What do you think?
Rate this book
Balancing Acts
A poignant debut novel about the transformative powers of yoga and friendship for four women on the verge of realizing their dreamsWith beauty, brains, and a high-paying Wall Street position, Charlie was a woman who seemed to have it all—until she turned thirty and took stock of her life, or lack thereof. She left it all behind to pursue yoga, and now, two years later, she's looking to drum up business for her fledgling studio in Brooklyn. Attending her college's alumni night with fliers in tow, she reconnects with three former classmates whose post-graduation lives, like hers, haven't turned out like they'd hoped.
Romance book editor Sabine still longs to write the novel that's bottled up inside her. Once an up-and-coming photographer and Upper East Side social darling, Naomi is now a single mom who hasn't picked up her camera in years. And Bess, who dreamed of being a serious investigative journalist a la Christiane Amanpour, is stuck in a rut, writing snarky captions for a gossip mag. But at a weekly yoga class at Charlie's studio, the four friends, reunited ten years after college, will forge new bonds and take new chances—as they start over, fall in love, change their lives...and come face-to-face with haunting realities.
365 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
87 people are currently reading
852 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
July 24, 2011
I'm both a fan of yoga and, i'm not usually embarrassed to say, "chick lit" (though I despise the reference). Therefore, I must say, I had high hopes for this book that looked to marry the two. However, I was sorely disappointed. The book was a quick read which is great for summer but mostly the ability to turn page after page was due to the fact that it lacked any depth whatsoever. To say that this book carried on for almost 400 pages on the most surface levels would be an understatement.
Additionally (and not adding to the books charm) the characters were some of the most one-dimensional cliches I've found in the genre. The book centers around four main characters who join together for six Saturdays for a beginners yoga class. The leader of the studio, Charlie, and her three disciples, Naomi, Sabine and Bess. Each women apparently undergoes some sort of metamorphosis that we are supposed to attribute to the restorative power of this centuries-old practice. And perhaps we could if the author had actually shown us the process and outlined their journey in more than one or two sentences. Instead, she tirelessly moves the characters through the novel without delving into how the practice touches their lives, or even who they are and/or whether or not they need to change.
From experience with the genre, I can identify the cookie-cutter characters the author pulls out as her cast: there's the "hopeless romantic," the "damaged by love gone wrong," the "single mom who gives up everything," and the "career-driven egomaniac." Whether due to the authors lack of talent or lack of true inspiration, the characters never become more than that. Instead, she spends the bulk of the book describing the women putting on/taking off their winter coats (I kid you not).
To say that this book was a waste of time is an understatement. Not only did the novel lack characterization, it also lacked a plot. Yes, the women had issues arise but we, the reader, were left in the dark to figure out how they were dealt with. Or how they arose. Or why we should care. Basically anything. The book just moved on of it's own accord, going nowhere. In the end, I can't even really reveal how, or if, the women are friends as other than their time at class they had little-to-no interaction. So I can't even classify this as a novel about the power of female friendship. And the yoga references lacked any realism. The author has Charlie offer up an introduction at the beginning of each class that, I believe, was supposed to touch on the yoga/life connection but was so contrite it missed the mark.
The worst part was that when the author did try to build up some tension, she easily discarded it in an attempt to tie-up her book in a nice, "aren't we all just the epitome of evolved women" bow. I do believe in the power of the genre and I hate to see it discarded by many as shallow or vapid, but now I can see why the "chick lit" time may have come and gone.
Additionally (and not adding to the books charm) the characters were some of the most one-dimensional cliches I've found in the genre. The book centers around four main characters who join together for six Saturdays for a beginners yoga class. The leader of the studio, Charlie, and her three disciples, Naomi, Sabine and Bess. Each women apparently undergoes some sort of metamorphosis that we are supposed to attribute to the restorative power of this centuries-old practice. And perhaps we could if the author had actually shown us the process and outlined their journey in more than one or two sentences. Instead, she tirelessly moves the characters through the novel without delving into how the practice touches their lives, or even who they are and/or whether or not they need to change.
From experience with the genre, I can identify the cookie-cutter characters the author pulls out as her cast: there's the "hopeless romantic," the "damaged by love gone wrong," the "single mom who gives up everything," and the "career-driven egomaniac." Whether due to the authors lack of talent or lack of true inspiration, the characters never become more than that. Instead, she spends the bulk of the book describing the women putting on/taking off their winter coats (I kid you not).
