Another Piece of My Heart: A Novel

This was a thought provocing story. It may seem far-fetched to someone who has not experienced it, but it was very real to me. It should be a lesson to anyone contemplating marrying into a broken family. I have experienced this first hand and this book depicts a situation which is so difficult that it can be , and often is, a deal breaker. In my case it was a step-son who did all that he could to break up our marriage, forcing my husband to make a choice. Fortunately, because of our deep Faith in God and caring for each other, we were able to stick it out, but it was hard!!! I enjoyed this book,but it should be taken seriously.

Very good and topic that puts Cinderella from a perspective of a step mother... Not often spoken about where the second is portrayed in a good light. Interesting read, but at some points has unnecessary descriptions that could have been avoided, by talking about feelings of the characters instead. I found myself skipping such lengthy uninteresting parts of the book without missing the main idea.

Great characters none of which were perfect. The author portrayed them faults and all making even the ones that were quite dysfunctional able to be viewed with sympathy. Had to keep reading to see what happened next and shed a few tears along the way. Will read more of Jane Green - thoroughly enjoyed this book and sad to reach the end. Would love to know what happened next if there was a sequal.

Jane Green's characters aren't obvious on the face and thus pull you through this tale as you want to see what happpens. Green tackled a tough topic and did it with insights into generations, situations and, most of all people. It keeps you involved from the start, especially if you have been in step-parenting shoes. Strongly recommend.

A great book, jane Green has challenged the typical 'perfect family' senario and written a brilliant book which many people will be able to relate to. Whether its children from divorced parents, mothers with step children, or those who found themselves lost as teenagers, you can relate to all.
One of her best books, and one i couldn't put down.

This is great easy reading book. You cannot put the book down until it is finished. There is nothing that I did not like in the book. It is great book if you want to relax and enjoy reading! Highly recommended as any other book that I read from Jane Green.

Andi is in her early forties and has been married to Ethan for 6 years. She's also stepmother to his two daughters - Sophia is 12 and Emily is 17. Her relationship with Sophia is close and warm, but Emily has never accepted Andi and it's causing serious friction in her marriage. As she wryly observes, the only times that she and Ethan fight, it's about Emily, but lately the fights have been occurring more often and more bitterly. Meanwhile Emily is going through an extremely rebellious phase. One night Ethan gets a call to say that his daughter has been arrested, but that's only the tip of the trouble that she has got herself into.

This is an extremely easy book to read. I read most of it in one day. It hums along, without any real twists or tension, but not entirely predictably either. The main problem that I had with it was that I never cared about any of the characters. Ethan, Andi and Emily are all pretty flawed and not terribly likeable. Nor did I believe for one moment in any of Andi's friends - they didn't feel like real people. But having said that, it's still an enjoyable read and I still found myself caught up in it. It's the kind of book that you want to read on holiday, when you don't want to have to think too much about what you're reading, just have it go down nice and easy. I liked it.

This book has been published in the US under the title Another Piece of My Heart.

This story is about blended families and how they interact. Andi is a young woman who has married the man of her dreams, Ethan. He has two children, both girls, who are teenagers. Andi and Ethan have been trying to have a baby of their own but have been unable to conceive. Andi does everything in her power to enjoy the life she has with her stepchildren. However, the older child, Emily can't stand Andi and that is the basis for all the drama in the family.

I could not stand Emily. She did everything that she could to run Andi off. She almost succeeds but finally, and it took forever, Ethan realizes that Emily is sabotaging his marriage to Andi. It was almost too late but he finally understands that Andi is the aggrieved person in this family.

This was a decent read but the eighteen year old teenager was so awful that it overshadowed the entire story. Her personality was so egregious that I had no sympathy towards her. I also found that the chapters that Emily narrated were very slow moving. This is not one of Jane Green's best books but it is still worth reading if you don't have something better to read.

This was a difficult book for me to get through. I stopped listening several times. It was the first Jane Green novel I have ever read, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd describe this book as an in-depth family drama with plenty of emotion and struggle.

