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Like a House on Fire
After twelve years of marriage and two kids, Merit has begun to feel like a stranger in her own life. She loves her husband and sons, but she desperately needs something more than sippy cups and monthly sex. So, she returns to her career at Jager + Brandt, where a brilliant and beautiful Danish architect named Jane decides to overlook the “break” in Merit’s resume and give her a shot. Jane is a supernova—witty and dazzling and unapologetically herself—and as the two work closely together, their relationship becomes a true friendship. In Jane, Merit sees the possibility of what a woman could be. And Jane sees Merit exactly for who she is. Not the wife and mother dutifully performing the roles expected of her, but a whole person.
Their relationship quickly becomes a cornerstone in Merit’s life. And as Merit starts to open her mind to the idea of more—more of a partner, more of a match, more in love—she begins to question: what if the love of her life isn’t the man she married. What if it’s Jane?
Their relationship quickly becomes a cornerstone in Merit’s life. And as Merit starts to open her mind to the idea of more—more of a partner, more of a match, more in love—she begins to question: what if the love of her life isn’t the man she married. What if it’s Jane?
320 pages, ebook
First published April 26, 2022
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August 1, 2022After a decade of marriage and two kids, Merit has begun to lose sight of who she truly is. When decides to restart her career, she meets Jane. As their relationship becomes a pillar in Merit’s life, she starts to question her life choices; wondering if the love of her life isn’t her husband, but in fact, what if it’s Jane? A complex read, ripe for discussion.
April 20, 2022
Well, I have some complex feelings about this book: firstly it seems like more queer romance story than contemporary fiction.
I loved the real struggle of the main character Merit who suffers to find her place in the earth, questioning her marriage, her life choices, doing everything to handle the high stress of her profession and compelling family management tasks at the same time. She keeps questioning her own happiness and identity. Those facts help us connect and empathize with the character.
Merit starts to live a stranger’s life after being married with the most dislikable man in the fictional world for twelve years , raising two kids as stay at home mom.
After five years of absence, she decides to return back her job as architect, applying positions at several firms. She’s finally accepted by older-wiser- attractive Jane’s company. Two women’s friendship blossoms into something deeper which pushes Merit out of comfort zone and make radical changes in her life.
But the love story part of the story needs more development. I found Merit and Jane’s love story a little far fetched and instant just like a Cupid threw its arrows to their hearts and they magically realize they are right for each other! And somebody has to convince me why the hell Merit doesn’t dump her scumbag husband’s ass who can win thousands of trophies as the most irritating and despicable fictional husband of literature world!
I found some parts a little haphazard and underdeveloped. The conclusion was also semi satisfying. The plot idea was good enough to keep my interest intact and the pacing of the book was fast. I never got bored. But I didn’t enjoy everything I read. There were some missing pieces including the development of love story, contradictions and final conclusion.
So I’m giving three neither I hate or love it, I’m standing at the Switzerland zone stars!
It’s still interesting, fast pacing, pop corn read if you ignore cheesy and over dramatic parts!
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
I loved the real struggle of the main character Merit who suffers to find her place in the earth, questioning her marriage, her life choices, doing everything to handle the high stress of her profession and compelling family management tasks at the same time. She keeps questioning her own happiness and identity. Those facts help us connect and empathize with the character.
Merit starts to live a stranger’s life after being married with the most dislikable man in the fictional world for twelve years , raising two kids as stay at home mom.
After five years of absence, she decides to return back her job as architect, applying positions at several firms. She’s finally accepted by older-wiser- attractive Jane’s company. Two women’s friendship blossoms into something deeper which pushes Merit out of comfort zone and make radical changes in her life.
But the love story part of the story needs more development. I found Merit and Jane’s love story a little far fetched and instant just like a Cupid threw its arrows to their hearts and they magically realize they are right for each other! And somebody has to convince me why the hell Merit doesn’t dump her scumbag husband’s ass who can win thousands of trophies as the most irritating and despicable fictional husband of literature world!
I found some parts a little haphazard and underdeveloped. The conclusion was also semi satisfying. The plot idea was good enough to keep my interest intact and the pacing of the book was fast. I never got bored. But I didn’t enjoy everything I read. There were some missing pieces including the development of love story, contradictions and final conclusion.
So I’m giving three neither I hate or love it, I’m standing at the Switzerland zone stars!
It’s still interesting, fast pacing, pop corn read if you ignore cheesy and over dramatic parts!
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
April 26, 2022
3.75 Stars. This was a pretty good read. I liked it quite a bit but it does have its bumps. I think what I enjoyed the most is that while I found some problems in the story, the actual writing style was really nice. McBrayer, sure can write and I was surprised by how fast I flew through this book. A book that had a lot to do with many things that I could not relate to, yet I could not stop flipping the pages. I’ve heard some people classify this as contemporary, and others as a romance, but really to me this was both of them combined at about a 50/50 mix. If you go into this read just expecting contemporary, you might be disappointed because this is definitely a romance too. For my personal tastes, the 50/50 worked well and it reminded me of books that I used to read a while ago so I enjoyed that familiar feeling.
The premise is about getting to middle age and starting a new job that is a struggle to balance with being a mother of two young kids, but a lovely bonus is that you realize you just met your soul mate. Unfortunately, the problem is your soul mate is not your husband that you come home to every night after your new job. With a premise like that, I’m sure it is no surprise that I have to mention that one of the storylines in this book is about cheating. This is not a book for everyone so if reading about cheating in books bother you, I would pass on this. I found that this story reminded me of some of the earlier sapphic books I ever read. Sapphic books have really changed over the years but there used to be many toaster oven romances about a woman who was married, or engaged, normally to someone pretty awful or abusive, but they would meet a woman and fall in love, and try to decided where their life would go from there. So while this infidelity toaster oven romance trope was nothing new to me, I liked getting to read a type of story that I have not read in a long time.
I found the characters to be very interesting. While I really liked Jane “the other woman” almost the whole book, the main character Merit had me very up and down. There were times I felt so much sympathy for her, and other times I wanted to yell some sense into her. Corey, the husband was also an interesting character for me. It’s funny but in reading some of the other reviews, people thought he was just the worse, when I actually think he wasn’t so bad. To me he seemed too comfortable in his little world, and because of that very absent when it came to marriage and some fatherly responsibilities. I think part of the problem was that he’s not a mind reader and Merit wasn’t a good communicator or good at standing up for herself, so why would he change. I mean don’t get me wrong, it was a bad marriage and I was invested in what Merit would do, but the fact Corey wasn’t so terrible, allowed me to have at least a little sympathy for him which made the whole dilemma even more interesting to read.
This is getting kind of long but I want to briefly touch on a few of the bumps:
1. I forgot to mention but this is also an age-gap romance so I think McBrayer having the younger Merit call Jane “Bitch”, and having the older Jane call Merit “Little Bird”, all the time was to show the age difference but it was annoying and weird instead. I haven’t seen so many “bitches” since I went to the animal rescue to look at pets to adopt. Ok, that was a stupid joke, but the point stands that the word ‘bitch’ was way overused.
2. My second issue was the romance progression. It had a wonderful slow moving friendship, and a chemistry filled coupling, even without explicit sex scenes (although sex was both had and talked about a lot), but there was not enough of the in-between moments. There was not enough of learning Merits true feelings and the pinning you’d expect. There is plenty of that after they start having sex, but that middle of really seeing Merit’s feelings change from friendship to how she could fall for a woman aren’t where they needed to be.
