This is Where We Live

by Janelle Brown, Phoebe Zimmermann, Erik Davies (Narrator)

This Is Where We Live tells the story of Claudia and Jeremy, a young married couple (she’s an aspiring filmmaker, he’s an indie musician) who are on the verge of making it. Her first film was a sensation at Sundance and is about to have its theatrical release, he’s assembled a new band and is a few songs shy of an album. They’ve recently purchased their first home—an adorable mid-century bungalow with a breathtaking view of the city of Los Angeles—with the magical assistance of an adjustable-rate mortgage. But a series of seismic events—the tanking of Claudia’s film, the return of Jeremy’s ex-girlfriend, and the staggering adjustment of their monthly mortgage payments—deal a crushing blow to their dreams of the bohemian life and their professional aspirations and make them question their values and their shared vision of the future.

This Is Where We Live is a novel about the crucible of this economic moment—the way these times play with our hopes, compel us to reckon with our ambition, test our capacity for reinvention, and ask us to question the very things we love.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Marriage, Contemporary, Relationships, Audiobook

Audiobook

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

Welcome to my home on Goodreads.

A little about me: I'm the New York Times bestselling author of the novels PRETTY THINGS, WATCH ME DISAPPEAR, ALL WE EVER WANTED WAS EVERYTHING, THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE, I'LL BE YOU and the upcoming WHAT KIND OF PARADISE. My books have been New York Times bestsellers and published in a dozen countries around the world. My books tend to be page-turners with dysfunctional family relationships at their hearts; domestic dramas crossed with literary suspense. I'm also very much a California writer, and my books are set across the state.

I'm always happy to answer questions here, but you can also find me on Instagram and Twitter -- and if you visit http://www.janellebrown.com you can also sign up for my newsletter.

I've known I wanted to be a novelist ever since I was in first grade, when my teacher looked at the whimsical little books I liked to make (and the pile of books I checked out of the school library every week) and said that I could be an author when I grew up. I took her suggestion to heart.

It took me several decades to get to novel-writing, though. I first started off as an essayist and journalist, writing for Wired and Salon in San Francisco, during the dotcom boom years. In the 1990’s, I was also the editor and co-founder of Maxi, an irreverent (and now, long-gone) women's pop culture magazine. My writing has also appeared in Vogue, The New York Times, Elle, Wired, Self, The Los Angeles Times, and numerous other publications.

I've spent the fifteen years working on my novels, writing the occasional essay, and living in Los Angeles with my husband and two children.

Reviews

[Lorri Steinbacher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not so sure about this book. I'm finding it hard to care about the characters. Now that I'm finished, I know I didn't care about any of them. Marybe I'm just tired of yuppies/hipsters whining about having to grow up. The story moves, though and the book does have some appeal. Possible recommendation for people who want a few steps above chick lit.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

What starts as a look into how we rally when the things in our life don't work out like we hope takes a left turn into the disappointing and cliche.

Claudia hopes to be a film maker, but as her big film tanks, she looks at the dire situation of her life (the house she loves about to go into foreclosure), rallies, and takes a job as a teacher at a fancy private school. She does her best to think pragmatically about how to advance her situation, rather than succumb to it. Unfortunately for Claudia, it all goes from bad to worse.

Jeremy is a man-child. That's really all there is. He thinks he's someone other than who he is, and believes he's destined for more than he'll ever truly amount to. When his chaotic ex-girlfriend Aoki comes into town, he falls under her dramatic spell, and suddenly the grass is greener wherever Aoki convinces him it is.

Aoki as a character was kind of... well, she was a cliche, obviously -- the mentally ill, flighty artist with a flair for the dramatic and conniving. I would have liked to see more of her - more of her being humanized, of her being well-rounded, rather than the villain to Claudia, and the vision of a life he'll never have from Jeremy.

