"Mrs Saint and the Defectives" by Julie Lawson Timmer

What an awesome novel. With humor, wit, warmth, and a large dose of humanity, Julie Lawson Timmer has written a true gem of a novel.

From the first paragraph I was engaged, by the second chapter I was enthralled, and by the third chapter I was addicted. How this little old pushy French lady could bring humor to a situation that was not truly funny was just the first of many scenes that would occur between her and newly divorced single mother Markie and her son Jesse.

Mrs Saint lives in the big house next door. She has taken on many to assist them with job skills and finding jobs. Well the latest group has been around a very long time, so other than little directions or assistance here and there, she has decided that getting to know Markie and giving her advice about her son might be appreciated. Not so much. Not the visits, the advice, or anything else that Mrs Saint wants to provide or offer. Sometimes Mrs Saint takes things into her own hands anyway, and boom, what Markie has said no to over and over is no longer an issue. Take the dog, for example. Or the babysitting, or the food, or having her son work for Mrs Saint to pay for restitution he feels obligated to pay for something he did. All decisions taken out of Markie's hands.

Despite the few times Markie has gotten angry, Mrs Saint is quite persistent. What's one to do with a woman like that? Who just walks through the hedge and bangs on your door? Or shows up when she says she would even if you told her not to?

And who can resist a group of adults, who all have certain quirks, that Mrs Saint has living with her so she can quietly and kindly assist them in the areas of their weakness? The, what she calls, defectives?

A novel with an energetic Australian shepherd, a cook who can't cook too well, a gardener who is easily confused, a woman and her child who have no actual job but to oversee "things," the "foreman" of the group who leaves and comes back at the same time everyday, and a tiny French woman who is full of answers that don't quite fit at times but has majored in bossy and persistence.

A truly magnificent book that is funny, kind, heartbreaking, heartwarming, honest, full of amazing characters, a plot that is phenomenal, and a true joy to read.

Rating: 4.9
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.
Mrs. Saint immediately reminded me of my mother’s busybody neighbor in her “active community” complex. You know the one – sweet and well-meaning but twists everything into their favor. God loves Gloria and the rest of the old biddies over at Seizure World but they drive me up a wall in a good way. Seriously though – what an original concept for a story and that’s what made it a delight to read.

What I loved: Markie is an honest character and that’s what makes her lovable. She accepts her bad traits, tried to accent her good ones, and at the end, finally sees in her what others had seen all along. Yes, she’s hurting – coping with divorce, humiliation, and trying to raise a teenager on her own. I like that she wants to be left alone in a cave to lick her wounds and find the answers to her problems because that’s exactly how I would deal with the situation.

What I Didn’t Love: There’s a patch right before the twist of events where I was a touch bored, but once I pushed through it and got to the climax of the book, I couldn’t stop reading to see how it ended.

What I learned: Not everyone copes the same way through events.

Overall Grade: A-

The storyline for this book sounded so good. But unfortunately for me, it just didn't work. I couldn't finish it.

After reading the blurb I had high hopes for this book. It could have been very good. Unfortunately I feel disappointed. It feels as somehow the author could not decide on the genre so in the end it came out as a medley of different sorts of books.
It had really great parts. After the dragging first half it took up pace and the story started to be really interesting. Unfortunately later it turned into melodrama.
I must mention the illogical elements in the timeline. The story does not add up with the ages of the characters. It is also a real mystery where the wealth of Mrs Saint comes from.
I could not like the main character, Markie and I found her long lamentations of self deprecation boring.
I am really sorry that I could not like the story more because the language is great so it was good to read it.

New home, newly divorced, a teenage son, and a meddling neighbor. That’s enough right there to drive anyone up the wall. In Mrs. Saint (do NOT pronounce it “Saynt”. It’s “San”) and the Defectives, you’ll fall in love with this meddling neighbor. Main character and newly divorced mom Markie will not understand your affections, but even she too, will learn the ways of Mrs. Saint and come to appreciate them. With her lovable “defectives” sprinkled throughout this novel, you will be entertained the whole way through. If you’re a parent (or maybe even if not!), you may become frustrated with Markie at times. You'll want to yell through the book to her and make her see what she’s missing. But that says something about a book, doesn’t it? Julie Lawson Timmer writes characters so well, that you feel emotionally invested enough to get angry at them. That right there is proof of an amazing writer. Settle in and enjoy. And make sure you drink enough water.

