Book Review: Is This It Then?

By Sara Steven

A humiliating experience at an office party prompts married mom-of-two, Becky, to ditch the junk food and start a healthy new lifestyle, with or without the help of her apathetic family. During one of her early morning workouts Becky meets an attractive new guy in town, whose attentiveness makes her question her 15-year marriage to sports-obsessed husband, Dave.

Seemingly unflappable businesswoman Fay is convinced that her husband, Pete, is having an affair with his leggy, blond personal assistant. Determined to find out the truth, Fay enlists the help of Becky and HR nightmare Brigitte. After several failed attempts at playing amateur detective, Fay discovers that what she thinks she knows about Pete doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of his deception.

Oblivious to her coworkers' marital woes, lovable but self-centered Brigitte is on a two-pronged mission: to beat out her arch-nemesis Tom for a departmental promotion, and to sleep with as many men as possible. Unfortunately her inability to separate business and pleasure means that Brigitte is more likely to get an appointment at the unemployment center than a desk in a corner office. Everyone can see Brigitte's impending career spiral…except for Brigitte. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I really appreciated the way I found a little of myself within the main characters in this novel. I’m a married woman with two children, so I could completely relate to Becky, who is trying hard to find a few new paths in her world to embark on. And, I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of an infidelity, like Fay, where the signs drive you completely crazy, playing detective until the truth is found. And, I think most of us, even though we don’t want to admit to it, have wanted to unleash and do the things that the rest of society might think is wrong, which is totally what Brigitte is about. She does what she wants to, and she’s unapologetic about it.

A friendship that has bonded through work roots, the three women are all vasty different, yet they manage to maintain a friendship that seems out of character, but it works. There are a lot of dramatic moments, secrets that come to light, judgements that threaten the foundation their relationship is based on, but this only adds to the realism of their situation.

I think what I found most relatable was the office portion of Is This It Then?. It reminded me of my own office relationships, strong friendships that have remained even after we’ve gone our separate ways, and the oddball characters that you still think about from time to time, unique individuals that often helped in surviving the work day. There were a few shocking twists and turns that really kept this novel interesting, yet it’s the roots, the foundation of friendship that kept me turning the page.

Thanks to Victoria Oliver for the book in exchange for an honest review.