We know from the moment he responds to Aoki's e-mail how this is all going to go down. I wanted to put down the book, but hoped for Claudia's redemtption. Girl power and all that. It never comes, and in the end, she's stuck with Jeremy as he returns tail tucked between his legs like the pitiful dog he is.

Janelle Brown's writing is great, sprinkled with great lines and ideas. But after reading, I have the feeling she's capable of something stronger than this. This felt like a safe indie movie, and I'd like to see her take more risks in her next book!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent novel about our times. Claudia and Jeremy, caught up in the momentum of the "gimme, gimme" generation, buy a house they cannot afford only to realize once the interest rate adjusts, their nascent marriage begins to flounder. Jeremy, in possession of an original painting his now famous ex-lover Aoki gave to him, refuses to sell the half-million dollar masterpiece that could pay off their mortgage and sustain their lifestyle. Instead, Claudia takes a teaching job at a private school and allows Jeremy the freedom to continue producing music. Only the band members of Audiophone decide to go their separate ways, leaving Jeremy lost and confused. Claudia sacrifices both her job and her reputation as a director of artistic movies in a morally bankrupt attempt to salvage both her ideals and her marriage. Finally, in an act of rebellion and desperation, Jeremy abandons Claudia and returns to Aoki, who promises an unfettered life of sex, drugs and rock n' roll throughout the world.

Janelle Brown knows the depths of the human heart. THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE explores the morally challenging times of an interconnected world where easy-come, easy-goes leaves an entire generation searching for direction about who they are and what they value and the choices they must make to obtain their idealistic goals. A great novel about facing our fears, delaying gratification, embracing hard work, and the genuine price paid for true love, including the sacrifices needed to thrive.

Janelle Brown is the Dickens of our time. A must read for everyone!

[Becca Miserlian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the concept of this book in the beginning, but as the book went on, I grew to hate both Claudia and Jeremy. Simply put, they are both extremely pretentious, to the point where I couldn't stand them. After getting themselves into a financial mess, they take in a perfectly nice roommate named Lucy, then proceed to treat her rudely and look down on her for absolutely no reason. Seriously, she was nothing but friendly and pleasant to them. They still need money, however, so Claudia bites the bullet and puts her film career on hold to take a job as a teacher. Instead of praising his wife for being responsible and stepping up to save them, Jeremy begins to resent her for "selling out" and "giving up on her dreams of being creative and artsy". Jeremy, when he's not too busy moaning about his boring wife, is working (part-time?) at a t-shirt shop. He CLEARLY says that his job does not make enough for them to live off of, yet he makes NO effort to help out at all. After all, he's a "musician" and a "free spirit". He didn't want this house anyway, so why should he help pay for the mortgage, right? And don't even get me STARTED on his actions later. He thinks he can just GALLIVANT throughout Europe with his Edgy New Girlfriend while his wife works her ass off to save their house? And he thinks that he can just come crawling back to Claudia when he realizes that Edgy New Girlfriend doesn't care about him? Well, apparently, he can. Come on, Claudia! Anyway, basically I found both Claudia and Jeremy insufferable (Claudia marginally less-so). To me, this book seemed less about the cold, hard housing and job markets and more about a pretentious, self-obsessed couple with unrealistic expectations and unrealistic problem-solving methods.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but the main characters are so annoying. And the ending......the less said the better. Very unsatisfying. Save your money and time for a better book.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly I haven't even finished the book yet, but I feel like I need to get some thoughts out. This book is so mind numbly dull that I think reading the dictionary might be more entertaining. You could go up to any Joe Schmo in the street and they could tell you that this is their life story, that the shitty economy got to them and ruined their world. That they lost their job and had to take on two others that they didn't want just to make ends meat. People don't want to read books to read about their reality or what's going on around them every day, they want to read a book to escape reality to live in a fantasy world. There is no sense of adventure in this book, no spark of fantasy, no hope for the amazing or impossible thing to happen. This book is simply what happens to people every day...And the characters, OMG the characters, one is trying desperately to fit that perfect artsy person image, fuck the system, live the free life, do what you want, while the other is fitting into that mold of the average everyday person abandoning their dreams because they are unattainable no longer have the fight left in them to figure it out. They are such frustrating characters and annoying. I feel like I can already predict the ending, because that's how predictably dull this book is...And one last thing, why the f*** is there a cake on the cover?? What does that have to do with anything in regards to the book??? Even the hardcover picture doesn't make sense...