Several things went wrong for me from the beginning, starting with, Emily, Andi's step-daughter. She was definitely an irritating teenager, a bratty tantrum throwing teenager. And as her parents, Andi and Ethan seemed helpless when it came to disciplining Emily. Instead, they were always giving in to Emily's demands and were always worrying about whether Emily liked them. This whole situation just felt over the top to me at times.

The author also alternates the story view point between Andi, Emily, Ethan and Janice, Emily's biological and recovering alcoholic mother. This was probably done to try and give more depth to the characters, but it did not work for me. Every character just seemed to whine and complain way too much. There were also times when the characters moved the story forward by telling or synopsizing the story for us, instead of taking us through the story as it happened. This is one of my pet peeves. I'd rather be shown what happens versus just being told.

And lastly, the narrator was another big problem for me. The audio book version is read by the author. She is British, and for the first quarter of the book, I thought I was reading about a family living in the UK somewhere. Turns out they live in the U.S.. I found this confusing, and wish they had chosen someone else to read the book.

If you have read a Jane Green novel before and enjoyed them, you will probably like this one. It just didn't work for me.

This was my first experience with Green and I wasn't really sure what to expect. Our book club won copies of this book and when I was judging the book by it's cover, which I admit to doing quite often, I figured it would be a sappy love story. Well I can tell you it was far from that.

The book is basically written in two parts. The first half being told by Andi as she struggles with the troubles of being a stepmother to a young girl that wants nothing to do with her. Emily is rude and belligerent most of the time, making it hard for Andi to continue reaching out to her. It becomes more difficult when her husband doesn't support her, but always turns to his daughter at any sign of turmoil. I definitely understood her frustrations, but by the end of this part it almost took on a whiny tone making me thankful we were done with that stuff.

The second half of the book was told from several perspectives, including the angry, young Emily. We learn what makes her so angry inside and watch her as she makes wrong decisions that will follow her throughout her life. We see a part of Emily that makes us want to slap her silly, but we are also lucky enough to watch her accept the cards that life has given her as she develops into a confident young woman.

Families can be messy business, especially when divorce and stepparents are involved. I think Green did a great job of creating a realistic situation by not holding back any of the gritty nastiness that comes up in life. Even though most of the gals in my book club didn't enjoy this one as much as I did, it did make for a great evening of discussion. With themes of love, forgiveness, and family this is a great book for personal leisure or as a book club selection. I don't hesitate in recommending this novel.

This was my first experience with Green and I wasn't really sure what to expect. Our book club won copies of this book and when I was judging the book by it's cover, which I admit to doing quite often, I figured it would be a sappy love story. Well I can tell you it was far from that.

The book is basically written in two parts. The first half being told by Andi as she struggles with the troubles of being a stepmother to a young girl that wants nothing to do with her. Emily is rude and belligerent most of the time, making it hard for Andi to continue reaching out to her. It becomes more difficult when her husband doesn't support her, but always turns to his daughter at any sign of turmoil. I definitely understood her frustrations, but by the end of this part it almost took on a whiny tone making me thankful we were done with that stuff.

The second half of the book was told from several perspectives, including the angry, young Emily. We learn what makes her so angry inside and watch her as she makes wrong decisions that will follow her throughout her life. We see a part of Emily that makes us want to slap her silly, but we are also lucky enough to watch her accept the cards that life has given her as she develops into a confident young woman.

Families can be messy business, especially when divorce and stepparents are involved. I think Green did a great job of creating a realistic situation by not holding back any of the gritty nastiness that comes up in life. Even though most of the gals in my book club didn't enjoy this one as much as I did, it did make for a great evening of discussion. With themes of love, forgiveness, and family this is a great book for personal leisure or as a book club selection. I don't hesitate in recommending this novel.

I've read, though not reviewed, several of Jane's books. Surprisingly, perhaps because stylistically she is best know for 'chick lit', I, as a man, have enjoyed her novels. The ones that I have read (i.e. 'Beach House', etc.) are set in my homefront area of Fairfield County's 'Gold Coast'. I can relate geographically, and in some cases with the characters.

