***I received an ebook copy from the publisher at no cost***

The blurb on this one got me really hyped up to read it. I wanted to love it so much I couldn't put it down. I sounded like a funny and promising story.

Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me. The characters were a bit too much for me. Agnes was way over-the-top. She had no relatable qualities about her, which was disappointing. I think I could have empathized with her if it didn't seem like she was up in this ivory tower. I had a hard time paying attention because it seemed like every other sentence was a witty/sarcastic remark or some type of joke. Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE fan of comedy. But when the humor is non-stop, it takes away from the story itself.

Some of the things in this story seemed too far-fetched for me too. Like the rehab thing with the almonds. I'm sure that was meant to be entertaining but it didn't hit the mark for me.

The book did pick up as I read more. The later 1/3 of it is easier to read and a bit more entertaining. The author did a good job of creating a vivid picture for me so I felt like I was watching a movie versus reading a book. Her writing was strong too. I think that had there been a bit less nonstop humor and a bit more realism with the characters, this could have been a 4-star review for me versus a 3-star. And I would read other books from the author.

While this wasn't the book for me, I'm sure it's one that some readers will love. Give it a go and see if you like it!

Three stars to this novel!

Honestly, this is a hard one for me to review. The characters were all interesting, though none too very well developed. The writing style was messy at best, and half the time I felt like I was in an episode of Real Housewives where everything goes pear-shaped (as a side note, I have never actually seen an episode this is just how I imagine it is). The plot, while interesting, could have been done better.
With all that in mind, I still kind of enjoyed it in a guilty pleasure sort of way. I never loved any of the characters, but I couldn't wait to see what insanity they'd come up with next, what they'd say or do. With some polishing- better editing and a firmer emphasis on character development- we might have something really great here. As it is? Readers that are fans of Reality TV and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series might find that this is right up their alley- it's fun, fluffy and pretty darn hilarious. For me, personally…. it was just ok, I had a good time reading it and if I could find Levangie's other works for dirt cheap I might pick her up again.... but just going by this one book, I would never pay full price for one of these. It's not one that I would come back to again, or have a waiting list of book buds ready to borrow it. I would give it three stars- and that's being kind. It was good, but forgettable.
On the adult content scale, there's a ton of language, substance abuse, sexual content... let's just say that this one is not for kiddies. I would give it a seven.
I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

Agnes is the perfect Hollywood wife, a writer that has everything she ever wanted, the marriage, the daughter and a closet that anyone will die for but things aren't as easy as they seem.. her husband a very famous Hollywood producer seems to be going through a very weird stage in life that is making everything go through the trash.

Agnes is not ready to face all the lies and reporters trying to get a piece of her life.. she feels desperate and somehow lost that everything around her is collapsing but at the same time getting a place in her new life. People are taking sides and she feels like she is all alone in this new fight and stage in her life.

Been There, Married That The blurb really caught me but it was a little hard to get into, as they're so many secondary characters and I got so confusing getting to know everyone and understanding who where whom.. the story was good, but I felt like the constant inner dialog and the many secondary characters made the story gets lost and the reader gets lost.. I feel like the story has so much potential and I did get the idea of where it was going but somewhere I got lost and felt like I needed more..

I have to admit I was getting warmer by the end of the book but the ending was kind of abrupt for my taste, I wanted to see a little more happiness in Agnes' life as well as her daughter.

it is funny, occurrent, with a lot of crazy moments that will make you laugh hard, I encourage you to read this story and make your own conclusions..

I picked this up looking for a light beach read about a woman getting revenge on her ex-husband. And while that loosely describes what this book is, it didn’t quite work out for me.

“When you don’t have to worry about rent or heating bills or putting food on the table, the only person you can blame for that nagging discontent is, guess what . . . that clown in the mirror. You.
But in Hollywood, we don’t blame ourselves.
So the blame falls on the other. The person lying in bed next to you.”


Agnes is the 40-something wife of a famous Hollywood producer, with all that entails. But her husband not showing up to her book signing is the first sign of the last gasp of their marriage. Credit cardless, shunned by her social circle, and practically locked out of her exquisitely decorated mansion (which is also a cellphone reception deadzone), Agnes must find a way to navigate her divorce and custody, with the help of her jailbird sister, a trio of El Salvadorean maids, and a psychic.

