Ready to Fall: A Novel

by Claire Cook

A witty tale of marriage and midlife longing, as a taken-for-granted wife pursues a fantasy love via e-mail.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2000

About the author

CLAIRE COOK wrote her first book in her minivan at 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the adaptation of her novel Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, which is now an 8-book series. Claire is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author of 25 books for 40-to-forever women, including her latest series, Bonus Time.

If you have a buried dream, take it from Claire, It's Never Too Late to Shine On!

Stay in the loop for new releases, giveaways, inspiration and insider extras at ClaireCook.com.

Read excerpts at ClaireCook.com/books/

Connect with Claire:
Instagram.com/ClaireCookwrite
Facebook.com/ClaireCookauthorpage
Linkedin.com/in/clairecookwrite/
BookBub.com/authors/claire-cook
Goodreads.com/clairecook

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this novel's format-all written as e-mails. I like to read dialogue not all one-sided e-mails. Near the end, I thought that this lady doesn't know when to shut up. She needed to take a "time-out."

[Christine Irvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beth and Thomas are neighbors. They have lived beside each other for years. Beth is married and so is Thomas, but Thomas' wife has filed for a divorce and has moved out. Thomas is a writer. When he leaves town to research his newest book, he asks Beth to take care of his pet rabbits for him. The two communicate via email, with most of the communication being one-sided, that of Beth contacting Thomas.

Author Claire Cook takes us through a few weeks in the live of Beth, who is not happy with her husband, but until now, really had no thoughts of leaving him. Now, with her increasing closeness to Thomas, she examines her life with her husband and finds it wanting. She is attracted to Thomas. Will she leave her husband to be with him?

This is not your typical narrative story. The entire tale is told through emails. The reader is never privy to Thomas's emails and must rely entirely on Beth's statements and reactions to ascertain what is going on from his end. The end result is a rather delightful way to tell a story.

Enjoy.

[Theresa Dr. Gerstner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading diary/emails as a book style isn't my cup of tea. Of course it's one sided and leaves off the other persons communication. Meh

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The email format of this book is interesting. I really wondered how it was going to end!

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in email style. Slightly different from Claire Cools other books. I liked the surprise ending.

[Jacki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emails from a woman (contemplating divorce) to her divorcing neighbor. She convinces herself she is falling in love with him, even though he is traveling the entire time of their email conversation.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather funny and quirky novel written entirely in "e-mail" format about an unhappy woman in her 40's. Beth begins an email romance with a neighbour (Thomas) and thinks she's going to fall in love with him. Beth's friend Heather talks her into going on a week long "Special Delivery" trip where a group of women "find themselves". Needing to continue her cyberspace romance with Thomas while secluded on an island, Beth purchases a small word processor so she can email Thomas daily about her trip and then download it upon her return home. What Beth learns during her trip and what happens when she returns home is an unexpected surprise.

I enjoyed this novel so much that I read it in one sitting in about 3 hours.

From back cover:
"Where can a 40-ish woman turn when her marriage has gone stale and her kids treat her like an unpaid chauffeur? In Beth Riordan's case, it's to cyberspace. She takes a zany romp with love through wry, revelatory e-mails to Thomas, her handsome neighbour in a New England suburb, a travel writer in the middle of a divorce. Longing and love, family and friendship combine to produce a climax that surprises Beth and the reader alike."

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

By the time I finished "Ready To Fall", I was ready to throw it out the window! Started out promising, but was such a HUGE disappointment! Instead of following the blossoming relationship between a lonely housewife and her travel writing next door neighbor, we are "treated" to a series of emails that she writes to him. Not only do we never really learn about this man, but the entire book is told from her point of view. We have to imagine what his responses to her long, drawn out and at times, ridiculous, emails. She definitely sounds like a lonely housewife, but one that is obsessed with this man, while she and her husband have marital problems, which never are dealt with. She's extremely open and honest in her messages, and some of the subject matter I doubt any man would want to hear. After suffering through this book (which thankfully only took 3 1/2 days to read), I highly advise that you skip this one. I'd rather read the dictionary.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of Claire Cook's works I thoroughly enjoy, other not so much.

