I had such fun reading Trophy Life. Lea's writing is warm and witty, like talking with an old friend, which is something you'll find in this story too. Readers will laugh and relate to Aggie Parsons from LA to NY, as she journeys on a path that returns her to her authentic self. I kept guessing and wondering what was really going on with her disappearing husband, who is, by the way, a total fork. He takes her for granted, assumes she's do whatever he wants her to, and likes their relationship with him in control. #Fork I rooted for Aggie and cheered her on as she dug deep, examining her integrity and morals and what she truly wanted in life. I have a giant soft spot for boys like the middle school boys Aggie teaches. Distractible, prone to being in trouble, and disregarded, judged, and minimized by school professionals (except Aggie), my heart cried for these boys. I loved being a part of helping them alongside Aggie. From trophy wife to Trophy Life, you'll chuckle, relate, and nod your way through this highly readable debut.

I love this book. It kept me wondering what might happen in the next chapter. Definitely a page turner and highly recommended.

What Is A Trophy? In this tale by debut author Lea Geller, we get an interesting tale of an orphan who seemingly wins the jackpot while working as a preschool teacher after college - she randomly meets and marries an older wealthy man and through him obtains a life of ease. Maybe too easy. But as is to be expected somewhat, things are not as they seem and our new mom is sent across the country. Along the way, she finds herself and rediscovers just how strong she truly is. Overall a solid story with a few interesting twists, and I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Aggie lived in foster homes until she was of age to be independent. She never had a lot.
THEN.... She hit the lottery and married Jack after college.
A Trophy Life was achieved. She had it all and that included her six month old daughter, Grace and a caregiver to assist in parenting. There is also an elegant cook who only makes natural, organic foods for the family.
But WAIT..... She then finds herself moving to the Bronx from California with Grace and NO Jack.
She has been given a teaching job in a private boys middle school.
How did this happen? What kind of trouble is Jack involved in? When would the nightmare end?
Aggie is not going down without a fight, and I really admired her constitution and humor. She stayed true to her beliefs when life goes awry. She has common sense and a survival instincts that we could all use.
It's a wonderful intriguing book that any age group will enjoy!

Ok, I judged a book by it's cover for this one. I thought Trophy Life had a cute cover, and expected a light read based on the description. Agnes loses her "trophy wife" lifestyle after her husband disappears and leaves her penniless. She then packs up her months-old daughter, Grace, to move across the country and teach middle school in the Bronx. Although there were some lighthearted moments throughout the story, there was a lot of authenticity behind Agnes' character, and in her struggle to adjust to her new life.

What I loved most about the book was Agnes' introspection around her situation, and how her challenging childhood without parents shaped her attitude toward this new setback. What I did not enjoy was her husband Jack's demeaning character, and how he physically threatened her and belittled her in many instances. Her reaction seemed to be to avoid provoking him, and to mold herself into the image he had of her. In retrospect, I understood that Agnes' initial reaction toward Jack was probably pretty realistic, since they never seemed to have an equal partnership. Agnes does grow more confident throughout the novel, and I was pleased with the ending, and her ability to stand up for herself to Jack and others who challenged her. I did get frustrated with Agnes at many times during the story, however, I still really enjoyed the book.

I'm looking forward to more from Lea Geller! This was an impressive debut. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy!

I initially had trouble getting into this book because I really disliked the main character, Agnes. She quite literally had everything anyone could ever want but didn't seem to appreciate any of it. I kept reading and got into the book more after Agnes' husband told her she had to leave LA and to be a teacher in NY and live in a small apartment because they were broke and he had to go into hiding.

Her reaction was to go along and live through it, but the book is a journey of her growth and I ended up enjoying it.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Trophy Life by Lea Geller. The main character, Agnes, is very real and relatable. She is pushed into what seems like an impossible situation and makes mistakes trying to navigate her new life, but she learns from them and moves on. One of my favorite things about the story is the humor. Even though serious issues are addressed, the lightheartedness shows that even though serious things happen in life, they can be overcome. I’m excited to read more books by Lea Geller!

I received an advanced copy of this book.

