Been There, Married That

by Gigi Levangie

A hilarious new novel full of Hollywood glitz, glamour, and scandal.

When he changes the locks, she changes the rules.

Agnes Murphy Nash is the perfect Hollywood wife – she has the right friends, the right clothes, and even a side career of her own as a writer. Her husband Trevor is a bigshot producer, and from the outside it looks like they’re living a picture-perfect celebrity life, complete with tennis tournaments and lavish parties.

But the job description of a Hollywood wife doesn’t cover divorce, which is the way Agnes’ life is headed after she comes home one day to find her credit cards cancelled and the security passwords to get into her enormous LA home changed. Oh, and there’s a guy there whose job it is to tase her if she tries to enter…which she does. Needless to say, Agnes’ husband is dead set on making sure she loses big time, but Agnes isn’t the type to just lie down and take it. In a world of fremenies and hot nannies, personal psychics and “skinny” jello shots, Agnes may be losing her husband, but could that mean getting her own life back?

Been There, Married That is a drop-dead hilarious battle of wills that will make you laugh out loud, cringe, and keep turning the pages to see what crazy disaster will happen to Agnes next…and how she’ll rise from the ashes.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Romance, Audiobook, Womens Fiction, Humor

324 pages, Hardcover

First published February 11, 2020

About the author

Gigi Levangie Grazer is the author of three prior novels: Rescue Me (2000), Maneater (2003), and The Starter Wife (2006). The Starter Wife was adapted for an Emmy Award–winning USA Network miniseries starring Debra Messing, and later for a television series; Maneater was adapted for a Lifetime miniseries starring Sarah Chalke in May 2009. In addition, Gigi wrote the screenplay for Stepmom, starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon. Gigi’s articles have appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Glamour. She lives in L.A. with her two children and three miniature dachshund

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Lip filler lemmings," I said. "I'd tell them to jump off a cliff into the Pacific, but we all know silicone floats."

Agnes Murphy Nash spent the last decade or so acting the part of the Hollywood Wife - expensive clothes, flawless makeup, and the right friends in the right places.

Trevor, her husband, has always been an arrogant producer but lately, he's set his sights on something else.

"Okay, here we go." he sighed. "I'm really sorry, I've been told not to let you in...It's what they call, in the legal profession, leveraging."

He's moving on - right now - and the sooner Agnes gets out, the better.

With no credit cards, her house partitioned off like a bad teenage sitcom, and every lawyer in the city booked by her soon-to-be-ex husband, Agnes is about to get a hard slap to the face.

I ubered home in a blacked-out Suburban, Adele crying on the radio, air conditioning blowing up my dress, and legroom for my emotional baggage.

One thing's for certain, she will NOT let her husband win. No. Way. In. Hell.

Whelp... that didn't go at all as expected.

You know that magical feeling where a 300+ pg book passes in a blink of an eye?

Yeahhhh... that didn't happen. I felt every. single. page.

It had so much wonderful potential. So many moments that had me on the edge of laughter but it ultimately didn't mesh well.

The tone of the book was very in-the-moment and it was so close-first person that it was a bit difficult to handle the pacing.

Every spare thought was told to the audience and it was honestly hard to follow.

The narrator alternated between being funny, witty and charming to vindictive, mean and spiteful with a slightly inane cheeriness.

If that was better balanced, I have the feeling I would have loved it. But it just flip-flopped so quickly and so often that I never could get a good feel for her character, which left me feeing disconnected.

My calls and texts to Trevor went unanswered. I hoped he was lying in a ditch somewhere, but I also hoped that he was. :)

The same goes for her husband - one minute he's tantruming because someone moved his furniture two inches over and the next, he's clever enough to obtain a consultation with every decent lawyer in the city to blockade Agnes.

"I see a touch of narcisism," she said, glancing up..."It says here that when you walk into a room, you feel special."

In the beginning, he gave her a fitbit as a dig for gaining weight. Later he commits to an inpatient home by accusing her of anorexia.

So she was unlikeable, he was unlikeable, her kid was going through a moody teenage phrase...and essentially I couldn't connect to anyone in the book and the book went all over, full of little inconsistencies and big ones (fitbit/anorexia).

