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Flirting with Pete
In Flirting with Pete, bestselling author Barbara Delinsky weaves together two fascinating narratives that merge in a dramatic, highly emotional, and totally unexpected conclusion, as a daughter's struggle to win the approval of the father she never knew becomes a journey of self-discovery.
Psychologist Casey Ellis never met her father—but that didn't stop her from following in his professional footsteps. Now he has died, and Casey is shocked to have inherited his elegant Boston town house, complete with a maid and a handsome, enigmatic gardener. When she finds a manuscript that could be a novel, a journal, or a case study of one of her father's patients in her new home, she becomes engrossed in the story of Jenny, a young woman trying to escape her troubled life. Convinced the story is true and that her father left it as a message for her, Casey digs deeper. As she pieces together the mysteries surrounding her father, Jenny, and the romantic new stranger in her life, she discovers startling links between past and present, and unexpected ties between what is real and what is imagined.
Psychologist Casey Ellis never met her father—but that didn't stop her from following in his professional footsteps. Now he has died, and Casey is shocked to have inherited his elegant Boston town house, complete with a maid and a handsome, enigmatic gardener. When she finds a manuscript that could be a novel, a journal, or a case study of one of her father's patients in her new home, she becomes engrossed in the story of Jenny, a young woman trying to escape her troubled life. Convinced the story is true and that her father left it as a message for her, Casey digs deeper. As she pieces together the mysteries surrounding her father, Jenny, and the romantic new stranger in her life, she discovers startling links between past and present, and unexpected ties between what is real and what is imagined.
560 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
151 people are currently reading
3490 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Delinsky
308 books4,357 followersI was born and raised in suburban Boston. My mother’s death, when I was eight, was the defining event of a childhood that was otherwise ordinary. I took piano lessons and flute lessons. I took ballroom dancing lessons. I went to summer camp through my fifteenth year (in Maine, which explains the setting of so many of my stories), then spent my sixteenth summer learning to type and to drive (two skills that have served me better than all of my other high school courses combined). I earned a B.A. in Psychology at Tufts University and an M.A. in Sociology at Boston College. The motivation behind the M.A. was sheer greed. My husband was just starting law school. We needed the money.
Following graduate school, I worked as a researcher with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and as a photographer and reporter for the Belmont Herald. I did the newspaper work after my first son was born. Since I was heavily into taking pictures of him, I worked for the paper to support that habit. Initially, I wrote only in a secondary capacity, to provide copy for the pictures I took. In time, I realized that I was better at writing than photography. I used both skills doing volunteer work for hospital groups, and have served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and on the MGH’s Women’s Cancer Advisory Board.
I became an actual writer by fluke. My twins were four when, by chance, I happened on a newspaper article profiling three female writers. Intrigued, I spent three months researching, plotting, and writing my own book - and it sold.
My niche? I write about the emotional crises that we face in our lives. Readers identify with my characters. They know them. They are them. I'm an everyday woman writing about everyday people facing not-so-everyday challenges.
My novels are character-driven studies of marriage, parenthood, sibling rivalry, and friendship, and I’ve been blessed in having readers who buy them eagerly enough to put them on the major bestseller lists. One of my latest, Sweet Salt Air, came out in 2013. Blueprints, my second novel with St. Martin’s Press, became my 22nd New York Times bestselling novel soon after its release in June 2015. Making Up, my work in progress, will be published in 2018.
2018? Yikes. I didn’t think I’d live that long. I thought I’d die of breast cancer back in the 1900's, like my mom. But I didn’t. I was diagnosed nearly twenty years ago, had surgery and treatment, and here I am, stronger than ever and loving having authored yet another book, this one the non-fiction Uplift: Secrets From the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors. First published in 2001, Uplift is a handbook of practical tips and upbeat anecdotes that I compiled with the help of 350 breast cancer survivors, their families and friends. These survivors just ... blew me away! They gave me the book that I wish I’d had way back when I was diagnosed. There is no medical information here, nothing frightening, simply practical advice from friends who’ve had breast cancer. The 10th Anniversary Volume of Uplift is now in print. And the money I’ve made on the book? Every cent has gone to my charitable foundation, which funds an ongoing research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Connect with me on Facebook: facebook.com/bdelinsky
Look for my photos on Instagram: instagram.com/barbaradelinsky
Following graduate school, I worked as a researcher with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and as a photographer and reporter for the Belmont Herald. I did the newspaper work after my first son was born. Since I was heavily into taking pictures of him, I worked for the paper to support that habit. Initially, I wrote only in a secondary capacity, to provide copy for the pictures I took. In time, I realized that I was better at writing than photography. I used both skills doing volunteer work for hospital groups, and have served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and on the MGH’s Women’s Cancer Advisory Board.
I became an actual writer by fluke. My twins were four when, by chance, I happened on a newspaper article profiling three female writers. Intrigued, I spent three months researching, plotting, and writing my own book - and it sold.
My niche? I write about the emotional crises that we face in our lives. Readers identify with my characters. They know them. They are them. I'm an everyday woman writing about everyday people facing not-so-everyday challenges.
My novels are character-driven studies of marriage, parenthood, sibling rivalry, and friendship, and I’ve been blessed in having readers who buy them eagerly enough to put them on the major bestseller lists. One of my latest, Sweet Salt Air, came out in 2013. Blueprints, my second novel with St. Martin’s Press, became my 22nd New York Times bestselling novel soon after its release in June 2015. Making Up, my work in progress, will be published in 2018.