While 'Another Piece of My Heart' is aptly characterized as chick lit, the book (and audio CD) are a departure of sorts for the writer. For the former, the setting is new - largely west coast - in the area of Mill Valley, CA. Regarding the latter, Jane provides oral interpretation of the novel as narrator on the CD.

There are people that have entered my life who remind me of the main characters in the book. Ethan and Andi; his 2nd marriage, her first and later in life. Ethan's ex is a recovering drunk, although sobriety comes much later in the book. Central to the story line is the drama brought to the marital relationship by Ethan's older daughter Emily from his first marriage. Candidly, I wanted to give her a dose of reality. But eliciting this strong feeling in a reader is a compliment to the writer's skill in character development and narrative.

Emily expresses all the teen angst one could hope for on top of step-Mom resentment, Goth identification and even a teen pregnancy. There were times that I had to put the book down because all the familial drama seemed too distressing compared to my own relatively uncomplicated family life. All I could think was "Man, I'm glad that's not me!"

Nevertheless, I'm a sucker for happy endings. 'Another Piece of My Heart' does not disappoint. In fact, given the years of family discord, it's a wonder things conclude as well as they do.

Andi is in her early forties and has been married to Ethan for 6 years. She's also stepmother to his two daughters - Sophia is 12 and Emily is 17. Her relationship with Sophia is close and warm, but Emily has never accepted Andi and it's causing serious friction in her marriage. As she wryly observes, the only times that she and Ethan fight, it's about Emily, but lately the fights have been occurring more often and more bitterly. Meanwhile Emily is going through an extremely rebellious phase. One night Ethan gets a call to say that his daughter has been arrested, but that's only the tip of the trouble that she has got herself into.

This is an extremely easy book to read. I read most of it in one day. It hums along, without any real twists or tension, but not entirely predictably either. The main problem that I had with it was that I never cared about any of the characters. Ethan, Andi and Emily are all pretty flawed and not terribly likeable. Nor did I believe for one moment in any of Andi's friends - they didn't feel like real people. But having said that, it's still an enjoyable read and I still found myself caught up in it. It's the kind of book that you want to read on holiday, when you don't want to have to think too much about what you're reading, just have it go down nice and easy. I liked it.

This book has been published in the UK under the title "The Patchwork Marriage".

Fans of Jane Green will be infuriated by my review. I didn't like this book, though it had one redeeming factor.

The Another Piece of My Heart - audio book was, unfortunately, not what I was hoping. It's a surprisingly predictable chick-lit, unlike other novels I've read in the genre. The events in almost every chapter were anticipated even than in the last.

Andi is second wife to the perfect Ethan, and stepmother to his daughters, Emily and Sophia. She and Ethan are successful in their respective businesses. The only thing missing is a child of their own.

Andi tries to "buy" her stepdaughters' love, and whines when the older Emily does not "buy in" to this. Meanwhile, Ethan gives in to Emily's fits of rage, whether she is correct or not. Most parents are far from perfect, but these two are pretty far on a litmus scale.

The most likeable character is Sophia, and she is the only one I didn't want to shake as I listened to this novel!

Surprisingly, I found the most believable characters to be the bratty Emily and Ethan's ex wife, the alcoholic Janice. I've known teenagers just like Emily, who wound up living their lives just as she did. I've also known alcoholic women who were very much like Janice, who even has a surprise or two up her sleeve.

The saving grace of Another Piece ... is that Jane Green writes really well. Not what the review reader would expect to hear, based on the prior paragraph! but Green's descriptions are complete without being overly wordy, and I didn't cringe at her vocabulary or command of the English language. I'd like to try something else by her, with an open mind.

Wow, I really liked this book. I totally felt for Andi, our protagonist, and her struggles with being a step mom and wanting to have her own child. I was a little thrown at first by the reader because it was read by Jane Green (Who is British, who knew?). Once I was able to get used to the accent and remembering that this was a book about America, it got easier.

