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Etiquette for the End of the World

by Jeanne Martinet (Goodreads Author)

3.01 of 5 stars 3.01 · rating details · 103 ratings · 51 reviews

A romantic comedy of post-millennial manners, apocalyptic career moves, and a woman's last chance to get life right...

RULE #1: DON'T PANIC—IT ONLY ATTRACTS THE SHARKS

It's not the end of the world. That's what 39-year-old Tess Eliot has to remind herself after losing her newspaper column ("Tess Knows Best") and being dumped by her boyfriend for a younger woman (a feng shui...more

Kindle Edition, 272 pages

Published July 31st 2012 by Liza Dawson Associates

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Aug 15, 2012 Reeka (BoundbyWords) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-advance

As seen on my blog (read my interview with the author!):

*Note: This is a 4.5/5 rating*
There has not been a book that's made me laugh out loud like this in a long time. A few pages in and I was already completely taken by Tess Eliot, and her slew of misfortunes. She was such an easy character to relate to-throw in her love for writing and her job experience in multiple publishing houses, and she officially became one of my favourite female characters, not to mention one I envied. It was so refre...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Danielle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-arc

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Read This Review & More Like It At Ageless Pages Reviews

Original Review: What the fuck did I just read?

After a couple of days:

Dear Tess Knows Best Eliot,

I’m going through a really difficult time right now. I have to write a review of Etiquette for the End of the World, but even though it was really boring, offensive, and schizophrenic, I can’t come up with anything to say! How do you even start reviewing a book that calls itself a romantic comedy, but is more All About Steve than Annie Hall?...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Nenia Campbell rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, x-2012s, did-not-finish-or-skimmed

You can read more reviews at my blog, The Armchair Librarian.

I desperately wanted to love this.

I was in love with the concept; I love post-apocalyptics and I loved the idea of an end-of-the-world Bridget Jones.

But Tess is no Bridget.

The fact of the matter is that Tess has no traits to make her stand out from the barrage of other chicklit protagonists out there.

She's thirty-nine.

She has a cat.

She's single.

She's a writer.

She has an eccentric boss.

She has a super girly friend.

She has shopping super...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Emily rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I really wanted to like this book. It has a great concept. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it.

With all of the kooky characters and random jet setting--(Tess complains about Eat, Pray, Love and how that main character just drops everything to travel and then she herself ends up in Mexico and England. I thought you were recently unemployed and in credit card debt?) this book doesn't really come together.

There was just so much bogging it down that had little to do with anything.

Character'...more I really wanted to like this book. It has a great concept. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it.

With all of the kooky characters and random jet setting--(Tess complains about Eat, Pray, Love and how that main character just drops everything to travel and then she herself ends up in Mexico and England. I thought you were recently unemployed and in credit card debt?) this book doesn't really come together.

There was just so much bogging it down that had little to do with anything.

Character's like her poker pals or her weird salad dressing making Aunt or even Marge and her sculptor/painter husband and Tess' brother and his wife could have easily been cut out or at least cut down.

Some of the characters I still don't know what their deal was like the librarian Phoenix lady (cause you don't name someone Phoenix and then brush them off, right?) and her weird boathouse friend--really, what was up with them?

And why did Tess have to go to Mexico again? (Probably so that we could read about what food they ate and how Tess looked at butterflies. Yes, yes, I know the crystal skulls. You'd think in all of her extensive research Tess would have come across it or seen the Indiana Jones movie about it.)

A lot of the plot was also wildly coincidental. (view spoiler)

What really did me in was about 73% of the way through not once, but twice, they reference Doctor Who as Dr. Who. Which is a huge mistake to any Whovian. Don't write about something you don't know about and that has such a crazy dedicated fandom. Seriously, right then and there I almost stopped reading and I wanted my $2.00 back.(less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Jimena rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, chick-lit

39-year-old Tess Eliot has been dumped by her boyfriend after 4 years, lost her newspaper column ‘Tess Knows Best’ and is in a family feud with her brother. Desperate for a job she takes on a project to write an etiquette guide preparing readers for the doomsday of December 21, 2012.