“My gravestone would proudly state: Here lies Agnes Murphy Nash, more or less satisfied for her entire life.”


Agnes is all over the place. Shocked and grieving her "perfect" marriage, she switches, lightning-fast, between self-deprecating humor, vindictiveness (against her soon-to-be-ex Trevor, the Hollywood couple who want to buy their house, the moms at carpool), and reminiscences about the early (better) days of her marriage. It’s fun, and it’s certainly full of humorous bits and pieces, but it never adds up to a whole, well, anything. After finishing the book, I’m not sure I could honestly tell you what the point was. Seeing the outcome of Agnes’ divorce and seeing who got custody of Pep? Figuring out where her marriage went wrong? Reflections on the shallowness of Hollywood? Well, we get one and a half of those three, so I guess that’s… something.

“Mom,” she said. “You hate the parents at my school. Why would you think I like the kids?”
“Hate is such a strong word.”
“You told Auntie Liz they were stuck-up anorexic buttholes with vagina lips. I heard you.”
“I meant it as a compliment,” I said.”


While she constantly professes her love for her daughter Pep, she seems incapable of actually communicating with her, and doesn’t seem to realize how much she hates her current school or, basically, understand anything about her. I was hoping to see them reconnect as part of the divorce process, but instead Agnes seems to use her like a pawn, pretty much the same thing she accuses Trevor of doing. While there’s definitely some legal shenanigans, so much of it is interspersed with her woe-is-me, where-did-we-go-wrong? takes and Trevor is just… a not very competent villain, which I guess does say something about Agnes, too, doesn’t it?

“Normal is a state of mind,” I said. “It’s like the famous line about porn. I can’t describe it, but I know it when I see it.”
Beat.
“What kind of idiot can’t describe porn?” Fin asked.”


I did like Agnes’ sarcastic and humorous take on life, though some of the humor was in extremely poor taste (jokes about retarded kids, really?). That’s pretty much the only thing that kept me reading, along with the increasingly absurd and over-the-top bits with her sister Fin. In almost any other book, I would be complaining about the ending, but honestly, while it was completely ridiculous, it was a welcome break from the rest of the book.

Overall, this book missed the mark for me, so I’d only recommend this book for readers who’ve got a particular interest in snarky humor about the Hollywood glitterati.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This is my first by this author. The cover is very eye catching. And the description makes it sound like a nice break from the typical books I read, mysteries and thrillers. Unfortunately, it was rough to get through. Years ago, I had an instructor who threw herself a menopause party and then wrote a book about it. I felt as though this book could have been written y that instructor. It was just so scattered and trying way to hard to be snarky/funny/witty.

Right off the bat I am going to say I had high hopes for this book after reading the synopsis. Perhaps too high because Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie missed the mark for me. I ill also admit that Hollywood stories are not my favorite but I was hoping that this would be like the Erin Brockovich type of character, outrageous but full of heart. It did have plenty of snark, scandal, revenge wanting and many stereotypical Hollywood characters including the main character, Agnes Murphy Nash but little heart. Peel away the glitz and glamour and not much is left of these people or the purpose for their lives.

I do think others may enjoy the story but I was not one who did. The writing is satisfactory, I just couldn’t get past the point that I never really learned to care for or appreciate the characters.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this book so very badly. The synopsis pulled me in and promised so much. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. No matter how many different ways I tried to analyze the storyline, I came up empty. I think I know what the author was trying to achieve and obviously she did succeed because many people enjoyed this book. I think it is simply a situation where it just wasn't "for me." It felt like it went in circles and I feel like the heroine grew a little during the trials she was put through but not quite like I expected....and don't get me started on her husband....ex-husband...whatever he ended up being. The saving grace in this book was definitely their daughter. I just felt bad for her because she was stuck in the middle.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Agnes Murphy Nash is the perfect Hollywood wife – she has the right friends, the right clothes, and even a side career of her own as a writer. Her husband Trevor is a bigshot producer, and from the outside it looks like they’re living a picture-perfect celebrity life, complete with tennis tournaments and lavish parties.
But the job description of a Hollywood wife doesn’t cover divorce, which is the way Agnes’ life is headed after she comes home one day to find her credit cards cancelled and the security passwords to get into her enormous LA home changed.
This was a very different genre for me but it sounded fun so when I was offered a copy by the publisher I gave it a shot. However I struggled with it, I didn’t find it hilarious but I did find it cringe worthy & wondered whether I would finish it. I did but I’m not sure if I’d read anything else by the author.