I received a review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

I would love to have neighbors like Mrs. Saint and the defectives. They a mismatched group of characters that truly love and care about each other. They help bring Markie and "Chessie" back to level ground after a major disruption in their lives. I truely never wanted it to end.

Sometimes i read a book, finish it and go on goodreads and see this big list of 5 stars reviews and just... don't understand? Did i read a different book?
Get a different kind of story? Read it wrong? How can it be that everyone else seems to LOVE It and i am sitting here thinking- what did i just read?
and not in a good way?

This was one of those books... so lets get into the nitty-gritty details about what i thought about it and not share a 5 stars review as so many others did!

The Good (or okay honestly)
- Mrs Saint. Because honestly that is what she actually is in many ways.
Yes she is incredibly forward, and i would HATE having her as a neighbour with how she very firmly implants herself into the life of her neighbour. But she means good, and i am sure that if Markie (the main character) would really wanted to have nothing to do with Mrs. Saint she could have made it clearer. But Mrs Saint was a wonderful addition and in most aspects a great character to read about.
- Very easy read and mostly entertaining. Its a super quick and easy read that can easily be read in one sitting so clearly the writing itself is very easy to read and fly through.


The "not so great":
- the plot:
it was utterly predictable. The only thing i wasn't sure about what was going on was the details of the relationship between Frederic and Mrs. Saint. But honestly? I didn't really care what exactly was going on between those too, because ... why would i care?
- the defectives:
The side characters that Mrs Saint "helps" by employing them are sometimes okay, sometimes nice, sometimes incredibly annoying and sometimes simply there to fill pages -or that is how i felt about it. I liked the idea of someone actually "picking" people and specifically helping them when they need it and not in a way of "here take the money and spend it" but in a "you have to do the work and than you get the money" and letting people that always felt like they were not good enough, finally feel like they actually can accomplish things. (that is more a praise towards Mrs. Saint through so... yeah) still it was nice to see those characters but after a while and the constant repetitiveness of how those "defective" people handled situations it got boring... fast!


The Bad:
- Markie
First of all that name?
Is that even a name?
And than... she was horrible. She spends chapters, after chapters overthinking things and than never actually doing what she thought out to do! I mean yes she manages to find a job, a place to live and keeps her kid alive. Congratulations! But she is a complete Doormat! And in the most horrendous way!
She is mean and judgmental and only does things because she has no backbone to say "yeah no that doesn't work for me, sorry!" instead the lets it happen and we get chapters of her complaining about it! Just what? She lets herself be the one used by her husband, her parents and than Mrs. Saint ( in many ways) and her defectives and constantly complains about it but never actually does anything about it. Only over using the phrase "its my fault" -well yes it is! USE YOUR WORDS WOMAN!
HATED MARKIE!
- Jesse.
Excuse me while i use the most horrendous "teenage boy trope" in existence and we get Jesse. The cute little nerdy boy that hates everything the moment he can't say in his save little private school bubble.
He is NOT a little kid! He clearly had to hear what his father did and instead of helping his mother he is words he is a complete brat about a horrendous situation? Not that i like Markie and she is clearly stupid in many situations but still, she did try her best in many moments after the father left. So the least the kid could have done was try as well. I hate it when authors write teenagers as if they are still to much of a child to understand what is going on.
You know what is going on, you understand money troubles as a child and even more so as a teenager! And you can tell a freaking 13 or 14 year old that his father is a cheating lying stupid idiot!
So not a fan of the kid!
- the "rich people suck at life!" commentary.
Throughout this entire book we constantly get the message that rich people are too stupid for everything (well other than Mrs. Saint- she clearly knows how to spend her money right, just ask the author!) I have no idea if it that is really how America works, but it was way to extremely portrait for me. There were too many moments where it was made clear how wrong Markie or others of her earlier "circle" behaved in a situation but it was simply put off with a "well thats how it is" and that didn't work for me.
- the constant "thats bad for..." preaching (hey if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck lets call it what it is!)
Can we just stop with the "a TV in a kids room is bad", "video games a bad" "parents HAVE to know each and every person their kid hangs out with during school and especially after" and the one i LOVED "cheating men HAVE TO BE FORGIVEN and the women should just suck it up" or in the words i heard it "why didn't you do your freaking job woman and tried to keep the cheating hidden better?"
I hated how many different moments this book had where it was so clearly stated that something was BAD simply because it was not what everyone else in the book was doing. Mrs Saint loved having people around. So clearly Markie enjoying the quiet and NOT having people around is BAD.
If a child doesn't have parents that are constantly asking what they are doing the child AND the parent is BAD. If a child doesn't have that kind of parent it clearly is up to no good and can only be a BAD influence... it goes on, and on, and on in this book.
And i am sorry but NO!!!!
Yes some things i am sure are true to some extent, but you can't over simplify it all and just say its all bad.
Thats just... NO!