2018? Yikes. I didn’t think I’d live that long. I thought I’d die of breast cancer back in the 1900's, like my mom. But I didn’t. I was diagnosed nearly twenty years ago, had surgery and treatment, and here I am, stronger than ever and loving having authored yet another book, this one the non-fiction Uplift: Secrets From the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors. First published in 2001, Uplift is a handbook of practical tips and upbeat anecdotes that I compiled with the help of 350 breast cancer survivors, their families and friends. These survivors just ... blew me away! They gave me the book that I wish I’d had way back when I was diagnosed. There is no medical information here, nothing frightening, simply practical advice from friends who’ve had breast cancer. The 10th Anniversary Volume of Uplift is now in print. And the money I’ve made on the book? Every cent has gone to my charitable foundation, which funds an ongoing research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Connect with me on Facebook: facebook.com/bdelinsky
Look for my photos on Instagram: instagram.com/barbaradelinsky
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
March 10, 2010
OK, can I just say that I cannot wait until I finish writing my thesis (which I should be working on right now but cannot focus.... I am so tired, but can't sleep). Anyway, back to my review.
I am a Barbara Delinsky fan for life!!!! She is right up there with Bernice L. McFadden.
If you like mystery, intrigue, drama, humor, sorrow, and hope all rolled into one book, well this is your book. I read this book in two days. Should I mention my newborn son was only two months old and I was working on my thesis? Yes, that's just how good this book is. In case you are wondering, I had NO help caring for my son except my husband and he is a very healthy and happy baby.
But I HIGHLY recommend this book. Blindly selecting books off of the library shelves definitely have their rewards, and this was one of them!!!!!
I cannot wait until May 15, 2010 (when I graduate). I will be heading straight to the library that very next week grabbing me some Barbara Delinsky books, and a few others that are on my Must Read list!
Now, if I can just finish my thesis.
I am a Barbara Delinsky fan for life!!!! She is right up there with Bernice L. McFadden.
If you like mystery, intrigue, drama, humor, sorrow, and hope all rolled into one book, well this is your book. I read this book in two days. Should I mention my newborn son was only two months old and I was working on my thesis? Yes, that's just how good this book is. In case you are wondering, I had NO help caring for my son except my husband and he is a very healthy and happy baby.
But I HIGHLY recommend this book. Blindly selecting books off of the library shelves definitely have their rewards, and this was one of them!!!!!
I cannot wait until May 15, 2010 (when I graduate). I will be heading straight to the library that very next week grabbing me some Barbara Delinsky books, and a few others that are on my Must Read list!
Now, if I can just finish my thesis.
November 20, 2021
I didn't gel with this story at all. It had me cringe in many ways and I just couldn't get invested in the story nor the characters. Didn't like most parts of the books. Wasn't really my cup of tea. Might give Barbara Delinsky another try in the future though to see if it just was the wrong book for me.
May 2, 2010
What a page turner...I read it in one day as it was impossible to put down…
Prepare to skip meals and not want to do anything else but read this one. The story will grab you from the very first page and won't let you go until you've turned the final page.
There are some reviews that don't give this novel justice and I feel it must be because they don't understand the family dynamics that are presented on these pages. I could relate to these characters, have experienced and witnessed much of what was represented here and Delinsky was spot on with her storyline.
The suspense, the memories, the illness, the career changes, the mystery, the love, the passion, the heartbreak, the abuse, the confusion, the determination, the hope, and I could go on…but this novel has many levels of emotion and corners the characters face.
I was taken by surprise by what came out as the two stories entwined and pleasantly surprised by some of it as well as angered by other things. I'd tell you more but I don’t want to give up the story. Just read it…you'll not be disappointed.
When you've finished the story and are feeling the lives of the characters, rejoicing as I am now, write me. I'd love to visit with you about the characters, their choices, and their healing.
Happy reading…(-:
Prepare to skip meals and not want to do anything else but read this one. The story will grab you from the very first page and won't let you go until you've turned the final page.
There are some reviews that don't give this novel justice and I feel it must be because they don't understand the family dynamics that are presented on these pages. I could relate to these characters, have experienced and witnessed much of what was represented here and Delinsky was spot on with her storyline.
The suspense, the memories, the illness, the career changes, the mystery, the love, the passion, the heartbreak, the abuse, the confusion, the determination, the hope, and I could go on…but this novel has many levels of emotion and corners the characters face.
I was taken by surprise by what came out as the two stories entwined and pleasantly surprised by some of it as well as angered by other things. I'd tell you more but I don’t want to give up the story. Just read it…you'll not be disappointed.
When you've finished the story and are feeling the lives of the characters, rejoicing as I am now, write me. I'd love to visit with you about the characters, their choices, and their healing.
Happy reading…(-:
June 20, 2022
I finished this story roughly 2 weeks ago and couldn't write a review until now. My tags may throw you, but I wanted readers to know about them because it could be a deal-breaker.
Contemporary Romance with some Insta-lust, but not necessarily in a bad way. Casey Ellis, a therapist, had family issues that caused relationship baggage. In a nutshell, it might have helped her if she had a full-time therapist.
Out of My Comfort Zone with a Dark Subject Line. Oh, man. If I knew going in that it would cover a subject I am very ill at ease with, I probably wouldn't have read the story. This is the reason certain people should never have children and there is a reason for prisons with no release. Ever.
Loner-Recluse Let's just say Casey's biological father had issues.
Psychological and Relationship Fiction and it can still be a romance? Well, yes, but you have to read Flirting With Pete to understand.
~~~~~
At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Delinsky "first came to know Jenny Clyde and her Pete seven years ago". The book was published in 2003 so that would have been roughly 1996. Her thoughts were "waiting for the right moment to emerge as my book" until that time. It was a powerful, but poignant story about two couples: Casey and Jordan and Jenny and Pete.
And what a story it was.
Contemporary Romance with some Insta-lust, but not necessarily in a bad way. Casey Ellis, a therapist, had family issues that caused relationship baggage. In a nutshell, it might have helped her if she had a full-time therapist.
Out of My Comfort Zone with a Dark Subject Line. Oh, man. If I knew going in that it would cover a subject I am very ill at ease with, I probably wouldn't have read the story. This is the reason certain people should never have children and there is a reason for prisons with no release. Ever.
Loner-Recluse Let's just say Casey's biological father had issues.
Psychological and Relationship Fiction and it can still be a romance? Well, yes, but you have to read Flirting With Pete to understand.