One of the reasons that I liked this book so much was because of the conflict between Andi and her step daughter Emily. The resentment between the two of them was what made this story interesting and kept you reading. You felt frustration as Emily twisted things and tried to turn her father, Ethan, against Andi. You felt angry at Emily as she didn't change at all.

Emily was super angry with Andi because she felt like she had stolen her father from him. The whole time I was listening, I just kept thinking how I wanted to beat the hell out of her. She was a truly detestable character, even when she came back three years after having her baby-she was selfish even when she tried to defend her actions as not being selfish. Like when she tried to take her baby back under the guise of doing it because it was what Michael wanted. She only wanted the baby to keep Michael happy and with her, which was totally selfish.

I admired Andi's maternal instinct and her ability to stand her ground when it came to Emily returning to their lives and making mistake after mistake. I think that the book could have ended with Emily just up and leaving, but the jump three years in the future was nice just to see how things worked out for everyone even if it did lead to another two hours worth of drama to listen to (if not more than that).

As I tried to review this book I realized that reviewing audiobooks can be harder because i listen to them over a long span of time, and not just that, but I'm not reading the words, for the most part, I'm passively listening, I get all the big stuff, but then I get distracted by the music being too loud at the gym or my mom trying to talk to me. Overall though I think this book was great.

Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by~Ashleigh
Review Copy Provided by~She Knows Book Club

For Andi, love and marriage was something she had always dreamed about as a little girl, figuring that it would always happen when the time was right. But as the years past and still no change, Andi had to take matters into her own hands if she ever wanted to have children. Meeting Ethan was the best thing that ever happened to her, not only was he a great guy but he had a ready made family for her to join. Motherhood was in her sights. But life doesn't always give you a happy ending without a lot of work before hand, and Andi definitely has her work cut out for her. If she wants to have her cake and eat it too, she will have to walk through hell and come out the other side first.

Emily hates Andi. Andi has not only ruined her life, but has taken her daddy's love too. No longer does Ethan think the world revolves around Emily, but Andi, and Emily isn't willing to give up without a fight. Driving Andi away will bring her mom back and things will be better than they were before. Emily is willing to be the worst child in the world to make her plan work, but life gets in the way for her too, getting her into a kind of trouble that you can't wish away. Will Andi be the answer to ever wish that Emily has in the end or will Emily ruin any chance she has with Andi as a mother before they even begin?

This was an amazing story that really showed what life is like in a step parent situation, and all the struggles a real marriage goes through to make it work. I loved that Jane Green didn't make light of the tough stuff and really showed everything in a bright light, but still made the book and enjoyable read. I will say the first part was a bit difficult to get through, and at times i thought that i wasn't going to like the book at all, but about 70 pages in Andi and Emily really made the story come to life for me. From there I couldn't put the book down until I knew how it ended. The twist towards the end was something that I didn't expect at all, and it literally had be gasp. (I won't give any spoilers - but let me just say it is an ending that you don't expect to happen)

Another Piece of my Heart isn't my first read of Jane Green, and I can say that this is by far my favorite books of hers. I am so glad that I got the opportunity to read this one for Romancing the Book, and can't wait to see what Jane has in store for us next. I am a fan for life, and will wait on batted breathe for the next great one from her.

Prepare for a roller coaster of a ride. Andi married late in life, waited for the "one". When she met Ethan she felt as if the stars aligned. She wanted to have a house full of children. But, Andi's dreams of having her own child probably won't happen. She is going through periomenopause. Ethan doesn't mind though, he was previously married and has 2 daughers; Emily and Sophia.

Sophia is an easy going child but Emily, Emily is the catalyst in the story. When Emily is acting nice, things are good. When Emily doesn't want to play nice, things get bad. Just how bad will things get though? When Emily is arrested for an underage DUI, Andi goes to pick her up. However, what Andi sees is even more shocking. Emily is pregnant.

