I was very sure that Been There, Married That would become one of my favorites, but the story didn't draw me in. The writing was occasionally good, with a few genuinely humorous moments and some highly quotable lines. This book had so much potential but ultimately let me down.

The premise of this book had me so excited to read it! An over the top rom com with emphasis on the comedy.

Only it just didn't come off in a way that was palatable. I can’t quite put my finger on specifically why it didn’t work for me. Perhaps my expectations didn’t match what I was reading.💁🏻‍♀️
Just wasn't my cup of tea.☕

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press.

This book sounded great but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. I'm sure there are many many people who will love it! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy.

“But in Hollywood, we don’t blame ourselves.” Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie

I liked this one. It was OTT and silly but I liked it.

Agnes is caught off guard when her famous, successful producer husband of at least 10 years divorces her. And in Hollywood, divorce has far reaching implications.

There’s another quote in the book that’s so apt here: “Movie stars are different from you and me (unless you happen to be a movie star)” Apparently, people connected to the movie industry, are different too. The more money you make in the industry, the more different you are from the regular people.

The things Agnes went through are sometimes funny, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes makes you think if this is what really happens over there. I found the book funny, not something to take seriously but an amusing book about a divorcing couple. Who happen to live in Hollywood. And is caught up in the little bit of crazy there.

Thank you St Martin’s Press for the copy of this book!

BEEN THERE, MARRIED THAT is a rapid-fire snark fest, focusing on the vapid, silicone-laden, entitled, shallow, trophy wife, moneyed California star culture, where the assistants have assistants, the kids have multiple nannies, and appearances are everything.

Agnes is supposed to be above it all (as a wife who DARES to have a career as a writer) but she still indulges in SoulCycle and whatever other "in" fitness to keep her hubby happy. She's an odd mix of smart and clueless (in a world where divorces are common, she seems a bit daft to NOT take action.)

The storylines were both eye-rolling and ire-rasing; the characters' behaviors made me both laugh and exasperated (my eyes hurt from rolling them so hard). From the Triplets- the Spanish-speaking help (who I sometimes had a hard time keeping up with WHAT exactly their jobs were) to Agnes' "frenemies" to the outrageous attitudes (when her husband calls an intervention for her supposed eating habit problem - she eats too many almonds - and sends her to rehab in the midst of marriage issues and a possible divorce) Aggie views it as a bit of a "spa vacation" and agrees to go. (She's a writer - we generally have overactive imaginations, so I found it hard to believe she wouldn't read more into this attempt, but instead, she goes along with the insanity.

At times the story jumped awkwardly, but I admit, I couldn't tell if this was the writing or bad formatting in the digital ARC I was reading. (it could have been missing chapter breaks?) The first half of the book felt almost manic and a bit all over the place. (There is a lot of stream of consciousness coming from Aggie). However, once the divorce started to actually progress in the second half of the book, the pace grew steadier. The characters were outrageous in a fun-to-read/"glad I don't know them" way.

Perfect for fans of Laura Weisberger's THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA/WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS.

I’m giving this three-and-a-half stars, rounding up to four, because of the uneven and manic start, but I could overlook it because it was such a hoot.

Been There, Married that is hilarous!!!!

If your like reality shows, you will love this book!
This book is hilarious and Agnes is a great character!

I can't say how much I LOVED this book!!!!

Unfortunately not a fan..... Struggled to get through it. Just not the genre for me I guess.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of an ARC. All opinions are my own.

When I first read the synopsis it sounded like it would be a fun read so I decided to give it a try. I'm a fan of the snarky type characters but I had a hard time with both the main character and her husband and a few other ones as well. The dry humor wasn't for me. So, unfortunately I was unable to get into this books and ended up not finishing it.

I found this book absolutely hilarious! For those who are expecting something more serious, this book won’t be for them. It’s full of satire. I feel like it’s meant to be a parody of sorts. I found the book very fast-paced, but easy to get into and understand. I had many “wow” moments. I knew when I saw the cover and title that I’d love it. It wasn’t what I expected, but it’s still worth a read. For those who love books with a lot of comic relief, this book is definitely worth it!

“How long could I live on the fight-or-flight response? My adrenaline would run out someday. I’d needed more. Can you buy adrenaline on Amazon Prime?”