finished the book, barely, it never got better or less dull. instead it was utterly predictable with what jeremy does and what claudia later decides to do with her money. and the ending...just ends, assuming they work out their problems regain their indie credit and magically respark their careers after having their mid life crisises.

[Patty · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is about two 30 somethings, a couple, Claudia and Jeremy who are married and living in California. Claudia has written and directed a movie which did well at Sundance, but when it gets to the larger theaters it doesn't do well at all, and so she has to get a job which she does at an elite school as a film critic teacher, and while there she makes a bad decision. Jeremy is a self centered child in an adults body that is playing at being a husband and guitar player who wants to put out an album but can't get anyone to commit to getting that done, including himself.

I have heard this book called, "contemporary fiction," and I guess I really don't care to read about young people making very bad decisions, and just taking life as it comes and dealing with things later, or rather not dealing with them. I guess Claudia and Jeremy don't care so it is hard for me to care about them either. I did finish the book.

I did like Janelle Brown's book, "All we ever wanted was everything."

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh boy...again this book starts out going in one direction then goes a totally different way. I did not like nor identify with either main character and the end...well let's just say that isn't the way I would have gone. Easy enough read, but again coudln't get behind what the characters were doing throughout the book.

[Marci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio.
Soooo depressing. And that is depressing because this author wrote another book I gave five stars too! This book was treacherous and long and felt like a broken record. Not much resolved and not that happy. I didn’t feel good after finishing it because there wasn’t much I learned nor an ending I appreciated. The more the book continued, the less stars it earned.

[Makayla Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, it wasn't the best book but it wasn't the worst book I've read it was just meh. It had its good exciting moments but most of it was just boring and the ending was a bit confusing like ?? Did they get back together or not? Also Jeremy pissed me off through out like the whole book. But honestly there are just so many unanswered questions and it just bothers me

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I was a better friend (and I've known Janelle for more than twenty years dating back to our time in San Francisco cover the Dotcom boom + bust), I'd have written this back when I first read the book. But I am not. And I didn't.

Her first book took on that very Dotcom bubble lifestyle, which seemed right to do. If you didn't live through it on the ground floor (this always sounds so weird, but I've had this discussion with a lot of folks from that time), it permeated your soul. You needed to purge. Some of us just...left. Janelle wrote a book about it.

But This is Where We Live felt more personal.

Here's why: Janelle and I had a conversation—I can't recall exactly when but it was before this book—about the cost of living in California and its impact on the creative class. I had long left California first for Texas and then back to my home in Appalachia, so I was removed from the scene. (Although, I left California because the cost of living was seriously impacting this creative class kid.)

She told that story through Claudia, a film-maker who didn't quite make it and looks to become a teacher, and her flight-of-fantasy partner Jeremey, a musician who lives in a world where he believes he's just about to be famous.

As you can imagine, those two world views collide as they try to pay their mortgage and live as artists. When Jeremey's ex-girlfriend Aoki shows up, the partnership—and their worldview—are put to the test.

I won't spoil the ending, but I can say this: several people who reviewed the book weren't thrilled by how neatly the story wrapped up. But, I can say as someone who lived with a filmmaker in Northern California, we experienced this very real phenomenon. (Also, the book's title wasn't in the past tense, so...)