~~~~~
At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Delinsky "first came to know Jenny Clyde and her Pete seven years ago". The book was published in 2003 so that would have been roughly 1996. Her thoughts were "waiting for the right moment to emerge as my book" until that time. It was a powerful, but poignant story about two couples: Casey and Jordan and Jenny and Pete.
And what a story it was.
May 29, 2020
2.5 stars. This book was just TOO LONG and overly descriptive. I thought the characters were pretty flat, the twist has been done before, and the relationships were a little sickly sweet. Because the synopsis is so vague, I won't say much, but the book follows 2 storylines. One is about a girl named Casey who never had a relationship with her dad, but then he dies and leaves her a 3 million dollar townhome. He was well known in the counseling community and she is a counselor so she's learned a lot from him, but not as a daughter. He never acknowledged her until he was dead.
The next story line is about a girl named Jenny who is running from her abusive father and a cop that saves her.
The storylines connect pretty early on, but all the pieces don't come together until the end. For most of this book, it would've been a 2 star, but I thought the twist and connections in the end were nice to see.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Casey's dad Cornelius dies and leaves her the townhome and says to keep the housekeeper and gardener. Her mom, Caroline is in a home because she was hit by a car and is now in a vegetative coma. She talks to her mom all the time and imagines conversations she's having back. She moves into the townhome and finds a book called Flirting with Pete that her dad had labeled with a C, maybe for Casey? The book tells the story of Jenny. He had said that "she is kin" so we know theres a connection there, but we don't know what it is. We don't know if its a fictional story or true. Casey spends the whole book reading this story and trying to figure out what it means. This book was written in 2003, but never uses Google for anything. It may have been early technology still, but it was around and was never even mentioned. Casey falls for the gardener named Jordan.
Jenny is a young girl who's dad was in jail for killing her mom and now he's getting out and she's terrified because he was very sexually abusive. She runs away when he gets back and is presumed dead by suicide in the river, but a cop finds her and helps hide her. She meets a guy named Pete and he protects her from her dad and they fall in love. In the end it comes out that she actually killed her mom and he took the fall for her, but he still SUCKED and was very abusive. Pete was a figment of her imagination and didn't actually exist.
Jordan is actually Dave (or whatever the cops name was). The housekeeper is Jenny and she's sort of recovered, but still struggles with a lot of PTSD. They're cousins through a bunch of family ties. The 2 stories are very connected and Pete never existed, but Cornelius wrote Jenny's story on her telling.
The next story line is about a girl named Jenny who is running from her abusive father and a cop that saves her.
The storylines connect pretty early on, but all the pieces don't come together until the end. For most of this book, it would've been a 2 star, but I thought the twist and connections in the end were nice to see.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Casey's dad Cornelius dies and leaves her the townhome and says to keep the housekeeper and gardener. Her mom, Caroline is in a home because she was hit by a car and is now in a vegetative coma. She talks to her mom all the time and imagines conversations she's having back. She moves into the townhome and finds a book called Flirting with Pete that her dad had labeled with a C, maybe for Casey? The book tells the story of Jenny. He had said that "she is kin" so we know theres a connection there, but we don't know what it is. We don't know if its a fictional story or true. Casey spends the whole book reading this story and trying to figure out what it means. This book was written in 2003, but never uses Google for anything. It may have been early technology still, but it was around and was never even mentioned. Casey falls for the gardener named Jordan.
Jenny is a young girl who's dad was in jail for killing her mom and now he's getting out and she's terrified because he was very sexually abusive. She runs away when he gets back and is presumed dead by suicide in the river, but a cop finds her and helps hide her. She meets a guy named Pete and he protects her from her dad and they fall in love. In the end it comes out that she actually killed her mom and he took the fall for her, but he still SUCKED and was very abusive. Pete was a figment of her imagination and didn't actually exist.
Jordan is actually Dave (or whatever the cops name was). The housekeeper is Jenny and she's sort of recovered, but still struggles with a lot of PTSD. They're cousins through a bunch of family ties. The 2 stories are very connected and Pete never existed, but Cornelius wrote Jenny's story on her telling.
February 2, 2010
Casey Ellis is a young woman whose father, a renowned psychiatrist, never acknowledged her (Casey was the result of a one-night stand). Until his death, that is. Casey's taken off balance when he leaves her a very valuable piece of property and is reluctant to accept anything that was a part of him. Casey is a likable, hard working character whose only living family is her mom who lies in a coma.
When Casey finds a journal among her dad's things with a note that says something along the lines of "must help her - she's kin" she begins to read "Flirting With Pete" hoping that maybe she's found a relative. The journal details the life of an abused young woman named Jenny who Casey is desperate to locate.
The remainder of the book alternates between Jenny's painful story of abuse and Casey's search for the real Jenny and her growing relationship with her gardener who isn't exactly who he appears to be.
The title to this one is deceiving. This is not a light and flirty book but a slower paced, character based drama with a little mystery. It was an involving read with characters who are sympathetically drawn.
When Casey finds a journal among her dad's things with a note that says something along the lines of "must help her - she's kin" she begins to read "Flirting With Pete" hoping that maybe she's found a relative. The journal details the life of an abused young woman named Jenny who Casey is desperate to locate.
The remainder of the book alternates between Jenny's painful story of abuse and Casey's search for the real Jenny and her growing relationship with her gardener who isn't exactly who he appears to be.
The title to this one is deceiving. This is not a light and flirty book but a slower paced, character based drama with a little mystery. It was an involving read with characters who are sympathetically drawn.