What Andi has wanted her whole life, Emily is getting and she doesn't even want it. Find out what happens when this family plunges deep into each of their own ideas, trials and tribulations.

Excellent book. I felt myself fighting for Andi, then Emily, then Cal... Couldn't get any better!

I thoroughly enjoy Jane Green novels..... however, lately it seems that her newer ones just don't do it for me as much as some of her older ones do. While I will say I enjoyed this one much more than The Beach House, I still prefer older ones such as Mr. Maybe. This story is beautifully written, but a little slow to build momentum. The story's main focus is on step-mother - Andi, and step-daughter - Emily's relationship and all the drama that it entails. We're also given snippets on Andi's relationship with her husband and other step daughter as well.

One thing I will point out, is that I did not enjoy the switch in viewpoints during the novel. I wish it had been told entirely from Andi's perspective, as after reading the first half or so of the book, I was fully invested in her character and her thoughts. Switching to Emily threw me for a loop, and in general, I'm not a big fan of perspective changes while reading.

If you're a fan of Jane Green, you shouldn't skip this book by any means, but if you're anything like me, you'll probably prefer her earlier works to this one.

"Another Piece of my Heart" is an amazing book that is filled with roller coaster emotion.

As you read this story it's as if you are in Ethan's and Andi's home witnessing life with an explosive teenager and the conflicts that having a readymade family has, throw in the complication of an alcoholic ex-wife that feels she has more rights than the current wife which also enjoys creating conflicts and takes pleasure in adding fuel to any possible flame to create a flaming fire.

It's very difficult being a step parent and absolutely necessary to keep your mouth shut regarding issues of children, Andi was able to always respect Ethan's love for his daughters and his right to raise the girls even when one is doing everything in her power to break up her dad and stepmother. But somehow Andi manages to hold on. Andi always treats the girls with respect and gives as much love to them as they will allow.

There are so many great characters in the book the neighbors are wonderful, friends are supportive both for the parents and children.

Somehow Jane Green has accomplished bringing these very different personalities that have been in very difficult situation full circle she is able to redeem the best of each of her characters and brings in such warmth that the blend is not only impressive it's complete.

Thanks Goodreads!

Andi had just about given up on love, marriage and family life before she met Ethan when she was in her mid-30s. At that time, Ethan seemed like a dream come true: a landscape architect whose interest in beautiful spaces and places matches Andi's own; a family man, divorced but dedicated to his two lovely daughters.

After the two have been married for several years, however, Andi's dreams of marrying into the perfect family and perhaps adding to it with a child of their own seem to have evaporated. Instead of "two lovely daughters," Andi now has a good relationship with only one, younger sister Sophia. Older sister Emily, now in high school, has become sullen, rude, and sometimes downright cruel to Andi even as she clings to Ethan, who seems blind to his older daughter's faults. Andi's repeated requests to crack down on Emily's bad behavior (which includes drug use and drunk driving) are dismissed or ignored by Ethan. What's more, Andi hasn't gotten pregnant, and it's become increasingly clear that Ethan doesn't want to go through the baby stage again with a third child.

When Emily becomes pregnant, Andi realizes that this might be the chance to have her dreams of becoming a mother, of caring for a baby, come true. But Ethan is hesitant, and Emily just might decide she wants to abort --- or keep the baby herself. This family crisis might not only drive Emily and Andi farther apart, it also might destroy the strong relationship Ethan and Andi once shared.

ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART is simultaneously both Andi's and Emily's stories. At first, the novel seems to be focusing solely on Andi, as she struggles to negotiate her proper place as stepmom to an increasingly unlikable stepdaughter. Midway through the book, however, Green broadens her focus to include Emily, who tells her own story in the first person. This technique, although not entirely successful from a narrative standpoint, does allow Green to introduce the reader to Emily's complexities and even her assets, many of which are invisible to Andi.