Two stars because I did legitimately enjoy the beginning. It started smart, funny and sassy but it just couldn't keep up the pace.

I received a free copy from the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.

All quotes come from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon publication

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[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

2.5 Stars

I’ll be on vacay (at my house – don’t think you can rob me without me murdering you) until after Christmas so Imma knock another review out today and make me feel like I accomplished something this year by posting 200 reviews.

Been There, Married That is the type of book you pick up when . . . .



It’s the story of what happens when Agnes’ megahit Hollywood producer husband Trevor decides to divorce her, believing the grass is sure to be greener on the other side. What follows is a completely over-the-top tale that could easily be found in Webster’s next to the definition of . . . .



When I read this (a while ago, because you know I suck at timely reviews) I thought this would be a great poolside selection. Alice NEVER being serious (I mean EVER - even when in mediation discussing the potential of losing custody of her children) irritated the shit out of me, but I still stand by that opinion. Now that the holidays are quickly approaching, this might be a great escape from the stresses of the season as well. Got a house full of Griswalds? Run a bubble bath and soak in with Agnes’ antics.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

[Cortney - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oooof, this was a rough one. The writing was all over the place. I love a good quip/snarky comment/joke, but it was so constant I got confused about what was actually going on in the scene.

The star of the book was Fin, the MC's sister.

1.5 stars rounded up because I didn't hate it, it was just bad (like, really bad).

If you want to read a great book by her, check out Rescue Me or The Starter Wife, don't bother with this one.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie is an up close and personal look at the disintegration of a Hollywood marriage. Agnes returns home to find herself locked out of the mansion she shares with her husband, Trevor. She is advised by a security guard that her marriage is over. Her husband, a film producer, is determined to put Agnes in the worst possible light in order to gain full custody of their young daughter. The novel succeeds in painting Hollywood film people with a broad brush of unflattering insight. There are funny moments but there are also painfully pathetic moments. If you are easily offended by four-letter words, this may not be for you. I read this title because I was looking for a little levity during these troubling times and it was a good diversion. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a spectacularly bad book for so many reasons. DNF, but I made it 40 percent through and feel like I should get a trophy for that.

In really good novels, while I’m reading, I forget that there is an author who sat at her desk day after day after day constructing the book because I’m so lost in the story. The writing in this novel very noticeably calls attention to itself. There are good lines, but I can envision the author at her desk, smiling at her own cleverness.

Agnes is a writer who married a Hollywood big shot. One day she comes home to her palatial mansion to find she’s been locked out. Is divorce next?

I don’t care because Trevor is a horrible man. If your criteria for a good husband is that he’s good looking, rich, and successful, yes, Trevor’s your guy. If what you care about in a husband is that he’s a good human who treats you well, he’s a self-absorbed dick. I care much more about the latter, so of course she shouldn’t get back with him. Even if he didn’t cheat, he LOCKED HER OUT OF THE HOUSE INSTEAD OF HAVING A CONVERSATION LIKE AN ADULT HUMAN BEING THAT HE WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR MARRIAGE.

He sends her to rehab because she eats too many almonds. She actually goes. WTF? Only for a day, but then he can say she’s been to rehab, which of course implies a drug/alcohol problem. I had to stop there because It was all too stupid for words.

I got this book from NetGalley. It RELEASES FEBRUARY 11, 2020.

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read, but I wasn't really blown away by it. Maybe I've been reading too many (hilarious) romcom's lately, or maybe I am just getting more criticizing with age, I don't know. I just wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. It happens...

I had a hard time getting into the story and once I did get...I had a hard time staying in it. I put it down too many times, which resulted in me not really wanting to pick it up again and that is never a good thing.

That paired with the fact that I didn't care for either of the characters, made that this was just not the book for me.

But like I said, I did read some awesome romcom's previous to starting this one, so the bar was set pretty high...


An ARC was provided to

in exchange for an honest review

 

 

[Amy Imogene Reads]

DNF...

Oh dear. I’m so sorry folks. I tried, so hard, so many times. This was all over the place, and not in a good way. There are other ways to spend life, and better books out there—it’s time to abandon this clustermess.