September 23, 2015
Flirting with Pete is a story within the story of a young woman who never met her father in life, and like him, Casey Ellis becomes a therapist. She's a whiny character that about drove me crazy for 3/4's of the novel, but she does redeem herself in the last 150 pages. The story line that held my attention was that of Marybeth Jennifer Clyde. Her father killed Jenny's mother as the woman beat Jenny. Jenny has no friends. Folks in Little River shun her - maybe out guilt, shame, or pure meanness. About a week before Darden Clyde is released from prison people begin to take notice, especially a handsome young man from Wyoming riding a big motorcycle. Pete is his name. And when he stops to give Jenny a ride home from the dance, well she flirts with him. And he LIKES her too! Pete's everything Jenny dreamt that "her man" would be and more. She and Pete fall in love. They ride his motorbike wildly, go to the Quarry, and much more. Jenny thinks Pete is too good to be true, and he is.
Meanwhile, Psychoanalyst Casey Ellis finds herself in a state of confusion. Her practice needs to relocate, thanks to one of her partners, her mother is still in a vegetative state, and her father has just died. The father she's only seen in public lecture halls. She is the product of his one digression. She's floored when she inherits Connie's Beacon Hill Home. It comes with a very handsome, enigmatic gardener and a maid. Cornelius Unger kept his practice here and just maybe she could too. She has doubts as she wanders from the office into a glorious garden. Her resolve not to have anything to do with Connie begins to crack, especially when she finds a thick envelope with "C she's kin, help her" scrawled in her father's handwriting.
Casey opens the envelope to find Flirting with Pete. Casey wonders if the pages are Fiction, a Journal, or a Case Study. Convinced that Connie left the envelope for her, Casey begins to read. Soon she is drawn into Jenny Clyde's story, and becomes frighten for the young woman. Casey must find Jenny and help her, but she needs to find the rest of the manuscript. It's just like her father to make her search a scavenger hunt. And that is exactly what it is. As Casey puts Jenny's story together, she also discovers her father. And she is about to discover that nothing in her new life is what it appears to be. There is a fine line between what is real and what is imagined.
Meanwhile, Psychoanalyst Casey Ellis finds herself in a state of confusion. Her practice needs to relocate, thanks to one of her partners, her mother is still in a vegetative state, and her father has just died. The father she's only seen in public lecture halls. She is the product of his one digression. She's floored when she inherits Connie's Beacon Hill Home. It comes with a very handsome, enigmatic gardener and a maid. Cornelius Unger kept his practice here and just maybe she could too. She has doubts as she wanders from the office into a glorious garden. Her resolve not to have anything to do with Connie begins to crack, especially when she finds a thick envelope with "C she's kin, help her" scrawled in her father's handwriting.
Casey opens the envelope to find Flirting with Pete. Casey wonders if the pages are Fiction, a Journal, or a Case Study. Convinced that Connie left the envelope for her, Casey begins to read. Soon she is drawn into Jenny Clyde's story, and becomes frighten for the young woman. Casey must find Jenny and help her, but she needs to find the rest of the manuscript. It's just like her father to make her search a scavenger hunt. And that is exactly what it is. As Casey puts Jenny's story together, she also discovers her father. And she is about to discover that nothing in her new life is what it appears to be. There is a fine line between what is real and what is imagined.
August 28, 2015
Main character, Casey, was flat and one dimensional. Delinsky tried to give her depth, but there was still something flat and one dimensional about the writing. Just didn't much connect with her except in the beginning scenes when she was talking with her Mom. I thought those were quite creative.
Jordon, similar to Pete, was too perfect.
Before I get into the spoiler, I will say this book was a little hard to rate because what I most didn't like about it ended up having a legitimate reason for existing. So a bit of a ponder.
************SPOILER***********************
In reference to above: I was SO OVER Jenny and Pete I could gag. In fact I did something I never do when I truly like a book - I skipped whole pages. It wasn't even that I didn't already know Pete wasn't real - that was fairly obvious. I just couldn't stomach reading about the fiction.
That said. When the "revelation" came, it was done well enough that it softened my opinion toward what had come before. Of course Pete and Jenny's time together was gag-me-with-a-spoon sweet - that was totally fitting to how he would have been imagined in Jenny's dreams. The abject reality of a life that would produce those dreams makes me want to applaud Delinsky - in how bad (sickly sweet) the relationship was, she captured it. Bingo! But at the same time, I didn't enjoy for a moment reading about it. So on which side of a rating to fall? I'm not sure how a writer could get around it.
Jordon, similar to Pete, was too perfect.
Before I get into the spoiler, I will say this book was a little hard to rate because what I most didn't like about it ended up having a legitimate reason for existing. So a bit of a ponder.
************SPOILER***********************
In reference to above: I was SO OVER Jenny and Pete I could gag. In fact I did something I never do when I truly like a book - I skipped whole pages. It wasn't even that I didn't already know Pete wasn't real - that was fairly obvious. I just couldn't stomach reading about the fiction.
That said. When the "revelation" came, it was done well enough that it softened my opinion toward what had come before. Of course Pete and Jenny's time together was gag-me-with-a-spoon sweet - that was totally fitting to how he would have been imagined in Jenny's dreams. The abject reality of a life that would produce those dreams makes me want to applaud Delinsky - in how bad (sickly sweet) the relationship was, she captured it. Bingo! But at the same time, I didn't enjoy for a moment reading about it. So on which side of a rating to fall? I'm not sure how a writer could get around it.
Read
March 2, 2016super book!
July 31, 2018
The human spirit will go to dramatic lengths - even psychosis - to survive unthinkable abuse. We use these defenses, perhaps in less dramatic dimensions, in our daily lives when confronted by untenable stressors. This is a book within a book dealing with very uncomfortable types of abuse and a community which turns a blind eye and allows it to continue. One of the best books Delinsky has written.
August 6, 2023
Wonderful characters! Surprising plot twists! All “the feels!”
October 13, 2020
I LOVED this book. A story within a story about love, families and betrayal.
Read
November 27, 2024Well, I tried reading this and really couldn't get into it; I made it to chapter 2.
The writing style isn't for me.
Moving on and donating.....
Since I didn't finish, there will not be a rating.
January 13, 2011
I found this book hard to get into but I persevered and it was well worth it. I have a bad habit of reading the back page of any book that I read and I knew it had a happy ending, this probably why I kept going.