To say that this book was a waste of time is an understatement. Not only did the novel lack characterization, it also lacked a plot. Yes, the women had issues arise but we, the reader, were left in the dark to figure out how they were dealt with. Or how they arose. Or why we should care. Basically anything. The book just moved on of it's own accord, going nowhere. In the end, I can't even really reveal how, or if, the women are friends as other than their time at class they had little-to-no interaction. So I can't even classify this as a novel about the power of female friendship. And the yoga references lacked any realism. The author has Charlie offer up an introduction at the beginning of each class that, I believe, was supposed to touch on the yoga/life connection but was so contrite it missed the mark.
The worst part was that when the author did try to build up some tension, she easily discarded it in an attempt to tie-up her book in a nice, "aren't we all just the epitome of evolved women" bow. I do believe in the power of the genre and I hate to see it discarded by many as shallow or vapid, but now I can see why the "chick lit" time may have come and gone.
July 12, 2010
QUICK QUICK read. I enjoyed this book. But, it's pretty much like most of the other women friend books I've read. Nothing stands out to make me say, "Wow, this book is fantastic." But, it was a great beach read and kept my attention.
December 25, 2023
3.5 stars. Man, this book has terrible ratings, but I actually really enjoyed it. This book is about 4 women who meet at their 10 year college reunion (is that a thing!?). They are 32 and all in different places in their lives. Charlie is a former Wall Street tycoon turned yoga studio owner. Bess writes for a magazine and wants to break in to more heavy hitting journalism. She also has a boyfriend who lives in LA (her hometown and the intentional opposite of her home in nYC). Naomi is a single mom to a 9ish year old with a newly involved baby daddy and some health concerns. Sabine is an editor but she's always wanted to be a writer- or does she? The 4 meet up at the reunion and decide to do 6 weeks of yoga classes together to try to get their minds and bodies in sync. Bess has some ill intentions and wants to write an article about how women sell out on their dreams for cultural expectations and while I thought this element was interesting and could've been a great opportunity to make the reader think about their own lives, I think the author kind of missed the mark. Even the conclusion of that topic was blurry and under developed. I see many other complaints saying this was too surface level and generic and honestly I disagree. Naomi's storyline was really heavy, especially as the only mother. I do agree that the author could've taken things a little deeper to make this book a little more memorable, but even as is I was fully entertained throughout. I don't think I'll remember why Charlie left Wall Street, Sabine's romance, etc. for long because of the lack of emotional punch, but it was fun while it lasted.
March 10, 2010
Charlie used to dominate Wall Street, but has changed paths and now runs a yoga studio with two fellow yoga-lovers; the reason behind her sudden switch from her old, fast-paced life to yoga remains mysterious. Naomi used to love to be behind the camera, but her life changed when she got pregnant with her son, Noah, now 8. Now she's trying to deal with the fact that Noah's once-absent father (and her ex) wants back into her son's life after years of being uninterested. Sabine is the editor of romance novels, but would rather be writing them than editing them. She's single and living in New York City, but can't help wanting a little more. Bess is currently writing snarky captions for a celebrity gossip magazine, but longs to break out and write something worthwhile that will get her noticed in the literary world. She's also missing her boyfriend, Dan, since he's moved to LA to pursure screenwriting.
These four women happen meet up at their 10-year College reuinion and despite the fact that they are so different they all agree to sign up for a beginners yoga class at Charlie's new yoga studio, Prana. In the six weeks that they take classes together all of the women will find out something new about themselves and will learn to face the things in life that they fear most. They may even form new friendships that will last beyond Saturday morning yoga class.
The stories of these four different women are what made Balancing Acts so hard to put down. Each woman has a different story, yet all seemed realistic and none seemed far-fetched or overly dramatic. Sometimes I'll read a book and find myself thinking that the things that happened to the main characters were hard to envision happening in real life, but the stories in this novel carried with them enough reality to make them plausible. I did find the writing itself to be stiff and awkward at times, but the plot helped to carry me through those parts. Beware: this book will make you want to try yoga if you haven't already. By the time I was done the book I was itching to haul my yoga mat out of storage (okay, okay, out of the package) and practice my downward dog.
Despite the rough patches here and there this is still a debut novel worth picking up.