Agnes and Trevor are the perfect Hollywood couple, he is a bigshot producer, she has a side career of her own as a writer. But her job description doesn’t cover divorce. She comes home one day to find her credit cards cancelled and the locks changed, and so a battle of wills begin.

I finally DNF a book, I just couldn’t get into this story or the writting style at all.
Been There, Married That was supossed to be a hilarious story, but it just didn’t worked for me.
I did try and I feel a little bad because I don’t DNF, ever, I guess there’s a first time for everything.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Agnes returns home to be told that her husband Trevor wants a divorce and plans to get custody of her kid! Even as the world has just crumbled around her, she cannot let that happen! She may be down, but she’s not out!

The premise of “Been There, Married That” sounded super cute! Unfortunately, something was missing in this rom - com and it just didn’t work for me. In the end, I think I’m simply the wrong reader for this novel.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc.

A fun, fabulous and gloriously indulgent read guaranteed to make readers roar with laughter, Gigi LeVangie’s Been There, Married That sparkles like the finest champagne and is a delightful and enjoyable page-turner about love, marriage and finding yourself women everywhere are going to relate to and love.

Agnes Murphy Nash and her husband Trevor are the perfect Hollywood couple. With their million dollar smiles, extensive social circle, designer wardrobe and dream home, Agnes and Trevor are admired and envied in equal measure. While Trevor earns the big bucks as a producer, Agnes never has a hair out of place and has a side job where she earns her own money as a writer. Everything looks rosy in their garden and surely nothing and nobody is going to tear this power couple apart. But fate has got a very funny habit of shaking the rock-solid foundations of even the most perfect of existences – as Agnes discovers when she finds out that her credit cards have been cancelled, she is permanently barred from her massive LA home and acquires a guy whose sole job is to tase her should she even dare contemplate entering the house that was her pride and joy up till yesterday. What is Agnes going to do? Can this Hollywood wife dust herself off and start reclaiming back her old life? Or is she going to crumble at the face of this unexpected turn of events?

Agnes may be down, but she is certainly not out. Sure, her husband is dead set on making sure that she is left with only the shirt on her back, but Agnes is damned if she is going to let the man whom she gave the best years of her life to emerge victorious in this battle of wills. As Agnes finds out who her true friends are, she quickly realizes that all that glitters is not necessarily gold and as she begins to rebuild her life away from the lavish parties and Tinsel town gossip, will she end up realizing that she might have lost her husband, but she has gained something that is worth its weight in gold: her freedom, her independence and the courage to be herself again.

Gigi Levangie writes with great flair and gusto about what really goes on behind the closed doors of sumptuous Hollywood homes and Been There, Married That is a gossipy, hilarious and uplifting read readers simply will not be able to stop reading. Readers will be cheering Agnes on and hoping that she finds the happiness and fulfilment that she has been searching for for so long.

A delicious and delightful Hollywood romp that shines with razor sharp wit, delicious one-liners, scandalous drama and plenty of heart, Been There, Married That is an inspiring and feel-good read it is impossible not to love.

2 stars.
I had high hopes but this was horrible. I love the cover and the premise has potential but there is no one to root for. Every character is horrible and it is really long and drawn out and annoying.

I’ve read a few of Gigi Levangie’s books in the past and thought I would give her latest a try. Unfortunately, I just could not get into this book. I think I’ve outgrown this type of read. I DNF’d.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. A full review will be posted on Amazon and Goodreads

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Grazer is a book that not everyone will love, and some may not even like it, I didn’t love it either, but I did like it, a lot. I wouldn’t say I loved the first thirty to forty pages- they made me crazy. The one-liners were coming so fast and furious; my head was spinning. The writing style was a bit all over the place too, the author would jump scenes, and I would have to go back and figure out where I was, thinking I must have missed something. However, once I got used to the writing style and past the first thirty pages, the writing seemed to settle down. The book got super funny, and I began to embrace the crazy.

This book is pure satire and perfectly aimed at Hollywood. So, if you love all things Hollywood and you think the sun rises and sets on actors, directors, and producers, you probably will not like this book. I happen not to take Hollywood very seriously, and I think, for the most part, this book perfectly describes Hollywood and the people who are immersed in the Hollywood lifestyle.