Casey Ellis is a young woman whose father, a renowned psychiatrist, never acknowledged her (Casey was the result of a one-night stand). Until his death, that is. Casey's taken off balance when he leaves her a very valuable piece of property and is reluctant to accept anything that was a part of him. Casey is a likable, hard working character whose only living family is her mom who lies in a coma.
When Casey finds a journal among her dad's things with a note that says something along the lines of "must help her - she's kin" she begins to read "Flirting With Pete" hoping that maybe she's found a relative. The journal details the life of an abused young woman named Jenny who Casey is desperate to locate.
The remainder of the book alternates between Jenny's painful story of abuse and Casey's search for the real Jenny and her growing relationship with her gardener who isn't exactly who he appears to be.
The title to this one is deceiving. This is not a light and flirty book but a slower paced, character based drama with a little mystery. It was an involving read with characters who are sympathetically drawn.
Casey Ellis is a young woman whose father, a renowned psychiatrist, never acknowledged her (Casey was the result of a one-night stand). Until his death, that is. Casey's taken off balance when he leaves her a very valuable piece of property and is reluctant to accept anything that was a part of him. Casey is a likable, hard working character whose only living family is her mom who lies in a coma.
When Casey finds a journal among her dad's things with a note that says something along the lines of "must help her - she's kin" she begins to read "Flirting With Pete" hoping that maybe she's found a relative. The journal details the life of an abused young woman named Jenny who Casey is desperate to locate.
The remainder of the book alternates between Jenny's painful story of abuse and Casey's search for the real Jenny and her growing relationship with her gardener who isn't exactly who he appears to be.
The title to this one is deceiving. This is not a light and flirty book but a slower paced, character based drama with a little mystery. It was an involving read with characters who are sympathetically drawn.
August 17, 2010
An illegitiate child grows up loved by mother of one night stand bitter against father but trying to immitate…in being a therapist. He never acknowledged her, met, talked to her but leaves her a beautiful house and garden and parts of a story called, flirting with Pete. She falls for the gorgeous gardener, seeks the rest of the story about a sad girl and a vicious father who raped her repeatedly, the mother who is jealous of her for stealing her father’s affections and beats her. She kills the mother in an argument, the father takes the rap…but his return from jail to take up with her sexually hangs over her….the real and the written story intertwine. She finds out that the gardener is the man who rescued the girl who on the night of her father’s return dived off a cliff into a quarry and is presumed dead…She turns out to be the maid that came with the house. Good plot, but???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2018
So this was just ok for me. Things I liked about it: Jenny's story (flirting with Pete) in the book, Dan's part in both the story and the book, how the author wrapped everything up in the end (very emotional at one part of it). Dislikes? I REALLY didn't like Casey. Being the main character, I feel like I should at least like her, but I didn't; she was kind of annoying. I didn't like how they kept emphasizing that Jordan was the gardener but then tried slipping it in there that's it's not a big deal that he's a gardener.....ok then why keep focusing on it?? Oh, she's sleeping with the gardener, she likes the gardener, the gardener is smart, etc etc. All in all, it wasn't really an attention-getter for me; it wasn't horrible by any means, but not something I'd want to re-read.
May 18, 2017
Didn't take me but about 1/3 of the book to realize I'd solved the mystery of Jenny. The mystery of Jordan snuck right past me, though. Casey took about 2/3 of the book to grow on me. Jenny's relationship seemed much too real to be true, but so did Casey's relationship with Jordan. Irked me a bit that one got to keep her "too good to be true" relationship, but the other didn't.
I've loved the other Barbara Delinsky books I've read, but this one left me a little bored.
I've loved the other Barbara Delinsky books I've read, but this one left me a little bored.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2018
For some reason I found this book to be very predictable. I also felt like the sex scenes were added just so there would be sex scenes. The character development was just bleh... sorry not my favorite book.
July 15, 2009
Barbara Delinsky is at her best when she deals with psychological drama. This is a story within a story and the two blend very well together at the end. A great read all around.
October 4, 2013
This book was pretty good, although parts of it were a little cheesy. Overall, worth reading.
June 3, 2014
I love it !!! Iv read it so many times . I could read it again ! I'm trying to get other people I know to read it also :).
February 5, 2016
Predictable
July 23, 2022
Loved the story. It took a bit to get into and the Narrator is the same as the first book I ever listened to. Great!
This Summary/Review was copied from other sources and is used only as a reminder of what the book was about for my personal interest. Any Personal Notations are for my recollection only.
**
Flirting with Pete is a story within the story of a young woman who never met her father in life, and like him, Casey Ellis becomes a therapist. . The story line that held my attention was that of Marybeth Jennifer Clyde. Her father killed Jenny's other as the woman beat Jenny. Jenny has no friends. Folks in Little River shun her - maybe out guilt, shame, or pure meanness. About a week before Darden Clyde is released from prison people begin to take notice, especially a handsome young man from Wyoming riding a big motorcycle. Pete is his name. And when he stops to give Jenny a ride home from the dance, well she flirts with him. And he LIKES her too! Pete's everything Jenny dreamt that "her man" would be and more. She and Pete fall in love. They ride his motorbike wildly, go to the Quarry, and much more. Jenny thinks Pete is too good to be true, and he is.
Meanwhile, Psychoanalyst Casey Ellis finds herself in a state of confusion. Her practice needs to relocate, thanks to one of her partners, her mother is still in a vegetative state, and her father has just died. The father she's only seen in public lecture halls. She is the product of his one digression. She's floored when she inherits Connie's Beacon Hill Home. It comes with a very handsome, enigmatic gardener and a maid. Cornelius Unger kept his practice here and just maybe she could too. She has doubts as she wanders from the office into a glorious garden. Her resolve not to have anything to do with Connie begins to crack, especially when she finds a thick envelope with "C she's kin, help her" scrawled in her father's handwriting.