All in all??
Sorry.
NO.
Didn't work for me.
It was a nice idea. But the actual book is not great and it did not work for me at all.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the offering me the chance to review an early copy of Mrs.Saint and the Defectives. We are initially introduced to Markie and her son Jesse following her divorce from philandering husband Kyle. To begin afresh and to escape the embarassment of her perceived failed personal life, Markie moves house and begins a work from home job hoping for a quiet life avoiding the world. On meeting Mrs Saint, as Markie and Jesse struggle to empty their belongings from the removal van in the cottage next door, it becomes clear that a life devoid of human interaction is not on the cards. While it took me a while to get into this particular book, as none of the Characters initially grabbed me until half way through the story, I would describe it as a feel good novel. I don't want to spoil the plot, but suffice to say that the truth unfolds as Markie and Jesse are roped into the lives of Mrs Saint's "employees". There is some humour throughout and also touching moments as the reader learns more about Mrs Saint and her connections with the people she has employed. It's a pleasant holiday read.

MRS. SAINT is a quirky and 100% heartwarming story that I just fell in love with as a fellow hermit and possible Defective myself. It is a delightful story of community and neighbors and gratitude and accepting others for who they are. I can’t share much of what I love about the story without spoilers, so just know that although it took me a bit of time to get into the story in the first few chapters, once I met Mrs. Saint and started understanding who she was I was absolutely enthralled.

I highly recommend this one to anyone (like me) who likes to hide from the world and is hesitant of neighborly overtures ~ this book just might change your mind!

The idea behind this book is simple and true. We are all "defective" in our own way and need to be helped, as much as we need to save others who are in their own way "defective". It just takes some people much longer to recognize this than others. Markie is not particularly quick on the uptake, though she gets there in the end. The quirky Mrs. Saint has some secrets buried in her past and so do all of the others who surround her. It's an enjoyable story with great characters and when it is brought to a most satisfactory ending, it leaves you with a smile on your face.

https://girlsjustreading.blogspot.com/2017/08/julies-review-mrs-saint-and-defectives.html

Mrs. Saint and the Defectives is a must read. The perfect cover exemplifies Mrs. Saint to the tee. She was quirky and nosy, and anticipated everyone's needs even before they knew it themselves. Her strong personality pushed her new neighbor's buttons constantly as she tried to "manipulate" Markie's life. All of the characters seemed to embrace Mrs. Saint's tendencies with open arms, even Markie's son. I loved how real the characters' behavior was down to the moody teenager son.

As the novel unfolded, the theme was that you definitely can't judge anyone by first glance and that everyone needs family and/or friends in their lives. Markie, who didn't want to talk to anyone and shut herself off as much as possible, grew to love and cherish the people around her. There will be laughs, tears, and shocking silence while you read this book. My favorite combination!

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

This book is one to be read and cherished. I instantly fell in love with "Mrs. Saint" and found her character to be so similar to my grandmother, that I couldn't stop reading it. The author made these characters unforgettable. What at first seems like a random group of misfits, only together because of their lack of belonging elsewhere, turns into a tale of how family isn't always who you're related to--sometimes family is who you save. Sometimes, we find ourselves being saved without knowing it, and without knowing we need it. I believe Markie, the main character, found Mrs. Saint at the moment she needed her most--even though she fought it through the length of the story. I devoured the second 50% because the story flowed so nicely. Very well done!

I was given the privilege to read this book via the Great Thoughts Ninja Review team. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book about second chances, mending broken lives and being a part of something good in this world.

Markie and Jesse were two of the most broken people, trying to hide out and stay anonymous in their new world. My heart ached for them. And then the brilliant and adorable and formidable Mrs Saint came along and turned their lives upside down and changed everything. I loved her from the moment she showed up at Markie's front door with her band of Defectives. What a fabulous character she was. And as I got to know more about her, I loved her even more.

I highly recommend this this book to anyone who loves a fabulously written, character driven book. I couldn't put it down till I knew everything!

