I haven’t had very good luck with this author, which is a shame, really, because the titles of her books are so catchy and look like fun. If you are looking for a whimsical chick-lit type of story, this is not the author. Instead, this book is more women’s fiction with some dark undertones.

One Less Problem Without You introduces the reader to three women, Prinny, Chelsea and Diana. Prinny owns and operates a new age mystical store named Cosmos. Chelsea works in the store as well as trying to get her acting career off the ground. Diana is Prinny’s sister-in-law who has just left her cheating creep of a husband and is welcomed into the fold by Prinny. All three of these women have had the worst luck when it comes to finding the one, but find acceptance, support and friendship with one another.

There are some triggers in this book for me such as domestic violence, sexual assault and adultery, but these events moved the story forward and gave me more empathy for these characters. The story moves at a good pace and the bond these women form was heartwarming to witness. These women were easy to relate to and root for. The story is told from all three women’s perspectives both in the past and in the present.

My Final Verdict: I recommend this story to fans of women’s fiction who like books that feature strong characters who rise above the struggles and disappointments life has handed them to take back their power.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of One Less Problem Without You from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I find this author to be hit or miss for me, I'm afraid.... I realize I'm in the minority here and will keep plugging through their releases so as to not miss a hit. Thanks for the opportunity to review this!

One Less Problem Without You

I Picked Up This Book Because: I love Beth Harbison’s writing.


The Characters:

Chelsea: Up and coming actress
Diana Tiesman: Wife of Leif Tiesman who has had enough
Prinny Tiesman: Half sister of Leif Tiesman (IDK why the book constantly calls her a step sister they have the same father)

The Story:

These three women have exactly one thing in common, Leif Tiesman, the asshole who is trying to systematically ruin their lives. They ban together and don’t let him. That’s all I can say without revealing too much of the story. It is not overt and it is not a full fledged march for women’s rights but they get it. They go through a lot but they get it.

The Random Thoughts:

4 Stars

Chick Lit with a twist is definitely what I would describe One Less Problem Without You at first glance. I was sold on the pretty cover and how it didn’t give much away and the fact it was by an author I had yet to read. I was really looking forward to reading it and dived straight in.

One Less Problem Without You is the story of three women; Prinny, Diana and Chelsea, who all have one thing in common and that is Leif Tiesman. Lief is Prinny’s stepbrother who since the death of their father has wanted nothing more than to see her and her shop Cosmos suffer. Diana is married to Lief, who is not faithful and hasn’t been for years. However, no matter what he does she can’t let him go. Chelsea is a struggling actress who works part time at Cosmos and also as a living statue. As time goes on her dreams of becoming a successful actress grow further and further apart and she soon wonders if she should give up on her dreams. The three women suddenly find themselves together and start working up ways to live their dreams and add magic to their lives.

As much as I wanted to love this book I’m afraid it fell a bit short for me. It wasn’t really what I expected and I admit I was slightly disappointed. I didn’t like how flashbacks happened right in the middle of the story and it left me feeling slightly confused. Also, there were so many points of view that I found it difficult to keep up. One point of view during a flashback was of a character named Kathy, which we didn’t hear from or about again. So it did seem a bit pointless although I know it was to help us understand our main characters a bit better. There were also some serious issues raised throughout the book that were somewhat overlooked and pushed to one side, which I wasn’t too pleased about. There was for instance a pretty disturbing scene involving date rape and it just seemed like that the specific character tried to brush it under the carpet when something should have been done about it.

Prinny, Diana and Chelsea, although all with different personalities came together as one and in my opinion it really showed what people can do with a little bit of moral support. With Prinny I loved how no matter what setbacks she kept on going and carried on making her store the best. Diana, I’d say was a bit of a tragic heroine you knew the only way she could be free was to start a fresh and I felt like the friendship that blossomed between her and the two others really did help her to do that. I felt quite sorry for Chelsea when reading about her failed dreams and how she lost love. However, I was really pleased when she got her happy ending. Lief, although he was an arse I feel like something must have made him that way and we didn’t really get to delve into his backstory much which maybe would have helped us to understand his character and his mind a lot better.

One Less Problem Without You was an okay read, but it could have been a lot better. I feel that if the plot had been deeper and if some issues hadn’t been brushed aside then maybe I would have liked it a lot more. It is a shame, but I still hope to read some more of Beth Harbison’s work in the future.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this anymore. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

ONE LESS PROBLEM WITHOUT YOU - Beth Harbison

DARK CHICK-LIT - 3.5 stars

Plot - 3.5 stars - We follow 3 different women, loosely connected, but with very different lives. Each is struggling with some sort of relationship problem. Prinny is psychic, but her older stepbrother Leif has always belittled her gift and is actively trying to hurt her, trying to get her share of their inheritance. Diana is Leif's wife and after many years of marriage is finally admitting (to others and especially to herself) how emotionally abusive he has been to her. Chelsea works at Prinny's shop--a struggling actress, she is having a hard time coming to terms with her lack of success in her field. She is also dealing with an emotional night.

Writing - 3 stars - I found the book to be a little confusing. Although it jumped back and forth in time, that was easy to understand since each section was well marked. But the difficulty was in understanding why we were reading about each character. They were so loosely related that it was tough to transition from one to the next, and back again. All of them were flawed, all seemed to focus more on the negative than the positive, and all were struggling emotionally. I was definitely caught up in each character, but the story seemed to lack cohesion.

Characters - 3 stars - Prinny is a strong woman who has built a business (a metaphysical store) from her father's inheritance despite strong resistance from her stepbrother. Her life would definitely be easier if he wasn't causing her problems. Diana, Leif's wife, is tired of his mental and emotional abuse despite the fact that she still loves him. She has come to Prinny for help. Chelsea is seemingly unrelated to these women except that she works at the store. Her never-ending but unsuccessful attempt to become an actress makes her seem a perpetually hopeful but ultimately unhappy woman.

Title - 3 stars - I suppose this refers to the secret thought each woman has about someone who is causing difficulties in her life.

Cover - 3 stars - A beautiful color to draw the eye, but I'm not sure why there's an alcoholic drink on the cover since the important beverage seems to be tea.

Overview - 3.5 stars - Although confusing at times and certainly very dark throughout, the story did keep my interest. The ending was the saving grace since it all came together and made sense, finally resolving itself in a fascinating way. But this didn't happen until almost the very end. I didn't feel there wasn't enough suspense throughout to build the tension--it just suddenly created an "aha" moment and ended. I was left with a satisfied feeling, but I would have preferred a lot more build-up and a more well-rounded story. The drinks/tea recipes at the end were a nice addition.

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun, lighthearted read, that ended with a twist I wasn't expecting! I like the characters and how their names somehow match their persons. But I must wonder, did the author change Diana to Di as a subtle bit of word-play? I like it! The ending was quite satisfying. I'd like to read more by this author.

I like Beth Harbison, but I did not enjoy this novel as I had hoped. Insipid is the word that comes to mind as I write this review. Will look forward to reading more by this author, this one just didn't mesh.

I enjoyed this story of three women at a crossroads in their lives. The story was at times touching, sad, and humorous.

A rounded up 2.5 stars. I think this book had a lot more potential, but it seemed like it was afraid to really commit to whatever it wanted to be. It was a little mystical, with Prinny's psychic abilities, but it just teetered on the possibility of magical realism and didn't really go there. I generally don't mind multiple narrators, but in this case all three, but particularly Prinny and Chelsea, feel a little incomplete. It was decent women's fiction and would make a fine beach read.

Parts of this book are disturbing, and parts are truly terrifying. But the insight into the characters and each of their choices is what makes this novel work and work well.