The narrative in this novel is supposed to be humorous and conversational but frequently was confusing and off-putting.

With this line on the first page, "His lean shoulders curved into a question mark," I was confused and would remain so. Story dream broken and remained broken by over-writing.

DNF

This story was not for me. It didn’t flow. While I think some will enjoy the humor, it was just too much of it. The connection with the characters was just not there.

Get Your Life Back Agnes....!
Let the battle commence! Agnes, Hollywood wife extraordinaire is in a pickle. When her high flying husband decides to bring her down, Agnes is faced with the battle of her life - to get that life back. Amusing, colourful and a fun, escapist romp.

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Title: Been There, Married That
Author: Gigi Levangie
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Agnes Nash is the perfect Hollywood wife—all the right clothes, all the right friends, all the right hobbies—and even has a job of her own, author, outside of her daughter and her producer husband. Life is good—until the day her credit cards are cancelled, and she comes home to find the locks changed and a guard with a taser. Agnus’s husband is determined she’ll get nothing, but Agnus isn’t giving up without a fight.

Okay, here’s the thing: I didn’t finish this book. The writing was great: good characterizations, on point description, cohesive plot…but I only made it about 20% of the way through, because this just wasn’t the right choice for me. The characters were narcissistic and mean, and, frankly, their concerns were so frivolous as to be ridiculous. It would probably have been a hilarious read, but I just can’t connect with such selfish people, making it a no-go for me.

Again: this is just me and my reaction to the story. It might make a great read for other people, but I just couldn’t turn off my annoyance with the characters and their self-absorbed antics.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Well, that was a rough read. Reading the blurb had me thinking this was going to be a funny but real story of this couple's marriage and ultimate divorce. Maybe if you're rich and divorced from L.A. this might be more your vibe. I kept reading thinking I don't have to relate to every character I read but this one went so out of my depth that I found myself just wanting it over more and that was when the disappointment couldn't be shaken off. I finished but only to be fair to the author especially since I was asked for my honest opinion. I'm sure this book will be perfect for some but I just wasn't feeling it.
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley for my honest review.

Unfortunately a DNF for me, but I gave it 2/3 since I read others saying to hang in to the end. I couldn’t connect with the characters and the writing style was so random and all over the map, that I couldn’t get into a good reading flow.

This book had huge potential in my eyes but just didn’t come to fruition. 2.5 stars

Agnes Murphy Nash is a writer married to producer Trevor Nash. When he decides he is not happy and he wants a divorce, she finds herself at the center of crazy Hollywood divorce and custody battle. This book is actually a lot more amusing than it might seem from that description. If you are looking for a little light fun guilty pleasure reading, this book is a good choice. The characters in this book definitely don't inhabit the same world that most of us do. They probably don't even inhabit the same planet we do. Reading about the craziness of their world and their ridiculous troubles is a great way to relax and forget about your own troubles for a while.

Laugh out loud, witty, fun and engaging adventure filled with interesting charters, exciting dialog, unexpected turns and outrageous antics that make you keep reading to see what happens next. Fun reading!

This is one of those you will probably love or hate. The characters are over the top, a little tough to handle, however I like that in this book. It made me laugh, and be glad I wasn’t going through her divorce!

I guess I expected more from this book than what I got. It does have funny lines but overall, it falls flat and somewhat juvenile. It is hard to follow in places as it is written kind of "stream of consciousness" style. And I thought I rambled! LOL!! Will have to read another of Ms. Grazer's book before I completely write her off. Here's hoping it's better!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

This is a new to me author and it took me a minute to really get this authors way of writing. I was given an ARC for my honest review and here it is:

It's very fast paced and there were moments where I would have to reread certain paragraphs to really understand. I can't say this story was really the best for me but I am sure there will be some readers who will just love this story and writing. I encourage everyone to try it and make your opinion.

I did laugh a few times and I was able to finish the book. But wow it's definitely not going to be for everyone. But I will always urge people to try it out because not everyone reads the same book.

I had a hard time getting into this book. There was humor and snark, but I just didn't love the main character. Some readers might like it, but it just didn't work for me.
I'm rounding my reviews up to 3 stars for the snark.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.