This one is cute, but quickly spirals down into crazy. I realize that we're all just a little bit crazy, but this is the first book I've read from start to finish where my every though regarding the main character was "MY LORD! this lady is CRAZY!"

It does have it's points, morals of the story and entertaining bits, but the final few pages had me reading along in open-mouthed horror!

Not that, in this day and age, we haven't all had some kind of completely one-sided, internet-only "relationship" played out all in our heads...

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care for this book as much as some others of hers I have read. The woman in this book is in the middle of a midlife crisis. Feeling neglected and unloved, she starts an e-mail romance with the man next door. One that has lived next to her for 10 years and they are really just people who have only nodded in the past. We only read her e-mails to him, although from her e-mails we can tell that he does respond once in awhile. Finally her fantasy has to come to a head, which of two paths will she choose? To have an affair or not?

[Phair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow- I loved this book all written in the form of the narrator's e-mails. I read it in a single sitting. It was amusing, droll, painful, truthful. You see the curve from the lonely confusion of this 40-something housewife to personal revelation to breaking away from convention to realization of TRUTH and the blunt, funny change in tone when (but I won't spoil it). Just an excellent, fun read.

[Kg4jbj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny book about a housewife who is experiencing boredom in her marriage. The book is written as a series of emails to her neighbor, in whom she develops a romantic interest. It comes across as somewhat stalkerish, because we don't see his replies, but otherwise, it's a comical book, like her others.

[Reca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me first say that I love Claire Cook. I do. But this book just didn't have a character that grabbed me since I thought she was a little nutso and not in a funny or likeable way. I don't know if the email format of only Beth's point of view made this worse or not.

I wouldn't let this stop anyone else from reading Claire Cook.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book ROCKED!! I giggled for days and I was sorry when I closed it. Brilliant point of view--loved the way the the main character rationalized, made excuses and carried on (and on and on and on)with the unique methods of communication to sustain the 'relationship." I can't say enough good things about this novel--pick it up and ENJOY!

[Heidi Lee Munson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fresh with engaging energy. I loved following Beth through her diary of self-discovery. At times I felt myself incredibly frustrated with the leading lady - wishing she would take a little more confidence in herself - much like having a conversation with a close friend.
Wonderful read, and I'm glad someone recommended it to me.

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love Claire Cook, did not love this book. It's a one sided email conversation between a middle aged wife and mother who feels like her husband doesn't love her and her children just use her. She meets her neighbor, who she strikes up an email relationship with. Her best friend is no friend at all. It was a very fast read, finished in a few hours. Not Cook's best work.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was really funny. A misunderstood housewife wishing for an adventure. So she takes it to the world wide web and gets more than she bargained for. Good book for a warm sunny day with a glass of iced tea nearby.

[Beegold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially I thought the telling of this story via e-mails was an interesting literary tactic, but it became old. Especially since we only saw one side of the emails exchanged. Just didn't enjoy as much as Clare Cook's other books.

[Alissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could definitely tell this was a first novel. I'm ok with the epistolary format, but didn't like that it was all one-sided by Beth. Ended too quick with not much resolution.

[Val · Rating 2 out of 5]

weird. A littany of emails from a desperate housewife and a world traveler. Interesting arrangement. I found the main character far too needy. I did enjoy the ending however.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give it a 2.5 stars ... it was a different concept of book - it's based on one person narrator emails this housewife sends to her next door neighbour who's often out of town on job assignment.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, but not good.

[LInda L · Rating 1 out of 5]

I truly disliked this book -- written as e-mails to a neighbor who apparently has no interest in the sender. She is stupid and childish.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of Cook's first novels.. written as emails to a male neighbor, although funny, not her best work..

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Cook's early works. Light, fun chick-lit.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romantic comedy told in e-mail about a woman's mid-life crisis and online flirtation with her neighbor.

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! Could not get into this one at all. Did not like the email style of the book. Gave up and won't be going back to it!

[Barbra Bowers · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really shouldn't put that I read this since I couldn't make it past the first 10 pages.

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written entirely as emails, it is cute and a quick read.

[Tracy]

Did not like this one.