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13th out of 25 books
—
5 voters
Sleeping with Ward Cleaver
by
Jenny Gardiner (Goodreads Author)
CLEAVERED
Wham, bam, no-thank-you, ma'am. That about sums up the sex life of Claire Doolittle. Not-so-happily married to Jack-once the man of her dreams but now a modern-day version of the bossy, dull Ward Cleaver of '50s sitcom fame-Claire is at the end of her rope. Gone are the glorious days of flings in elevators and broom closets. Jack? All he needs is a cardigan and a...more
Wham, bam, no-thank-you, ma'am. That about sums up the sex life of Claire Doolittle. Not-so-happily married to Jack-once the man of her dreams but now a modern-day version of the bossy, dull Ward Cleaver of '50s sitcom fame-Claire is at the end of her rope. Gone are the glorious days of flings in elevators and broom closets. Jack? All he needs is a cardigan and a...more
Mass Market Paperback, 294 pages
Published
January 29th 2008
by Love Spell
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Jen's Review:
I'd been eyeing this book for a while. The title just caught my eye and pulled me in. So when Jenny and I started talking about her guesting on the blog she offered me the chance to review the book. I jumped at the chance... and I'm glad I did. (But totally wishing I wrote this review right after reading and not a month later.)
The book starts off a little slow, but just when you don't think Claire's life can get any more tangled... it does and the pace picks up. I'll admit in the be...more
I'd been eyeing this book for a while. The title just caught my eye and pulled me in. So when Jenny and I started talking about her guesting on the blog she offered me the chance to review the book. I jumped at the chance... and I'm glad I did. (But totally wishing I wrote this review right after reading and not a month later.)
The book starts off a little slow, but just when you don't think Claire's life can get any more tangled... it does and the pace picks up. I'll admit in the be...more
I’m going to be brave and confess something. I originally bought this book by the delightful Jenny Gardiner for the fun, kitschy cover art. I know, I know, not very scholarly, huh? I thought I was getting a light, fluffy chick lit book…you know, the sort of thing you’d read at the beach or around the pool.
But what you actually end up with is quite a serious novel about the real problems that most people that are married or in a long-term relationship face daily. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not sayin...more
But what you actually end up with is quite a serious novel about the real problems that most people that are married or in a long-term relationship face daily. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not sayin...more
I was somewhat disappointed in this book. The whole premise really grabbed me, after all, who doesn't get caught up in a rut? It just amazed me that the main character in the book didn't see that and wanted to blame everything on her husband, who, granted, wasn't helping matters. I guess I just felt that 3/4 of the way through the book all she did was bitch and moan about her awful life, until her best friend pointed out to her that it wasn't so awful. I did like the ending, though not the very...more
Aug 15, 2012
Mary Davis
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fiction readers
Recommended to Mary by:
Nook Free Fridays
Shelves:
books-read-2012
B&N Synopsis:
"Sleeping with Ward Cleaver is the funny yet poignant story of a woman at a crossroads in life, who years earlier married a man who swept her off her feet, but now finds that her Mr. Right has evolved into Mr. Always Right, and the only sweeping going on in her life involves a broom and a dustpan. As her dreams collide with reality and the one that got away shows up trying to worm his way back into her heart, she must decide if her once charmed marriage is salvageable, and if so...more
"Sleeping with Ward Cleaver is the funny yet poignant story of a woman at a crossroads in life, who years earlier married a man who swept her off her feet, but now finds that her Mr. Right has evolved into Mr. Always Right, and the only sweeping going on in her life involves a broom and a dustpan. As her dreams collide with reality and the one that got away shows up trying to worm his way back into her heart, she must decide if her once charmed marriage is salvageable, and if so...more
Now this might scare the crap out of you if you don't have children and are considering having them in near future. If you already have them and they are the naughty full of boundless energy sort of brood, you`ll just nod your head and say yup, sad but true, this is how it is sometimes.
This is actually a little twisted happy end romance that young people probably will not appreciate but women heading to their forties who are married will recognize some parts of it as written from their own life...more
This is actually a little twisted happy end romance that young people probably will not appreciate but women heading to their forties who are married will recognize some parts of it as written from their own life...more
This book, while humorous in places, can also bring you to tears. It tells the story of Claire Doolittle, a mom of five who is consumed with doing everything for everyone else. She is busy with being a mom, her husband is busy providing for his family, and as a result, their relationship has taken a back burner. I find her a likeable character I could identify with, though she is a little extreme. I would have given this book a 4 star rating if it weren't for the neatly tied up ending. I felt th...more
Sleeping with Ward Cleaver is every married woman's must read. Never have I met a character that I felt I already knew as I did with Claire Doolittle. I say met because I believe after reading this book, I am already friends with Claire. Perhaps not her specifically but so much of her life is sprinkled across the lives of my friends and family. The moments that Claire is realizing what her life has become, when this life turns black and white, when she is overwhelmed with frustration I want to g...more
Quickly approaching 40, Claire Doolittle is worried that her life has fallen into a serious rut. She can barely look at her husband Jack without picturing Ward Cleaver, the father from Leave it to Beaver. While at one time she radiated love for her husband, now she radiates resentment for the turn her marriage has taken.