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The earthquake the characters experience at the beginning of this book is prescient of how their carefully structured life is about to come tumbling down. They do not see the forewarning, though, so are totally unprepared when their Hollywood dream turns rapidly into a nightmare.
Claudia, a film-maker and Jeremy, a musician are representative of the millions of real people who rushed into trying to be grown-ups (marriage, a mortgage, dream job) and lost it all because of bad decisions (interest only mortgages - why would you do that???)
The main characters, are on the whole, likable, even when their decisions are questionable. You can see the struggle Claudia has when a chance at a dream job comes with a serious downside and you can understand her final choice, even if you are yelling at her that it's just the way it is in Hollywood!
The story is engaging and never lags, although the secondary characters are not as emotionally involving as they could be.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes dramas, anyone who is thinking about living in Hollywood and readers who like characters who challenge them.

PS I won this from book giveaways...Thank you Random House and Janelle Brown for the treat!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read for me. It's about a mid 30s couple who are trying to follow their dreams. The wife is on a journey to become a successful director while the husband is in a band who is working to finish an album. Then real life hits and her movie bombs at the box office, and he hasn't been paying the adjustable rate mortgage (gotta love those!) because it adjusted, lol, and he was waiting for her huge deal with a movie company to pay it off. It just goes downhill from there as the husband begins a midlife crisis. This book was painful to read. The turn of the story happens when the husbands ex-girlfriend, a successful artist, contacts him to just "see" him while she's in town. The ex-girlfriend is the antithesis of his wife, not to mention completely nuts. He has built her up in his head, and when she offers him the option of coming with her to Paris, and so he leaves his wife. WTF? For me the ending was a bit to quick and didn't seem to flow, but the rest of the story was good.

It was a definite page turner, and I enjoyed reading it. But this type of story is usually very emotional to read for me. I feel the characters' pain so strongly I have to get through it as fast as I can to get those feelings away from me.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this a higher rating than the average Goodreads reviewer, but I really liked this! Claudia is a filmmaker, Jeremy is a musician, and they're married living in LA. They bought their dream house and have an adjustable-rate mortgage. The rate adjusted, and they become close to losing their home. As they try to figure out a way to pay the higher monthly mortgage, they each have some setbacks that affect them financially and personally. Their lives kind of go into a downward spiral as they grapple with saving their house vs. saving their dreams. The book examines when it's appropriate to "grow up" and what does that mean in terms of your self-worth and self-esteem. Should you follow your dream in the face of everything? When you're in a marriage, how do you balance chasing your dream and being concerned about your partner's needs? How do your values tie into all of it? I thought the author did a remarkable job of delving into the thoughts of both characters. Even during the times when one or the other of the characters was unlikeable, I was hoping they'd find a way to make it all work.

[Larry Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in a couple of days, a couple of months ago, after my friend Janelle Brown (best to just put that out there) sent me a galley. If I didn't love it - which I did -- I'd just tell her "It was good" and/or avoid her for as long as possible (and not bother with a review). Janelle, as her fan base knows, is a fluid, fun, writer. Her story is about an arty couple in LA who have what's best described as "good problems" (how to be artful and make money and not drive drunk in Los Angeles too often). They're the type of irresistible characters so many of us know, and all like than we probably should, in both real life and in fiction. And there's one character, the crazy ex-girlfriend, who I'm sure a whole bunch of actors are drooling over right now. If you like Nick Hornby.... well... you get the point.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needed some fluff reading to distract me from too-serious life. My favorite part of this book was the way all of the main characters' problems were clearly caused by their stupidity. I find that view of how the world works very comforting.

