Flirting with Pete

I enjoyed this book. Barbara Delinsky knows how to deliver a well written story about relationships and life. No surprises, just enjoyed the ride as I knew where we were heading.

It kind of reminded me of TV shows with an A story and a B story that complement each other. Note: The book does contain sex outside of marriage. The descriptions are not graphic but there is more description than implication.

A networking acquaintance gave me this book in a box of books.

Warning: Spoilers May Ensue--Read at your own discretion.

The story alternates between a past event: MaryJane "Jenny" Clyde, her father Darden Clyde, and Pete--and a present event: Cassandra "Casey" Ellis, her later father Cornelius "Connie" Unger, and her mother Caroline Ellis along with a few household staff of her late father.

Casey is likable at times but she seems to both want and not want a relationship with her father. She claims to not care that show more he didn't acknowledge her but then says she chose not to even try to contact him. She chose her field of study though and secretly hopes that he will notice her or refer clients to her and even goes to his public lectures in the hopes he'll wave her over or speak to her. The back and forth of this can get annoying (to me at least).

Connie leaves Casey his home after he dies--she resists living there at first. I can sort of understand that but after a while I think she was just fooling herself that she was going to stay at her condo that wasn't yet paid for.

It was a little unbelievable that Casey found the manilla envelopes in the order the story was supposed to go. Not necessarily finding the first envelope first--I think it was a given that she'd probably use his office space so putting the first one there was probably likely to make it the first one found--but how would he know that the neighbor would come over with sheet music at just the right time to find envelope #2 in the music bench before Casey searches his bedroom where part #3 is?

As far as Jenny, I guessed correctly that Darden had gone to jail in her place but I didn't guess the other issue in their relationship until closer to when the author revealed it. I didn't catch on to Pete until the author revealed it either nor did I realize who Jenny had become.

Did Connie set up Jordan and Casey for a romantic relationship? Casey seems to think so. I think even Jordan thinks so. Casey discovers other family members she didn't know she had through the "case study" of Jenny. show less

I love Barbara Delinsky's books! She writes wonderful characters with interesting stories - this one was not a disappointment. Interestingly, this is actually two stories in one. The main story concerns Casey, a therapist, who grew up with her mother and only knew who her father was from a distance. Her father is a successful professor, author, and therapist. The story revolves around her relationship with her mother, her father, and her new love interest. The second story involves a young woman named Marybeth Clyde. Her story is much more tragic and is told in a different way - I won't mention it here, because part of the intrigue of the novel is how each story unfolds.

I found it a little difficult to get into in the beginning.... could of been because I was trying to read while tired :) But I ended up really enjoying this book and kept looking forward to finding out about Jenny and Pete. The way that Barbara Delinsky tied both stories together in the end was interesting. Good read.

Love this book. It got a bit predictable and rushed towards the end. Like she was laying everything out in the beginning, then at the end rushing to tie it all up. A woman inherits her father's condo, a father she never meet. Her mother is in a nursing home in a coma, she starts a romantic relationshop with the gardner of her inherited condo. She also finds a journal in the condo and starts to read it, a story of a girl being abused by her father, and ends up investigating it. There are actually 2 stories in this book, and then how they tie together.

Liked it, but the ending got to be too predictable, and then all a rush of info, and wrapping up everything. Two stories in one. Woman's dad dies (who she never knew), and leaves her a condo. She finds a journal (2nd story) and tries to solve it. During all this her mother is dyin after being in a coma, and she is involved with her new gardner. Who also ends up to be involved and part of the journal story.
4/27/07

Successful psychotherapist Casey Ellis moved into her father's Beacon Hill exclusive townhome. Her second cousin (unknown to her at the time) lived in a small town and had killed her abusive mother, while her father took the 6 year sentence for her. He was obsessed with with her to the point she made up Pete in order to get the courage to escape her dad, with the help of the Sheriff, Dan. Both women's lives intertwined when Casey discovered her cousin was actually right under her nose, working as the housekeeper.