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112th out of 857 books
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2,053 voters
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The Other Woman
by
Jane Green
When Ellie Black meets Dan Cooper, she feels as though she's found her best friend and soul mate. After an idyllic courtship, Dan proposes and Ellie happily accepts. She loves everything about Dan, even his family: his sister, Emma, has become her good friend, and his mother, Linda, might end up being the mother Ellie never had when she was growing up. Ellie's own family w...more
Paperback, 389 pages
Published
June 6th 2006
by Plume Books
(first published March 3rd 2005)
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I thought this would be a light, easy, fun read. Instead, depressing and a little annoying.
The gist of the story is that Ellie marries Dan knowing that his mother is a control freak and that her son is still connected by the apron strings. Ellie and Dan have a child and the mother-in-law interferes in every aspect of their lives to the point of causing an accident with said grandchild. Ellie and Dan separate. Ellie learns a lot about life.
Ellie is whiny. There were w...more
The gist of the story is that Ellie marries Dan knowing that his mother is a control freak and that her son is still connected by the apron strings. Ellie and Dan have a child and the mother-in-law interferes in every aspect of their lives to the point of causing an accident with said grandchild. Ellie and Dan separate. Ellie learns a lot about life.
Ellie is whiny. There were w...more
Ellie Black believes she has found the perfect man for her in Dan Cooper, and is thrilled when he asks her to marry him. She is relieved that his family seems to like her, and believes that she is finally going to feel a part of a loving family. Things start to go awry when Dan's mother completely takes over wedding preparations, leaving Ellie to feel like a spectator at her own wedding. After the wedding, Dan's mother's manipulations begin to really bother Ellie, and she doesn't feel like Da...more
Another chicklit Jane Green Novel. Ellie works in PR at a chain of hotels and meets her dream man. The only problem is his mother is involved in a lot of his life. Ellie's mother died in a drunk driving accident (she was the drunk) when she was a teenager and has always wanted a mother to love her. She misinterprets her man's mother for her own and when things don't work out all fairy book like she imagines, she gets very frustrated. Time moved very fast in this book. She starts dating Dan and s...more
I have to say I am a fan of most of Jane Green books. There have only been two in which I cannot say I was impressed. I brought The Other Woman by Jane Green and took it away with me for the weekend to read and I have to say I couldn't put it down, I was very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will tell you a little about the plot and what I liked and disliked about this book.
*******PLOT********
This book is told from the main character, Ellie's point of view....more
*******PLOT********
This book is told from the main character, Ellie's point of view....more
This review contains spoilers.
Green's writing style and handle on family dynamics are excellent. However, by half way through the novel, even we are sick of the continually played, dysfunctional dynamics. Ideally, one would split this book into two; the first book could cover the wedding and the second, the baby and the separation. (skipped from about 230-364)
Obviously, I missed the section where any self-reflection or growth of the characters took place. From the end...more
Green's writing style and handle on family dynamics are excellent. However, by half way through the novel, even we are sick of the continually played, dysfunctional dynamics. Ideally, one would split this book into two; the first book could cover the wedding and the second, the baby and the separation. (skipped from about 230-364)
Obviously, I missed the section where any self-reflection or growth of the characters took place. From the end...more
Re: _The Other Woman_ by Jane Green
The word for this book is "banal". By that I mean it had no depth. It was what I call "house-wifey". The writing style did nothing to redeem the boring plot which boiled down to an over-bearing mother-in-law.
I agreed with Anna's GR review of this book at:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/129...
It was in Anna's review that I came across the word "banal" and said to myself that it was a perfect n...more
The word for this book is "banal". By that I mean it had no depth. It was what I call "house-wifey". The writing style did nothing to redeem the boring plot which boiled down to an over-bearing mother-in-law.
I agreed with Anna's GR review of this book at:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/129...
It was in Anna's review that I came across the word "banal" and said to myself that it was a perfect n...more
Tedious, predictable story of a British woman, motherless, who deals with an overbearing mother-in-law. Presented as light, humorous chick lit, but isn't funny or entertaining at all.
Not one of her best. Too much moaning about the mother in law for me and the husband was a bit wimpy - Jane usually writes such strong, gorgeous men
Irrational behavior stresses me out. Consequently, this book totally stressed me out in the middle. Don't worry, though. By the end everyone had stopped acting like idiots. Despite the stress of the middle, I really enjoyed this book. Jane Green is a favorite author of mine - and this didn't disappoint!