I was expecting this book to be an amusing romp or on the lines of Bridget Jones Diary as some early press noted. The cover gives the impression that this is straight up, lighthearted, chic lit. This is very misleading, both for those who are looking to read a funny parody of women whose biggest worry is the brand of their yoga clothes and where they will have lunch and what will they buy with all their money and those who might want to settle in for an afternoon with a solid read. I’m not discounting the “fluff” stories as they have their place and we all need a light read sometimes, but this book had meat. Yes, the author has a terrific sense of humor and can portray even the direst circumstances in a humorous way and she made Agnes livable and relatable.. But.. there was a very strong story line here. Agnes found herself without a husband, job, bank account and a way to support herself and child. She is becoming aware and frustrated with herself that she did not question her husbands job or where the important papers are for an emergency. This story had serious undertones from children being mistreated in private schools and being manipulated for financial gain to moms who sacrifice everything to
Provide for their families. It’s extremely funny in parts which provides a nice balance to serious subject matter. I actually enjoyed the story as written more than what I was led to believe the book was about. I think this will be an issue for those who use the cover and book blurbs as a guide and find it’s not a superfluous story and are missing those readers who are looking to go a little deeper. #netgalley #leageller #trophylife

This book has depth. This isn't a superficial chick-lit read. The main character, Agnes, lives a glamorous'trophy wife' lifestyle in California until she literally has the rug pulled out from under her feet thanks to her husband's dodgy dealings.
She finds herself broke and struggling with her baby daughter at the other side of the country. She is handed a job as a middle school English teacher at a boarding school for boys with behavioral issues. This is where she struggles, hits rock bottom and then picks herself up again. She discovers the ups and downs of motherhood and being a teacher. She finds out what it is like to make her own independent decisions.
This is a story of a woman who finds herself for the strong woman that she is.

BOOK REVIEW: TROPHY LIFE BY LEA GELLER
Reading Trophy Life, I anticipate hijinks, hilarious mom moments & the beloved “you’re better off without him vibe”. After reading it, I realize Lea Geller digs deeper & creates a story about someone truly rediscovering who they are & more important, who they want to be.

SECOND CHANCES
I swear, expectations are half a book. Looking a the bright cover & reading the synopsis, I’m expecting a Shopaholic type read. I’m ready to meet a rich girl/mom & ready to see her fall on her face after her money is ripped away from her. Even more, I’m ready to see her get back up again after falling.

With Trophy Life, Lea Geller writes an original second chance type of novel. This story is much deeper and more inspiring than I ever thought it would or could be. Yes, there are times I want to scream at Agnes. But that’s what happens when we watch someone find his/her way, correct? As we see Agnes struggle, we see her grow as a person. Striped from her luxury lifestyle, she’s able to re-evaluate every single thing in her life. As I think about that now, it’s freeing in many ways. She’s able to start completely over & create a life she is proud of.

THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! Lea Geller writes an inspiring read that may make you rethink your own life & decisions. Trophy Life is fun, insightful & enjoyable.

Special thanks to Lea Geller, Lake Union Publishing & Get Red PR for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Every once in a while I get a book that I know absolutely nothing about and I take a chance on it and end up being pleasantly surprised. This is one of those books! The story is well plotted and the characterizations are terrific! Aggie's story and motivations are absolutely perfectly done. I really liked the saga of her cross country trip with her daughter and descriptions of teaching middle school boys are so spot on that I had to see if the author had experience in that arena (and it appears that she does.) I devoured this book in just a couple of days.. it's adorable. Yes, it is a teensy bit cliche'd in parts, but that doesn't take away from the story in my opinion. It's cute and fluffy and I enjoyed it immensely. 4 stars. I will be looking for more books by this author in the future.