Otherwise, not that fun a book. It was pretty much all about problems. When the "happy ending" finally arrived, it was too quick and easy after everything that had happened before--unconvincing. And where the hell does Jeremy get the balls to just assume he's moving into Claudia's condo after all the shit he's done and running off to Europe with his ex for a few months? She can't even bear to talk about what happened, but it's totally fine for him to move into her tiny space like nothing ever happened? Well, we don't even know if it's totally fine because he doesn't really ask her, and she doesn't say. Yeah, great happy ending, that. :P

[Krista · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was pretty disappointing. The story is about a thirty-year old couple struggling to live their version of the American dream amid a down economy. It's not very exciting and is actually quite depressing for most of it. I had hoped that it would take a turn and reveal something deeper, but it mostly stayed on a predictable, superficial path. The characters are also pretty dislikeable and too stereotypical - really, a struggling film director and wannabe musician living in LA? That's never been done before. Don't forget to add a larger than life, bi-polar, over-the-top successful artist ex-girlfriend to really create marital strive. Don't even get me started on the ending. There are definitely better books to spend your time reading.

[Joel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really 2.5 stars but I am rounding up to 3 for my ranking because it was a First Reads win, and it's the least I can do.

Though the description interested me, this didn't turn out to be my kind of book. The premise of people struggling with money and a "Quarter Life Crisis" of sorts was interesting enough, but I couldn't sympathize with any of the characters (in fact, I kind of hated them), which meant it was difficult staying invested in reading.

The end of the book also gets rather melodramatic and really piles on the woe, which didn't help me keep going when I wasn't relating to anyone.

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was extremely disappointed with this book, because I liked the author's first one (All We Ever Wanted Was Everything). I wanted to stop reading this one almost as soon as I started it. I could not get into the characters at all. I didn't like the dialogue, and the plot was soooo slow and boring. I forced myself to sit down and finish the second half of the book one evening and the only positive thing I can say is that it did get a little bit better towards the end. I still feel this book was a total waste of my time. I've only felt that way about a handful of books, so my advice is don't bother with this book!

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a young 30's couple in L.A. She's a budding director and he has had some modest success as a musician. They buy into the American dream of potentiality, possibility and following your dreams without compromise. This is exemplified when they buy a house with no money down and and a sub-prime mortgage. Her film tanks at the box office, his band breaks up, the economy goes into the toilet and the mortgage payment adjusts to an unpayable amount. An insightful look at moral conflicts and emotional compromises.

[Shannon Bett · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a contrived piece of poop. The only reason I finished it was because I have OCD and find it hard to put a book down with so few chapters left. It was a disappointment on so many levels that I don't want to waste any more time on it by sharing my review. I also don't want to take what might be a great experience away from someone else who reads this, just be forewarned.

[Andrianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - the writing was good but the characters were insufferable. I had to stop reading several times because I hated them so much.

[Lindsey Winkler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every sentence is jam-packed with description. I love Janelles writing style and related to a lot of themes on this book

[Carina Rosas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I lost interest :(

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claudia and Jeremy are struggling artists trying to make it big in the entertainment industry at the same time the real estate market is imploding. Despite the young couples' best efforts, the brass ring remains elusive. They take in a boarder to help make ends meet, which turns out to be a terrible decision. Then more bad decisions are made, and before long, the couple goes from Claudia and Jeremy vs The World, to just Claudia vs Jeremy. Good plot, good set up, good execution! I thought both Claudia's and Jeremy's wishes and desires rang true. I thought the author captured Jeremy's plight brilliantly -- the musician who looks to be on the cusp of making it, only to discover that his band mates don't share his same passion. While I didn't always agree with Claudia's choices, I did find them to be plausible. And oh, her parents -- sadly, they reminded me a little too much of myself. I especially loved how the author chose to end the book. I enjoyed All We Ever Wanted was Everything, and I enjoyed this second book by Janelle Brown even more. Looking forward to Watch Me Disappear!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this with some reservations.I read it during a heat wave and it was entertaining enough to take my mind off the weather.I worked in film and I don't know too many people who can be true to themselves in that industry. Even if they make the film of their dreams it will still somehow be tainted by sycophants. Most people in film are prisoners to the project they usually can't turn it down because it is an unstable business and often it is a matter of survival- very little pick and choose goes on .Sometimes it is even worse when they all love the project you just know it won't ultimately be as good as they think it will. Claudias insistence on this rings a bit hollow not impossible but unlikely.The Aoki character is the least developed and almost comes across as a malicious being .All that said it got me through the heat wave and as one reviewer said it was a few steps above chick lit - hopefully it wont heat up again because the remaining books i have to read look ominously like chick lit.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is set during the 2000’s Housing Market Bubble (where banks utilized predatory lending to grant adjustable rate mortgages to under qualified borrowers) and subsequent Housing Market Crash (where many of those borrowers defaulted on their loans and forclosures skyrocketed). Claudia, an aspiring film director, and husband Jeremy, a struggling musician, settle down and buy the home of their dreams while both of their careers seem on the cusp of greatness. But Claudia’s movie flops and Jeremy’s bandmates dissolve the band and the couple id on the verge of losing their house. After bringing in a roommate to help alleviate mortgage costs, the roommate accidentally starts a fire that chars the home almost beyond repair. It’s time to make some decisions - do they fight for their home and give up their risky dreams in exchange for more stable, less glamorous careers? Or do they keep chasing their dreams and throw caution to the wind? And what happens when husband and wife aren’t on the same page?

