Claire Cook

I’ve read and enjoyed chick lit. This isn’t one of those chick lit books.

Deirdre Gibson is the personal assistant and social media genius behind her older brother, Tag’s, rise to fame and fortune as a new-age guru. She is unsure, lacks confidence, and is certain that any guy who shows interest in her must be just trying to get to her brother. When her brother interferes once too often in her personal life, she abruptly quits and in a vodka-fueled stroke of inspiration starts an show more internet campaign to get her voted onto Dancing With the Stars (where, of course, the producers agree, just to get her brother to come on the show).

There is nothing likeable about these characters. Deirdre is obsessed with how fat and unattractive she is, and what mess she’s made of her “non-life.” Frankly, she’s right. She’s about 33 and riding her brother’s coattails. I wanted to shake some sense into her and tell her to grow up. Her brother isn’t much better, speaking in ridiculous platitudes and trying always to be the center of attention. Their sibling rivalry and dialogue is what I’d expect from 9-year-olds. A usual scene consists of his backhanded insult and her responding with “I know you are, but what am I?” Seriously … I’m not making that up; that is really what the dialogue is like in this book. Oh, and did I mention Cook’s penchant for dividing a sentence into individual words for emphasis. Drove. Me. Absolutely. Crazy! The “crisis” that leads to her epiphany is ridiculous and the ending is saccharine. Blech! show less

You have to love Claire Cook – (a given) . . . she is like an energized bunny who keeps on ticking! She is back with a bang with Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life #2. Loved the first book and the movie, and the much loved characters, are back for another round!

Claire does not miss a beat with her sense of humor with the Hurlihy family in rare form. After Sarah’s divorce, Sarah and John are moving forward in bliss until Sarah’s brother Michael and his dog are staying with her and of show more course John’s new puppy hates Sarah.

Michael and Phoebe – oh, Sarah hopes to get them back to together soon in order to get back to her life and sense of normality. Carol, Sarah’s sister has other plans. Meanwhile Phoebe packs up their daughters and heads to Savannah and Michael follows, with the Hurlihy family close behind to cheer them on.

Claire has the inside scoop on family, relationships, and siblings, which will keep you laughing until the end. It was fun to catch up with characters from the past and if you loved the first one, you will love #2 even more. Looking forward to round 3! show less

Best Staged Plans is Claire Cook's best book yet. Sandra Sullivan stages homes for a living but her own life is badly in need of staging. Her husband is retired but is so busy playing tennis and running that he hasn't had time to help her get their house ready to sell. And her son lives in their basement busy with his new girlfriend. So she gives them an ultimatum "Get it done or I'm gone". Lucky for her an offer comes up that she just can't refuse. Her BFF's current beau has just bought a show more hotel that needs to be staged - in Atlanta, where her daughter lives. So off she flies to Atlanta - along the way finding out the BFF's boyfriend is a player, meets a homeless person, and forced to be friends her new son-in-law - and that maybe it's not her house or her life that needs to be staged but that she needs to see through the staging she's arranged.
This is Cook's best novel to date. I loved the fact that she talks to inanimate objects and has a love-hate relationship with her reading glasses. The Romeo and Juliet scene was funny and the boyfriend's comeuppance is classic. The way she handled the homeless person's story was very well-done and wove into Sandra's story seamlessly. Not just a beach read it's a book anytime you want to get away from your own life for a little while. show less

My personal harbinger of summer landed on my desk recently--Claire Cook's latest book "Wallflower in Bloom". Cook's strength is writing about women who, for one reason or another, are reinventing themselves. Humor is another of her great strengths, so her stories will first make you laugh, and then make you think "I could do something like that". It's no wonder she has legions of friends/fans who think of her like a sister.

This time around, she introduces us to Deirdre, who works as a show more personal assistant for her motivational speaker/musician guru-esque and very charismatic older brother, constantly on the go and with no life of her own--she just makes his life seamless and smooth. The resentment about this has been growing for years, but overflows after an argument with her brother over a friend of his (who just happened to kiss her) and the news from her on again/off again boyfriend of ten years that he's getting married because his current girlfriend is pregnant. So one night she mixes herself up a blender full of Ben&Jerry's and vodka and signs on to her brother's social media sites (which she takes care of for him) and asks all of his fans to support her as a last minute replacement on Dancing With The Stars. And they do.

This book is completely hilarious and pretty much impossible to put down once Deirdre starts her training. In between the slapstick, there are gentle touches on body image, weight, confidence, family and more. Once again, Cook tells it like so many women know it (only with more laughs), and this book will delight her fans, and no doubt earn her some more. show less