Lea Geller’s debut novel is aces! I have no doubt that women everywhere are going to love this book. The heroine Agnes “Aggie” Parsons is 110% one of my favorite fictional characters to come along in a long time. She was beyond likable for so many reasons. She is presented with losing it all and having to fight back and you cannot help but cheer for her the whole way through.
Agnes’s husband Jack disappears one day and his closest friend, “Don” tells her not to call the police. Her husband is in real trouble and he just needs time to fix it, and there is a plan she just needs to stay away from him for the time being.
The next day she is told to move to New York; all the way from the comforts of her plush home in sunny Santa Monica, to go teach English at a boarding school for boys. Mind you, it has housing and day care for their 6-month-old daughter, Grace. She is to get across the country by driving a used beat up car, because her fancy car is now gone. There will be no nanny, no housekeeper, no lovely home on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific anymore for Agnes. Most importantly, there will be no husband to look out for her. Agnes will only have herself to count on.
Will she be able to fend for herself in this whole new world in the Bronx, New York?
This is a fantastically written tale! I went in to this story thinking I was reading a chick lit book, but there is a deeper story going on at the boarding school that I found so intriguing.

I wasn’t just rooting for Agnes; I was rooting for her students, as well.
For a read that you will absolutely fall in love with I highly recommend “Trophy Life”!
I know that Lea Geller made it on to my favorite author hot list! I’m anxiously awaiting her next novel!

Agnes is living a dream life in Santa Monica, or so it seems. She is married to the love of her life, living in a gorgeous mansion, and raising her 6 month d daughter (with the help of a nanny and chef/housekeeper). Suddenly her life is upended and she finds herself living in a grimy apartment in NYC as a single parent while teaching middle school.

Agnes is funny and enjoyable. Her transformation is awkward, painful, and sweet. She finds strength on the strangest places! I was rooting for her and sad when the book ended.

3 Stars!

Maybe this was nothing. Maybe something came up at work and he really was just running late. But Jack didn't run late. Jack never ran late. I thought about what Lynne said about missed payments and unreturned phone calls, and an awful, familiar feeling that I could not shake off started moving up through me.


Agnes is living the good life in Santa Monica, CA. She is married to a wealthy investment manager, Jack, and they have a one year old, Grace. Agnes can have anything she wants and she can spend her time doing yoga and going to nice lunches while her nannies take care of Grace. One day, Agnes gets a call that she must leave CA and go teach middle school in the New York Bronx. She doesn't know much detail except her husband, Jack, is in big trouble with his investors. She doesn't even know where her own husband is because he's in hiding.

Agnes gets to the Bronx with little to nothing because she had to sell all her stuff. She is now teaching middle school boys English with kids who are troublemakers. They're those kids who's parents are so rich but the kids have bad behavior issues but must stay in private school due to their parents wishes. These boys are tough but Agnes is brought back to her roots as she did not grow up rich. All this time she just wants to go home but Jack is barely communicating with her and she is sacrificing everything for him. So what do you do if your own husband asks you to do something illegal? Does how much you love someone make a difference in your decision?

This was a cute story overall however I found myself getting frustrated with the main character the entire time. Maybe it's because our lives don't run parallel at all but there's something about a weak female character that drives me nuts. The entire story the husband clearly had control and she basically dropped everything and everyone for this man who treated her terribly. For being her husband I felt that he was very aggressive at times both with physical gestures and the way he spoke to her. He spoke down to her a lot. I was waiting for the moment in the middle of the story when she was going to tell him off but I never got that satisfaction.

I think that this story could be relatable to people who are in similar situations. My own marriage is extremely 50/50 and I just could not relate to Agnes. The parts I did love about this were 1. When she stood up and got close with her boys. She was the only one who tried to understand them and help them and I loved that. 2. When she bonded with Grace. Since before Agnes had to move, she had a nanny and never spent as much time with Grace. Losing everything made her focus more on her child and she got to experience things with Grace that she may never have with a nanny. Those were truly bright spots in the book.

Thank you to GetRedPR and Lake Union for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.

Agnes Parsons came from humble beginnings. But she has now got used to a high maintenance life. With a much older, much richer husband and now a baby, she has got used to a very luxurious life, also strangely never wondering from where the money comes. She just goes with the flow, accepting her riches and quite oblivious to the situation around her.

When her husband does not turn up after going off to office, she has only the contact with his lawyer. There are no friends because her husband did not encourage any and when the lawyer tells her that her husband is in trouble, that there is no money, and that she should herself take her baby and disappear to a middle school and take up an appointment there Agnes accepts it packs up baby and a few things and moves across country to a crummy school, an even more crummier apartment and rather appalling school kids.