3. My third issue was that I wanted to see more independence and growth for Merit. I think her character arc had so much potential but it didn’t quite get there.
4. My final main issue was the ending. While it was fine and I liked it, I wanted more. We find out ‘what’ happens, but we don’t know ‘how’ it did. For being on this long journey, that all leads to this one finale decision, having a time jump that skips the messy, or happy, or sad, or whatever parts, well it skips all the good stuff I was waiting for. Is having an emotionally charged 20 extra pages too much of an ask? I don’t think so with how good of a writer McBrayer is, I think it should have been in the book.
TLDR: This review was way longer that I wanted it to be so this part is very necessary. While this was a story that had some obvious issues, it still was one of the better page turners, in contemporary fiction, that I have read lately. McBrayer, sure can write, and she had me hooked into the story almost immediately. I think I’m a little disappointed because I think this book could have been great, but as it stands this would still make a really good vacation/beach read when you just want to get lost into a book that has good pacing and is just very readable. This book will not be for everyone so I would recommend it for people who like both contemporary and romance, and as long as you don’t mind reading an infidelity storyline. I would definitely read McBrayer again since I found her writing style to be a very comfortable read.
An ARC was given to me for a review.
The premise is about getting to middle age and starting a new job that is a struggle to balance with being a mother of two young kids, but a lovely bonus is that you realize you just met your soul mate. Unfortunately, the problem is your soul mate is not your husband that you come home to every night after your new job. With a premise like that, I’m sure it is no surprise that I have to mention that one of the storylines in this book is about cheating. This is not a book for everyone so if reading about cheating in books bother you, I would pass on this. I found that this story reminded me of some of the earlier sapphic books I ever read. Sapphic books have really changed over the years but there used to be many toaster oven romances about a woman who was married, or engaged, normally to someone pretty awful or abusive, but they would meet a woman and fall in love, and try to decided where their life would go from there. So while this infidelity toaster oven romance trope was nothing new to me, I liked getting to read a type of story that I have not read in a long time.
I found the characters to be very interesting. While I really liked Jane “the other woman” almost the whole book, the main character Merit had me very up and down. There were times I felt so much sympathy for her, and other times I wanted to yell some sense into her. Corey, the husband was also an interesting character for me. It’s funny but in reading some of the other reviews, people thought he was just the worse, when I actually think he wasn’t so bad. To me he seemed too comfortable in his little world, and because of that very absent when it came to marriage and some fatherly responsibilities. I think part of the problem was that he’s not a mind reader and Merit wasn’t a good communicator or good at standing up for herself, so why would he change. I mean don’t get me wrong, it was a bad marriage and I was invested in what Merit would do, but the fact Corey wasn’t so terrible, allowed me to have at least a little sympathy for him which made the whole dilemma even more interesting to read.
This is getting kind of long but I want to briefly touch on a few of the bumps:
1. I forgot to mention but this is also an age-gap romance so I think McBrayer having the younger Merit call Jane “Bitch”, and having the older Jane call Merit “Little Bird”, all the time was to show the age difference but it was annoying and weird instead. I haven’t seen so many “bitches” since I went to the animal rescue to look at pets to adopt. Ok, that was a stupid joke, but the point stands that the word ‘bitch’ was way overused.
2. My second issue was the romance progression. It had a wonderful slow moving friendship, and a chemistry filled coupling, even without explicit sex scenes (although sex was both had and talked about a lot), but there was not enough of the in-between moments. There was not enough of learning Merits true feelings and the pinning you’d expect. There is plenty of that after they start having sex, but that middle of really seeing Merit’s feelings change from friendship to how she could fall for a woman aren’t where they needed to be.
3. My third issue was that I wanted to see more independence and growth for Merit. I think her character arc had so much potential but it didn’t quite get there.
4. My final main issue was the ending. While it was fine and I liked it, I wanted more. We find out ‘what’ happens, but we don’t know ‘how’ it did. For being on this long journey, that all leads to this one finale decision, having a time jump that skips the messy, or happy, or sad, or whatever parts, well it skips all the good stuff I was waiting for. Is having an emotionally charged 20 extra pages too much of an ask? I don’t think so with how good of a writer McBrayer is, I think it should have been in the book.
TLDR: This review was way longer that I wanted it to be so this part is very necessary. While this was a story that had some obvious issues, it still was one of the better page turners, in contemporary fiction, that I have read lately. McBrayer, sure can write, and she had me hooked into the story almost immediately. I think I’m a little disappointed because I think this book could have been great, but as it stands this would still make a really good vacation/beach read when you just want to get lost into a book that has good pacing and is just very readable. This book will not be for everyone so I would recommend it for people who like both contemporary and romance, and as long as you don’t mind reading an infidelity storyline. I would definitely read McBrayer again since I found her writing style to be a very comfortable read.
An ARC was given to me for a review.
January 31, 2022
Tell me if you’ve read or watched this one before – two women with considerable age difference begin a passionate romance, only one of them is married and a mother and is so profoundly entrenched in her conventional life that she is torn between what she wants and what she believes she ought to be happy with.
Yes, that is essentially the plot of Carol, a stunning novel and its superb cinematic adaptation, for which both of its leads were robbed of Oscars, it stands to mention.
Now, switch a few elements around, tweak a few things and rewrite it Sex and the City style and you’ll get this debut. One the author interestingly enough specifically describes as close to her but not a memoir. Um…no one probably thought that until you said something and now it’s one of those a lady doth protest too much things, but anyway….
Meet Merit. Merit is a devoted wife and a mother, who’s been with her husband Cory since college. They’ve made two young kids, an endeavor Merit doesn’t seem to get a lot of joy out of, because she misses having a proper life out in the world, not one circumscribed by wailing babies and dirty diapers. Why did she then have a second child with that attitude, you might ask? Well, because apparently motherhood is like that…thoughtless.
Mind you, as a society we’ve come a long way from not wanting to so much as show pregnancy back in I Love Lucy days to Lost Daughter present, where it’s ok now to admit that motherhood is difficult and may not be for everyone. So, this book, hip to that, is all about how difficult motherhood has been for Merit.
She slaps on a t-shirt and some pants, walks in and lands a good job, despite her on and off employment history - there was that time she took off to be an artist too. Because it’s that kind of story.
Continuing with the wildly realistic streak there, her boss is stunning. And awesome. And fun. So much wordage is devoted to it, that you’d have to be an idiot not to see where this is going, but it nevertheless is going to take its time getting there. Until there, there will be a very close friendship the likes of which most women don’t really strike up after college days, and a lot of drinking.
And a lot of calling each other the B word, which is apparently ok because these people are straight of the Sex and the City production lot extras, so much so they actually believe that the only people who understand them are gay men. And honestly, the B word in a causal situation seems stupid and in one of the more sincere heartfelt moments is just grating. But there it is, anyway. Over and over again.
Anyway, eventually Merit realizes her attraction is more than friendly and the two proceed to have an affair. This is where the women’s fiction conventions slide further down into the cheddary romance.
But Merit is torn between her familial obligations and her heart/other organs. The author chooses to address it with a cheap trick of an ending. Because she wants to play with your emotions. Because she believes you’ll care enough and forgive her cheap trickery. I dunno. Something like that.
And so, there you go, behold a conglomeration of clichés, repackaged into original estrogen heavy romance of love and motherhood and sex.
And oh, let’s mention the fact that when a condom malfunction leads to another pregnancy, Merit who can barely handle the two kids or in fact can’t and has pawned them off onto a FT babysitter, appears immediately and completely on board with having another kid. WTF? Why? This isn't the past...or Texas. And the world already has a lot of people in it, some say too many.