These four women happen meet up at their 10-year College reuinion and despite the fact that they are so different they all agree to sign up for a beginners yoga class at Charlie's new yoga studio, Prana. In the six weeks that they take classes together all of the women will find out something new about themselves and will learn to face the things in life that they fear most. They may even form new friendships that will last beyond Saturday morning yoga class.
The stories of these four different women are what made Balancing Acts so hard to put down. Each woman has a different story, yet all seemed realistic and none seemed far-fetched or overly dramatic. Sometimes I'll read a book and find myself thinking that the things that happened to the main characters were hard to envision happening in real life, but the stories in this novel carried with them enough reality to make them plausible. I did find the writing itself to be stiff and awkward at times, but the plot helped to carry me through those parts. Beware: this book will make you want to try yoga if you haven't already. By the time I was done the book I was itching to haul my yoga mat out of storage (okay, okay, out of the package) and practice my downward dog.
Despite the rough patches here and there this is still a debut novel worth picking up.
January 16, 2011
I should create a new shelf, “Debut Novels,” because I am so drawn to them in my local library’s “new fiction” section. While much of the inner thinking of the four reconnected friends has been shared in other novels, there are a few aspects that intrigued me. The yoga studio and classes served as a clean structure allowing the four friends to come together and find new strength and understanding about themselves. As a fledgling yoga student, I was interested in this. The idea of how challenging it is for young women to live in NYC was another, but I am more skeptical here. Who knew it would be so different (or is it?) Beyond the rules of dating etc., it seems the quest for balance and self-actualization is the new “having it all” for women today especially urban women. Yikes! This involves having the drive to fulfill themselves creatively while supporting themselves and hustling the way life requires them to.
Namaste.
Namaste.
November 12, 2010
This book was awful. I mean, AWFUL. As in, I can't honestly believe that someone agreed to publish it awful.
The basic story is ok. Four women meet at their ten-year college reunion and bond by taking the same yoga class. The problem is, the writing is just terrible. The dialogue is forced, the word choice is often awkward, and many of the characters are silly caricatures (a gay guy who works in a yoga studio and named his bulldogs George and Michael? REALLY? I think I actually rolled my eyes.) I really couldn't understand how someone read this and thought it was quality writing. I guess I should look at the bright side- maybe someday I should write a book and get it published, because clearly it's not difficult.
The basic story is ok. Four women meet at their ten-year college reunion and bond by taking the same yoga class. The problem is, the writing is just terrible. The dialogue is forced, the word choice is often awkward, and many of the characters are silly caricatures (a gay guy who works in a yoga studio and named his bulldogs George and Michael? REALLY? I think I actually rolled my eyes.) I really couldn't understand how someone read this and thought it was quality writing. I guess I should look at the bright side- maybe someday I should write a book and get it published, because clearly it's not difficult.
June 10, 2010
Poorly written version of every other knitting/book/writing club book out there. Obnoxious dialogue, poorly developed characters, overdone premise.
I wasn't going to finish this book, but I was bored, and had no other new books to read. It was as awful as I feared. The same story - right down to the health crisis that strikes one member of the group... ugh. NO originality here. PLUS, they all start noticing how fit and whatever they are getting... really? from one day of yoga a week for 6 weeks? hmm...
ok. done with the rant. It was not a good book. do not waste your time.
I wasn't going to finish this book, but I was bored, and had no other new books to read. It was as awful as I feared. The same story - right down to the health crisis that strikes one member of the group... ugh. NO originality here. PLUS, they all start noticing how fit and whatever they are getting... really? from one day of yoga a week for 6 weeks? hmm...
ok. done with the rant. It was not a good book. do not waste your time.
August 10, 2012
I SO loved Fishman's SAVING ZOE, but this was a very disappointing freshman effort. It is so formulaic, like she is trying to fit into the chick-lit-struggling-young-women-in-NYC thing and it just doesn't work. And the yoga thing is forced as well.
I normally don't write negative reviews, but I want to say don't judge Fishman's writing by THIS book. Saving Zoe Saving Ruth: A Novel is far and away a better novel.
I normally don't write negative reviews, but I want to say don't judge Fishman's writing by THIS book. Saving Zoe Saving Ruth: A Novel is far and away a better novel.