Jane Green's 13th novel is by no means perfect. Its rapidly shifting points of view can be disorienting and confusing. Sophia's virtue and Emily's vices are overblown and overly simplistic. Andi's single-minded focus on having babies and her inability to meet Emily on her own terms make her a difficult character to like. But the book does capitalize on many of Green's strengths: brisk plotting, believable situations, and realistic descriptions of family life. Although ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART might be an uncomfortable read for some mother-daughter book clubs, it could also be the perfect vehicle for getting mothers and daughters (step- or not) talking to one another about the things that push them apart and keep them together.

Reviewed by Norah Piehl

This book is a great read, very difficult to battle through some of the emotional stuff between the main characters but very good read. The story is about a woman, Andi, who desperately wants a child. She marries a man, Ethan, who has two daughters; one very sweet and one very difficult. The story goes on with the dynamics of the family being challenged when a big twist takes place. The character development is amazing, you grow to love some characters and despise others. Jane Green has found a great niche with these books! I can't get enough!

Jane Green, in her novel "Another Piece of My Heart," attempts to tell a modern story depicting the very real trials and tribulations of an extended family's drama as each of its individuals struggles to be heard, appreciated and unconditionally loved within a dynamic that is less than perfect by its very definition. Despite, the cheery "and they all lived happily ever after" ending, what she does manage to do, quite unintentionally, is write a cautionary tale for any previously `married with children' single contemplating marital infiltration within the boundaries of an already complicated scenario that will surely unravel and deteriorate as each of the players realize that it is every man for himself and that the actual family unit means very little in the face of his/her individual desires.

In the version that this reviewer experienced, the author herself reads the unabridged version of the novel. Obviously, as she is well versed with her own material, she brings a special exuberance to the narration. However, as the story takes place in California to an American family, it seems strange to have the author's extremely British voice speaking her written British colloquialisms, expecting the reader or listener to not roll an eye or two at the incongruent sensibilities.

Along this line, Green waxes a bit "Food" and "Home Décor" channel as she sets her scene in a well-to-do suburban community orbiting around San Francisco where the economy's nosedive hasn't yet been detected amongst the denizens who float through working at high priced careers, seeking out gluten-free crackers and relaxing into the perfect "downward facing dog." In this fertile and affluent Never Neverland, is it any wonder that all of the main characters suffer from the most acute 21st century diseases?

Forty-something Andi kicks off the story with a bout of peri-menopausal night sweats--the setup here being that her chances of having a much-desired child at her reproductive age seems scant and emotionally frustrating. Must be all that hormone-injected chicken she eats in the pricy little salads served at the posh bistros in town? Husband Ethan couldn't care less. At almost fifty, the last thing he wants to do is listen to a kid screaming in the middle of the night griping about hunger and a dirty diaper. He's already got a family: two daughters--the better-adjusted Sophia and the histrionic Emily who wails longer and louder than any infant could. Fat, black-dyed haired Goth "Em" hates Andi, who in her eyes epitomizes the Wicked Stepmother who is in the way of biological family solidarity. Her mother, a spiteful alcoholic, rounds out a cast of characters who, for the most part, are so selfishly motivated they contend for the coveted title of " The iFamily" where the "i" is so much more important than the whole and a sad dysfunction reigns with a Capital "D."

However pathetic, once the third person narration centering around Andi flips to a first person narration of train wreck Emily, the story does manage to become slightly more relatable. Green determinedly tries to depict her Emily with the gauche candor of a teenager. Nonetheless, her narrative is way too introspective--the answers Emily discovers in less than six short years seem unrealistic--even for those who have spent over a lifetime figuring out just how to steer their reality into such a convenient fairytale ending. How many twenty-four-year olds with this type of baggage end up on top of the rainbow with the pot of gold and an understanding that would put Jung and Freud to shame?