Jane Green's books are so captivating, you find yourself bringing your current read with you everywhere...just in case you get a few minutes to check back in with the heroine of the story. "The Other Woman" is no exception, especially for those of us who have struggled with the adjustment of entering our husband's family and dealing with a new set of rules and, often, conflicting personalities. This thoughtful, heart-rending tale will allow you to step back and consider what is tru...more
I only picked up this book because we were banned from using the internet at work and it was a very slow week. This has to be one of the most depressing, frustrating, banal and predictable books I've ever read. Ellie is whiney and much more like her mother in law than she thinks. Dan is a pushover mama's-boy. Dan's mother is controlling. There you have it. The plot practically writes itself. This could have been any family in any country. Many women have overbearing mothers-in-law, but they lear...more
Maybe it's my pregnancy hormones but I really fet, through most of the book, that the main character was over reating. Now that I've finished the book -- I realize that was the whole point! LOL
I continuously read Jane Green books because they are light and easy to read and make great audiobooks for long commutes. However, whenever I read her books there comes a point when the characters are so one dimensional and the plot so ridiculous that I can't take it. I kept thinking how ridiculous the main character sounded the entire time. The husbands family sounded perfectly nice if you ask me and she seemed slightly mentally ill. Oh well. The book passed the time but I wouldn't recommend it...more
This book was funny at times, but it was also frustrating and quite sad at other times. A nice, "full of fluff" book.
A really engaging take on the other woman, when she just so happens to be your mother-in-law. While certainly within the realm of 'chick-lit', Green's characters are well developed; we all know someone like Ellie, Linda, Lisa, and Trish. Throughout the course of the book, we learn the individual struggles each woman faces as they deal with marriage, motherhood and friendship. As someone within the same age bracket as the characters, I found the story to be completely realistic of the transition ...more
I liked this book. It wasn't meant to be funny and uplifting. It was meant to show that relationships aren't perfect but if you can find a way to work through them its worth it. Jane Green wrote it in a way that made me feel Ellie's pain/anger. Its easy to say that if it were me I would have stood up to Linda but you never really know until you are in that situation. I'm fortunate to have a wonderful mother-in-law but there have been times when I've bit my tongue where I normally wouldn't have j...more
I decided I needed something fun and 'fluffy' after reading the book about The Troubles. Well, I can't say 1 out of 2 ain't bad - this was fluffy alright, but it was not fun. I have read one other of Jane Green's books (Jemima J) and I enjoyed it, so I thought I'd give this a go (did the book on CD for my commute) - bad choice. The writing was bad - annoyingly bad - and the story was not engaging. I didn't like the main character - I thought she made stupid choices and did not agree when she...more
This book was a fast weekend read. Once I got my mometum going it was easy reading and I was enjoying myself but about 200 pages in the main character started to get on my nerves whining about her mother-in-law. I couldn't sympathize with the main characters complaints, instead I just wanted to say "get over it!" sort of in the same way I got frustrated with Confessions of a Shopaholic.
I stuck with it though for the second half of the book and the story takes a turn and p...more
I stuck with it though for the second half of the book and the story takes a turn and p...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Read a couple of the reviews and some were quite negative. Most thought it was too depressing. Jane Green did a fantastic job of capturing the essence of marriage. She kept it real.
Every day is not going to be rosy. And you're not going to always like your mother-in-law. Green took us from the beginning of the relationship, to the middle and end. You really began to wonder if this couple will make it. It's hard to be in a relationship with a man who is a "mamas boy."
I've ...more
Every day is not going to be rosy. And you're not going to always like your mother-in-law. Green took us from the beginning of the relationship, to the middle and end. You really began to wonder if this couple will make it. It's hard to be in a relationship with a man who is a "mamas boy."
I've ...more
While I liked this book, I didn't exactly love it, though I can't put my finger on why exactly that happened.
I can say, however, that Ellie is a lovely, lovely woman, who I could fully relate to. I adored her character in many ways, and I could understand her relationship with her mother-in-law. I also found her to be rather funny on occasions, which is a bonus.
The book per whole is an entertaining read, easy to go through and not particularly profound, so if you pick it up a...more
I can say, however, that Ellie is a lovely, lovely woman, who I could fully relate to. I adored her character in many ways, and I could understand her relationship with her mother-in-law. I also found her to be rather funny on occasions, which is a bonus.