If you end up just feeling sorry for Cory, it’s well justified. There’s nothing really wrong with him and he tries his best, but Merit is just impossible to please because the author told her Cory isn’t her person. It’s almost comical the way she hates every single thing he does and yet seriously considers staying with him anyway.
Anyway, there you go. If nothing said in this review deters you from reading this book, then you and it will get along like a house on fire. Any critical discernment will probably be very much like a fire to a book. But then again, who knows, Lifetime television is popular for a reason. And this is totally their movie of the week. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
Yes, that is essentially the plot of Carol, a stunning novel and its superb cinematic adaptation, for which both of its leads were robbed of Oscars, it stands to mention.
Now, switch a few elements around, tweak a few things and rewrite it Sex and the City style and you’ll get this debut. One the author interestingly enough specifically describes as close to her but not a memoir. Um…no one probably thought that until you said something and now it’s one of those a lady doth protest too much things, but anyway….
Meet Merit. Merit is a devoted wife and a mother, who’s been with her husband Cory since college. They’ve made two young kids, an endeavor Merit doesn’t seem to get a lot of joy out of, because she misses having a proper life out in the world, not one circumscribed by wailing babies and dirty diapers. Why did she then have a second child with that attitude, you might ask? Well, because apparently motherhood is like that…thoughtless.
Mind you, as a society we’ve come a long way from not wanting to so much as show pregnancy back in I Love Lucy days to Lost Daughter present, where it’s ok now to admit that motherhood is difficult and may not be for everyone. So, this book, hip to that, is all about how difficult motherhood has been for Merit.
She slaps on a t-shirt and some pants, walks in and lands a good job, despite her on and off employment history - there was that time she took off to be an artist too. Because it’s that kind of story.
Continuing with the wildly realistic streak there, her boss is stunning. And awesome. And fun. So much wordage is devoted to it, that you’d have to be an idiot not to see where this is going, but it nevertheless is going to take its time getting there. Until there, there will be a very close friendship the likes of which most women don’t really strike up after college days, and a lot of drinking.
And a lot of calling each other the B word, which is apparently ok because these people are straight of the Sex and the City production lot extras, so much so they actually believe that the only people who understand them are gay men. And honestly, the B word in a causal situation seems stupid and in one of the more sincere heartfelt moments is just grating. But there it is, anyway. Over and over again.
Anyway, eventually Merit realizes her attraction is more than friendly and the two proceed to have an affair. This is where the women’s fiction conventions slide further down into the cheddary romance.
But Merit is torn between her familial obligations and her heart/other organs. The author chooses to address it with a cheap trick of an ending. Because she wants to play with your emotions. Because she believes you’ll care enough and forgive her cheap trickery. I dunno. Something like that.
And so, there you go, behold a conglomeration of clichés, repackaged into original estrogen heavy romance of love and motherhood and sex.
And oh, let’s mention the fact that when a condom malfunction leads to another pregnancy, Merit who can barely handle the two kids or in fact can’t and has pawned them off onto a FT babysitter, appears immediately and completely on board with having another kid. WTF? Why? This isn't the past...or Texas. And the world already has a lot of people in it, some say too many.
If you end up just feeling sorry for Cory, it’s well justified. There’s nothing really wrong with him and he tries his best, but Merit is just impossible to please because the author told her Cory isn’t her person. It’s almost comical the way she hates every single thing he does and yet seriously considers staying with him anyway.
Anyway, there you go. If nothing said in this review deters you from reading this book, then you and it will get along like a house on fire. Any critical discernment will probably be very much like a fire to a book. But then again, who knows, Lifetime television is popular for a reason. And this is totally their movie of the week. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
June 27, 2022
I can’t believe this was a debut novel like middle aged women who are brilliant architects slow burn coworkers to friends to lovers ft. infidelity and incompetent but lovely husbands and fathers…
maybe 4.5 idk yet….! So good though
maybe 4.5 idk yet….! So good though
April 25, 2022
Merit is in her late 30s, has been married for more than a decade, has 2 young kids, and needs a change in her life after pursuing her art at home for a few years. She decides to go back to work as an architect.
She is hired by Jane, an incredibly smart and successful Danish woman, slightly older than Merit. Jane is confident and has high expectations for herself and others she works with. Merit and Jane form a good working relationship as well as a true friendship. Merit is dazzled by Jane and appreciative that Jane sees her as more than a mom, something she wishes her husband would also acknowledge more. As their bond grows, Merit can’t help but wonder, what if there’s more to this than just friendship?
Once Like a House on Fire got going, I barely put it down — Merit and Jane felt realistic as characters, neither perfect, and I needed to find out what would happen in this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
She is hired by Jane, an incredibly smart and successful Danish woman, slightly older than Merit. Jane is confident and has high expectations for herself and others she works with. Merit and Jane form a good working relationship as well as a true friendship. Merit is dazzled by Jane and appreciative that Jane sees her as more than a mom, something she wishes her husband would also acknowledge more. As their bond grows, Merit can’t help but wonder, what if there’s more to this than just friendship?
Once Like a House on Fire got going, I barely put it down — Merit and Jane felt realistic as characters, neither perfect, and I needed to find out what would happen in this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 4, 2022
I have to say that “Like a House on Fire” by Lauren McBrayer surprised me by how much I ended up enjoying it. I saw some of the early ratings and it discouraged me from reading it right away. In the end I was glad I did and will be on the lookout for more from her.
I want to say up front that I don’t think this will be everyone’s cup of tea. First off, there’s cheating and I know that’s a big deal for a lot of people. Also, this isn’t a romance although there is a romance in it and the romance is important to the main character, Merit. This is more a woman coming out later in life after realizing how unhappy she is with her life.
What I found interesting is that I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likeable although I didn’t hate them either. They were all kind of messy and felt like real people, and obviously it was enough to compel me to want to read all the way through to the end. Neither Cory, Merit’s husband or Jane, Merit’s boss, were completely fleshed out so it’s hard to say with them and I also didn’t trust Merit’s voice all the time. This is told her from her point of view so her issues with her husband come from a place of miscommunication/lack of communication almost all of the time. He comes across as pretty checked out while at home but who knows if that’s true or just how Merit sees him.
There were a couple of issues for me. The pacing and how much time between chapters wasn’t always clear to me. The book spans several years and that isn’t always my favorite because I feel like we miss some important things. I also had a small issue with the ending. It felt sudden and then there’s an epilogue set 5 years later so we find out what happens but not how. I wanted to know the how! Especially after going through several years of these people’s lives.
Like I said, in the end, I really enjoyed this and hope we get more sapphic stories from McBrayer in the future.
I received an ARC from Penguin Group Putnam via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I want to say up front that I don’t think this will be everyone’s cup of tea. First off, there’s cheating and I know that’s a big deal for a lot of people. Also, this isn’t a romance although there is a romance in it and the romance is important to the main character, Merit. This is more a woman coming out later in life after realizing how unhappy she is with her life.
What I found interesting is that I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likeable although I didn’t hate them either. They were all kind of messy and felt like real people, and obviously it was enough to compel me to want to read all the way through to the end. Neither Cory, Merit’s husband or Jane, Merit’s boss, were completely fleshed out so it’s hard to say with them and I also didn’t trust Merit’s voice all the time. This is told her from her point of view so her issues with her husband come from a place of miscommunication/lack of communication almost all of the time. He comes across as pretty checked out while at home but who knows if that’s true or just how Merit sees him.