“You’re never alone living in a ten-thousand square foot “house” (I know; it’s counterintuitive.) Because staff. Staff is everywhere you want to be; one can’t fart without applause.”

Grazer inventively infuses this book with pop culture, out of bounds one-liners, and all the things that are wrong with Hollywood and delivers them with outrageous humor. Some may say this book is over the top, but so is Hollywood.

Been There, Married That is written from the first-person point of view of the main character Agnes Murphy Nash. Most, but not all, of the characters in this book, are spoiled, annoying, self-centered, and narcissistic, totally Hollywood. I liked the main character, Agnes, I felt that she had a remarkable sense of humor, and I enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book. Agnes was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth; she is a writer who doesn’t take herself too seriously. Her husband, Trevor, is a Hollywood producer. He is a typical Hollywood, spoiled, narcissistic, and he wouldn’t know true happiness if he tripped over it. So, of course, he blindsides Agnes with a divorce. Been There, Married That is Agnes and Trevor’s divorce journey.

“How could we be so lucky?
I loved him.
I loved him until I couldn’t stand him.”

Along the way, we meet a unique cast of characters. My two favorites are Pep and Fin. Pep is Agnes and Trevor’s daughter, who somehow is relatively well adjusted. The way Agnes describes her daughter is hilarious…

” Even Pep, our tween with ADD, ADHD,
and recent DOATM (Disgust of All Things Mom) …”

I would have enjoyed a bit more from Pep. Fin, what can I say about her? She is downright crazy, insane, and so much fun!

This book is kooky, maniacal, insane, and all over the place, but its depiction of Hollywood is perfect. Been There, Married That points out all that is wrong with Hollywood, but more importantly, it also points out how the outrageous behavior of Hollywood culture spills over into real life. This is not the way everyday people live their lives, and in my opinion, nor should it be. Hollywood treats people like they are expendable and only worth what a person can get from another person. For a group of people who consider themselves “woke,” I believe they need to take a long hard look in the mirror.

I am defiantly in the minority of people who enjoyed this book, but I can honestly recommend this book. It gave me a good laugh. It is crazy and all over the place, but at the end of the day, it is a reasonably accurate portrayal of Hollywood and the direction our society is going.


** Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published**


*** I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion.

A story about Agnes, who is living the Hollywood life, with all the right friends and all the best things, she comes to find out her husband has left her. Agnes doesn’t go down without a fight and learns to rise on her own.

I received an ARC through NetGalley provided by the publisher.

Synopsis:
A hilarious new novel full of Hollywood glitz, glamour, and scandal.

When he changes the locks, she changes the rules.

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. Oh, and there’s a guy there whose job it is to tase her if she tries to enter…which she does. Needless to say, Agnes’ husband is dead set on making sure she loses big time, but Agnes isn’t the type to just lie down and take it. In a world of fremenies and hot nannies, personal psychics and “skinny” jello shots, Agnes may be losing her husband, but could that mean getting her own life back?

Been There, Married That is a drop-dead hilarious battle of wills that will make you laugh out loud, cringe, and keep turning the pages to see what crazy disaster will happen to Agnes next…and how she’ll rise from the ashes.

Review:
So the mega lawyer Hollywood producer, Trevor, decides to divorce his wife. He has the belief that life is definitely greener on the other side of the fence. The thing is, he was already on my nerves just by knowing that piece of information. Because, dude, it never is. But, then Agnes.....well, she wasn't relateable either. It was rough to read this book. I really wanted to enjoy it. The author, I've read in the past and have enjoyed her books. This one was just too much. I barely finished it and even then, it was a chore to do it. :(

I was hoping for a light, fun read. After two offensive comments I had to quit this book. I let the first one slide, but then she says”Whose kid was retarded—sorry, disabled—sorry, special needs—sorry, learning differentiated.” I get it in the context, but it is unnecessarily offensive.

The story was fun and I am certain others will enjoy this book.

DNF - I attempted to read this book twice. The first time I didn't get far, but I made it through 23% the second time. I thought that was enough to know it was not the book for me. I had hoped for a good read from this author, whom I had not read before. But I was sadly disappointed. It was about a self-absorbed Hollywood and a dysfunctional family. I've watched enough RHOBH that I didn't need any more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.