Likely to end up in my charity pile
Workaholic Susan Sinclair is summoned to her hometown when her daughter calls in a panic because Grandma has gone through a metamorphis. She dreads going up there as she knows that the father of her child, Jon Laker, is a man she still cannot resist. A teenage love affair that resulted in pregnancy, his family did everything to ruin the relationship. Now 22 years later, they both still carry a torch for each other, though neither is willing to admit it. Daughter Becca has come home to deal with an unplanned pregnancy, following in Mom and Grandma's footsteps. When the three generations of Sinclair women start sharing close quarters, they realize that though they have all chosen separate paths, they still have a whole lot in common.
I wanted to love this book - I loved the premise of the parents never having a chance when they are young getting the chance to have a do over. Instead, I merely liked it and found the writing to be pretty average, primarily due to the atrocious dialogue. Susan is 38 and she talks like an 80 year old - with all the "tarnations," "Hell's bells," "Sam's hills," and "damnations," I was sort of taken aback when author Greene used more graphic language to describe the love scenes. I was not impressed with this one - liked her novel "Where is He Now" much more.
Warm and Witty
This is only my second book by Jennifer Greene and it left me wanting to read more.
This is a deep tale about 3 generations of strong women making the same mistakes in life and love.
First you have Lydia, the Grandmother. In her role as a widow she is finally exploring the real her and stepping outside the tidy box her married life held her in.
Then you have Susan the mother. She is struggling with an issue at work and trying to help her daughter deal with an unplanned pregnancy and distructive relationship. You also have her facing her relationship with Jon, Beccas Dad.
Then you have Becca, the daughter. Trying to find her way and do the right thing with her unborn baby.
These three women move in together and you really enjoy their family and their relationships. I like the way they struggle to solve their problems. I found this book intriguing, so much so that I wrote the author asking when she was going to do a follow up story about Becca. I think you will like it.
Great story, bad delivery
While the story of these three generations of women, who are trying to learn and heal from their past mistakes, is very touching, Greene's delivery of it is awkward and filled with too much of what seems to be psychoanalysis. The conversations these women have with each other-about repeating past mistakes and verbally analyzing the root of their fears and insecurities-are too deliberate. Conversations sound more like therapy sessions than actual conversations between mother and daughter. It adds a dry, heavy tone to the book that doesn't go well with some of the characters' quirky antics. And I have never really understood why Susan was so hesitant about getting together with Jon and Lydia's rebellion against her previous life is a little fragmented, jumbled, and undeveloped.
Warm, contemplative look at family relationships
There comes a time in each person's life, when they have to confront their past in order to move forward. Susan Sinclair has just reached that point. A successful career woman suddenly facing a job crisis, Susan gets a phone call from her adult daughter asking her to come home to Copper Creek. She arrives to find her daughter in a fragile state, her mother fresh from a life makeover and her first love, Jon Laker, back in her life.
It soon becomes apparent that not only do the Sinclair women share the same bone structure and hair color, they also end up with unplanned pregnancies. The Sinclair matriarch, Lydia, had entered and endured an unhappy marriage to have Susan. When Susan became pregnant with Becca at 16, however, she chose to remain single. The Sinclair women now gather together to support a pregnant Becca, who must make the most important decision of her life. And after twenty-two years, Susan must confront her long denied feelings for the father of her child.
Jon Laker knew a long time ago that there would only be one woman for him. Unfortunately, the stars never seemed to align long enough for the two of them to get together. With their daughter needing her parents' support, Jon is determined not to miss this chance to finally reunite his family.
Truly more than just a love story, THE WOMAN MOST LIKELY TO... is about three generations of women, each finding the strength to break free of their past. Jennifer Greene has the admirable skill of allowing us inside the heart and head of each of the many lead characters without giving us whiplash. In the process, readers will be enthralled by this poignant tale of love, healing and acceptance. Start this book for the story of family and stay with it for the romance.
TheSchemer
Take a chance...
I finished this book and "Where Is He Now?" book. This one very honest look at three generations of women. I liked the twists and turns. The grandmother character was real and very funny. Take a chance...
(14 reviews)