Thank you to St Martins Press for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Constantine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5/5.0

Genre:
Contemporary + Humor

The synopsis sounded very interesting to me. I love the glitters of showbiz and that was one of the reasons I picked up this ARC. And it has a beautiful interesting cover art too. However, all that said I have to say that the writing was all over the place and somehow difficult and also confusing for me. There are lots of jokes and humor in one sentence that makes it confusing to understand the sentence or the purpose of the paragraph! This sounds crazy because honestly, I have not come across a book that was written in such a way before. I am not sure if this is the regular writing style for Gigi Levangie Grazer (As I have never read anything for her before) or is it just the author trying to make the whole story very funny and overdosed it with lots of unnecessary jokes that made an interesting premise to a bizarre strange experience!

I feel there was a big potential with the story and the characters if the writing was not that much all over the place. With Agnes being an author and the wife of a big Hollywood producer and going through a divorce should have been an interesting read. OK, enough of me talking about the potential that this book had and let me just say that this book did not live up to my expectations.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing me the ARC of this title in exchange for this honest and unbiased review.

The book is expected to be released: February 11th, 2020

[Katie B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was heavy on the humor but was lacking in heart. The characters were just so over-the-top they were caricatures and not in a fun way. I kept asking myself, why should I even care about the main character and what she is going through? Disappointing read for sure.

Agnes Murphy Nash is a writer and is married to some hotshot producer named Trevor. They are part of the Hollywood crowd so they are constantly surrounded by glitz, glamour, and well, a lot of fake people. Trevor decides he doesn't want to be married to Agnes anymore which means she could lose everything. But hey, when you get knocked down, you got to pick yourself back up again, right?

The story lost me early on and despite the fact there was some substance towards the end, it just wasn't enough to save it. I think in order for this story to work better, Agnes had to be completely normal and likable but as it was written, she was as annoying as every other character. It's a significant problem when the main character's husband is a jerk and you don't even feel an ounce of sympathy towards her.

Simply put, I had quite a few problems with this book. I'm human so I can't enjoy every single book I read, but maybe others will enjoy this one.

I won a free advance copy of this book in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating:

3.5

Favorite Quotes:

So hard to make cogent arguments against a smart tween while driving in LA; I needed to concentrate on swearing and shaking my fist at all the illegal left turns.

We all knew, deep inside, our kids were probably growing up to be entitled, overeducated blobs. We were raising hothouse flowers, unequipped to climb a fence or fry an egg or spend five minutes bored… “When the revolution comes,” I said, “our kids will be food.”

Lip filler lemmings… I’d tell them to jump off a cliff into the Pacific, but we all know silicone floats.

“No one’s reading like they used to. Have you ever considered hosting a YouTube channel?” “Yes! A lifestyle channel,” I said. “‘ Agnes’s Spectacular Guide to Failing.’ I’ll invite people who’ve failed miserably— our advertisers will be firearms, funeral homes, and pharmaceuticals.”

“Who’s opposing counsel?” she asked. “Ulger Blecks.” She whistled. “Why is it everyone whistles when they hear his name? Is he a dog?” “A pit bull that frightens rabies.”

“Let me tell you something, dearie,” Dad said and lowered his voice, which was how I knew he was heated. “The world was a better place when we settled matters with fists rather than lawyers.” I opened my mouth to object and found that I couldn’t argue with him. I would’ve loved to have popped Ulger in the mouth, but I feared he would eat it.


My Review:

This amusing tale was shot through with clever wit and razor-sharp snark while cast with mainly vapid, vile, exasperating, entitled, arrogant, shallow, and obliviously bone-headed characters who were of the type of ilk that I would never willingly share air. The storylines had me rife with consternation and I was often simultaneously amused and intensely annoyed by the characters’ behaviors and poor choices. I will admit to being unfamiliar with many of the pop-culture references lavishly sprinkled throughout, so a considerable amount of the author’s cleverness flew right over my tiny pea-brained inhabited cranium and left me feeling more than a bit cretinous and imbecilic. The premise had such promise and the story threads had good bones with glimpses of cunning perceptiveness and sharp-edged humor that kept me reading to the end, but all in all, the odd pacing and unlikable characters consistently whittled at my enjoyment and rating.