While this book is enjoyable and fun to read, to someone who has never experienced marriage or motherhood-it was kind of hard to relate and to truly understand what Claire was de...more
While this book is enjoyable and fun to read, to someone who has never experienced marriage or motherhood-it was kind of hard to relate and to truly understand what Claire was de...more
When I saw the title of this book I thought this was sure to put a smile on my face. And, although I would still classify this as a comedy, it appealed to all of my emotions and hit close to home many times.
Claire Doolittle is a wife and mother of 5 who has NO time to herself. Between raising kids, working part-time, running numerous errands, and keeping up the house, she struggles to fine some me time. And, being married to Ward...I mean Jack doesn't help.
Jack Doolittle is an accomplished arch...more
Claire Doolittle is a wife and mother of 5 who has NO time to herself. Between raising kids, working part-time, running numerous errands, and keeping up the house, she struggles to fine some me time. And, being married to Ward...I mean Jack doesn't help.
Jack Doolittle is an accomplished arch...more
This book is from Claire's perspective of married life with five kids, a husband and a part time job where she no longer has time for herself. When an old boyfriend of her contacts her after losing touch with her, she starts to fantasize what her life would of been like if she had married him instead of Jack her husband. I like that she also has a single again and single never married character who helps her to learn to appreciate what she's got.
This was a very funny book and I found myself relating to the main character in many parts of the book. This is definitely worth a read if you've been married for several years, have a few children, and you're in your middle to late thirties or early forties. I promise you'll not only get your fair share of laughs, but you'll also shed a couple of tears. This is a definite must read in my opinion!
This book is not my speed. I read it for a book club and found it to be humorous simply b/c it had real life situations in it with a mom who struggles (like most of us) to hold it together. It's a romance so all's well that ends well - of course. The marriage problems suddenly disappear, someone gets married and life is "happily ever after."
This was a good story... It read it at an interesting time of my life and it wasn't what I expected. The title makes it sound like a light read, which it was, but there was definitely a good message that it sent.
Utterly forgettable. Had to go read the blurb to jog my memory b/c I couldn't tell by looking at the title if this was one of the books I'd read or skipped. A bad sign. Don't remember it being particularly bad (or good)
I read this book when it first came out and remember laughing, then crying, then laughing some more. That's what I want from a story. Ms. Gardiner is a gifted writer, and a gifted storyteller.
These character were so great. I could see them clearly and even could anticipate their actions because they were so clearly defined by the author. The story line was wonderful as well. What person hasn't reached a point that he/she thinks, "This is it?" and then sighs in resignation. Great read.
This book has, seriously, hands down, the most unerotic, unsexy sex scene ever. I love it! I also love how the main character gets her life together. Very believable.
I couldn't even finish this book. The main character is intolerable. I couldn't read one more email between her and her friends because I thought my brain would literally explode. Ugh!
This is one I would definitely suggest for my married friends with kids. It was a fun read that also packs a message. I really enjoyed it.
Another look at life and learning that one should be thankful for what they have, without living and wondering "what if."
Wow this book is terrible! I had to abandon it after a few chapters because the main character is so unpleasant.
Fun book about middle age and routine that leads to questioning marriage. Perfect balance of humor and doubts...
hysterically funny and heart-breakingly poignant. Sarcastic and realistic, Jenny is on my to-buy list.
A very long rant w/an odd switch of focus at the end. I liked the mention of Hard Times onion rings, though; they are delicious!
Lots of "adult" language. A very quick read. The story was missing until the end of the book.
I trhought this was a fun easy read. I could have done with out some of the language thuogh.
After reading Slim to None I knew I wanted to read more books by Jenny Gardiner. This was equally as good and I plan to read more : )
This is a "marriage in trouble" women's fiction story, with a nice romance-y ending. The heroine is bored with her life and her husband (after 5 kids, she's probably tired too)--a lot of the story is about her problems. And the old high school flame who turns up just when she's feeling the most put upon and least appreciated at home. It takes a long time before her life finally begins to turn around and she figures out what she wants and how to go about getting it. But it's a good read. I did li...more
For the most part it's laugh out-loud-funny but I also had a lump in my throat during a lot of it. Jenny Gardiner's novel cuts right to the core of a marriage that has lost its luster. The wife is feeling unappreciated and the same could be said for the husband. The novel is written from the wife's perspective. There's a lot of truth about "marriages of a certain number of years" in Sleeping with Ward Cleaver.
This is a fast read that I recommend to fans of funny, honest novels about marriage. It...more
This is a fast read that I recommend to fans of funny, honest novels about marriage. It...more
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| Chick Lit Central: Sleeping with Ward Cleaver | 3 | 30 | Aug 18, 2011 08:50pm |
Award-winning author Jenny Gardiners work has been found in Ladies Home Journal, the Washington Post and on NPRs Day to Day. She likes to say she honed her fiction writing skills while working as a publicist for a US Senator. Other jobs have included: an orthodontic assistant (learning quite readily that she was not cut out for a career in polyester), a waitress (probably her highest-paying job),...more
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