Casey opens the envelope to find Flirting with Pete. Casey wonders if the pages are Fiction, a Journal, or a Case Study. Convinced that Connie left the envelope for her, Casey begins to read. Soon she is drawn into Jenny Clyde's story, and becomes frighten for the young woman. Casey must find Jenny and help her, but she needs to find the rest of the manuscript. It's just like her father to make her search a scavenger hunt. And that is exactly what it is. As Casey puts Jenny's story together, she also discovers her father. And she is about to discover that nothing in her new life is what it appears to be. There is a fine line between what is real and what is imagined
**
Casey Ellis is a young woman whose father, a renowned psychiatrist, never acknowledged her (Casey was the result of a one-night stand). Until his death, that is. Casey's taken off balance when he leaves her a very valuable piece of property and is reluctant to accept anything that was a part of him. Casey is a likable, hard working character whose only living family is her mom who lies in a coma.
When Casey finds a journal among her dad's things with a note that says something along the lines of "must help her - she's kin" she begins to read "Flirting With Pete" hoping that maybe she's found a relative. The journal details the life of an abused young woman named Jenny who Casey is desperate to locate.
The remainder of the book alternates between Jenny's painful story of abuse and Casey's search for the real Jenny and her growing relationship with her gardener who isn't exactly who he appears to be.
The title to this one is deceiving. This is not a light and flirty book but a slower paced, character based drama with a little mystery. It was an involving read with characters who are sympathetically drawn.
**
This Summary/Review was copied from other sources and is used only as a reminder of what the book was about for my personal interest. Any Personal Notations are for my recollection only.
**
Flirting with Pete is a story within the story of a young woman who never met her father in life, and like him, Casey Ellis becomes a therapist. . The story line that held my attention was that of Marybeth Jennifer Clyde. Her father killed Jenny's other as the woman beat Jenny. Jenny has no friends. Folks in Little River shun her - maybe out guilt, shame, or pure meanness. About a week before Darden Clyde is released from prison people begin to take notice, especially a handsome young man from Wyoming riding a big motorcycle. Pete is his name. And when he stops to give Jenny a ride home from the dance, well she flirts with him. And he LIKES her too! Pete's everything Jenny dreamt that "her man" would be and more. She and Pete fall in love. They ride his motorbike wildly, go to the Quarry, and much more. Jenny thinks Pete is too good to be true, and he is.
Meanwhile, Psychoanalyst Casey Ellis finds herself in a state of confusion. Her practice needs to relocate, thanks to one of her partners, her mother is still in a vegetative state, and her father has just died. The father she's only seen in public lecture halls. She is the product of his one digression. She's floored when she inherits Connie's Beacon Hill Home. It comes with a very handsome, enigmatic gardener and a maid. Cornelius Unger kept his practice here and just maybe she could too. She has doubts as she wanders from the office into a glorious garden. Her resolve not to have anything to do with Connie begins to crack, especially when she finds a thick envelope with "C she's kin, help her" scrawled in her father's handwriting.
Casey opens the envelope to find Flirting with Pete. Casey wonders if the pages are Fiction, a Journal, or a Case Study. Convinced that Connie left the envelope for her, Casey begins to read. Soon she is drawn into Jenny Clyde's story, and becomes frighten for the young woman. Casey must find Jenny and help her, but she needs to find the rest of the manuscript. It's just like her father to make her search a scavenger hunt. And that is exactly what it is. As Casey puts Jenny's story together, she also discovers her father. And she is about to discover that nothing in her new life is what it appears to be. There is a fine line between what is real and what is imagined
**
Casey Ellis is a young woman whose father, a renowned psychiatrist, never acknowledged her (Casey was the result of a one-night stand). Until his death, that is. Casey's taken off balance when he leaves her a very valuable piece of property and is reluctant to accept anything that was a part of him. Casey is a likable, hard working character whose only living family is her mom who lies in a coma.
When Casey finds a journal among her dad's things with a note that says something along the lines of "must help her - she's kin" she begins to read "Flirting With Pete" hoping that maybe she's found a relative. The journal details the life of an abused young woman named Jenny who Casey is desperate to locate.
The remainder of the book alternates between Jenny's painful story of abuse and Casey's search for the real Jenny and her growing relationship with her gardener who isn't exactly who he appears to be.
The title to this one is deceiving. This is not a light and flirty book but a slower paced, character based drama with a little mystery. It was an involving read with characters who are sympathetically drawn.
**
April 6, 2020
It kind of reminded me of TV shows with an A story and a B story that complement each other. Note: The book does contain sex outside of marriage. The descriptions are not graphic but there is more description than implication.
A networking acquaintance gave me this book in a box of books.
Warning: Spoilers May Ensue--Read at your own discretion.
The story alternates between a past event: MaryJane "Jenny" Clyde, her father Darden Clyde, and Pete--and a present event: Cassandra "Casey" Ellis, her later father Cornelius "Connie" Unger, and her mother Caroline Ellis along with a few household staff of her late father.
Casey is likable at times but she seems to both want and not want a relationship with her father. She claims to not care that he didn't acknowledge her but then says she chose not to even try to contact him. She chose her field of study though and secretly hopes that he will notice her or refer clients to her and even goes to his public lectures in the hopes he'll wave her over or speak to her. The back and forth of this can get annoying (to me at least).
Connie leaves Casey his home after he dies--she resists living there at first. I can sort of understand that but after a while I think she was just fooling herself that she was going to stay at her condo that wasn't yet paid for.
It was a little unbelievable that Casey found the manilla envelopes in the order the story was supposed to go. Not necessarily finding the first envelope first--I think it was a given that she'd probably use his office space so putting the first one there was probably likely to make it the first one found--but how would he know that the neighbor would come over with sheet music at just the right time to find envelope #2 in the music bench before Casey searches his bedroom where part #3 is?
As far as Jenny, I guessed correctly that Darden had gone to jail in her place but I didn't guess the other issue in their relationship until closer to when the author revealed it. I didn't catch on to Pete until the author revealed it either nor did I realize who Jenny had become.