With that said, this reviewer avidly listened to the entire recording consisting of eleven CDs. Despite its saccharin-y sweet descriptions of lifestyle demographics of which no one should complain, the sense of anger and frustration as channeled by teenage Emily placed in a situation beyond her control is a sad commentary on modern marriage and child rearing. How can anything this interweaving of complicated egos not result in a torn self-confidence and future instability? Green's adults are, by far, the most selfish people I have encountered in contemporary literature--their unrealistic insistence that they can make any situation work out seems disgustingly unsympathetic to the needs of the children they create.

Nevertheless, the novel was compelling in spite of itself. It forced a reaction, albeit a gag reflex most of the time each of the characters went on about their own personal crusades in the glossy magazine prose Green seems to favor when speaking of the amenities these players so ungraciously enjoy.

Bottom line? Jane Green's "Another Piece of My Heart" is a morose commentary on the complications of modern marriage and the repercussions that the entire family feels when bad decisions are made. At times nauseatingly trite, "Heart" nevertheless attempts to string out a happy ending despite some unrealistic premises. Recommended if you like your drama bordering on the emotional fantastic.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

I enjoy books about family dynamics and conflicts, and was intrigued by the idea of a woman with a stepdaughter who is difficult and nasty to her. Two mothers in conflict over a child is also full of dramatic promise. But this book didn't work much for me. It's told largely from an omniscient point of view with lots of summary so I never felt really close to any of the characters. There were actually many different points of view at times and they shifted awkwardly. I didn't much like any of the characters, and never understood the attraction of the husband, Ethan. I think the book could have been much, much better but read like it was written quickly and never revised.

Really enjoyed this book and liked that I had insight into many of the character's POVs without feeling overwhelmed or losing track. Jane allows us to empathize with each of the storytellers (3 in all), even with their all-to-human faults. I felt this was a "real" story, yet I was pleased with the outcome. I grew attached to this family, and am happy with how Jane left the ending. Well done! :)

I really enjoyed Jane Green's earlier novels and her novel 'Bookends', published in 2000 is an all-time favourite of mine. I'll admit that I've not enjoyed her later novels as much, but was looking forward to The Patchwork Marriage as the synopsis sounded great.
It is an easy read, but I felt it was just an average read too. The story is quite long and the characters felt under developed, I struggled to find empathy for any of them.

Die-hard fans will probably enjoy this story, but it wasn't really my cup of tea.

First, the author's voice started to bother me after 11 hours. A British accent telling a story about Californians? It was discordant at times.

Second, the book itself was interesting, but at the end, I really didn't like any of the characters.

What did I like to give it 3 stars?
The author created real-life situations. I'm so used to reading romance and fantasy, with their black and white storylines, this was a nice change for me. Life didn't become perfect overnight, it took years of pain and struggles to reach that point and the book took you through all of the pain.

The main focus of the book was on a self absorbed stepdaughter who was experiencing immense pain over the indifference of her alcoholic mother. Only after 10 years of drama, do things get better. Wow, I'm worn out just thinking about it again.

I really, really liked this book. I was sorry to see it end. If you have avoided any of Jane Green's books (too much alike, too fluffy, too chick lit), this is in a different category. The story is something snatched from today's headlines...a woman marries a man she loves and gets his two daughters as part of the package since their mother is an on-again, off-again alcoholic.

If you are a step-parent or know someone who is, you will recognize all the issues that come along with blending a family.

A crisis seems in some ways to be the answer to the main character's prayers, but life has a few more surprises for her.

I don't want to give anything away...but you will be so happy you picked this book up (I'm assuming since you even CONSIDERED it that you aren't someone who scoffs at this type of novel!).

Buy it today and be prepared to stay up way, way into the night. Jane Green has truly evolved into a novelist I won't miss.

Helen for [...]

I actually really enjoyed reading this but as I come to write the review I fear it might sound a bit negative! I did have many moments in the story when I was frustrated with the characters and wanted to give them a piece of my mind. A bit like shouting at the telly I suppose! However I was drawn into the plot and the family dynamic. Having worked with young people and spent time talking to many about life in step families, I felt that the views and feelings at the heart of this were incredibly common and though it may not be a realistic account of blended family life it resonated with my experience of hearing those teenagers stories.