There were a couple of issues for me. The pacing and how much time between chapters wasn’t always clear to me. The book spans several years and that isn’t always my favorite because I feel like we miss some important things. I also had a small issue with the ending. It felt sudden and then there’s an epilogue set 5 years later so we find out what happens but not how. I wanted to know the how! Especially after going through several years of these people’s lives.
Like I said, in the end, I really enjoyed this and hope we get more sapphic stories from McBrayer in the future.
I received an ARC from Penguin Group Putnam via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2022
The only way I know how to rate this book is to assess what writing it meant to me. This novel is my heart and soul on the page, and I am proud of every word. Not because the story is perfect - the characters are far from that, and there are plenty of things I'd do differently if I had another pass at this manuscript - but because every word I wrote was as truthful as I could be about these fictional people who showed up in my mind and demanded that I pay attention to what they wanted to say to me about life, and love, and marriage and identity. I know this book will not be everyone's cup of tea, but I hope it connects with readers who might need it.
June 24, 2024
hmmm. this sapphic romantic drama sure takes a long time to bring in the yearning. and once the gay angst finally kicks in, it's tainted by infidelity.
some thoughts:
‣ tegan quin recommended this book (along with we do what we do in the dark, which i much preferred). even though i didn't love this one, i love tegan for putting multiple sapphic cougar novels on my radar!
‣ imo some of the best romances are the ones where it feels like the characters have known and adored each other for years, despite only having spent a short time together. and somehow this story does the opposite!! it drags the story on for literal years before we see any chemistry on page. it didn't feel like a slowburn to me, it felt like a drag. the huge jumps forward in time seem inorganic, too.
‣ these characters have really unhealthy dynamics with alcohol. pls let's not normalize drinking alcohol every fucking day, frequently to excess.
‣ what's up with the main characters incessantly calling each other "bitch"?? is that supposed to be sexy? what year is this? it made me cringe every time.
‣ there's uhhhh a lil bit of bi erasure and gender essentialism going on here...
‣ after recently reading the haunting of alejandra, i smile back, and nightbitch, the beginning of this story felt familiar. i enjoy stories of mothers and housewives feeling suffocated and going unhinged, finding their own unconventional means of escape. this novel's main character, merit, is in a similar position, but she takes it in another direction with a wild love affair. it's interesting to see her story play out in a way that's still fucked up but holds more realism.
‣ love interest jane is a cool, confident, funny older woman. she's a worldly danish architect. on paper she has so much going for her, and yet... she remains unlikable, like pretty much every other character in the book.
the writing is good, the pacing is fine, the plot is juicy, and so many of my gr friends loved this book. i wish i could have loved it too!
some thoughts:
‣ tegan quin recommended this book (along with we do what we do in the dark, which i much preferred). even though i didn't love this one, i love tegan for putting multiple sapphic cougar novels on my radar!
‣ imo some of the best romances are the ones where it feels like the characters have known and adored each other for years, despite only having spent a short time together. and somehow this story does the opposite!! it drags the story on for literal years before we see any chemistry on page. it didn't feel like a slowburn to me, it felt like a drag. the huge jumps forward in time seem inorganic, too.
‣ these characters have really unhealthy dynamics with alcohol. pls let's not normalize drinking alcohol every fucking day, frequently to excess.
‣ what's up with the main characters incessantly calling each other "bitch"?? is that supposed to be sexy? what year is this? it made me cringe every time.
‣ there's uhhhh a lil bit of bi erasure and gender essentialism going on here...
‣ after recently reading the haunting of alejandra, i smile back, and nightbitch, the beginning of this story felt familiar. i enjoy stories of mothers and housewives feeling suffocated and going unhinged, finding their own unconventional means of escape. this novel's main character, merit, is in a similar position, but she takes it in another direction with a wild love affair. it's interesting to see her story play out in a way that's still fucked up but holds more realism.
‣ love interest jane is a cool, confident, funny older woman. she's a worldly danish architect. on paper she has so much going for her, and yet... she remains unlikable, like pretty much every other character in the book.
the writing is good, the pacing is fine, the plot is juicy, and so many of my gr friends loved this book. i wish i could have loved it too!
May 5, 2022
Twelve years into her marriage, Merit feels exhausted by her own life. She's been staying at home with her two young children, trying to work on her painting career, but she eventually decides to return to work as an architect. At her new job, she works for a brilliant fellow architect, Jane, whom Merit finds amazing. The two quickly become friends, sharing nearly every aspect of their lives with one another. But soon Merit realizes Jane has become almost her entire life--and she's not sure what that means.
"She wanted someone to understand that it wasn't about competence; it was about being trapped in the double bind of being a working mom."
I loved this book! I found it to be utterly mesmerizing. This novel was certainly perfect for me, as a bisexual, and I'm truly disappointed that some of the low reviews reflect homophobia. Because, at its core, it's a character-driven novel about motherhood, marriage, and finding yourself, and I'd like to think that many people could relate to those topics on many levels.
FIRE is beautifully and wonderfully written. The way it explores motherhood and marriage is so honest and true--it resonated with me on a deep and emotional level. Merit is a working mom about to turn 40, so there's no surprise there! At times, the story is brutal and harsh, but there's also beauty and hope here. Merit and Jane are great characters--different but deeply and delicately portrayed.
Overall, this book is lovely--with sweet, tough, and gorgeous characters. It weaves an emotional and honest tale. 4.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
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"She wanted someone to understand that it wasn't about competence; it was about being trapped in the double bind of being a working mom."
I loved this book! I found it to be utterly mesmerizing. This novel was certainly perfect for me, as a bisexual, and I'm truly disappointed that some of the low reviews reflect homophobia. Because, at its core, it's a character-driven novel about motherhood, marriage, and finding yourself, and I'd like to think that many people could relate to those topics on many levels.
FIRE is beautifully and wonderfully written. The way it explores motherhood and marriage is so honest and true--it resonated with me on a deep and emotional level. Merit is a working mom about to turn 40, so there's no surprise there! At times, the story is brutal and harsh, but there's also beauty and hope here. Merit and Jane are great characters--different but deeply and delicately portrayed.
Overall, this book is lovely--with sweet, tough, and gorgeous characters. It weaves an emotional and honest tale. 4.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
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April 23, 2022
I immediately went and requested this on NG after hearing about it on a bookish podcast (Booktalk Etc), Renee completely made me want to pick this one up.
Merit is a late 30 something, returning to the workforce after having her second child and a failed attempt at a gallery show as a artist. She interviews across from a older woman that is fierce, intense and perfectly poised. Merit gets the job in an architectural firm and almost immediately becomes fixated on Jane, her boss. Merit has been married for 12 years to her college sweetheart, and is raising two boys and suddenly this woman is forcing her to reconsider everything she knows and everything she thinks she wants out of her life. I don't want to say too much more to give anything away- please pick this up and don't read anything about it.
It was compulsive, and while the middle got a little bogged down, I couldn't wait to see how it would end, and I believe I audibly gasped on that final page. I was intensely interested in these two women and their lives (and their fascinating jobs!). Steam factor and explicit language content ahead.
Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Merit is a late 30 something, returning to the workforce after having her second child and a failed attempt at a gallery show as a artist. She interviews across from a older woman that is fierce, intense and perfectly poised. Merit gets the job in an architectural firm and almost immediately becomes fixated on Jane, her boss. Merit has been married for 12 years to her college sweetheart, and is raising two boys and suddenly this woman is forcing her to reconsider everything she knows and everything she thinks she wants out of her life. I don't want to say too much more to give anything away- please pick this up and don't read anything about it.