Did Connie set up Jordan and Casey for a romantic relationship? Casey seems to think so. I think even Jordan thinks so. Casey discovers other family members she didn't know she had through the "case study" of Jenny.
A networking acquaintance gave me this book in a box of books.
Warning: Spoilers May Ensue--Read at your own discretion.
The story alternates between a past event: MaryJane "Jenny" Clyde, her father Darden Clyde, and Pete--and a present event: Cassandra "Casey" Ellis, her later father Cornelius "Connie" Unger, and her mother Caroline Ellis along with a few household staff of her late father.
Casey is likable at times but she seems to both want and not want a relationship with her father. She claims to not care that he didn't acknowledge her but then says she chose not to even try to contact him. She chose her field of study though and secretly hopes that he will notice her or refer clients to her and even goes to his public lectures in the hopes he'll wave her over or speak to her. The back and forth of this can get annoying (to me at least).
Connie leaves Casey his home after he dies--she resists living there at first. I can sort of understand that but after a while I think she was just fooling herself that she was going to stay at her condo that wasn't yet paid for.
It was a little unbelievable that Casey found the manilla envelopes in the order the story was supposed to go. Not necessarily finding the first envelope first--I think it was a given that she'd probably use his office space so putting the first one there was probably likely to make it the first one found--but how would he know that the neighbor would come over with sheet music at just the right time to find envelope #2 in the music bench before Casey searches his bedroom where part #3 is?
As far as Jenny, I guessed correctly that Darden had gone to jail in her place but I didn't guess the other issue in their relationship until closer to when the author revealed it. I didn't catch on to Pete until the author revealed it either nor did I realize who Jenny had become.
Did Connie set up Jordan and Casey for a romantic relationship? Casey seems to think so. I think even Jordan thinks so. Casey discovers other family members she didn't know she had through the "case study" of Jenny.
August 27, 2023
What a Brilliant Book 📖 Loved it 😀
Casy Ellis is a successful young professional woman, who has always sought to know her Father, famous psychologist Cornelius Unger.
Her birth was the result of a one night stand between her Mum and Dad.
Now her mother lies Comatose, the result of an accident, and her Father has died .
Surprisingly Casy's Father remembered Casy in his will, leaving her an elegant townhouse on exclusive Beacon Hill not only is the townhouse luxurious, it also comes with full staff.
Shortly after taking possession of her new home Casy comes across a puzzling journal among her father's papers.
It is written by a young woman, Jenny Clyde, who detested her father, Amanda in prison for killing Jenny's mother . He will soon be released and Jenny fears further abuse from him .
The journal and the story, baffles Casy.
Is it a true account or fiction?
And Importantly, what does it tell her about the Father she would like to know ?
Could not put this book down .
Read on late late into the night , and throughout the morning.
It is extremely an incredible story leaves you emotional 😢
I cried at the ending, everything having come full circle 🔵
I adored the way all of the characters came together In the end .
This book will be treasured and will be in my heart ❤
Please read it 🙏 if you get the opportunity, definitely a 5 BIG Star 🌟
Casy Ellis is a successful young professional woman, who has always sought to know her Father, famous psychologist Cornelius Unger.
Her birth was the result of a one night stand between her Mum and Dad.
Now her mother lies Comatose, the result of an accident, and her Father has died .
Surprisingly Casy's Father remembered Casy in his will, leaving her an elegant townhouse on exclusive Beacon Hill not only is the townhouse luxurious, it also comes with full staff.
Shortly after taking possession of her new home Casy comes across a puzzling journal among her father's papers.
It is written by a young woman, Jenny Clyde, who detested her father, Amanda in prison for killing Jenny's mother . He will soon be released and Jenny fears further abuse from him .
The journal and the story, baffles Casy.
Is it a true account or fiction?
And Importantly, what does it tell her about the Father she would like to know ?
Could not put this book down .
Read on late late into the night , and throughout the morning.
It is extremely an incredible story leaves you emotional 😢
I cried at the ending, everything having come full circle 🔵
I adored the way all of the characters came together In the end .
This book will be treasured and will be in my heart ❤
Please read it 🙏 if you get the opportunity, definitely a 5 BIG Star 🌟
March 16, 2025
Um livro simplesmente surpreendente!
Quando eu realizo a compra de um livro, leio a contracapa para ter uma noção da história no qual estou investindo. Após chegar as estantes de casa, não retorno a ler a sua sinopse por que gosto de "descobrir" a história, por mais que me recorde da proposta.
Porém, me surpreendi por que não esperava pelo desenrolar do livro, levando em conta principalmente o início, que foi lento para mim. Por isso me choquei com a seriedade no qual o tema estava se dirigindo e com a profundidade que assuntos complexos foram, devidamente, abordados.
Aproveito para informar que o livro aborda vários tipos de violências: psicológica, física e verbal. Além de ideação suicida! Se esses forem temas sensíveis, não recomendo a leitura da obra. Todavia, se você não tem dificuldades para entrar em contato com esses temas (a mais sobre as questões, pois é difícil mesmo), recomendo imensamente a leitura.
Nem todas as questões são abordadas de forma tão expositivas, mas as análises e reflexões são muito interessantes. Há um enorme desenvolvimento dos personagens que é ótimo acompanhar, além de uma ambientação incrível.
Eu ri, chorei e vibrei com esse livro! Não poderia ser menos que isso para se tornar um dos meus livros favoritos.
Quando eu realizo a compra de um livro, leio a contracapa para ter uma noção da história no qual estou investindo. Após chegar as estantes de casa, não retorno a ler a sua sinopse por que gosto de "descobrir" a história, por mais que me recorde da proposta.
Porém, me surpreendi por que não esperava pelo desenrolar do livro, levando em conta principalmente o início, que foi lento para mim. Por isso me choquei com a seriedade no qual o tema estava se dirigindo e com a profundidade que assuntos complexos foram, devidamente, abordados.
