I had heard many good things about "Pieces of Happily Ever After" by Irene Zutell, so I decided to check it out for myself. I got what I expected, and more.
"Pieces..." is about Alice Hirsh, whose life begins to come apart at the seams on the day her husband's affair with his celebrity client makes the cover of the "National Enquirer." Aside from being stalked by paparazzi (as the jilted wife, of course), she has to deal with her mother going though Alzheimer's (and swearing a lot), her daughter's love-hate relationship with her, a porn studio behind her house and a crazy neighborhood that goes all out with Christmas decorations. Along the way, she makes some interesting friends and acquaintances, including a former porn star and a psychic.
I really liked the message that came out of this story. It's about being open-minded, trusting your friends, and creating bonds with family. I feel that anyone in a situation similar to Alice's could really benefit from reading this novel. I admired Alice's determination to make her life as normal as possible and to not stop living just because of lousy circumstances. I also enjoyed all the colorful characters and not knowing what might happen next, but hoping for something good. Irene Zutell creates a down to earth heroine with whom I could easily sympathize. I wanted her as my friend throughout the story. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments too, courtesy of her five year-old daughter, Gabby. I also loved how Alice made up dialogue inside her head.
The only critique I have is very minor. Throughout the novel, Alice refers to her mom as "Mommy." I know it's a term of endearment, but it made her sound like a young child. I don't know of any adults who refer to their parents as "mommy and daddy." Perhaps Ms. Zutell made this choice so that Alice could possibly help her mom regain some memory. Otherwise, it could have been metaphorical for her situation reducing her to a helpless child. It doesn't stop me from liking the book though.
I definitely would recommend this to anyone who wants a fun story that is easy to follow along and difficult to put down. I hope Irene Zutell sticks with writing and continues to produce more intriguing novels!
Book for review was provided by BookSparks PR.
I have this one on my TBR list :)!
ReplyDeleteAwesome book! I loved every second of it---until it was over! I can't wait for Ms. Zutell's next novel!
ReplyDeleteI love this book. Irene did a great job with the characters and keeping the reader emotionally involved. A lot of funny moments.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like something I would enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure where the writer is from but in the south it's no unusual for people to say daddy, as a matter of fact I've often said momma and daddy, so maybe it's a regional thing.