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made it through the Most insane book I think I’ve ever read. The first half is completely nuts but if you hang in through the second half, it actually makes sense.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve heard of this author before but I have never read anything by her. So I’m not sure if this was the book that I should have started with. But start with I did and I had an eye-opening experience.

The first third of this book was completely insane.
-It was maniacal.
-It seemed like menopausal hysteria.
-It was also very difficult to read.

Set in Hollywood, it’s the story of the wife of a movie director and it showcases her insane life.

And trust me you understand the insanity when you’re trying to read between all of the snark and attempts at continual witty comeback‘s.

I actually had to put the book aside for three days and then come back to it. I did that because as a reviewer I make a promise to review each book.

Actually I’m glad I came back to it. The second portion of the book was actually less of a frantic pace. You’re able to actually connect with her crazy life and her insane husband. You begin to understand why everything is cracked in her life.

You can also understand the frantic feeling she gets when her husband takes control of everything and people who are supposed to have your back, don’t. (Although I have to admit, I did not understand why she went along with the visit to the “spa”. That was so obvious.)

Her only saving grace, her sister, and eventually her dad. Even a peek of normalcy peeks through from her tween. Spots of true humor show through and brings this book from crazy to a tongue in cheek, snarky look at people who think they are all that!

Been There, Married That is a story that showcases a world where life has no value outside where you are on the social ladder. Where marriage is a convenience, some friends really aren’t, and Hollywood is a dark and icky place.

This book shows us that there is hope for peace, calm, and normalcy, if you break free from the social acceptance frantic circle and be who you are meant to be.

Gigi Levangie wound up a lot of people with this story. Maybe that is the entire point of it.

3 STARS – love/hate situation here!

* copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/been-there-m...

[Mackey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped to bring you a delicious romance for the Tuesday of Valentine's Week. However, Been There, Married That was not at all what I was expecting...

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie, promised to be a humorous look at a celebrity marriage gone wrong. I truly thought it would be a funny take on a woman who was rebuilding her life after a celebrity marriage. What I got, instead, was a book about nothing. The characters were flat, there really wasn't a plot other than a lot (a LOT) of attempts at humor. In fact, that appears to have been the goal of the author - to see how many laughs she could get, many of which fell very flat. I love a good Rom-Com but this was neither a Romance or a Comedy. It was like watching a really bad movie where there is one pratfall too many. Basically, I skimmed three-fourths of the book to finish. So, no romance or recommendation here for Been There, Married That.

[bellasong · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow, I really hated this book. What a pity, the cover is so gorgeous too. I wanted to like it, I really did. But this book is trying too hard to be laugh-out-loud funny.

But seriously, this is a trash chick flit. Agnes Murphy Nash, a Hollywood housewife to a well-known movie and television producer, has her marriage hitting the rocks after a decade in the making. Tragedy strikes.

Although the beginning set up a view of an unfiltered, sassy humor with cockiness, Agnes took all this shit in the book lying down. I never really saw her take initiative to solve a problem until after the problem begins. I hate these fake feminist characters that never do the right thing for themselves.

Agnes barely has a brain. Combine that with a wagging mouth and loose free-running thoughts that practically leap out of her mouth? She's dug her own tomb. And that's just Agnes. I didn't care about anybody. Not Trevor, Fin, Waverly, Gio, Juliette, Liz, Anne, etc. There was no real connection between the sass coming out of Agnes' mouth and the build of the story. Throughout the entirety of this dumpster fire with crap pop media sentences every other page, I have been praying that people like this don't exist in real life. If this is what a Hollywood life is like, count me out.

To go with the story, there is a lot of sexism and etc. that comes with the media in this. My guess is that the author needs to continually rain down comic terror onto Agnes in order to keep her interesting while diminishing her persona at the same time. By the end, Agnes is wearing a diaper for an adult diaper commercial.

Now, I really don't want to know if people like them exist, because if they do I'm embarrassed to be on the same plane as them. And further, after a trash divorce like that, there is no way our couple is going to get along just fine.

Jesus Christ, sometimes I felt like my eyes were on fire reading this. I stopped on page 250 and then skimmed the rest (I should've started skimming it way earlier).