I received an advance review copy from the Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

This is such a delightful, humorous and heartwarming book with very quirky and unique characters. I loved the way Mrs. Saint had a way of bringing people together and figuring out what might be best for them, although new neighbor Markie wasn't so keen on having Mrs. Saint and her "defectives" at her doorstep every single day. After a devastating divorce and financial ruin, Markie just wants to hide out in her new rental home with her son Jesse. After several months and with a certain incident that occurs involving Jesse, she slowly begins to accept the fact that the meddling Mrs. Saint is not going away and that some of her suggestions and advice may actually be good for her and Jesse. There are some surprising twists and a bit of WWII history in the story that I loved! While no one wants to live next to a meddling neighbor, I found Mrs. Saint charming and wishing someone like her and her defectives lived next door to me. I highly recommend this lovely book!

I was provided with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have to start by gushing over the cover, it’s so great and perfectly sets the stage for what’s inside. Mrs. Saint and the Defectives was a charming, quirky read with some great themes and hidden gems.

Markie and Mrs. Saint do not have very much in common, Markie is introverted and has no desire to get involved in her neighbors lives, she wants to heal from her divorce and concentrate on her son, Jesse. Mrs. Saint is abrasive, bossy and crosses boundaries constantly, she is SO over the top but I couldn’t help but be charmed by her. The rest of the characters were a group of misfits and oddballs and each had a unique and quirky personality, but most importantly they were all relatable on some level.

There are so many great life lessons here and Mrs. Saint with her wisdom and guidance teaches most of them. Family isn’t always about being blood related and sometimes bonds can be formed quickly and when you least expect it. I loved the last quarter, there were some unexpected surprises and a historical fiction vibe that was cool. There was a similarity to Maria Semple’s style her, so if you’re a fan of her work, you may like this.

I tried so hard to find something wrong with this book, and I couldn't. It is such a great story, with fantastic characters. I would love to read more stories in this universe!

I loved this book! I was a little apprehensive that I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as Julie’s previous book Untethered. But this book was just as amazing if not better! I enjoyed the atmosphere of the story and the humor throughout. Markie leaves her husband, her house, her job, and her life behind to live somewhere new. She takes her fourteen year old son Jesse with her. All Markie wants to do is live somewhere secluded, work from home, and stay away from people. Markie and Jesse move into a little bungalow in a new town. The day they move in, their neighbor from the house right next door comes over. Her name is Mrs. Saint. You will love Mrs. Saint! Very soon, Markie isn’t alone like she would like to be, but involved with six people from Mrs. Saint’s house next door. There is a lot of humor throughout the story and some mystery, along with a little sadness. I came close to tears towards the end of the story. But throughout, there is a theme of new beginnings, hope, and finding happiness. I would definitely recommend this book to you to read!

MRS. SAINT AND THE DEFECTIVES by Julie Lawson Timmer is a funny and heartwarming story full of well developed and unforgettable misfits. As Markie struggles with her divorce and fall from social standing with her teenage son Jesse, the last thing she wanted in her life was a noisy neighbor. But as the story carries on, you see that Mrs. Saint has a knack for knowing what people need in their lives to give them purpose and meaning. It reminds you that you should be charitable and you should reach out to others instead of closing yourself off. The relationship between Markie and the other defectives is special and the last fourth of this book is some of the best storytelling I've read and the reveal doesn't feel over worked like endings sometimes do. In a year full of stellar novels, this one is worth adding to your stack. You'll make at least one new literary friend and recognize the defectives in all of us. 4.5 stars.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In Mrs. Saint and the Defectives, forty-something divorcee Markie uproots her son and her life after her ex’s very public affair. She lands in a new town next to an elderly French woman called Mrs. St Denis, or Mrs. Saint to all those who can’t properly pronounce her name. Mrs. Saint takes an instant interest in Markie and her current state of affairs, giving the term “nosy neighbor” a whole new meaning. From getting her “defectives” – a group of adults who have a variety of issues who seem to be supported by Mrs. Saint – to help her move in, to new patio furniture and a dog for her son, Mrs. Saint steadily works her way into Markie’s life, whether she wants her to or not.
This book is full of laugh out loud moments, as well as some darker and more touching turns later on when we realize the true reasons behinds Mrs. Saint’s motivations. What sticks out most for me about this book is that it’s about Markie re-connecting with herself and her son. Too many divorcee books feel compelled to include a new love interest along the way, as if that is the only way for a woman to get back to herself. Bravo to Julie Lawson Timmer for breaking the mold a little.