Throughout the story, I was slightly taken aback at Agnes's attitude. She just went with everything dictated by Don and her husband when he enigmatically called on and off, she accepted the explanation that he had cheated lots of people out of their savings, she put up with her horrible downturn in circumstances just for an opportunity to meet her husband once more and believed him when he said that this state was only temporary.

This was a quirky novel, a little unbelievable but at the same time showing how circumstances can change so drastically that you wonder whether you lived in a fairy tale before.

Really well told and entertaining book which shows us that life can completely change from one moment to the next. How you adapt and adjust to changed is up read you. Read this winner of a book to find out what happens when life becomes real Happy reading!

When I originally saw the cover and the title of this book, I expected it to be a fluffy chick lit novel. So I decided to pick it up as a palate cleanser after reading a long classic. I was in a for a pleasant surprise.

Our main character Agnes Parsons, a thirty-something stay-at-home mom of a three-month old Grace, is married to a much older wealthy man and lives in Santa Monica, CA. She has a full-time housekeeper and a nanny, and her life consists of yoga classes, beauty salon appointments, lunches with other moms and dinner dates with her handsome husband. Agnes gives little thought to where the money comes from and how it is managed. She is just focused on looking pretty and wasting her days away. So when she gets the news that her husband lost all the money, is in trouble with the law and has to go into hiding, she is in complete shock. She is forced to move across the country to New York and take a job of an English teacher in an all boy boarding school.

Agnes is unexpectedly really good at being a teacher. She is also for the first time connecting with her baby and learning to stand on her own two feet. This is definitely a book about growth and self-discovery. I really liked Agnes as a character and I also think her transformation was well-executed. I did find it a bit unbelievable that a poor girl who grew up in foster families would so quickly forget what it feels like to be strapped for cash or not know about junk food aisles in a supermarket. But overall her portrayal was quite realistic. I also loved her Californian perspective on New York. 4 out of 5 stars, a very enjoyable read.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com.

Trophy Life is the story of Agnes, a former preschool teacher, survivor of the foster care system after being orphaned young, and the perfect Trophy Wife. Jack, twenty years her senior, molds her into the his perfect wife, from her clothes, hair and body, to their house, lifestyle and the food they eat. He even controls what they feed their infant daughter, Grace and how she is cared for by Alma, the nanny and Sondra, the housekeeper. Then one day, everything is gone. Jack disappears and Agnes is told by his best friend and business associate, Don, to grab some clothes and drive across country to the Bronx. Santa Monica is no longer safe for her and Grace, so she must hide out and teach at a private boys' boarding school until Jack figures things out. Agnes struggles to find her place teaching school, caring for Grace and learning how to survive without her Trophy Life.

Some of the main themes in this book are trust, strength and morality. Agnes realizes so much about herself and who she wants to be throughout this book. I started reading and was hooked at the first chapter. It's easy to see yourself in Agnes and relate to her decisions. This would be a great discussion book for book club, with the many issues she faces and overcomes. I highly recommend reading it!

I received an advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Lea Geller’s recent book had all the lightheartedness I needed and was combined with a solid plot that kept my interest. Agnes Parsons grew up poor but in a loving family until her parents were killed in a car accident. She finds a dreamy man 20 years older than her and is assured she will never have to worry again. She has everything money can buy. Until one day she is told Jack has a problem and the money is gone. Forced to move across the country with her baby and work at a boarding school for troubled boys as an English teacher. Agnes’ life is changed in ways she never imagined. Will Jack come back to her? Will she get her Trophy Life back? I enjoyed this book! A great spring break read! I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

TROPHY LIFE by Lea Geller is one of those books that keeps you wondering what’s going to happen and when the sky will fall. This debut by Geller centers around Agnes, a woman who came from nothing, got everything, and then had to start all over again. The main character is one you cheer for even if you sometimes question her naivety. The interactions with the middle school boys will make you laugh and warm your heart and fear for when your kids are that age. I’ll never look at a puff treat again without smiling. A great blend of comedy, chaos, and connections, this was a great fast read that I really enjoyed.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.