Gigi Levangie Grazer

BEEN THERE, MARRIED THAT is a rapid-fire snark fest, focusing on the vapid, silicone-laden, entitled, shallow, trophy wife, moneyed California star culture, where the assistants have assistants, the kids have multiple nannies, and appearances are everything.

Agnes is supposed to be above it all (as a wife who DARES to have a career as a writer) but she still indulges in SoulCycle and whatever other "in" fitness to keep her hubby happy. She's an odd mix of smart and clueless (in a world where show more divorces are common, she seems a bit daft to NOT take action.)

The storylines were both eye-rolling and ire-rasing; the characters' behaviors made me both laugh and exasperated (my eyes hurt from rolling them so hard). From the Triplets- the Spanish-speaking help (who I sometimes had a hard time keeping up with WHAT exactly their jobs were) to Agnes' "frenemies" to the outrageous attitudes (when her husband calls an intervention for her supposed eating habit problem - she eats too many almonds - and sends her to rehab in the midst of marriage issues and a possible divorce) Aggie views it as a bit of a "spa vacation" and agrees to go. (She's a writer - we generally have overactive imaginations, so I found it hard to believe she wouldn't read more into this attempt, but instead, she goes along with the insanity.

At times the story jumped awkwardly, but I admit, I couldn't tell if this was the writing or bad formatting in the digital ARC I was reading. (it could have been missing chapter breaks?) The first half of the book felt almost manic and a bit all over the place. (There is a lot of stream of consciousness coming from Aggie). However, once the divorce started to actually progress in the second half of the book, the pace grew steadier. The characters were outrageous in a fun-to-read/"glad I don't know them" way.

Perfect for fans of Laura Weisberger's THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA/WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS.

I’m giving this three-and-a-half stars, rounding up to four, because of the uneven and manic start, but I could overlook it because it was such a hoot.

I was provided a digital advance copy via NetGalley; all opinions are my own. show less

My first Gigi Lavangie novel came to me in a kit from St. Martin's Press and I am so glad it did! This is a laugh-out-loud, cringeworthy stumble down the dark and ominous path of divorce Hollywood-style.

Universal truths in LA: death, taxes...and divorce. A Hollywood marriage is 80 percent more likely to fail than civilian marriages.

Agnes Murphy Nash, pre-menopausal, sarcastic, mother of one, and soon-to-be ex-wife to Trevor Nash, Oscar-winning Hollywood producer, is being sued for divorce. show more Told in Agnes' own voice, she goes from a seemingly happy marriage living in a mansion with 14 bathrooms with supportive friends to Trevor canceling all of her credit cards, selling the house out from under her, and losing all but one of her friends. The Hollywood way of life and divorce.

I laughed out loud several times while reading this book and I loved Agnes' spunk and perseverance to stay positive. However, I really enjoyed Agnes' criminal sister, Fin, who stole the show by her Agnes-saving antics. One of the funniest being when she convinced Agnes to help her rearrange Trevor's notepads and furniture which resulted in Trevor's OCD-induced hissy fit. Absolutely brilliant!

I needed this book. It's a reality check that sometimes love isn't always enough. However, people can rise above the pettiness and make lemonade from lemons. If you like to have a great laugh while watching a potential train wreck, give this book a try. Recommend highly!

Thanks to Ms. LeVangie and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book without expectation of a positive review. show less

Gigi Levangie’s hilarious novel, Been There, Married That begins with Aggie, the wife of Hollywood uber-producer Trevor, at her 48th birthday party. Of course Trevor has gone all-out for the party, with the most expensive champagne at the hottest restaurant in town. He is excited to give Aggie her gift, which he makes a big production out of presenting to her in front of everyone- a Fitbit.

And so begins their story. Aggie is a Hollywood wife who has written a novel she hopes will be made show more into a movie. Trevor is a classic Hollywood husband, who one day decides that he is putting his marriage in “turnaround”- which in Hollywood-speak means he wants a divorce.

Aggie is even more shocked than when he gave her the Fitbit. It appears that their assistant, who now wears her hair like Aggie’s and wears the same clothes as Aggie (wait, are those Aggie’s actual clothes?) is now sleeping in Trevor’s bed. But they just cuddle.

Aggie’s lawyer tells her not to move out of the house, so she is given a schedule of when she can use certain rooms in the house. Trevor does not want to bump into her when he is getting his breakfast.

Eventually Trevor gets nastier (if that is even possible). He sues for custody of their tweenage daughter, whom he never spends time with. Aggie gets even when her sister Fin shows up after a stint in prison.

Fin is "the Solange to Aggie’s Beyonce"; she will not let Trevor get away with mistreating her sister. Trevor needs everything in its place, like the notepads next to the phone, which must be placed at a specific angle. Fin and Aggie move all of his furniture, and every item he owns in the house, two inches. It drove him nuts.

Been There, Married That is a hilarious novel, perfect for fans of any of the Real Housewives TV series (although I am not a fan of those and I enjoyed this book a great deal). Gigi Levangie knows how to write zinging dialogue, and having been previously married to producer Brian Glazer, she knows this Hollywood scene intimately. If you need a good laugh, pick this book up. show less

The After Wife is a surprisingly hilarious, poignant yet uplifting read which I really enjoyed. Despite dealing sensitively with the serious themes of grief, loss and healing, Grazer keeps the tone light and I loved Grazer’s sense of humour, wry and ridiculous in turn.

Hannah is a sympathetic and likeable protagonist, her grief at losing her husband so suddenly is overwhelming and she struggles to deal with her pain. Mired in self pity, she asks ‘Why?’ and receives an answer from an show more unexpected source, the former owner of her home Casa Sugar, who happens to be deceased. Hannah is pretty sure she is going crazy, especially as spirits start to appear everywhere, desperate for her to pass on messages to their loved ones, but she doesn’t have time to think about it too much, she has to deal with raising her three year old daughter, Ellie, alone, losing her job and discovering her husband’s insurance has lapsed. And dating.
Luckily Hannah can rely on her Grief Team for both comfort and comic relief. Loveable, if slightly absurd caricatures, Jay – her fashionista BFF with bad taste in men, Aimee who is robbed of all expression by Botox and plastic surgery, and Chloe who has a penchant for rescue dogs and bouncing cheques, support Hannah and Ellie in their time of need with questionable advice, vodka and colonics.
Grazer pokes fun at the worst examples of excess by the upscale residents of California’s Santa Monica and sprinkles pop culture references through out the story. I thought at times it was a little heavy handed but it provides the ideal setting for the story.

Funny, engaging and moving, The After Wife is a wonderful light read sure to charm you on a long summer’s day (or a cold winters eve) that proves life is for living. show less