Agnes is such a bad character. She took all this negativity lying down like a dog. She actually was a bad mother, especially acting like your kid is all you have left out of a ten-year marriage. The satire is getting to be too much when you're not taking the consequences of your marriage seriously, especially more so when it becomes national news.

I'm just glad that she didn't end up going back to Trevor.

[Sunflowerbooklover · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man... where do I start with this book?

Wow this was a rough one my friends. I'm not going to sugar coat this review and I'm sorry if you're not a fan of my honesty. The writing was ALL over the place. I'm a huge fan of humor and jokes in my books... but there was so many that I was getting confused as to what the heck I was reading? I think the author was trying wayyyyy to hard to have humor in her book.

And let me talk about the characters. YUCK! I was not a fan of Agnes at all.... I just feel she was ridiculously fake and wayyy to over the top Hollywood scene. Ok.. I live in OC and have never met someone like Agnes... but who knows I guess there could be someone this shallow?

To be honest, I skimmed more then half the book and felt like I wanted to poke my eyes out. I should have stopped reading this book but was hoping hoping for something.

I can't recommend this one at all.

1.75 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 2/11/20
Published to GR: 11/26/19

[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've picked "Been There, Married That" up multiple times, and just have not been able to get very far into reading it. The blurb appealed to me, but for some reason once I started reading I just wasn't as engaged in the story or the characters. I think that if someone is looking for a funny Real Housewives-esque story, then you will enjoy this one. I may try to pick it up and give it another go, but for now I'm giving in on this one.

[Christy]

DNF. I can't give this a rating, because I can't even get through 20 pages of it. The premise of this book sounded fantastic and I thought it would be really really funny. It's so all over the place and every sentence tries to be this ridiculous joke or sarcastic comment.

**Book received in a Goodreads Giveaway - all opinions are my own**

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Agnes! Agnes is the perfect Hollywood wife, but when she comes home one day she finds that she is locked out of her home. Plus, there is someone waiting for her to make sure she doesn't get in and is ready to tase her if she tries. Apparently, her husband Trevor (a big shot producer and complete douche bag) wants a divorce. I can tell right here in the first chapter this novel is going to be pure entertainment, nothing heavy or substantial (think Kardashians). The rest of this novel is following Agnes and unraveling what went wrong. To help her sort things out are her entitled and completely out of touch with reality "friends".

This is very funny and so far removed from my lifestyle that it was fun to escape into another reality. Keeping expectations in check when starting this novel will make this an enjoyable, easy-breezy read.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and author Gigi Levangie Grazer for the advance copy.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book I had trouble with. There's some humor, which is good, but there were a lot of acronyms I had to look up. Maybe I'm too old to enjoy this one. The second half was better so I'm glad I stuck with it.

The book is basically about divorces in Hollywood and centers on Agnes, the wife of a famous producer, Trevor. They live in a mansion, have servants, and live idiotically insane lives. Trevor starts divorce proceedings and the whole thing is ridiculous! Maybe it's that bad in Hollywood, but surely there's some sanity left in the world?

Anyway, this is not really my type of book. No depth to the main character who can't seem to think for herself. As I said, maybe I'm just too old for this.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie

Contemporary fiction all about Hollywood games and Los Angelos upper echelon exposed.
The first two chapters are all name dropping and extreme high end brands. So much so that I found it difficult to follow or really know what was happening.

I love humor, snark and sarcasm but this has so much of the throw away comments and asides, that it was extremely difficult to read. After too much of it, I just didn’t care anymore.

I continued and finished but can’t say I liked anything about these people. A coming of age for adult users? Fin was probably the best character. She does what she wants and succeeds.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

[Tina Loves To Read]

I tried to pick this book up three times. I really was looking forward to this book, but I am sad to say it was not what I was thinking it would be. I think the writing in this book was just not for me. I also could not connect to the characters in this book. I could not finish reading this book. I had to DNF this book. I won an arc from a goodreads giveaway. (*)

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divorce Hollyweird style. Our heroine comes home to find her locks changed and another woman occupying her husband's bed. He claims he's not having sex with her. Apparently 'companion sleeping' is the latest craze and our heroine's husband must participate. He is a famous and well paid producer of fluff movies. Now and then he remembers he has a child and a wife. One of those times was when he was talking to Kevin Bacon. Since the great Bacon said it sounded like his marriage was on the rocks, it must be true. Thus, the divorce.
Our heroine agrees and only asks for her daughter. Since her husband wants a good fight he decides to fight about that. Can't get press if everything is done quietly. Besides, that's how the lawyers make their money.
A hilarious book about the lifestyle of the rich, famous and weird. Well written with great characters.