Aproveito para informar que o livro aborda vários tipos de violências: psicológica, física e verbal. Além de ideação suicida! Se esses forem temas sensíveis, não recomendo a leitura da obra. Todavia, se você não tem dificuldades para entrar em contato com esses temas (a mais sobre as questões, pois é difícil mesmo), recomendo imensamente a leitura.
Nem todas as questões são abordadas de forma tão expositivas, mas as análises e reflexões são muito interessantes. Há um enorme desenvolvimento dos personagens que é ótimo acompanhar, além de uma ambientação incrível.
Eu ri, chorei e vibrei com esse livro! Não poderia ser menos que isso para se tornar um dos meus livros favoritos.
December 28, 2017
Difficult to rate It was certainly a fantasy on several levels...the heroine inheriting a gorgeous home in a prime Boston neighborhood with a hunky gardener and maid who's an amazing cook -and taxes all paid for. The writing is engaging and pulls you along. I had sympathy for Jenny and wanted her to find a way out of her problem.
Here are the things I didn't like about it: The resolution of a subplot was w-a-a-y too drawn out for me, and the resolution of the main plot was a disappointing deus ex machina. I would have liked the main characters to use their wits to find a solution, but they are very passive and do nothing until someone else shows up and does it for them. Didn't much like the main character really, either. She messes everything up instead of helping--not what I want to see from a heroine. And then, oh yes...the "case history" by an eminent psychiatrist, even though it is supposedly dictated by a patient, implausibly reads like a polished novel. And why would Casey's father randomly divide up the story and hide the parts in different places? Even if he was playing match-maker, it didn't make sense to me.
Here are the things I didn't like about it: The resolution of a subplot was w-a-a-y too drawn out for me, and the resolution of the main plot was a disappointing deus ex machina. I would have liked the main characters to use their wits to find a solution, but they are very passive and do nothing until someone else shows up and does it for them. Didn't much like the main character really, either. She messes everything up instead of helping--not what I want to see from a heroine. And then, oh yes...the "case history" by an eminent psychiatrist, even though it is supposedly dictated by a patient, implausibly reads like a polished novel. And why would Casey's father randomly divide up the story and hide the parts in different places? Even if he was playing match-maker, it didn't make sense to me.
April 7, 2022
3.5 to 3.75 Stars.
-I enjoyed the author’s writing. There were a few repetitive phrases throughout both story lines, which got a little aggravating. (What with the … ) Also, Jordan and Pete both had “tapering waists…” 🙄
-As mentioned in another review, it was odd that Casey found the manilla envelopes in order. Before I started the book, I thought she’d find clues here and there and then put them all together.
-Sometimes I liked Casey and other times I didn’t. She seemed to rub “gardener” in Jordan’s face like it was a bad thing. I thought that was kind of mean. Casey’s friends seemed annoying.
-Were the descriptive romance scenes necessary? I thought they were a little … much. I felt like the author was fantasizing about her perfect manly-man rather than developing the character at times. The epilogue seemed a little unnecessary and cheesy, too.
-I didn’t expect to get misty-eyed at the end (Casey’s mother). It’s sad thinking about the years (past and future) that were robbed from their mother/daughter relationship. So touching that her mother held on while waiting for her to grow up.
-I enjoyed the author’s writing. There were a few repetitive phrases throughout both story lines, which got a little aggravating. (What with the … ) Also, Jordan and Pete both had “tapering waists…” 🙄
-As mentioned in another review, it was odd that Casey found the manilla envelopes in order. Before I started the book, I thought she’d find clues here and there and then put them all together.
-Sometimes I liked Casey and other times I didn’t. She seemed to rub “gardener” in Jordan’s face like it was a bad thing. I thought that was kind of mean. Casey’s friends seemed annoying.
-Were the descriptive romance scenes necessary? I thought they were a little … much. I felt like the author was fantasizing about her perfect manly-man rather than developing the character at times. The epilogue seemed a little unnecessary and cheesy, too.
-I didn’t expect to get misty-eyed at the end (Casey’s mother). It’s sad thinking about the years (past and future) that were robbed from their mother/daughter relationship. So touching that her mother held on while waiting for her to grow up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2023
На пръв поглед това си е поредната сладникава любовна история, но в действителност е много повече. Историята има много дълбочина, една спокойна кротост на значими открития. Път към себепознаването, което Кейси извървява към себе си и си дава шанс за щастие. Имаше неочаквани разкрития, които ме хванаха неподготвена, а това рядко ми се случва.
В книгата има много топплина, противопоставяща се на едни ужасни събития за неглижиране на едно момиче и липса на човещина към него в цял един град. Не всичко е леко и ефирно, има много мрак, човешка мерзост и падение. Върви леко, неусетно, закача те и изведнъж и на таб започва да ти пука за Джени както на Кейси, представяш си къщата с прекрасната градина, искаш да стигнеш до края и там да има още много приключения с Пит и мотора му.
https://prezprozoreca.wordpress.com/2...
В книгата има много топплина, противопоставяща се на едни ужасни събития за неглижиране на едно момиче и липса на човещина към него в цял един град. Не всичко е леко и ефирно, има много мрак, човешка мерзост и падение. Върви леко, неусетно, закача те и изведнъж и на таб започва да ти пука за Джени както на Кейси, представяш си къщата с прекрасната градина, искаш да стигнеш до края и там да има още много приключения с Пит и мотора му.
https://prezprozoreca.wordpress.com/2...
March 29, 2018
Intriguing multi layered story of a woman’s journey through the death of her birth father and her single mother. Casey is startled to learn that her father, who she had no relationship with has left her his multi million dollar home on Beacon Hill in Boston, just when her group practice is going through a crisis and she needs to find a new place to practice her Clinical Social work/counseling. She has admired her famous Clinical Psychologist father and admittedly followed in his same line of work. She has always longer to truly “know” him and now it is too late...or is it? At the same time she learns of another young woman who has struggled with many life challenges through a journal that she has found in her father’s house. In time she realizes that her father did care for her in his own way and has given her even greater gifts.
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