The Manny

On the surface, Jamie Whitfield has it all: a thriving career as a serious broadcast news producer, a multimillionaire husband, three adorable children, and full cast of household help. What she doesn't have is a full-time father for her children or an attentive husband.

What's a desperate woman to do? Hire a man. Not any man, but a male nanny.

I enjoyed this voyeuristic journey into the 0.001% of Manhattan's richest families on the Grid. But I didn't give the book 5 stars, because I wasn't particularly fond of Jamie at first. She rubbed me the wrong way a few times, but overall, the author portrayed her as realistically as possible, especially her indecisiveness on whether or not to leave her power marriage.

You tell a story about rich Manhattanites, I'm there. In this one, a high-powered news producer thinks her son needs more male guidance (husband is distracted with his own career) and hires a "manny" who happens to be gorgeous, sensitive, and about to take off with his own high-tech company. You can guess what happens. Pretty good. I had the U.K. edition, so the language was almost quaint.

Fun, well-written book about Jamie, a middle-class Midwesterner now living in New York with the very, very rich and not really fitting in. When her 9-year-old Dylan begins to have "issues" because his high-powered lawyer father is never home and doesn't do anything with him even when he is home, Jamie hires Peter, a 28-year-old software developer who needs the money, as a manny (male nanny) to do things with Dylan and help him with the issues. Then life gets even crazier. Definitely in the chick-lit category but a good book if you're looking for something light ro read.

I felt like this book was uneven - like the author wasn't sure what she wanted this story to be. At times it felt like a romance novel where every scene is about sex and sexual tension. And then at other times it felt like more like a serious story about a failing marriage and excessive consumerism. Overall the storyline was good, but the tone of the novel just never hit the right note for me. I did like the author interview at the end of the audio version I listened to.

The Manny by Holly Peterson is the story of Jamie Whitfield, a working mother who is trying to navigate life through high society in New York City, while balancing a needy husband, 3 kids and a demanding job in the television industry. Jamie's husband, Phillip, works long hours and rarely spends time with their children, who are beginning to suffer for make attention, especially Dylan, Jamie's oldest son. Enter Peter, a male nanny, who is able to give the children a male role model and the father figure they crave. Jamie finds herself unhappy in her marriage and soon looks to Peter to fulfill her own needs as well. This book was a really easy, enjoyable read. I identified with Jamie's feelings as a mother and found myself pulling for show more her. The story was quick and all of the characters were believable. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read chick lit or mommy lit and is looking for a fun read. 4 stars. show less

I'm not digging it. I had difficulty getting on with the book. I had to start again three times because I lost interest in it quite quickly and would rather read some other book. I eventually steeled myself enough to read it right to the end.

For one, the writing was rather juvenile. It reminded me of poorly written fanfiction. I've read better written novels by amateurs compared to this! The sentence structure was atrocious, especially at the beginning of this book. There were parts that I had to reread because of the roundabout way it was written.

Secondly, the beginning part of the story was such a bore. It started to pick up when the Manny enter the scene more though. That happened closer towards the end of the book. And then, it show more died. Abruptly. The book has its funny moments, but its far in between.

Thirdly, I don't like the main character, Jamie Whitfield. I think her characterisation is a bit fucked up. She's told to be an accomplished part-time producer of a prime time news program. There was also a part in that book that painted her as some one with spunk. But she's not; she's weak and clueless.

She let herself be stuck with a racist, whiny and impossible husband for 10 years! And the way she babied her eldest son Dylan? Ugh, so nauseating. She's so superficial, as in she doesn't like the group of people she's acquainted with, and yet she's all kissy-kissy with them.

Fourthly, the ending sucks. Major. It was neither here nor there. I think it would be best for the author to consider writing an epilogue to tie up the loose ends. The ending was left hanging. When I reached the end, I went, 'Is that it? Wtf?'. It was really a let down. show less

It was only a matter of time. Once The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin came out, and Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding became popular, chick lit was in full swing. It was only natural that The Manny by Holly Peterson would be written. For those who enjoyed the shoes in Beth Harbison’s Shoe Addicts Anonymous, or designer clothes in Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada, one might enjoy this VERY light beach read. Although it is a somewhat weaker copycat, it might bring a smile or two to moms who find the summer months their biggest dread as schools close!Jamie Whitfield is a part-time working mother of three children ranging from two to nine years old. Her job as a busy news producer as well as being part, with a show more successful attorney husband who is absent a great deal and let’s just say, not a “hands-on helper”, has Jamie at the end of her rope. Jamie, who is a transplanted Midwesterner, finds the adjustment to the New York scene a constant battle. With her eldest, nine-year-old Dylan, showing more and more signs of withdrawal to the point of being motionless at times, Jamie thinks a male role model would do him some good. Husband Phillip, concerned with supporting his family in the style he thinks they need and are accustomed to where his income of more than a million dollars annually just gets them by, CERTAINLY can’t give up his time to sit with Dylan and see what makes him tick. As a workaholic himself, Phillip can’t imagine someone, especially his own son, having problems that would result in anything not productive. Phillip does give us a glimpse of the man Jamie fell in love with and who deep down loves his children every once in a while, but the times are too few and far between. It is at this point, as things with Dylan get worse, that Jamie decides that a male role model, rather than a nanny, would be the answer. So she seeks out a “manny”. Being in this class of privileged people where buying something can surely solve anyone’s problems, Jamie is optimistic that finding the right manny will solve her problems. And so, we meet Peter Bailey. He is 29 years old and looking for funding for his software business. Peter seems to like children and is kind and very intelligent. It also doesn’t hurt that he is very good looking! The fact that Peter is attentive to Jamie as we, are all things in Peter’s favor. So, Jamie hires Peter and the “nanny of the male persuasion” starts his job! One doesn’t have to be a genius to anticipate that Jamie and Peter will become attracted to each other. That along with subplots concerning Jamie’s hot news report she is wor, and the way the rich are living their superficial lives, moves the story line along as would be expected. Some complications can only help add to the rather predictable plot. The story of course is fictional and rather cliché as it talks about how people in these situations can get into trouble when letting th, but also her unfulfilling marriage? Will we find that Jamie can find happiness with a real man whether he has money or not? That is something you do have to read to find out about!
K.Haney© 2008 for Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com show less