It was compulsive, and while the middle got a little bogged down, I couldn't wait to see how it would end, and I believe I audibly gasped on that final page. I was intensely interested in these two women and their lives (and their fascinating jobs!). Steam factor and explicit language content ahead.
Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
June 6, 2022
An interesting premise about burgeoning sexuality through the lens of a “friendship set on fire” with a strong first half. (I’m reviewing this as a cishet woman.) I have several friends who didn’t realize they were queer until they were in their 30s and in heterosexual marriages. They all made different decisions around what this meant for them, some dependent on their identity, some on the state of the marriage. I haven’t seen that explored in contemporary fiction before and it intrigued me. Ultimately, this book is a big case of Your Mileage May Vary.
In my case, There was also a couple too many external conflicts.
Another reason I decided not to DNF was because I hoped there would be an exploration of Merit’s sexual identity. That didn’t happen. The story was curiously uncurious about it all. Merit is attracted to Jane and Jane is the only woman she’s ever been attracted to. There was a ton of bierasure with variations of “you’re not gay” and “I’m not a lesbian” by both Jane and Merit that’s never once countered. How do they live in San Francisco and remain so unaware that bisexuality/pansexuality is an option? It’s not clear how attracted she was or is to her husband so maybe bi/pan wouldn’t be right for her but there didn't need to be any baked-in bierasure. Perhaps there was some intense repression since she was raised by religious Republicans. Merit didn’t need to land on a label but she could have reflected on any of this beyond her feelings for Jane. Or seen a therapist who could have helped her make sense of her feelings. Something. People are messy, I get it. I’m just stuck on how easily she could have avoided the choice she made.
Also marring my enjoyment was the gender essentialism and inclusion of stereotypes about gay men. There was a lot of casual fatphobia, slut-shaming, and ageism that’s never countered. It's a pretty white book, especially for being set in SF. The writing was otherwise strong enough that I’d try something else from this author in the hopes that these issues would be addressed but overall, this was very much not for me.
Characters: Merit is a 37 year old white American architect and painter. She’s been married to her engineer husband Cory for 12 years. They have two sons: Jude (4) and Nash (9 months). Jane is a 56 year old white Danish architect. This is set in San Francisco.
Content notes: , panic attack, infidelity , bierasure (uncountered), fatphobia (uncountered), ageism (uncountered), slut-shaming (uncountered, largely directed toward the women Jane’s ex is sleeping with), divorce (Jane), gay stereotypes (uncountered), weight loss, past death of Jane’s brother (AIDS), past death of Jane’s mother (breast cancer), on page sex, alcohol, excessive drinking, inebriation, hangover, marijuana, past recreational drug use, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism (including equating genitalia to gender), ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, mention of alcoholic ex, mention of parents’ country club’s antisemitic discrimination, mention of FMC getting pregnant with first son while on the pill
In my case, There was also a couple too many external conflicts.
Another reason I decided not to DNF was because I hoped there would be an exploration of Merit’s sexual identity. That didn’t happen. The story was curiously uncurious about it all. Merit is attracted to Jane and Jane is the only woman she’s ever been attracted to. There was a ton of bierasure with variations of “you’re not gay” and “I’m not a lesbian” by both Jane and Merit that’s never once countered. How do they live in San Francisco and remain so unaware that bisexuality/pansexuality is an option? It’s not clear how attracted she was or is to her husband so maybe bi/pan wouldn’t be right for her but there didn't need to be any baked-in bierasure. Perhaps there was some intense repression since she was raised by religious Republicans. Merit didn’t need to land on a label but she could have reflected on any of this beyond her feelings for Jane. Or seen a therapist who could have helped her make sense of her feelings. Something. People are messy, I get it. I’m just stuck on how easily she could have avoided the choice she made.
Also marring my enjoyment was the gender essentialism and inclusion of stereotypes about gay men. There was a lot of casual fatphobia, slut-shaming, and ageism that’s never countered. It's a pretty white book, especially for being set in SF. The writing was otherwise strong enough that I’d try something else from this author in the hopes that these issues would be addressed but overall, this was very much not for me.
Characters: Merit is a 37 year old white American architect and painter. She’s been married to her engineer husband Cory for 12 years. They have two sons: Jude (4) and Nash (9 months). Jane is a 56 year old white Danish architect. This is set in San Francisco.
Content notes: , panic attack, infidelity , bierasure (uncountered), fatphobia (uncountered), ageism (uncountered), slut-shaming (uncountered, largely directed toward the women Jane’s ex is sleeping with), divorce (Jane), gay stereotypes (uncountered), weight loss, past death of Jane’s brother (AIDS), past death of Jane’s mother (breast cancer), on page sex, alcohol, excessive drinking, inebriation, hangover, marijuana, past recreational drug use, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism (including equating genitalia to gender), ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, mention of alcoholic ex, mention of parents’ country club’s antisemitic discrimination, mention of FMC getting pregnant with first son while on the pill
April 27, 2022
First before I get into my review this was the the most pleasant surprise as I was not aware this book was LGBTQ and it has now been added to my top 10 books of ALL TIME. That last chapter I was literally seconds away from throwing my phone across the room absolutely mortified that Merit would throw away true happiness true love (And messaged my wife asking if Merit was a complete idiot.) - and the last chapter EXCEEDED my expectations! Thank you to the author most importantly for showcasing love between two women who are scared as I was one of them honestly there isn’t enough stories that show a “happy ending”. A beautiful story and I can’t wait to purchase this book to add to my collection.
June 10, 2021
THE ENDING! I did NOT see that one coming.
June 11, 2022
This was such a challenging read for me but ultimately it was so well done and sitting with my uncomfortableness is okay. The author draws you into the intricate web of Merit’s mind as she navigates marriage, infidelity, identity, sexuality and so much more. I went from really not liking Merit and her decisions to understanding her on a deeper level.
A fantastic debut that begs to be discussed. Thank you so much to Renee @itsbooktalk for putting this in my hands.
Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted listening copy. Marin Ireland does an excellent job of narrating.
A fantastic debut that begs to be discussed. Thank you so much to Renee @itsbooktalk for putting this in my hands.
Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted listening copy. Marin Ireland does an excellent job of narrating.
July 23, 2022
One of the books this year that felt really enjoyable from start to finish.
The few things that I didn't like were the excessive use of the word "bitch" that felt really annoying and the time jump at the end. The story would have been more complete if we could've also witnessed
all the messy, sad, happy emotions that undoubtedly the two women went through during those 5 years time.
The few things that I didn't like were the excessive use of the word "bitch" that felt really annoying and the time jump at the end. The story would have been more complete if we could've also witnessed
all the messy, sad, happy emotions that undoubtedly the two women went through during those 5 years time.
May 6, 2022
This was my first book by McBrayer and I really enjoyed it. I was surprised how fast it was reading it. Seemed like it was over before I knew it.
I have to say this 4 star read is one to add to your nightstand you will be so glad that you did.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.
I have to say this 4 star read is one to add to your nightstand you will be so glad that you did.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.
July 5, 2022
Absolutely fabulous on audio - I definitely think that the audio experience positively impacted my enjoyment of this story. Overall, this one blew my mind on many levels.
November 8, 2022
After 12 years of marriage and having 2 kids Merit decides to go back to work. That is when she meets Jane her new boss and she sees something in her that she wish she had. This book had me so absorbed in it I couldn’t put it down. I really needed to know how it was going to end. I found the main character really annoying at times. I could see this as a mid life crisis but by a woman. I found Merit I likable and maybe that was the case because of her infidelity. Either way I finished this in one day.
Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for access to this book for an honest review
Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for access to this book for an honest review
July 20, 2022
I am, much like Merit in Like a House on Fire, conflicted. On the one hand, there are things that irritated me about this book: the perfect/oblivious nature of the two people who are most important in Merit's life,for one, and others that I'll get into. On the other hand, it's a bit of an outlier (in a good way) in the genre, with certainly a bit more gravitas about questions that are part of the genre, which I'll also get into. I wound up giving it the higher rating based on the latter.
Spoilers ahead.
Merit is a married mom of two who has been out of the workforce for awhile. The goal of becoming a fulltime mom at home was to pursue her painting, hopefully to have gallery showing and then make art her career. That didn't exactly pan out the way she wanted and hoped for, so it's handy that she has an architecture degree and experience to fall back on. She lands a job at Jager+ Brandt, apparently right out of the gate (how handy!), were she meets Jane, her boss.
Jane is dazzling. Smart. Funny. Impeccably dressed. Quick-witted. All the superlatives. Perfect in every way. Jane hires Merit, and on her first day, takes Merit to a client meeting, where Jane is impressed with ideas Merit is adding to the mix.
They work long hours together, of course, and the women develop what is described as a deep friendship. This was the first stumbling block for me. It seems their friendship involves working long hours and copious amounts of alcohol after. In fact, I'm having a very difficult time recalling any time these two are together on the page outside of work or medical appointments where they are not drinking.I'm not a teetotaler, and I'm fine with some social drinking. But there are instances in this book where they just get completely shit-faced, and it seems as though Merit in particular wants to blot out the parts of her life that don't involve Jane when she is with Jane somewhere.
Merit's husband Cory, who seems like a nice enough, if a tad oblivious, guy, doesn't get any marks of approval from Merit, who dings him - in her mind only - as forgetful, often lazy, and unwilling to share the burden of raising two very young children and helping take care of the household. One of the things that annoys me to no end in some fiction is a conflict that merely exists for a character to have a springboard to decisions they make when the conflict could have been solved or at least dampened a little if the characters just had a discussion about whatever it is.Maybe the outcome would be different, maybe not, but I'd think that Merit, married to Cory for 14 years, and who seemed to actually care about the guy, would have invested a tiny sliver of time in tamping down some of her resentment by just having a sit down with him.
It's a slow, long burn of a book. If you come to this book looking for meet cute and sexytimes starting by the third chapter, you will be sorely disappointed. At least a year passes in book time (ding: the time passage is not altogether clear) before Merit hatches a plan to cheat on Cory with Jane. There's no graphic sex in this book either, so if you were disappointed above, you'll probably be disappointed by this as well. I'd say that Merit's (infrequent) sex with Cory is more graphic, simply because there's a handy appendage to mention (never fear, it's only a mention).
Merit finds herself more and more attracted to Jane, and apparently Jane to Merit, although this is not well developed or clear. The two carry on an affair behind Cory's back, through the turbulence of having two small children to raise - the duties for which seem to fall increasingly on Cory and a nanny while Merit figures out what she wants.
There's a miscarriage, a fatal heart attack, and a ton of Jane and merit calling one another "bitch", as if they are in a high school clique or have been watching far too much Real Housewives or Sex and the City than is healthy. A couple of times, sure, but thy do this far more often than you'd expect from a woman in her late 30s and another woman almost 60. Did I mention this is an age gap story as well? It is.
At the end, Merit decides to call it off with Jane, which I will say was written quite well, and is devastating. There is then an epilogue that is five years later, and while I was fine with the result, it annoyed me that we didn't get any of the "how we got here" narrative after investing so heavily in everything that came before. It was almost as if the author ran out of gas or couldn't figure out the "in between", as I call it, to get the readers from point A to point B for the ending. It does work - of course it does, it's a standard of the genre - but it felt rushed after everything before had been examined at length and in depth.
I wavered between three and four, but went with four stars out of five, as a nod to the genre and how this floats a little above most of the books of the same type.
Thanks to Penguin/Putnam and NetGalley for the reading copy.
Spoilers ahead.
Merit is a married mom of two who has been out of the workforce for awhile. The goal of becoming a fulltime mom at home was to pursue her painting, hopefully to have gallery showing and then make art her career. That didn't exactly pan out the way she wanted and hoped for, so it's handy that she has an architecture degree and experience to fall back on. She lands a job at Jager+ Brandt, apparently right out of the gate (how handy!), were she meets Jane, her boss.
Jane is dazzling. Smart. Funny. Impeccably dressed. Quick-witted. All the superlatives. Perfect in every way. Jane hires Merit, and on her first day, takes Merit to a client meeting, where Jane is impressed with ideas Merit is adding to the mix.
They work long hours together, of course, and the women develop what is described as a deep friendship. This was the first stumbling block for me. It seems their friendship involves working long hours and copious amounts of alcohol after. In fact, I'm having a very difficult time recalling any time these two are together on the page outside of work or medical appointments where they are not drinking.I'm not a teetotaler, and I'm fine with some social drinking. But there are instances in this book where they just get completely shit-faced, and it seems as though Merit in particular wants to blot out the parts of her life that don't involve Jane when she is with Jane somewhere.
Merit's husband Cory, who seems like a nice enough, if a tad oblivious, guy, doesn't get any marks of approval from Merit, who dings him - in her mind only - as forgetful, often lazy, and unwilling to share the burden of raising two very young children and helping take care of the household. One of the things that annoys me to no end in some fiction is a conflict that merely exists for a character to have a springboard to decisions they make when the conflict could have been solved or at least dampened a little if the characters just had a discussion about whatever it is.Maybe the outcome would be different, maybe not, but I'd think that Merit, married to Cory for 14 years, and who seemed to actually care about the guy, would have invested a tiny sliver of time in tamping down some of her resentment by just having a sit down with him.
It's a slow, long burn of a book. If you come to this book looking for meet cute and sexytimes starting by the third chapter, you will be sorely disappointed. At least a year passes in book time (ding: the time passage is not altogether clear) before Merit hatches a plan to cheat on Cory with Jane. There's no graphic sex in this book either, so if you were disappointed above, you'll probably be disappointed by this as well. I'd say that Merit's (infrequent) sex with Cory is more graphic, simply because there's a handy appendage to mention (never fear, it's only a mention).
Merit finds herself more and more attracted to Jane, and apparently Jane to Merit, although this is not well developed or clear. The two carry on an affair behind Cory's back, through the turbulence of having two small children to raise - the duties for which seem to fall increasingly on Cory and a nanny while Merit figures out what she wants.
There's a miscarriage, a fatal heart attack, and a ton of Jane and merit calling one another "bitch", as if they are in a high school clique or have been watching far too much Real Housewives or Sex and the City than is healthy. A couple of times, sure, but thy do this far more often than you'd expect from a woman in her late 30s and another woman almost 60. Did I mention this is an age gap story as well? It is.
At the end, Merit decides to call it off with Jane, which I will say was written quite well, and is devastating. There is then an epilogue that is five years later, and while I was fine with the result, it annoyed me that we didn't get any of the "how we got here" narrative after investing so heavily in everything that came before. It was almost as if the author ran out of gas or couldn't figure out the "in between", as I call it, to get the readers from point A to point B for the ending. It does work - of course it does, it's a standard of the genre - but it felt rushed after everything before had been examined at length and in depth.