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed in this book. It had a great cover and synopsis but the execution of this book was horrendous. I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who thought the writing was chunky, hard to understand, and that the characters were insane.

[Jypsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you St. Martin's Press for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Been There, Married That
By: Gigi Levangie

*REVIEW* ☆☆☆☆
Named "One of PopSugar's "22 of the Best Books Winter Has to Offer,"" Been There, Married That seems to be polarizing. Let's begin by defining the word satire according to the Oxford Dictionary:

"the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues"

To place this definition within context, Been There, Married That is a satire, and it fits this definition perfectly. Numerous reviews dislike the book because it's disjointed, confusing, ridiculous, off putting, weird, etc. I don't disagree with all of this. The story is disjointed and a bit hard to follow. Agnes, Trevor, the lawyers, friends and family are indeed ridiculous, lavish and over the top about everything. The entire story is exaggerated, but it becomes more coherent in the latter half. The characters are quite stupid and not relatable at all. Their posh lifestyle is offensive and disgusting to all of us normal people. Despite all of these issues, I like this story. I appreciate the satirical current running through it from beginning to end. Is it all over the place and crazy? Yes, because it's supposed to be this way. The author cleverly uses humor with modern day one liners, zings and cultural references that make no sense because in actuality, that is exactly how stupid and pathetic pop culture has become. The use of exaggeration is also well done to show how these people live. It's a wake up call to see reality as reality. Don't buy into the disillusionment you are bombarded with everyday. It's a messed up world with upside down priorities, and Been There, Married That highlights this in just the right way. Reading this story is a bizarre and at times, uncomfortable experience. As satires go, this is one of my favorites ever. I recommend keeping an open mind and giving this book a chance. Deceptively appearing as a romcom on the surface, this story is eye opening, compelling and thought provoking about the culture we have accepted for far too long. I can't wait to read more from Gigi Levangie!

[Selena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free e-copy of Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Grazer from NetGalley for my honest review.

This is a story about Agnes and her divorce, with movie producer Trevor. The story takes place in Hollywood. Agnes is tired of the pressure of upholding the Hollywood image. She wants more out of life. Trevor is tired and bored with their marriage and wants out of it.

I found some parts of the book to be funny but for the most part, I just didn't care for the characters and found them very childish.

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. In the case of BEEN THERE, MARRIED THAT I felt this was too much of a bad thing, a very bad thing. Sure, it is supposed to be loaded with humor and it is, but too much of it just wasn’t funny, it was heartless and TO ME, it bordered on hitting below the belt, over and over. Where is the humor in being selfish, self-centered, fake and often cruel?

Not sure when divorce became so funny, especially the actions of this couple, who, frankly had little to no redeeming qualities to me. Gigi Levangie’s attempt at anything remotely entertaining derailed in a hurry and has planted her firmly in my what-were-you-thinking category.

So, if I disliked this so much, why two stars? There is consistency in the writing and I actually laughed once as I struggled to the finish.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from St. Martin's Press. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press (February 11, 2020)
Publication Date: February 11, 2020
Genre: Comedic Satire
Print Length: 336 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Carol lowkey.bookish · Rating 1 out of 5]

I requested this book through Netgalley because I thought it would be a light, funny read about people in Hollywood. However, it was nothing of the sort. The stream of consciousness writing makes it very hard to read. I also felt like I missed a chapter because the author rattles off names and doesn’t explain who the characters are. Lastly, I found some of the language and labeling/description of certain types of people offensive.

I rarely give up on a book, but I stopped at 22% and chose not to continue.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this free eARC.

[MicheleReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed other works by the author and was drawn to its attractive book cover, I was disappointed with Been There, Married That. This satiric look at a messy Hollywood divorce had promise. Lots of funny, snarky dialogue and a lush lifestyle of the type of people who watch TMZ and other entertainment shows to get a glimpse of. But the problem for me was that the characters were too over the top to care about. The author has a good sense of humor and yes, you will find parts to laugh at but it wasn’t enough to get me to root for those who needed rooting for. Wish I liked it more. I do appreciate receiving an advance copy and extend thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for the finished copy of Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie! I received a free copy (and a super cute press kit) in exchange for an honest review!

My first impression was that the book isn’t my typical genre at all, but it moved along quickly, held my attention, made me laugh, and I felt like it accomplished it’s goal as a satire to shed some ridiculous light on Hollywood’s … ridiculousness. A quick Google search told me that Levangie was actually married to a big producer (of A Beautiful Mind) and wrote some successful screenplays herself, so I had to wonder….is any of this insider knowledge? I bet some of it actually happened in real life and I played a little ‘wonder if it actually happened’ game while reading!

The book was hilarious at times. Agnes and her friends and their lifestyles in general were so over-the-top and insane that it’s not something a normal, not insanely rich person could ever relate to. Every already ridiculous outing whether it be lunch, book club, party, or divorce court, is already crazy, and Levangie adds an extra layer of “oh my god that can’t be real” on top of everything. That led me to believe that the entire book is a satire, which essentially makes fun of a people or a lifestyle. Agnes goes through a messy divorce with a super organized man, who goes crazy if his notepad is moved two inches to the right on the counter. He draws battle lines in the house and has Agnes tased on the front lawn! It was just funny!

Levangie mentions (and makes of) a lot of Hollywood trends that are leaking into regular society as well. Some that I noticed are excessive use of therapists and personal assistants, weird Instagram and social media themes, dieting trends, rehab stints, food frenzies, and this great bit about having a baby’s gender reveal party when they are 40! Hello people this is actually happening in “normal people” society as well! Pop culture is crazy and I think it’s a little important to be aware of what messages are being sent down. General extravagance, life coaches, and even pyramid scheme jewelry sales are a few other topics that are less serious and had me laughing throughout the pages.

The custody battle almost made me feel bad for their daughter, but Trevor Nash really didn’t need to have anything to do with a child, he just wanted to WIN the divorce. Ok, I guess I felt bad for the kid even though she had everything she could possibly want, eventually she realized that she needed her mom. Then the courtroom custody portion was sad, it seemed to be the one reminder in the book that the main character was….. a human. Agnes’ sister was a trip as well and so were the trio of South American workers in the house, it was hard to believe that any work actually got done. One other great character is Agnes’ dad, he is clueless but loves her endlessly, and makes a few funny cameos.

One thing that I didn’t like was how Levangie used a lot of abbreviations and different slang terms used for places, things, and ideas, and there is no way that the average reader is going to know what any of it means. It doesn’t affect the story at all but I feel like the language could have been less ‘insider-y’ at times. The narrative was all over the place too at times, which kind of makes sense for the way the main character’s brain worked. The story did streamline more in the second half of the book but it was a bit hard to read at first.

Overall this is really a pretty good read. It is a hard one at times but I recommend viewing it as a satire, a joke, and reading the underlying themes however you will. Was it insider? Did it happen or was it just Levangie having a good laugh at pop culture? The book released in early February so check it out if it sounds like something you’d enjoy! Thank you again to St Martin’s Press for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

[Vonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick beach read that will have you laughing till your sides hurt. It's about the crazy life Hollywood stars live with their over abundance of money and their foolish spending of it. This was a fun, easy read and rather enjoyable.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me awhile to get into the book. I had a hard time with the narration in the beginning but after I got used to Agnes’ snark and sense of humor it fell into place. I actually didn’t really like the main character Agnes and it wasn’t until the very end that I really cared what happened to her. I’m not sure I ever really cared what happened to her but by the end I at least was curious to see. She does grow and do some good self discovery In the end and that really improves the book for me.

There is quite a bit of profanity and a few lines that were a bit vulgar which added nothing and had no purpose.

Been There, Married That is a light hearted look at what a life looks like when you are focused on yourself and material things.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.