May 19, 2010
My kind of book! Not too deep, fun, great timing for the point in my life where I'm at. The journey of life is definitely all about balancing your goals and dreams with reality, but finding a way to make them come alive!
Read
May 21, 2022okay, the writing is so clichély obvious. cliché characters and their development. cliché outcomes.
a fixation on coital/postcoital references
beyond that, these gems
Felicity's sense of self and authentic wisdom
she was always aware of how the mere mention of him around women with no kids sent them into a tension-filled spiral of either feigned interest or bad jokes about the state of their uteruses.
[don't ever] ...apologize to me again about your emotions
*** Naomi took a deep breath and rehashed her MS-or-maybe-not-MS story. She had gotten much better at telling it. Practice was a natural editor. *** The more she told her tale, the more rational she became.
....reached for her journal. she had been so religious about keeping one for such a long time, but in the past year she had fallen off the self-reflection wagon. It wasn't that she didn't have time for it, it was just that dealing with her emotions was was often harder than ignoring them completely. You couldn't lie to your journal.
the high of a date....
Now she found her lack of balance endearing. She would get it eventually. What was the rush?
Naomi marveled at her lack of jealousy at seeing Noah so ecstatic.
she shook off her annoyance.
a fixation on coital/postcoital references
beyond that, these gems
Felicity's sense of self and authentic wisdom
she was always aware of how the mere mention of him around women with no kids sent them into a tension-filled spiral of either feigned interest or bad jokes about the state of their uteruses.
[don't ever] ...apologize to me again about your emotions
*** Naomi took a deep breath and rehashed her MS-or-maybe-not-MS story. She had gotten much better at telling it. Practice was a natural editor. *** The more she told her tale, the more rational she became.
....reached for her journal. she had been so religious about keeping one for such a long time, but in the past year she had fallen off the self-reflection wagon. It wasn't that she didn't have time for it, it was just that dealing with her emotions was was often harder than ignoring them completely. You couldn't lie to your journal.
the high of a date....
Now she found her lack of balance endearing. She would get it eventually. What was the rush?
Naomi marveled at her lack of jealousy at seeing Noah so ecstatic.
she shook off her annoyance.
December 5, 2017
Sigh. One star just for the sole reason it was a yoga fiction book.
This whole book just felt completely generic and meh. No depth to any of the characters, too many "single-girl-in-New-York" cliches, and underwhelming plot.
Also, I don't know who edited this book, but my God. I've certainly made my fair share of mistakes as an editor, but this was rough. There were only four main characters, and the editor managed to mix up one character for another more than once (getting Naomi confused with Charlie). Also, a wee bit of fact checking would have let the editor/proofreader know that it's Sally Jessy Raphael, not Sally Jesse. There were also significant comma struggles.
I wanted to like this so much, and it had a lot of potential. Hopefully there are better yoga fiction books out there.
This whole book just felt completely generic and meh. No depth to any of the characters, too many "single-girl-in-New-York" cliches, and underwhelming plot.
Also, I don't know who edited this book, but my God. I've certainly made my fair share of mistakes as an editor, but this was rough. There were only four main characters, and the editor managed to mix up one character for another more than once (getting Naomi confused with Charlie). Also, a wee bit of fact checking would have let the editor/proofreader know that it's Sally Jessy Raphael, not Sally Jesse. There were also significant comma struggles.
I wanted to like this so much, and it had a lot of potential. Hopefully there are better yoga fiction books out there.
September 24, 2020
Liked this. I can see how others have thought this a bit shallow and cliche chicklit. However, I really like this author and note that this is her first novel. I read the others first and she does improve ... a lot. The girl power stuff was a bit much and not my thing. Also admit that the MS storyline pushed this up a star for me. Not something I see often and totally identifiable. Just the few pages of Naomi's panic were worth the book to me. That felt very real. One of those things you have to be close to in order to convey that panic. As this is not something that touches everyone, somewhat comforting to see that stress expressed realistically. Not sure the wrap up of that storyline is quite as realistic, but rare enough to read about that I don't mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2017
I enjoyed this book, it did take me awhile to get into it and glad I kept at it. Great chick-lit!
From Amazon:
Zoe Fishman’s Balancing Acts is a must for fans of The Friday Night Knitting Club, The Reading Group, The Jane Austen Book Club, and Girls in Trucks. The charming and poignant stories of four former college friends going through mid-life crises who help each other balance their former dreams with their present lives through the power of yoga and friendship, Balancing Acts brims with wit, sensitivity, and wisdom—with characters women readers can really relate to and take into their hearts.