I wavered between three and four, but went with four stars out of five, as a nod to the genre and how this floats a little above most of the books of the same type.
Thanks to Penguin/Putnam and NetGalley for the reading copy.
December 30, 2022
This book was an emotional roller-coaster, but not on purpose. It started out so blandly that I wasn't sure I was going to stick with it for the vague promise of some queer stuff later on. Then for a while I started to wonder if there was any queer element to the book at all. Then it won me over and I was enjoying myself. Then it went back to being bland again. It is a book that is having a little bit of an identity crisis, which is a shame because the good stuff is really good!
Merit is an architect, an artist, a mother of two small children, a wife. She is not particularly happy in any of these roles. After a few years off of her day job to try and build her career as a painter, she is going back to the corporate architecture world feeling like a failure. The problem here (and with the whole book) is that Merit never really figures her own problems out. Her problems change somewhat but at the end of the day she hasn't really decided what she wants out of life, what she wants out of her relationships, what she wants out of her work. It would be a better book if we got to follow her as she figured those things out. But that is not what happens.
Instead, Merit meets Jane, her new boss, a woman in her late 50's, nearly 20 years Merit's senior, who she immediately gets along with. Over the few years of the book, they start as colleagues and then become deep friends and then, well, something more.
Jane is great, and Merit is a different character on the page when she's with Jane. The scenes where they're together are lively and fun. You can see the spark between them.
There are two more major flaws in the novel, though. 1) Merit's husband Cory is so flat on the page he may as well not exist. We see him be a pretty typically mediocre husband and father. He is very annoying, but also Merit is just as bad if not worse because she almost never calls him out or asks for more from him. It's a pretty hefty imbalance if you're looking at Jane vs. Cory. And it's very confusing when Merit will insist that Cory is being a good partner when he is doing the bare minimum. 2) Jane and Merit have this intense connection but they never talk about anything below the surface. We know very little about Jane's life, her family, her marriage. And Merit almost never talks about her kids, her dreams, her background. It's hard to get really invested in these two when they seem to be avoiding all the important questions.
The author wrote a piece for Vogue that I found very illuminating. (Especially about the ending and how very tacked on it feels.) This sure feels like one of those novels where it's more about the author working something out than creating an arc that is going to work best for the reader. I would like to see McBrayer give it another go.
Merit is an architect, an artist, a mother of two small children, a wife. She is not particularly happy in any of these roles. After a few years off of her day job to try and build her career as a painter, she is going back to the corporate architecture world feeling like a failure. The problem here (and with the whole book) is that Merit never really figures her own problems out. Her problems change somewhat but at the end of the day she hasn't really decided what she wants out of life, what she wants out of her relationships, what she wants out of her work. It would be a better book if we got to follow her as she figured those things out. But that is not what happens.
Instead, Merit meets Jane, her new boss, a woman in her late 50's, nearly 20 years Merit's senior, who she immediately gets along with. Over the few years of the book, they start as colleagues and then become deep friends and then, well, something more.
Jane is great, and Merit is a different character on the page when she's with Jane. The scenes where they're together are lively and fun. You can see the spark between them.
There are two more major flaws in the novel, though. 1) Merit's husband Cory is so flat on the page he may as well not exist. We see him be a pretty typically mediocre husband and father. He is very annoying, but also Merit is just as bad if not worse because she almost never calls him out or asks for more from him. It's a pretty hefty imbalance if you're looking at Jane vs. Cory. And it's very confusing when Merit will insist that Cory is being a good partner when he is doing the bare minimum. 2) Jane and Merit have this intense connection but they never talk about anything below the surface. We know very little about Jane's life, her family, her marriage. And Merit almost never talks about her kids, her dreams, her background. It's hard to get really invested in these two when they seem to be avoiding all the important questions.
The author wrote a piece for Vogue that I found very illuminating. (Especially about the ending and how very tacked on it feels.) This sure feels like one of those novels where it's more about the author working something out than creating an arc that is going to work best for the reader. I would like to see McBrayer give it another go.
December 10, 2021
Okay, wow. It is not often that a book leaves me speechless. But as I try to write this, I'm not sure even what to say. I devoured this book in under 24 hours. I was hesitant going in because I had no idea what to expect or even how this book is categorized. But I was quickly enveloped in the characters and eager to follow along. I felt so many emotions reading this book and without giving away any of the plot, I see a lot of similarities between myself and our main character, Merit. As the story progressed, I felt my emotions growing so strong and I couldn't tell if I was reading toward a heartbreak or a heartwarming ending, and I was almost scared to find out. The ending though... gave me goosebumps and made me cry. This book. will live in my head for a long long time. Truly beautiful and so special.
Merit is a stay-at-home mom of two boys unsure of herself and her role in life. Although it is tough, she has decided to go back to work. She is going through a wide range of emotions as she gets herself back into the workforce and spends more time away from her children. Who is she really? The woman who hires her, Jane, is magnetizing and powerful and Merit finds herself drawn to her and they quickly grow into a strong friendship. Now Merit finds herself quickly falling in line trying to juggle her job, her marriage, her children, and now a budding friendship unlike one she has ever had before. Merit has felt like a stranger in her own life but as she grows closer to Jane she feels herself opening up in a way that she has never considered before. But where does she go from here?
Can I just say how perfect the last chapter was? Wow. I was so shocked and massively moved and just WOW. I think that is the most I've ever said wow in a review... thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Merit is a stay-at-home mom of two boys unsure of herself and her role in life. Although it is tough, she has decided to go back to work. She is going through a wide range of emotions as she gets herself back into the workforce and spends more time away from her children. Who is she really? The woman who hires her, Jane, is magnetizing and powerful and Merit finds herself drawn to her and they quickly grow into a strong friendship. Now Merit finds herself quickly falling in line trying to juggle her job, her marriage, her children, and now a budding friendship unlike one she has ever had before. Merit has felt like a stranger in her own life but as she grows closer to Jane she feels herself opening up in a way that she has never considered before. But where does she go from here?
Can I just say how perfect the last chapter was? Wow. I was so shocked and massively moved and just WOW. I think that is the most I've ever said wow in a review... thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.
July 23, 2023
Oh, goddamn
My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand
Taking mine, but it's been promised to another
Oh, I can't
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you
I wish to know
The fatal flaw that makes you long to be
Magnificently cursed
He's in the room
Your opal eyes are all I wish to see
He wants what's only yours
Clover blooms in the fields
Spring breaks loose, the time is near
What would he do if he found us out?
Crescent moon, coast is clear
Spring breaks loose, but so does fear
He's gonna burn this house to the ground
How's one to know?
I'd live and die for moments that we stole
On begged and borrowed time
So tell me to run
Or dare to sit and watch what we'll become
And drink my husband's wine
So yeah, it's a fire
It's a goddamn blaze in the dark
And you started it
You started it
So yeah, it's a war
It's the goddamn fight of my life
And you started it
You started it
ivy by taylor + this book = sapphic perfection
My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand
Taking mine, but it's been promised to another
Oh, I can't
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you
I wish to know
The fatal flaw that makes you long to be
Magnificently cursed
He's in the room
Your opal eyes are all I wish to see
He wants what's only yours
Clover blooms in the fields
Spring breaks loose, the time is near
What would he do if he found us out?
Crescent moon, coast is clear
Spring breaks loose, but so does fear
He's gonna burn this house to the ground
How's one to know?