As it says in the burb above Andi and Ethan are married and Andi is step mother to Emily and Sophia. Sophia has accepted the situation but Emily is doing everything in her power to make life difficult. She is an intelligent child and seems to know she has her father at her finger tips, manipulating him to get her own way in every situation. Andi feels neglected and impotent to deal with this as Ethan seems unable to stand up to his `little girl' as he copes with the guilt of the divorce and all that came with it.

Things are further complicated by the fact that Andi would dearly love to have a child of her own and has been unable to do so. Ethan has refused to consider adoption and Andi's anger and hurt are looking for a channel! The pressure on Andi and Ethan's relationship is at breaking point as they are unable to find a way to manage any of these issues effectively. Throw into the mix further problems from Ethan's ex-wife who is an alcoholic, Emily's lack of friends and Andi meeting a handsome engaging man and think; is it any wonder things aren't going well?!

The characters in the story are generally very self-centred; the focus is on their needs. On the whole they seem to be unable to see someone else's point of view or understand how their actions might make things worse rather than better. I know that we are all selfish deep down but they seemed so blinkered sometimes. Ethan seems completely incapable of seeing Emily's manipulation; Andi can't see that having a baby would probably be the last straw for everyone. Although it has to be said I thought Ethan really dealt with whole situation totally unfeelingly. I did have sympathy for the characters, being childless when you want a child is terrible, making up to your child for putting them through a difficult divorce is totally understandable, but they just could not communicate effectively with each other. The naivety on both sides in creating this knew family was blindingly obvious.

I did like how the novel was told from the perspective of many of the different characters. This worked particularly well in building up a picture of Emily as seen through Andi's eyes so that she seemed completely awful and then hitting a chapter from Emily's standpoint that made you completely re-evaluate her. There was that lostness in her, and also recognition of her inability to control her temper and that Andi often wasn't so bad but Emily just can't help herself. A real teenager!

I also must mention that my favourite characters were the two gay men who lived next door. Their dinner parties sounded amazing and often they were the only ones who spoke any kind of common sense at all!

As the story develops things become more complicated and I can't tell you more or it'll be a spoiler! But it is interesting that even though there is some resolution this is not a happy ending type fairy tale. Even so in some ways it was too tied up for me, after all the messiness of their lives there is a lot to work out and some of the resolutions found I didn't like, some of it is too convenient.

Verdict: On the whole this is a good reflection of the imperfectness of family life and the difficulties faced by blended families.

Reviewed by my wife: From the beginning this book seemed high on the drama, but somehow still predictable and boring. The storyline got more interesting later in the book...but if this hadn't been on CD, I don't think I would have made it that far. The author did the audio reading and she did well at distinguishing the characters with her voice, but somehow I did not like most of the voices. For me, it was also strange to have the author's accent in a book that had no characters with accents.

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

This book was a pretty depressing and frustrating read. After seeing that it averaged 4 out of 5 stars, I was excited to read it. The premise sounded interesting, but the story simply was not good to me.

Besides Sophia and Michael, none of the characters were likable. Andi was always mad at the father for being a pushover, but was often one herself. Ethan was afraid of Emily and let her do anything she wanted. I also quickly got tired of him telling his wife to stop only looking at the negative, when he only allowed himself to see the positive. Andi was not only bullied by Emily, but also Ethan, who never cared to listen to her opinion on anything if it didn't match his. Very early on I was hoping that they would get a divorce because they seemed so wrong for each other.

As other reviewers have said, I'm not quite sure why she bothered writing part of the story from Emily's perspective. Usually this is done to show readers a new, unknown side of a character, but all her portions did was cement the fact that she was a selfish, whiny, immature girl. She truly thought the world revolved around her. It blew my mind that she was surprised by the fact that Andi felt anything but undying love for her when all she did was treat her like crap.

I give the book two stars because it did keep my attention, but only because I wanted to see what else could possibly go wrong in this dysfunctional family.