The Manny by Holly Peterson
|
List Price: Our Price: $0.59 You Save: $6.91 (92%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Manny
Book Review: Sequel, please?
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this book at a book sale, and it instantly intrigued me. As a female nanny, I love to read books about the trials of nannies, especially in affluent communities. What I didn't expect was how great this book was. Although I think it did focus a little too much on Jamie's work life, I enjoyed Peter's straight-forward way of talking to her. This book was an entertaining read, and I look forward to reading more from Holly Peterson.Book Review: Fun, yet real...
Summary: 4 Stars
It's very rare that I find myself reading any of these chick lit books and thinking, "This character could be real." However, that thought crossed my mind many times while I was enjoying this novel. And the fact that Ms. Peterson didn't feel the need to tie the ending up with a neat little bow added even more to my appreciation for this story.
Jamie Whitfield is a working mother in "The Grid", the elite Park Avenue neighborhood of Manhattan. She strives doubly hard to fit in because of her simple midwestern roots and she struggles with what society tells her she should be versus what she really is. On top of that, she must juggle her family of three young children and a distant, spoiled lawyer husband.
She needs help and that help comes in the form of male nanny, Peter Bailey. Peter works magic with her children and also helps her to answer some difficult questions about herself along the way. Add to that simple storyline some typical high society hijinx, plus a political scandal that puts Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton to shame and you've got "The Manny".
I really enjoyed this cleverly portrayed look into the lives of New York City's elite. Since Jamie's character sits on the fringe of both worlds you get a very excellent point of view.
This was a fun read that had me chuckling aloud at times. I doubt it would win any awards, but it would certainly win my vote for making it's way into your hands if you've got an upcoming vacation or "mental health day" planned.
Book Review: Funny
Summary: 4 Stars
If you like a light read that you don't have to think about then this book is for you. While not a laugh out loud funny, I got a few good chuckles from it.Book Review: Slight letdown
Summary: 3 Stars
Jamie's got it all: a great job as a news producer at one of the most influential channels in the States, an apartment in the Grid of Manhattan, three beautiful kids, a good looking successful attorney husband with the WASP pedigree traceable to the Mayflower, a housekeeper and a nanny. But look closer and you'll see not all is as it appears. Her husband is all too frequently working, and when he is at home he's ordering the staff around and throwing conniptions more befitting their two year old son Michael because his prized cufflinks don't fit properly in his two hundred dollar custom made shirts. He's not happy that he's not as rich as their friends who can go wheels up (private plane lingo) anytime they choose, and he's stuck flying first class with regular folks.
Jamie, in turn, has lost the love she used to feel for him and has been planning and putting off their divorce for three years now, thinking the love will work itself back into their marriage, if only he'd put in more effort. Namely, spending time with their children. When nine year old Dylan has a meltdown during a basketball game in front of everyone in school, sobbing under the basketball court, Jamie has had enough and takes her friends' advice to find a many for Dylan. She knows Dylan needs the fatherly figure in his life and since Phillip isn't around to be there for him in that capacity, she'll find someone to spend time with him and someone with whom he can develop a bond.
Enter Peter, as she's strolling through the park. She sees him working with several children in a human chess game and asks him to consent to an interview. Having developed a software system that will help children in public schools with their tutoring and waiting on his backers to come through, Peter decides the hours and salary benefit him too greatly to pass up, this way he can still work on the kinks in his software.
Dylan and Peter immediately bond, and Gracie and Michael take an immediate shine to him as well. It seems Jamie may be bonding with him also, much to Phillip's disapproval and dismay, who's already not terribly pleased with someone doing the things he should be doing with Dylan.
The book started out great, very fast paced and fun. I didn't anticipate a meaningful novel at all, and in that I wasn't to be disappointed. The initial storyline was cute, and flowed nicely. However, when the kids fell more to the wayside to make more room for the storyline of Jamie's crush and the potential to become more than a crush in the middle of the book, the story hit an ebb that it didn't really recover well from. I felt like the book was really stumbling through by then, and it didn't hold my attention quite as well as I would have hoped. The sex scenes were cheesy as all get out and while I felt like the book was a little bit too long, I definitely wasn't happy with the ending. It just kind of came out of nowhere and then tied up too quickly.
Book Review: Enjoyable in spite of the shortcomings
Summary: 3 Stars
I read the other reviews here and I have to say that I agree with most of the negative reviews, but I liked it anyway. The dialog was indeed lacking, particularly that pivotal scene for Peter and Jamie. I wanted and expected more chemistry between Peter and Jamie and I only believed it because Jamie said it was there. I had abosolutely no expectations of this book - just happened across it at the library. I was very compelled by Jamie and happy that the book turns out to be her journey toward regaining herself. I like the Jamie & Peter characters a lot, but would have like to see more interaction between the two of them. The author does a good job of making Phillip exasperating and annoying but not completely evil. All in all, it's not great literature, but I can't deny that I consumed it quickly and was absorbed while I was reading it.