The book per whole is an entertaining read, easy to go through and not particularly profound, so if you pick it up a...more
Antaisin kaksi ja puoli tähteä, mutta se ei ole täällä mahdollista. Anyway, kirja oli aikamoista hömppää ja toisti hömppäkirjojen perusjuonta. Pari rakastuu, elää onnellista elämää, sitten tapahtuu jotain ja syntyy kaikenlaisia ongelmia ja riitoja yms yms. Täytyy kyllä sanoa että loppu ei ollut ihan niin ennalt arvatta kuin luulin, itseasiasa aika yllättävä.
Oli kuitenkin ihan viihdyttävä ja mukava kirja. :) Teksti oli jostain syystä vähän tönkköä, johtuiko sitten käännöksestä tai mistä.
Oli kuitenkin ihan viihdyttävä ja mukava kirja. :) Teksti oli jostain syystä vähän tönkköä, johtuiko sitten käännöksestä tai mistä.
The Other Woman was a light read and was basically enjoyable. Ellie falls in love with Dan as well as his amazing family, hoping to become a part of the happy family she's never had. However, the controlling, passive-aggressive mother-in-law soon interferes with her happiness. I chuckled at many parts and could relate to some of Ellie's frustration.
I was annoyed with Ellie's whininess, however. She seemed to blow everything out of proportion and I just wanted to shake her and tell h...more
I was annoyed with Ellie's whininess, however. She seemed to blow everything out of proportion and I just wanted to shake her and tell h...more
I barely finished this book. Ellie the main character..could not stand her! The book was trite and the subject was trite. A book set in London talking about beautiful people, clothes and whining about mother-in-laws. Ellie was a selfish young woman and if I were her husband I would have left her and never have married her!! Ellie decides she hates being married, proceeds to destroy the marrige (to a great guy) and then decides "oh no, what I have done? boo hoo". I wanted to reach in th...more
This is a British chick lit book about Ellie Black whose alcoholic mother dies when she is young. Her father becomes withdrawn and basically lets her raise herself alone. Despite the challenging circumstances of her life, she becomes successful in her career and meets her dream man who comes from a family that seems to be idyllic. She craves the love and acceptance she feels from her future husband's family and plunges headlong into the wedding preparations.
Things start to get c...more
Things start to get c...more
Kate
rated it
Shelves:
anglophilia,
books-i-own,
chick-lit-women-s-lit,
fiction,
humor,
books-read-2008,
women-s-issues
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Having grown up with a distant father and an alcoholic mother who died when she was young, Ellie thinks her dream of having a perfect, loving family has finally come true when she meets Dan. But before she and Dan can even walk down the aisle, Ellie realizes her future mother-in-law, Linda, is a force to be reckoned with....
Having read and enjoyed other Jane Green novels, I expected the same level of quality for "The Other Woman". Instead, I got a cast of characters and a serie...more
Having read and enjoyed other Jane Green novels, I expected the same level of quality for "The Other Woman". Instead, I got a cast of characters and a serie...more
I just love Jane Green books - simple, charming, and entertaining. Easy "beach" reads. This one seemed very familiar - I may have read it before. And I noticed a possible error - in the beginning of the book, it made a point of Ellie, the main character, refraining from alcohol, as her mother was an alcoholic and died in a car accident. However, once she had children, it talks about going out for drinks a lot. So, does that mean children drive you to drink? Because I'm thinking ...more
Picked this up from my sister's collection of chick lit with the sole intention of having a 'light' read in between heavy books. Chick lits are generally not my cup of tea (they all pretty much have the same storyline most of the time) but I do know that there are chick lit which are actually good and enjoyable but instead this falls into the category of whiny protagonists which seem to be evident in chick lits. Boring. I have enjoyed Jane Green before though so this was quite disappointing.
This book is just about as shallow as you can get..something to keep your eyes moving across the page. I'm not sure why I even finished it...but I also had a bad mother-in-law, so I'm always looking for similar tales. The characters were too perfect, Ellie was a big time whiner who at first thought her husband should stand up for her against his mother. Then she turned into a raging maniac. Her friends were unbelievable. Then it got schmaltzy. Lesson to be learned: Be careful what you wish for. ...more
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Jane Green (born in 1968 in London, England) is an U.S.-based British author. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, four children under the age of 5 - including a set of twins - and dog Palmer. She attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth from 1987-88, although she left without completing her degree and worked as a journalist throughout her twenties. At the age of 27 she was inspired to ...more
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