We get to read bits and pieces of the etiquette guide while Tess is writing it. The etiquette guide is absolutely hilarious! The novel, while being humorous, is not as great as the etiquette guide itself. It’s a lig...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 11, 2012 Marjorie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quick....before the world ends: READ THIS BOOK!! Witty, wise, and winning, Etiquette for the End of the World is a two-for-one. You not only get a sci fi story about the end of the world that's just around the corner (12-21-12, according to the Mayan calendar), but a guide to etiquette for life as we never thought we'd know it! I was immediately hooked by the voice of Tess, an out-of-work social advice columnist for a local newspaper on Manhattan's Upper West Side ("Tess Knows Best!") who gets h...more

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Sep 18, 2012 T. Reader rated it 4 of 5 stars

This witty, wacky novel struck me as a clever update of the wonderful screwball romantic comedies of the 1930s. Upper West Sider Tess Eliott is the smart, sparkling, but at-sea heroine, a newly unemployed newspaper columnist who lands a peculiar freelance assignment: write an etiquette book for WOOSH, a shadowy organization obsessed with the Mayan-predicted “end of the world,” due to hit in December 2012. Enter debonair Peter Barrett, WOOSH’s too handsome, too perfect, too charming fundraiser wh...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Mariachiara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Titolo: Etiquette for the end of the world

Autore: Jeanne Martinet

Inedito in italiano

Trama: REGOLA N. 1 : NON ANDARE NEL PANICO—ATTIRERESTI SOLO GLI SQUALI

Sì sappiamo che a causa della fine del mondo siete tutti spaventati, e che alcuni di noi vivono in rifugi di fortuna e che il cibo è sarso, ma l’isteria non ha mai aitato nessuno. Andare nel panico potrebbe solo farvi uccidere ora come ora.

La mia opinione: Non avendo letto opinioni sul libro e solo visto distrattamente la quarta di copertina Mi...more Titolo: Etiquette for the end of the world

Autore: Jeanne Martinet

Inedito in italiano

Trama: REGOLA N. 1 : NON ANDARE NEL PANICO—ATTIRERESTI SOLO GLI SQUALI

Sì sappiamo che a causa della fine del mondo siete tutti spaventati, e che alcuni di noi vivono in rifugi di fortuna e che il cibo è sarso, ma l’isteria non ha mai aitato nessuno. Andare nel panico potrebbe solo farvi uccidere ora come ora.

La mia opinione: Non avendo letto opinioni sul libro e solo visto distrattamente la quarta di copertina Mi ero fatta l’idea che il libro fosse ambientato in un mondo post apocalittico. Dove appunto si ritrova a vivere questa donna che però tenta di fare dell’ironia sulla sua tragica situazione e che si trattasse di un libro post-apocalittico sul ridicolo, con zombie magari uccisi a forza di mattarellate, non so, cose così, invece niente di tutto questo. Si tratta di un semplice chick lit contemporaneo. Abbiamo una scrittrice che è un tantino in crisi ha rotto col fidanzato che la tradiva (con la maestra di yoga del piano di sopra) ed è stata licenziata dal giornale per cui lavorava da anni, per campare si ritrova così a fare la editor per un libro o meglio un opuscolo scritto e finanziato da un’associazione che crede che nel 2012 finirà il mondo e vuole preparare la gente (se avete pensato setta non siete molto fuoristrada) a questo grigio futuro. Ora la nostra protagonista è proprio all’acqua alla gola per accettare di lavorare per questi strani tipi, ma in fondo, vogliono solo che scriva per loro. Lei è moderatamente famosa per aver curato una guida molto ironica tempo prima, e loro vogliono che renda ironico e simpatico anche il loro libro, non guasta poi che uno di loro, un uomo, sia di una bellezza devastante.

Lei ha una storia con lui, ma lui è sfuggente poi scompare, lei inizia aspettare ma non sa bene cose, crede ci sia un intrigo in atto per veramente finire il mondo grazie da un virus informatico, ma non è chiaro se è vero o solo una trovata di uno scienziato pazzo….ed insomma alla fine il libro lei lo scrive e viene pagata, il mondo non finisce, ed anzi lei si mette col barista carino di cui era amica da anni ma che credeva fosse gay.