I'd live and die for moments that we stole
On begged and borrowed time
So tell me to run
Or dare to sit and watch what we'll become
And drink my husband's wine
So yeah, it's a fire
It's a goddamn blaze in the dark
And you started it
You started it
So yeah, it's a war
It's the goddamn fight of my life
And you started it
You started it
ivy by taylor + this book = sapphic perfection
July 18, 2022
It's been a while since I was so captivated and engrossed in a story and this one DEFINITELY delivered! Very character driven, we get to know Merit, married for twelve years and a mother of two, she is trying to get back in the work force. When she applies for a job at an architectural firm, she meets Jane, an older, mysterious Danish woman with undeniable appeal. Initially the two women develop a great friendship but eventually it develops into something more, leaving Merit to question just what is making her happy - a life staying at home have scheduled, lack luster sex or an exciting new partner who really makes her feel alive? Very relatable and EXCELLENT on audio narrated by Marin Ireland. I REALLY enjoyed this one and recommend it for fans of books like When I ran away or The nine lives of Rose Napolitano.
April 30, 2022
Thanks to @PutnamBooks for a gifted copy of #𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐀𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐎𝐧𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞🔥. This adult debut by Lauren McBrayer is a story focused on one woman who, at 38, faces a whole lot of change in her life. As the book begins, Merit is a woman defeated. Married for twelve years, she has two very young sons, a husband she’s sort of resigned herself to, and an art career that’s floundered. Living in San Francisco, expenses are high and money is tight, so Merit is forced to return to her first career, architecture. Her heart really isn’t in it, but when she’s hired by a small firm, Merit quickly bonds with her boss, Jane. The two become a powerhouse team, both professionally and personally. Jane is older, sophisticated, and whip smart, and Merit becomes a little obsessed with her. From there sparks begin flying in Merit’s not-so-simple life.
The book was different than I had expected, but I really liked it. It had so much motherhood reality within it, from trying to do it all, to having a spouse not even aware that he’s not carrying his weight as a parent, to loving your kids, but also needing to escape them.
“𝘐 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴,” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘺.”
Balanced with her family life was the evolving relationship between Merit and Jane, a relationship Merit very much wanted more of. The two sides of her life lived at the heart of 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘈 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦 and I thought McBrayer developed both in a very organic way. I quickly moved through this book and am betting it’s one many others will enjoy. 4.25 total stars!
The book was different than I had expected, but I really liked it. It had so much motherhood reality within it, from trying to do it all, to having a spouse not even aware that he’s not carrying his weight as a parent, to loving your kids, but also needing to escape them.
“𝘐 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴,” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘺.”
Balanced with her family life was the evolving relationship between Merit and Jane, a relationship Merit very much wanted more of. The two sides of her life lived at the heart of 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘈 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦 and I thought McBrayer developed both in a very organic way. I quickly moved through this book and am betting it’s one many others will enjoy. 4.25 total stars!
May 27, 2023
4 stars
A very well-realized slice of life, even if the journey is a little derivative, Like a House on Fire tells the story of Merit, who is at the cusp of turning forty, unfulfilled by her stable, but mundane life as a stay-at-home mom, decides to give her passion for art and career one last chance.
Lauren McBrayer's sleek, heartfelt writing does the heavy lifting; the protagonist is flawed but also relatable and endearing. As the sapphic romance blooms, the chemistry is rightfully evident, and the banter is as fun as what one would expect from a romance novel (even though this is not quite marketed as one). As someone who have studied architecture in the past, I particularly enjoy the believable depiction of their roles as practicing architect/designer (so much office/client gossip!).
Ironically, once the romance peaked, my enthusiasm for Like a House on Fire actually waned slightly. As mentioned by another reviewer, the premise is evidently inspired by Carol by Patricia Highsmith, with a similar age gap dynamic, and sexual exploration of two women who had previously identified as straight. Like a House on Fire goes down the expected story beats when it comes to the protagonist's awakened sexuality: scenes of new found passion, lust for life, as well as the guilt and anxiety choosing between following her heart, or her duty maintaining her motherhood and her loveless marriage. The ending in particular, feels like it has left all the juicy bits off page, to arrive at a happy ending without really depicting the 'how'.
Overall, I still really enjoy Like a House on Fire as it stands, particularly for its overall presentation. Even though the last 30% is very much 'been there, done that', lacking the freshness evident at the start, I still find this to be a fast, enjoyable experience.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
A very well-realized slice of life, even if the journey is a little derivative, Like a House on Fire tells the story of Merit, who is at the cusp of turning forty, unfulfilled by her stable, but mundane life as a stay-at-home mom, decides to give her passion for art and career one last chance.
Lauren McBrayer's sleek, heartfelt writing does the heavy lifting; the protagonist is flawed but also relatable and endearing. As the sapphic romance blooms, the chemistry is rightfully evident, and the banter is as fun as what one would expect from a romance novel (even though this is not quite marketed as one). As someone who have studied architecture in the past, I particularly enjoy the believable depiction of their roles as practicing architect/designer (so much office/client gossip!).
Ironically, once the romance peaked, my enthusiasm for Like a House on Fire actually waned slightly. As mentioned by another reviewer, the premise is evidently inspired by Carol by Patricia Highsmith, with a similar age gap dynamic, and sexual exploration of two women who had previously identified as straight. Like a House on Fire goes down the expected story beats when it comes to the protagonist's awakened sexuality: scenes of new found passion, lust for life, as well as the guilt and anxiety choosing between following her heart, or her duty maintaining her motherhood and her loveless marriage. The ending in particular, feels like it has left all the juicy bits off page, to arrive at a happy ending without really depicting the 'how'.
Overall, I still really enjoy Like a House on Fire as it stands, particularly for its overall presentation. Even though the last 30% is very much 'been there, done that', lacking the freshness evident at the start, I still find this to be a fast, enjoyable experience.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
March 1, 2022
Like a House on Fire is my favorite romance in ages and is definitely going on my list of Best of 2022 reads! It's a smart and steamy read--the story of a woman who has a good life (not great, and Lauren McBrayer nails what it's like to realize you've settled but now aren't sure why) but realizes, as she works with (and falls for) her new boss that she wants--and deserves--more out of life.
One of the best f/f romances--and romances overall--I've ever read. Put this on your must read list now. Now!
One of the best f/f romances--and romances overall--I've ever read. Put this on your must read list now. Now!
May 2, 2022
Well this turned out to be much more thought provoking and introspective than I thought it would be. This asked so many questions that will stay with me about marriage and motherhood and being a middle aged woman who is struggling. While there were definitely parts of Merit that I could relate to she was a very morally ambiguous character but while I may not have agreed with many of her choices I found her to be fascinating. I tend to fly through books of the thriller variety but this was just as compulsive for me as any thriller, I really became wrapped up in Merit’s life and couldn’t wait to see what she would do next. I could see this being a great book club pick, especially as a summer choice as it’s light enough you could read it by the pool but it still has a lot of depth and loads to discuss.
July 30, 2022
3.5 stars - It was good! It was very readable. The romance between Jane and Merit was very slow up until all of a sudden, bang, they’re doing it and now they’re in love. I would have liked a bit more conflict of feelings. Especially because Merit was still married and had never had feelings for a woman before. And I think I am one of the few, but I actually felt sympathy for her husband. He wasn’t perfect but who is? They never communicated with each other. I would have liked to get his perspective.
April 23, 2023
I was immediately drawn into the story, and was surprised by how visceral the chemistry between Merit and Jane felt. Usually I’m not a fan of cheating plot lines, but the fraught dynamics of a disjointed marriage felt super real and sensible throughout the story. Such a good read that kept me engaged!!
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