[Cindy]

I read it because of the blatant MIT\INFIDELITY aspects.However, I did maximum skimming,as I found much of writing heavy and uninspired.I honed into Jeremy's infidelity, but given the impact on the storyline was surprisingly compact....and startlingly abrupt.He met up with her a few times,they had a drunken kiss and next we know he absconded to Paris to seek freedom from the realities and pressures of life ,specifically crushing economics.He comes to find that an existence with ex smothered and diminished him.It remains unclear if he truly realizes or accepts responsibility for the extent of his horrific his treatment of his spouse.He essentially begs his wife to take him back.Abrupt,open ended finale in which Jeremy optimistically states",This is where we Live" ,the title.Was I supposed to be impressed?
FYI! Please everyone make your own assessments as mine rely heavily on my mood. And today I am quite,foul!😂

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Where We Live is a novel about the ways in which people rally -- or don't -- in the face of an unexpected change in circumstances. Claudia and Jeremy are an up-and-coming young couple in Hollywood -- she a director, he a musician. But then Claudia's movie tanks, and Jeremy's band breaks up, and their adjustable rate mortgage comes back to bite them and sends them to the brink of foreclosure. Claudia takes a job as a film teacher in a private school, while Jeremy...well, Jeremy just continues on with his man-child-like ways.

I read Watch Me Disappear earlier this month and absolutely loved it, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on Janelle Brown's other novels. This novel has many of the same things I loved about Watch Me Disappear: a strong sense of place, thoughtful characterizations, and flowing, insightful prose. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand one of the thoughtful characterizations in this book: Jeremy, a vapid man-child who, I don't believe, ever really understands the consequences of his actions or redeems himself. And Claudia, while vividly-rendered, never really feels very sympathetic. I don't really think either of these characters evolved very much over the course of the book, and unfortunately they and the novel as a whole became very cliched in the end.

Ultimately, I'm glad I read this -- it was entertaining and offered an authentic, unique insight into the country's economic collapse a decade ago -- but if I never read another character like Jeremy in my life, it will be too soon.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining, mindless read. Not a bad story of idealistic aspiring couple (Claudia-screenwriter; Jeremy-musician) who buy her dream house. Then the economy tanks and she takes a job teaching at a private school and the daughter of a famous film producer is in her class. Turns out the daughter is a spoiled brat, and she gives the daughter an A for a chance to direct a vapid sexist romcom. Meanwhile the boarder they take in accidentally burns down the house and disappears. Their deductible is high so they move in with her parents.

Jeremy’s ex, manipulative and self destructive is now a famous artist and Jeremy leaves Claudia for her but then returns to Claudia.

Predictable, too long and cliched.