Fatta questa lunga premessa sulla trama, il fatto fosse un chick lita contemporaneo dopo l’idea che mi ero fatta mi ha un poco delusa, ma il libro in sé è carino. In ogni capitolo possiamo leggere passi del libro che l’autrice scrive su come affrontare l’esistenza dopo la fine del mondo e sono spassosi. Anzi arriverei a dire che sono la parte migliore del libro, il resto è banale mi spiace dirlo, si capisce fin dall’inizio che il bellone rappresenta guai e il vero amore è il barista, e la sfiga della protagonista si è già vista in molti libri, la fine del mondo o almeno una cospirazione reale e tangibile neppure esiste…..non so, è un po’ vacuo. Credo sarebbe stato meglio puntare su una fine del mondo reale e da lì costruire una storia ironica sarebbe stato più innovativo…..o almeno mettere la protagonista in situazioni più estreme che potessero ricordare ciò che scriveva nel libro di sopravvivenza, si è cercato di farlo, è vero, ma non è riuscito, avrei voluto pià realismo. Mi spiego meglio o mi vai del tutto sull’irreale, o voglio realismo puro ed estremo, le vie di mezzo con complotti che non si sa se sono reali, pericoli che non si sa se sono pericoli….creano solo una vaghezza fastidiosa .
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Aug 19, 2012 cupcake rated it 3 of 5 stars

For some women, finding themselves on the cusp of forty, unmarried, childless, and recently dumped by both boyfriend and employer is akin to the apocalypse. And for Tess Eliot, it sure does seem that way. When she is hired by WOOSH, World Organization for Omniscient Solstice Harbingers, to write a book, Tess thinks her luck is starting to turn. Except for one teensy little problem. The WOOSH'ers believe the supposed Mayan prediction that the world will end on December 21, 2012, and the book Tess...more For some women, finding themselves on the cusp of forty, unmarried, childless, and recently dumped by both boyfriend and employer is akin to the apocalypse. And for Tess Eliot, it sure does seem that way. When she is hired by WOOSH, World Organization for Omniscient Solstice Harbingers, to write a book, Tess thinks her luck is starting to turn. Except for one teensy little problem. The WOOSH'ers believe the supposed Mayan prediction that the world will end on December 21, 2012, and the book Tess is to write is about how we should behave toward one another when the world ends.

This silly sounding premise might make you leery to read this book, but you should not worry. Etiquette for the End of the World is charming, entertaining, and humorous. WOOSH may want a book about the end of the world, but they want a funny book about the end of the world, and Tess is just the person to write it. Naturally snarky, she uses her talents to offer up a humorous take on etiquette as the world ends.

She also meets Peter, a George Clooney lookalike who charms her in spite of a nagging sense that he is too good to be true. Peter is a fundraiser for WOOSH, and clearly attracted to Tess. When she meets him at the bar she frequents, Richie, the bartender, approaches Peter with no small amount of suspicion. Maybe he really is too good to be true. Richie, on the other hand, is solid. He counsels Tess on her romantic and professional failings, and when she starts to suspect that there is something afoot at WOOSH, he supports her concerns. Too bad he's gay, because Richie could be the perfect guy.

This is a romantic comedy of sorts. Parts of it are quite funny, and Tess engages in a couple of romances. She also has to make peace with her brother, Stuart, to whom the family beach house and money were left when their father died. Tess doesn't understand why he won't split the inheritance with her, but Stuart has his reasons.

The mystery angle of the book will spark your interest. What exactly is going on with WOOSH? Is there something nefarious happening, or is it merely a group of quirky fatalists? As Tess begins to dig into WOOSH, she uncovers information that leads her to believe the former, and we become curious right along with her.

While this is a pleasant little book, it is not something that will stick with you after you've read it. There are problems: some of the things that bother Tess about Peter are never explained, and the ending is far too neat and tidy. Still, though, it's a sweet story that you will enjoy reading. Who knew the end of the world would be so funny?

Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.(less)

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Aug 08, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, read-fiction, netgalley

I'm afraid I've been too liberal with my stars as of late, and this book was supposed to be first on the receiving list of my new crackdown. But the book was too good! It earned its five stars, so here I go again, handing out a five star rating like I have them to spare. This book was a delight, from beginning to end! There's lovable characters, romance, mystery, and hilarity.