From Amazon:
Zoe Fishman’s Balancing Acts is a must for fans of The Friday Night Knitting Club, The Reading Group, The Jane Austen Book Club, and Girls in Trucks. The charming and poignant stories of four former college friends going through mid-life crises who help each other balance their former dreams with their present lives through the power of yoga and friendship, Balancing Acts brims with wit, sensitivity, and wisdom—with characters women readers can really relate to and take into their hearts.
May 8, 2020
Interesting premise, but there were too many things that irritated me. Bess's arms suddenly allowed her to wear a tank top after three yoga sessions? A yoga teacher telling a beginning student to "ease up, honey" before the class even starts? Naomi constantly thinking about her child's broken arm as a broken wing? A yoga teacher who used to be friends/acquaintances with all her students not sure if she should socialize with them now that they're in her yoga class because "she's the teacher"? Publishing a story about the women without telling them about it? I couldn't really connect with any of these women because it didn't feel like it went into depth with any of them.
December 19, 2021
2.5 rounded down
At some point, this book made it onto my bookshelf, and I decided this was the year to finally read it. It was...fine.
The story is about four friends who reunite 10 years after college and learn to navigate life's struggles together through the ~*~restorative power of yoga~*~. The dialogue is pretty cringey throughout, and the characters seem to lack depth and aren't relatable to me.
I was generally entertained, but not impressed. Maybe if you're into yoga, you'll have a greater appreciation for the story than I did.
At some point, this book made it onto my bookshelf, and I decided this was the year to finally read it. It was...fine.
The story is about four friends who reunite 10 years after college and learn to navigate life's struggles together through the ~*~restorative power of yoga~*~. The dialogue is pretty cringey throughout, and the characters seem to lack depth and aren't relatable to me.
I was generally entertained, but not impressed. Maybe if you're into yoga, you'll have a greater appreciation for the story than I did.
October 6, 2017
This book. Ugh. I have never given a book one star but man, this was awful to read. Why did I read the whole thing? I was hoping that someone would have edited the characters or just the writing? I started TO COUNT the number of times I read the phrase, “you know?” OMG. And I was so excited to read about Yoga...nope. Didn’t make it better.
April 7, 2019
I found three glaring errors in this book, so it really lost credibility for me. Terrible proof-reading. Also found the references to "amazing abs" after only a few yoga classes to be spurious. However this author's latest book is great, so don't give up on her.
June 1, 2021
If you are into sappy, chick-lit, beach reads, with a happy ending, this book is a five star rating, however for me, there was no depth or enjoyment.
Naomi, Sabine and Bess connect with Charlie (female) who teaches them yoga.
Naomi, Sabine and Bess connect with Charlie (female) who teaches them yoga.
November 7, 2025
I don't like to DNF, and I am sure this earnest book was fine in the time it was written. But when I got to the part about whether or not the main character should have a website and/or join Facebook, I just Could Not anymore.
May 5, 2017
Fluffy, but I sure enjoyed the yoga parts.
May 5, 2017
Well written and relatable characters. More substantial than typical chick lit but doesn't take itself too seriously.
June 1, 2017
Zoe Fishman writes with such familiarity that you feel these four women are in your yoga class. Great read.
July 8, 2017
Cute story but felt the ending was lame and storyline fell off. I wanted more closure of the characters. Maybe left open for a sequel???
August 30, 2017
Quick read, chick lit, perfect for vacation!
November 13, 2017
Could not get into or relate to this book - sex in the city meets yoga studio.....
February 26, 2018
It's a good chick lit story about four former college buddies who reunite years later for Yoga.
September 1, 2019
Good story line
Unfortunately, the character development was lacking. There was a good sense of personality but I couldn’t get a ‘visual’ in my head as to what any of the characters (other than the men) looked like.
Unfortunately, the character development was lacking. There was a good sense of personality but I couldn’t get a ‘visual’ in my head as to what any of the characters (other than the men) looked like.
March 2, 2021
This was not a great book. Parts of it made me cringe.
June 15, 2023
Easy read. Not intense.
March 16, 2024
An easy enjoyable read about four young women growing together through yoga.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews