Babes in Captivity

by Pamela Redmond

They've satisfied their biological clocks.
They met six years ago in a mom's group. Deirdre, Juliette, Anne, and Lisa are each living The Dream in the suburbs outside of New York beautiful wedding, big house, picture perfect family. What more could a woman want? Plenty, though none of them has ever admitted it. Out loud, anyway. It all starts with Deirdre....When she learns that her ex-lover, musician Nick Ruby, has moved back East, she confides in her girlfriends that she regrets her lost singing career, and her lost love affair with Nick. And since there doesn't seem to be a "what's next" in her life, she's more than a little curious about "what if...?"
So what's that ticking sound?
Deirdre's confession -- and her plan to revive her dreams and make them reality -- has a startling ripple effect. It turns out none of the four is as happy as she Anne fears her marriage is in jeopardy. Juliette desperately wants to have another baby but can't. And Lisa's facing decisions that her life -- literally -- depends on. The doors swing wide when these babes start breaking out...but at what price? There's no satisfaction guarantee for any one of them, but taking chances together sure beats going it alone.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2004

About the author

Also writes as Pamela Redmond Satran.

Reviews

[Stephy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book...4 different woman 4 different stories but best friends through it all.

They've satisfied their biological clocks.

They met six years ago in a mom's group. Deirdre, Juliette, Anne, and Lisa are each living The Dream in the suburbs outside of New York City: beautiful wedding, big house, picture perfect family. What more could a woman want? Plenty, though none of them has ever admitted it. Out loud, anyway. It all starts with Deirdre....When she learns that her ex-lover, musician Nick Ruby, has moved back East, she confides in her girlfriends that she regrets her lost singing career, and her lost love affair with Nick. And since there doesn't seem to be a "what's next" in her life, she's more than a little curious about "what if...?"

So what's that ticking sound?

Deirdre's confession -- and her plan to revive her dreams and make them reality -- has a startling ripple effect. It turns out none of the four is as happy as she seems: Anne fears her marriage is in jeopardy. Juliette desperately wants to have another baby but can't. And Lisa's facing decisions that her life -- literally -- depends on. The doors swing wide when these babes start breaking out...but at what price? There's no satisfaction guarantee for any one of them, but taking chances together sure beats going it alone.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was better than I thought it would be at the beginning. I enjoyed it for what it was and ended up bookmooching the author's other books.

[Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite my low expectations for this book, it ended up being fairly entertaining and not nearly as bad as I expected. Yes, the writing and plot were a bit trite and cliche, but the characters were actually developed fairly well, with each experiencing a full plot line and significant growth. Still, I didn’t find any of them particularly likable, and Lisa and Deirdre were both incredibly aggravating. While I did become invested in their stories, I was consistently rolling my eyes nearly once a chapter from the corny one-liners and overdone sex jokes. Most concerningly, this book contains some serious fatphobia and disordered eating. Luckily, the internalized misogyny of the characters seems to tone down after the first couple chapters, otherwise I would have had a substantially more difficult time finishing the book. Overall an entertaining read, but certainly not a well-written one.

[Melissa (Vacation Mode) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four women, who first met in a mother's group years before, continue to get together once a month. At their November dinner, they talk about their lives and each agrees to do something to bring them closer to who they really want to be.

Deirdre is the instigator. Prior to marrying and having children, she was a professional singer. Now, the former love of her life, Nick, has come back on the scene, reviving her desire to be a singer and maybe a bit more. It doesn't hurt that she's not at all physically attracted to her husband. Can Deirdre turn her dreams into reality? Juliette wants another baby. Her husband Cooper is against the idea because their son Trey has Asperger's syndrome. Cooper wants his wife back, but Juliette is totally dedicated to Trey. Will Juliette compromise in order to have another child?

Anne has long been the wage earner in her family. Her husband, Damian, is a filmmaker, and Anne's salary supports his career. But she's tired of her dreams being put on the back burner - she wants to open a restaurant. When Anne finds out that Damian is cheating, will she follow her heart or her head? Finally, Lisa is the one who appears to have her life all together. Her marriage is solid, she has four wonderful children, and a plan and schedule for everything. Yet when her health throws a curve ball, Lisa doesn't know how to be vulnerable with those closest to her.

This novel is a breath of fresh air in the chick lit genre. It's delightful to read about women attempting to find out what really makes them happy, without throwing away their families to accomplish it. The friends' unique dilemmas make their stories fascinating. Chapters alternate between the four points of view, giving the reader an intimate glimpse into each life. I related least to Deirdre - I couldn't understand why she was discontented with the choices she had made, and why she wanted to revisit them again. Lisa's struggles were mostly out of her control, but she had to come to terms with how she would handle them.

The author sprinkles in humor to temper the heavier contemplation of these 'babes' held captive by their choices. Many of the stories went in directions I didn't predict, offering a move away from the formulaic romance novel. I was both entertained and given much to think about by Babes in Captivity.

[ShyAnn64 · Rating 2 out of 5]

They've satisfied their biological clocks.
They met six years ago in a mom's group. Deirdre, Juliette, Anne, and Lisa are each living The Dream in the suburbs outside of New York City: beautiful wedding, big house, picture perfect family. What more could a woman want? Plenty, though none of them has ever admitted it. Out loud, anyway. It all starts with Deirdre....When she learns that her ex-lover, musician Nick Ruby, has moved back East, she confides in her girlfriends that she regrets her lost singing career, and her lost love affair with Nick. And since there doesn't seem to be a "what's next" in her life, she's more than a little curious about "what if...?"
So what's that ticking sound?
Deirdre's confession -- and her plan to revive her dreams and make them reality -- has a startling ripple effect. It turns out none of the four is as happy as she seems: Anne fears her marriage is in jeopardy. Juliette desperately wants to have another baby but can't. And Lisa's facing decisions that her life -- literally -- depends on. The doors swing wide when these babes start breaking out...but at what price? There's no satisfaction guarantee for any one of them, but taking chances together sure beats going it alone.

[Andrea Vrtikapa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining read and I could relate to the bond between these friends with the groups of friends I have.

[Nicky-Jo Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good look at friends and images. No one goes after what they really want.

[Charity Hester · Rating 2 out of 5]

The equivalent of flipping channels and finding yourself watching the entire chick flick and even crying at certain parts and then realizing you ate most of the bag of potato chips while you watched it. My daughter and I stopped for a much needed library visit. Mommy had been out of a books for much too long (during a move). The librarian greeted us with "we close in 10 minutes". We dove for the children's section, made a quick turn down Fiction lane. My daughter picked one for me (cover art) and I grabbed this one. Kinda fun to just pick something up and read it. Very reminiscent of the Friday Night Knitting Club or the Housewives eating Bon Bons book.

[Muse Here · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book. The women the story revolved around were all easy to relate with and interesting but real characters. Life moved quickly throughout the book. Each chapter focused on one of the four women, except for the monthly dinners, which would catch us up to all of them. I didn't particularly care for this set up, I found it rather distracting.
Overall, quite enjoyable. I really loved all the women and each of their stories. A very good read.
My book had a q&a with the author in the back, that was also interesting to read.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. It's about four different women who have different situations in their lives but all are unhappy with the state of thier lives when we meet them in the book. By the end of the book they are improved their lives by taking control of their situations. I enjoy the different points of view and the take control attitude presented by the women throughout the book. I enjoyed reading it and it was a quick read.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, light read. This story follows four suburban moms over the course a year. They meet once a month for dinner and talk. The month we meet them they all decide that life has gotten a bit boring and needs a bit of a change. One wants another baby, another wants to resurrect her singing career, one wants to start a restaurant and the last one thinks about writing a book. Throughout the year all work on their goals but some decide it is no longer what they want.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just one character with a self-discovery... but all of the women have awesome life-changing discoveries. The characters were spit into chapters, which I loved because I could focus on one life at a time. This book was funny, and full of drama, which is always fun. It reminded me a bit of desparate housewives... some very deep moments, but very entertaining.

[Diana Townsend · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I liked all of the women except Lisa. I could not relate to Lisa's attitude and I just didn't feel like she was truly friends with any of the other women. I enjoyed all of the stories and the different views, it was a little confusing in the beginning but it really is a funny little book.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

i thought this would be a quick chick novel...just something to pass the time on a hot day. i was pleasantly surprised with the depth of the characters and the fine writing. we all take stock in our thirties and each of the 4 women find a new path.

from the view of 63 it amazes me we all have to go thru these stages of life...ther eis no other way

[Victoria Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started off slow, but I ended up really enjoying it. It was only a long read because I didn't have a lot of reading opportunities. Really read it in 4 nights. Once the characters started developing, I found myself invested in their journeys. Each journey spoke differently to me. I'd like to give it a 3.75 out of 5.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters definitely seemed very much like characters and not people at all. But I did like the way it was told in a cycle where one chapter had the friends all getting together for dinner and then the next few chapters were a closer look into the lives of each. My favorite quote was "How to live: Breathe in. Breathe out. Be happy now."

[Rachel Gioia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books like this! A bunch of friends with different stories and different backgrounds all going through different things in their lives. Chapters alternating between each character's perspectives. I especially love when its a book about best girlfriends. The story was well-written, intriguing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Mairin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story about four friends (in their mid thirties) trying to spice up their lives, and the trials and tribulations that follow....

[Hawley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems like a good chick-lit so far! Very sex & the city gets married to the wrong guy, has babies and moves to the suburbs.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters were okay in this book, but I personally found it difficult to relate to them as easily as I have with characters in other books.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and quick read. Finished it already last night.
Deirdre's story was the least interesting. I always enjoy books like these where you get to learn a few women and there trials.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

another book sale book...not a lot to say about it

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was just about disgruntled stay-at-home mothers at first and I wanted to give them all a kick in the pants. But the book gets better and the characters fill out.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

could relate in many ways to the plot, but found myself skipping many sentences to see what was going to happen... easy read.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. A little predictable but good. Easy reading.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy Fun Read

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A truly predictable story in which four married "moms" decide to rediscover and embrace their babeness and what happens when they do.

[Vår Ane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very sweet and i actually cried a cupel of times reading.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun quick read. I loved the four friends and their stories!

[Angel Shears · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining book, especially for all those "Babes" who have now conformed to their house mom status. I enjoyed all the characters and their stories. Fast read for a weekend.