Tess Eliot's world is falling apart when she loses her brother to a family feud, then her boyfriend to another woman, an...more I'm afraid I've been too liberal with my stars as of late, and this book was supposed to be first on the receiving list of my new crackdown. But the book was too good! It earned its five stars, so here I go again, handing out a five star rating like I have them to spare. This book was a delight, from beginning to end! There's lovable characters, romance, mystery, and hilarity.

Tess Eliot's world is falling apart when she loses her brother to a family feud, then her boyfriend to another woman, and finally her newspaper column. So it makes a kind of poetic sense that the one paying project she can find is to to write an etiquette guide for the end of the world commissioned by a doomsday group.

The book had just enough ridiculous in it to lighten to mood (the favorite local bar is the Scrub-a-Dub-Pub, which used to be a laundrymat) but it's never so crazy as to be unbelievable. There are quotable lines throughout, and I found myself stopping over and over to highlight a great moment. One favorite was Tess' response to a gorgeous guy flirting with her, "Maybe she was having a long overdue nervous breakdown, and Peter was part of the hallucination. If so, she certainly had to hand it to her subconscious: What a great way to nuts."

What was surprising to me, and probably part of why the book was such a good time, was that I was completely and entirely along with Tess for the ride. As she digs deeper into this 12/21/12 prophecy I found myself beginning to wonder and worry if there wasn't some truth to it, then as Tess spoke to doubters I was soothed, and by the end I was like Tess. A doubter, but not totally confident in that position.

Of course with an end-of-the-world book you have to wonder, how on earth is the author going to wrap this up? Well she did it well and she did it in a, to me, unexpected way. Without spoiling anything, I will say that there was another twist to the story that caught me completely off guard and I loved it! Well done, Martinet!

Bravo! I'm looking forward to reading more of this author.

*I received this ebook as an ARC via NetGalley.
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Sep 24, 2012 Cristal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review: http://lifeasabookaddict.blogspot.com...

What would you do if you thought the world was going to end on December 21, 2012? Would it be safe to go out in public if you were one of the lucky people that survived?
That is the issue that writer, Tess Eliot is tasked with when she is asked to write a guide regarding the preparation for the end of the world by a company called W.H.O.O.S.H: The World Organization for Omniscient Solstice Harbingers. Now that is a mouthful right?

When Tess meets th...more Review: http://lifeasabookaddict.blogspot.com...

What would you do if you thought the world was going to end on December 21, 2012? Would it be safe to go out in public if you were one of the lucky people that survived?
That is the issue that writer, Tess Eliot is tasked with when she is asked to write a guide regarding the preparation for the end of the world by a company called W.H.O.O.S.H: The World Organization for Omniscient Solstice Harbingers. Now that is a mouthful right?

When Tess meets these people, she finds out that they actually believe the world will end and are quite serious about this project. She however thinks they sound more like a cult and does not take the whole world ending thing very seriously at all. Since Tess recently lost her “Tess Knows Best” newspaper column, she is in desperate need of a job, so she agrees to write the book. With her personality and quick-wit, this writing assignment is perfect for Tess. And even though the end of the world is a heavy and serious topic to write about, she gives it a light and upbeat tone that readers will find engaging.

While she is working for W.O.O.S.H, she meets Peter Barrett, who is head of Donor Relations for the company. Peter becomes enamored with Tess and they start spending some time together outside of work. Peter is handsome, charming, and seemingly perfect. A little too perfect possibly…

The premise might sound a bit out there, but don’t let that fool you. Etiquette for the End of the World is a witty and light hearted weekend read that will take you on a crazy journey filled with memorable and funny characters, and a woman who will question W.O.O.S.H’s real motives and begin to wonder if there is some truth behind their belief after all.

The author, Jeanne Martinet adds just the right amount of humor to this story. I laughed numerous times while reading. It wasn’t one of those books that I couldn’t put down, but it was entertaining and fun nonetheless.

I would give this book a 3/12 out of 5 rating.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Author, who I received this ARC from in exchange for my honest review.** (less)

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Apr 17, 2013 Ulises rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You know that person that starts telling you some story and it goes a little something like this?

"So I have to tell you this story! I was on the train and this thing happened! And...well, before I got on the train, my best friend Mary (you remember her, right?) helped me do this thing at home. So anyway, on the train, I thought of Mary and then I saw this thing and then...well, on the train, I forgot to mention that I also met my ex-partner Joe (you remember him too right?), and so Joe and I did...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-september-2012, booooorrrrring-zzzzzz

I am finally finished. FINALLY!! I thought that this book would never end. I had to put it down multiple times just so I would have enough patience to make it through one more chapter. I must say that I am proud of myself for making it all the way through and not giving up like I so so wanted to do.

This is how I felt while reading this

and this

and when I wasn't passing out while reading, this is what I wanted to do

and this

Yep, that pretty much sums that up.

This ARC was provided by Liza Dawson Ass...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Leah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2012, ebooks, netgalley

When I spotted Etiquette for the End of the World on NetGalley, I was immediately entranced by its old-fashioned cover. It shows a somewhat regal-looking lady against an NYC backdrop and the tag line claims it to be Bridget Jones for the new Millenium (oh God, no, that’s an insult to this novel, to be fair, as I really didn’t like Bridget Jones). With 2012 being a pretty serious year – if you’re a believer that the world will indeed end in December (I do not believe it in the slightest, and thin...more When I spotted Etiquette for the End of the World on NetGalley, I was immediately entranced by its old-fashioned cover. It shows a somewhat regal-looking lady against an NYC backdrop and the tag line claims it to be Bridget Jones for the new Millenium (oh God, no, that’s an insult to this novel, to be fair, as I really didn’t like Bridget Jones). With 2012 being a pretty serious year – if you’re a believer that the world will indeed end in December (I do not believe it in the slightest, and think it’s all utterly ridiculous) I was intrigued to read a novel that was going to give us a humourous look into the world ending. (Whether I believe it or not, I love humorous takes on things that are already stupid and ridiculous.)

I will admit that parts of the novel is a bit fantastical – sometimes it rather does slip into a sci-fi/mystery novel rather than what it is, which is Chick Lit. If, like me, you’re not a believer in the world ending in December, you will find all the Maya(n) explanations to be boring and due to their frequency in the novel, I did find myself tiring of them easily. I also thought the “secret plot” Tess uncovers to be mildly farfetched, and to be a pretty similar thing to Y2K. It didn’t make me switch off, but it did make me wonder where on Earth the novel was going. How does a Chick Lit novel make itself into a sci-fi novel? I didn’t really get it, it’s not necessarily two genres that mesh well, really.

What Etiquette for the End of the World did offer, was a humourous look at the world ending. I was easily sucked into Tess Eliot’s life as her own world falls apart and she finds herself writing a self-apocalyptic help guide. Tess is a fabulous character and the way in which she goes through life is brilliant. I loved the cosy atmosphere of her local pub the Scrub-a-dub-pub, I loved her friends, particularly Harriet who is like a mother-figure. Sure, I personally don’t believe in the world ending any time soon, but I believed what the characters believed and though I did find it a bit over the top, I appreciate that there probably ARE people who believe the world will end and there probably IS an organisation like WHOOSH who believe they’re doing the right thing trying to prepare people for the world ending, and as such Tess’s writing of the guide was humorous. It was quite nice to see that she herself felt a bit weird and strange writing this guide and working for these people when she, too, wasn’t entirely sure if they were true believers or just quacks.

Etiquette for the End of the World is very well written and Jeanne Martinet has reasearched the Maya(n)s thoroughly. One thing I will say is that the novel is quite wordy and that dialogue is sparse at best. I’d have liked more diagloue and less of paragraphs and pararaphs of words. It did seem that whenever dialogue did appear, it wasn’t that it was out of place or unexpected, but it truly was strange because I was so used to just reading pararaphs without breaks, of reading pages and pages with no chatter. It does mean that the book does lag a tiny bit – any book that is so narrative heavy is always going to suffer if someone tries to read the book for a long period of time as you do start to wonder why there is no interaction or so little interaction between the characters. However, the novel was a solid read, and I would recommend the book because it is one of the quirkiest books I’ve ever read. I’m so glad the cover is so beautiful and it managed to convice me to request it, and I’m so glad I started to read it, because I did enjoy it and Tess Eliot really did make the novel for me, she’s definitely a heroine to root for.(less)

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Oct 18, 2012 Daphne Trumps rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review, romance, chick-lit

Read it @ Gone Pecan

Tess Eliot has just been fired from her job writing a newspaper column and is down on her luck. The only job she can find is working for a fringe Doomsday “cult” that wants her to write a book about how transition to a world where it’s important to learn how to navigate without our modern day amenities and think more about personal survival and where our next meal is coming from. Desperate, she takes the job even though she thinks the group is made up of harmless nutjobs. She...more Read it @ Gone Pecan

Tess Eliot has just been fired from her job writing a newspaper column and is down on her luck. The only job she can find is working for a fringe Doomsday “cult” that wants her to write a book about how transition to a world where it’s important to learn how to navigate without our modern day amenities and think more about personal survival and where our next meal is coming from. Desperate, she takes the job even though she thinks the group is made up of harmless nutjobs. She even starts to see the handsome fundraiser for the group, despite her intuition that something about him is off, including his request that she help him with his fundraising efforts by researching possible end of days causes and overinflating their significance and probability. While doing so, she stumbles upon someone with information about a manmade disaster that could really happen if it were to fall into the wrong hands.

This book was kind of slow to start, it took me several days to commit to reading, but once I got into it, it really flowed and I didn’t want to put it down to go to bed. I think my main issue was with the cynicism of Tess. I mean, sure, the End of Days Mayan prophesy is a bit farfetched, but her attitude kind of irritated me. When she started to write the book, she became more open minded. Not that I think it’s a possability, but her initial meeting with the group, she went in thinking “these people are completely delusional” and I wish she would have had a different mindset.

There were several side plots of the book that really fleshed out the story. I don’t know why, but whenever a book is less than 300 pages, I expect it to be pretty straightforward without many ancillary stories, but the other plots really explained a lot about Tess and made her more real. I particularly liked Harriet, Tess’s mentor and former boss. She was a riot.

In the end, it was funny, especially Tess’s advise in her book. There were a lot of unbelievable parts, like the plot she stumbles upon, but I was willing to overlook that, especially considering how it all played out in the end.

Pecans: 3.5/5

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Sep 22, 2012 Ryan rated it 2 of 5 stars

I must say right off that I was a little disappointed in this book. It touted itself as the next Bridget Jones and while I can see the comparison, it just wasn’t as enjoyable. Tess loses her job after a bad break up with her ex. Her newest position is writing a funny but serious book on etiquette for those who survive the December 21 apocalypse. Tess finds the job laughable because this group of people seems more like a cult, but hey money is money. She falls for the group’s good looking guy who...more

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May 08, 2013 Frk. Hyms rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, arc, own-and-read, read-in-2013

Sometimes you need a nice, short chick-lit to brighten your day. Something funny and easy to read. I thought that was just what I got, when I decided to read Etiquette for the End of the World. I was wrong!

It has the classic chick-lit-start: Woman has been left by boyfriend, lost her job and is desperate for something to happen. Granted, Tess is a bit older than my usual chick-lit-reads protagonists, but actually it never really shows. She could just as well have been 25. She comes across a grea...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Dalma Heyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Etiquette for the End of the World is a funny, charming and knowing look at post-2012 romance, a novel whose heroine is the funny, charming and knowing feelance writer, Tess. Assigned the dreaded task of authoring a post-Amy Vanderbilt dating primer, Tess calls on her own experience in advising readers.“You are going to have to lower your standards somewhat,” she notes drily; today's women "can no longer rule out thieves and murderers from the dating pool.” Don’t be too picky about a potential n...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Janet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Etiquette" is a hilarious screwball comedy that takes place with the threat of possible world destruction tingeing all behavior, both wacky and otherwise. It's a great page-turner with the added bonus of smart, witty and true advice for post-apocalyptic times, which works just as well for our own version of everyday doomsday. Tess and Harriet are characters so true you think you know them but I wish there was more of a stage for a few of the "lesser" personalities who are equally quirky and int...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Jay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks

It appears this is one of those books that you either love or you hate. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I thought it was amusing but there were definitely issues with it, specifically that its super light on the romance plot that was promised, and most annoyingly, all of the action that the book spends 90% of its time leading up to is resolved off camera, so to speak, and we get a 10 sentence recap of what happened. I think that's cheating. The book isn't that long that the author...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Marcie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a case of cover love for me. That is, I loved the cover so much that it enticed me to read this book (the book summary didn't hurt either). Look at it! If the end of the world is happening why not put on a fancy dress and pearls? I totally would do that!
Tess Elliot has had a run of bad luck -- from losing her job to losing her boyfriend. Because she doesn't have anything left to lose, including money, she takes on a job writing a 'survival manual' for the end of the world from a doo...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I gave it two stars because there were funny and witty parts. Romance is pretty much an afterthought in this novel that follows the trials and tribulations of a NYC writer. Considering it was billed as a romance, I was a little disappointed in that. If you can get the audiobook, which I did for about $4, the narrator gives some attitude in this first person narrative.

I can't give this a glowing recommendation and put that down to this not being my type of book. Just not a chik lit fan.

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Mar 29, 2013 Barbara Peterson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Do judge a book by its cover -- because this one lives up to the promise of its brilliantly clever title.

I read this in one sitting, and literally laughed out loud at regular intervals. It is that rare combination of humor, romance and mystery. I found the main character very credible, and Martinet sends up the New York publishing scene like a real pro..

Let's hope the world doesn't too soon -- so that we can look forward to more from this talented writer.

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Aug 11, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: galley, nook

Tess is completely down on her luck, so of course she jumps at the first paying gig she comes across: writing a post- apocalyptic self-help book for a group of doomsday crazies. This of course leads to hilarity and (slightly amusing) adventure. This would have been a solid three stars, but the final glimpse from Tess's handbook - "12 Rules to Live and Die By:- was hilarious and lent itself to a solid 3 1/2. Darn you, Goodreads, and your no 1/2 stars policy!

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Sep 12, 2012 A.R. Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars

ETIQUETTE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD has all the pleasures of chick-lit, but deeper ones too, a great deal of fascinating lore about myths and mysteries that alternately comfort us or scare us to death. I'd say this book is a happy meeting between Noel Coward and Nora Ephron, sophisticated richly humorous, and oddly enough, full of excellent advice for the little apocalypses we encounter every day.

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Aug 18, 2012 Brenda Freeman rated it 2 of 5 stars

The beginning of the book was funny and engaging, but as I read further on I couldn't remember if I was reading a mystery, a romance or just a humorous novel. The last half of the book dragged for me and I found myself reading just to see if the world did end. I enjoyed the Tess character and others throughout the book, but just was not engaged with the story.

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Mar 26, 2013 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit

Cute concept but poor execution. The sample chapters that the heroine writes for an apocalyptic etiquette book are the best part but the rest is poorly plotted. The mystery/suspense is neither mysterious nor suspenseful and the romance is ridiculous. Hardly worth the $1.99 I paid for it.

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Apr 16, 2013 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was so much fun! It was funny and smart. The characters were engaging and the story was an interesting one. It was fairly original and I really liked the execution of it. This was a quick, light read that I'd recommend to anyone who wants some fun, humorous chick lit.

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May 01, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a really fun read. The black humor of how one might want to behave in the aftermath of the Mayan Calendar predictions was tied together with a sweet, somewhat unexpected romance and compelling suspense. I look forward to finding other books by this author.

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May 03, 2013 Beckydamoth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a cute contemporary romance (which I usually don't read). I would recommend it for a fun summer beach read as long as your expectations aren't too high. I do have to admit that sometimes I couldn't put it down..so that is always a good thing!

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About Jeanne Martinet

Jeanne Martinet, aka Miss Mingle, is the author of eight books, including the widely acclaimed THE ART OF MINGLING, which has sold more than 150,000 copies, and a new novel, ETIQUETTE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD. Her books have been published in the UK, France, Italy, Germany, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Poland. She has been featured in such publications as: The New York Times, The New Yor...more

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Books by Jeanne Martinet

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