guy’s ex and develop any kind of romantic rapport with her? Since both men have been out of the dating game long enough to be rusty, those playbooks really do help. Ross’s ex is a manipulative narcissist who intends to have somebody cater to her every wish, like the nice old man who seems to already have plans to do just that. Dave’s ex is another female lawyer, just what Ross needs in his life. Complications pile up, including a spectacular Australian stewardess who was in that bar that night. The biggest complication arises when Ross falls in love with Dave’s ex!
The escalating mayhem that ensues is worthy of the best Hollywood screwball comedy. Mr. Grossman doesn’t miss a beat. Nor does he ever lose the thread. No matter how many more people he gets involved in his increasingly tangled web, the reader always knows that Ross is the central character, the very heart of it all.
Although the handsome young Australian tycoon who just happens to own the perfect hotel for “destination weddings” does come off as a classic “deus ex machina” figure, you don’t mind. These people deserve him. I counted happy endings for FIVE couples, and a potential future romance for Ross’s teen daughter.
Remember that vicious man-hating divorce attorney? Wait till you see what happens to her.
November 10, 2023
You will love these characters — even the ones you love to hate. The premise of Palimony is intriguing (a nod to Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train) and the story unfolds with alacrity and humor. It's great bedtime or beach reading, and it's easy to pick up and be engrossed in the story immediately. All in all — super fun.
January 6, 2024
I never would have thought two men trying to avoid alimony payments could be laugh out loud funny. A chance encounter on a plane leads to a plot for each to seduce the other’s ex-spouse. The goal—to break their respective financially debilitating divorce agreements. High jinks and hilarity ensue as both men suffer through attempts at seduction.
February 2, 2024
I ventured in with the comedic temperament of a two-year old, and left feeling seen. But books make people mature whether they admit it or not, and sadly Mr. Grossman’s Palimony also had that effect on me. He knows how to mallet a sentence together, and construct a scene alongside an hilarious narrative arc. I certainly look forward to reading more mayhem from this author.
February 21, 2023
This book was recommended by a friend. Don't let the awful, amateurish cover put you off. This is a truly well-written, funny book. I liked the characters and wish this was a series because I can see these characters getting into a lot more trouble.
March 16, 2023
Such a fun book. A chance meeting of two guys results in an elaborate plot to woo each others wives in order to avoid forking out alimony. Well, that's a long story cut short, but inevitably things don't go as smoothly as they hope. It's a funny, and a very visual book that would make a good film.
June 28, 2021
It was just ok. Nothing awful, nothing to hold my interest. It doesn't explain what Ross did that his ex hated him so much
August 15, 2021
Did not like this book at all. A very boring story about a very boring topic
February 10, 2022
A seriously funny take on divorce infused with the right amount of humor. It was a lovely light summer read.
April 13, 2024
It took me a while to finish this book because of a busy schedule. But, every time I had a free moment, I went back to it. The story and the characters drew me in. Good job, Steve!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews