Getting to Happy

Sep 16, 2012 Nickole rated it 1 of 5 stars

I HATED THIS BOOK. I hated everything about this book. I hated the idea of it (rejoining the characters 10yrs later) I hated the choppy story line and how she jumped from one character to the next. Though mostly (and I wouldn't have even thought this possible) I HATED THE CHARACTERS! What the hell did you do?! James is a lying, con man bigamist..... wait what? Bernadine the super strong woman who took her life back in the 1st novel is playing mammy to her cheating ex's son and she a junkie?! Ms....more

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Jan 07, 2012 Rory rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm not quite sure why this book had to be done? I really loved Waiting to Exhale and the ending was so pat and yet not happily ever after... So this book literally spends the first 50 pages deconstructing any and all gains from the first novel... Divorces, betrayals, and other means are used to tear down what made these characters settle

That said--I missed Savannah, Robin, Bernie and Glo and was happy to get back into their world(s). I liked that they all seemed to have grown and learned things...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Jamie Nesbitt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Twenty years ago, I snuck my mom's copy of "Waiting to Exhale" out of her room and read it cover to cover. Of course, 14 year-old me couldn't relate to much, but I was blown away by the strength and vulnerability of these women. Life challenged them in ways I couldn't imagine then. Now, as I approach Year 35, I can.

I was hesitant to download the sequel because the reviews for it were pretty awful, and I didn't want to deal with all the doom and gloom that would befall Savannah, Gloria, Bernadet...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Jacqui rated it 1 of 5 stars

Before there was "Sex and the City," there was "Waiting to Exhale." Although the latter did not achieve the same iconic status as the former, it was still a quality book that earned Terry McMillan a loyal following. I read "Waiting to Exhale" not long after it came out, before it was made into a high-grossing film. I had hoped that, nearly twenty years later, its sequel would be just as good.

I was mistaken and disappointed.

We all know that Terry McMillan was scorned by her husband--the same one...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Kenya Mack rated it 3 of 5 stars

Here we are fifteen years later, revisiting the lives of Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin. The ladies who touched our hearts and lives in more way than one in “Waiting to Exhale”. “Getting To Happy” is the long-anticipated sequel we’ve all been waiting for. The ladies are now in their fifties, but life definitely doesn’t slow down with age. One might be intimidated by the age of the characters; feeling as if they won’t be able to relate. However, their age wasn’t a factor in relating to th...more Here we are fifteen years later, revisiting the lives of Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin. The ladies who touched our hearts and lives in more way than one in “Waiting to Exhale”. “Getting To Happy” is the long-anticipated sequel we’ve all been waiting for. The ladies are now in their fifties, but life definitely doesn’t slow down with age. One might be intimidated by the age of the characters; feeling as if they won’t be able to relate. However, their age wasn’t a factor in relating to the lives of these ladies. It’s almost as if they hadn’t aged a bit.

We remember Savannah as a passive woman looking for love in all the wrong places. As we revisit Savannah, we find that her personality hasn’t changed much at all. Her character still remains true to who she has been. The only good and notable change was that she found love and married a good man named Isaac. The problem is that they’ve grown bored with their unchanging marital routine. After discovering Isaac’s disturbing online porn addiction, Savannah decides to hop on the train straight out of her marriage. Somehow, despite divorce being something touch to endure; they were able to part ways peacefully. Now Savanna is faced with having to enter back into the single life once again.

Gloria is another character that seems to remain true to herself. We were all happy to see her and her neighbor, Marvin, begin something beautiful. It’s pleasing to know that they married and maintained a love-filled marriage for fifteen years. When tragedy strikes, Gloria has to find a way to pick up the pieces and continue living life. Thank goodness she has her salon, son Tarik, and his four children to help keep her focused. When hardships come upon Tarik and his marriage, Gloria is able to step in and find purpose in living life again..

Bernadine is remembered as the “strong one” of the bunch. One of the people’s favorites. After going through a nasty divorce with John in “Waiting to Exhale”.,she bounced back and married again in “Getting To Happy”. His name James Wheeler, or so she thought. That was until his real wife called to inform her he’d married Bernadine under a fake name. After “James” cleaned her out and disappeared, leaving her nearly broke; Bernadine turned to self-medication. Pills were her escape from reality. When everyone began to notice her dependency problem, she decides to make a change once and for all. Surprisingly, her strongest supporters were her children, girlfriends, and John (her ex-husband).

Robin, the sex kitten herself, has been on a fifteen year man drought. Focusing entirely on the upbringing of her too-grown-for-her-britches daughter, Sparrow, she has failed to remember her own happiness matters too. After failed attempts at online dating, Robin finally decides to throw in the towel. That was until she runs into an old friend at the gym.

I have to say I wasn’t entirely pleased with “Getting To Happy” as a sequel to such a wonderful masterpiece. The storyline and twists were the strong points. However the story flow was lacking. There were also some devastating character development issues in the story. The one that stood out the most is when Russell, Robin’s ex married lover, was mixed in with the drug junkie’s Robin briefly dated in “Waiting to Exhale” past. Personally, I expected a better written story from an author of seven novels. Overall, I enjoyed the story and am still looking forward to Terry’s future works. I’m glad to see her back on the literary scene after all that she has been through.(less)

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Feb 28, 2011 Literary Jewels rated it 3 of 5 stars

Here we are fifteen years later, revisiting the lives of Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin. The ladies who touched our hearts and lives in more way than one in “Waiting to Exhale”. “Getting To Happy” is the long-anticipated sequel we’ve all been waiting for. The ladies are now in their fifties, but life definitely doesn’t slow down with age. One might be intimidated by the age of the characters; feeling as if they won’t be able to relate. However, their age wasn’t a factor in relating to th...more Here we are fifteen years later, revisiting the lives of Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin. The ladies who touched our hearts and lives in more way than one in “Waiting to Exhale”. “Getting To Happy” is the long-anticipated sequel we’ve all been waiting for. The ladies are now in their fifties, but life definitely doesn’t slow down with age. One might be intimidated by the age of the characters; feeling as if they won’t be able to relate. However, their age wasn’t a factor in relating to the lives of these ladies. It’s almost as if they hadn’t aged a bit.

We remember Savannah as a passive woman looking for love in all the wrong places. As we revisit Savannah, we find that her personality hasn’t changed much at all. Her character still remains true to who she has been. The only good and notable change was that she found love and married a good man named Isaac. The problem is that they’ve grown bored with their unchanging marital routine. After discovering Isaac’s disturbing online porn addiction, Savannah decides to hop on the train straight out of her marriage. Somehow, despite divorce being something touch to endure; they were able to part ways peacefully. Now Savanna is faced with having to enter back into the single life once again.

Gloria is another character that seems to remain true to herself. We were all happy to see her and her neighbor, Marvin, begin something beautiful. It’s pleasing to know that they married and maintained a love-filled marriage for fifteen years. When tragedy strikes, Gloria has to find a way to pick up the pieces and continue living life. Thank goodness she has her salon, son Tarik, and his four children to help keep her focused. When hardships come upon Tarik and his marriage, Gloria is able to step in and find purpose in living life again..

Bernadine is remembered as the “strong one” of the bunch. One of the people’s favorites. After going through a nasty divorce with John in “Waiting to Exhale”.,she bounced back and married again in “Getting To Happy”. His name James Wheeler, or so she thought. That was until his real wife called to inform her he’d married Bernadine under a fake name. After “James” cleaned her out and disappeared, leaving her nearly broke; Bernadine turned to self-medication. Pills were her escape from reality. When everyone began to notice her dependency problem, she decides to make a change once and for all. Surprisingly, her strongest supporters were her children, girlfriends, and John (her ex-husband).

Robin, the sex kitten herself, has been on a fifteen year man drought. Focusing entirely on the upbringing of her too-grown-for-her-britches daughter, Sparrow, she has failed to remember her own happiness matters too. After failed attempts at online dating, Robin finally decides to throw in the towel. That was until she runs into an old friend at the gym.

I have to say I wasn’t entirely pleased with “Getting To Happy” as a sequel to such a wonderful masterpiece. The storyline and twists were the strong points. However the story flow was lacking. There were also some devastating character development issues in the story. The one that stood out the most is when Russell, Robin’s ex married lover, was mixed in with the drug junkie’s Robin briefly dated in “Waiting to Exhale” past. Personally, I expected a better written story from an author of seven novels. Overall, I enjoyed the story and am still looking forward to Terry’s future works. I’m glad to see her back on the literary scene after all that she has been through.

Written and Edited By: Kenya Mack
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Nov 14, 2010 Tracy Darity rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am undecided on Terry McMillan’s sequel to Waiting to Exhale. I told someone recently that I wasn’t loving it, nor was I hating it…just stuck in the middle somewhere. That was at page 97, and my feelings never changed.

I started reading Getting to Happy like it was a destination Ms. McMillan needed the characters to reach; however, as it went on, I found myself wanting to scream, “Are we there yet!” But the reality is, happy isn’t a place we should be trying to get to, it is merely an emotion w...more I am undecided on Terry McMillan’s sequel to Waiting to Exhale. I told someone recently that I wasn’t loving it, nor was I hating it…just stuck in the middle somewhere. That was at page 97, and my feelings never changed.

I started reading Getting to Happy like it was a destination Ms. McMillan needed the characters to reach; however, as it went on, I found myself wanting to scream, “Are we there yet!” But the reality is, happy isn’t a place we should be trying to get to, it is merely an emotion we experience when the stars line-up in our favor.

Unfortunately, not much lined up for the four women we grew to love in Waiting to Exhale. Where we find them today is pretty much where they were fifteen or so years ago, over in some cases, worse off. Ms. McMillan painted a portrait that clearly shows that if there is no internal growth, if we aren’t willing to change the things that burden us down; we can’t evolve and grasp that little bit of happiness that may be out there for us.

It was a little disheartening for me to see these women go through so much and some of it, I felt was a little bit extreme. I am not naïve enough to believe the situations in the book aren’t real and don’t happen everyday, I just didn’t need them all happening in the lives of each character in the same book. As I read the story I wanted to be objective and say that she was not writing from a place of pain and disillusionment with love, but the further the story went the harder it was not to factor this in. The parts dealing with homosexuality were just a bit too fluffy, and unreal. As if she was trying to prove a point of some sort. Even the parent/child relationships felt surreal for me.

More than anything, I think reading about four smart, beautiful, strong women, just stuck in "life" may be what has me torn, and a little spent. At my age I really need to see the glass as half-full but Getting to Happy kept it teetering just below the half-empty mark. Maybe Terry can turn this into a trilogy and we can finally see these ladies where we, the readers, need them to be in life, so we can rest assured that happiness is something we all can achieve at some point. Then again, maybe we need to just let Bernie, Gloria, Robin, and Savannah, go out to pasture and live the remaining years of their lives wherever our imaginations take them.

Much Love,

Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is a writer and author of two novels, He Loves Me He Loves Me Not!, and Love…Like Snow In Florida On A Hot Summer Day. For more information, visit: www.TracyLDarity.com
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May 31, 2010 Jacqie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked reading Terry McMillan back in the day. Liked the women in Waiting to Exhale, to which this book makes a sequel. I'm thinking maybe I'm outgrowing this kind of book, for just like Sex and the City 2 leaves me with absolutely no desire to see it, even though I loved the TV series, this book did not engage me. The women are all about 15 years older, and not really any wiser. One ends up divorcing her husband over a matter that -might- have been worked through if she was really interested i...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Tata Lapus rated it 3 of 5 stars

Have not read nor watched the movie Waiting to Exhale and so I have nothing to compare this book with nor had I any expectations when I bought this book. I really got it because of the title and because I was into my "happy-ness hunting" mode. When you reach a certain age, you begin to start asking if you have done enough and if you are really happy...ergo, the purchase.

I found that the stories of the 4 friends are really solid. They all are facing mid-life crisis and the story shows just how t...more

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Mar 20, 2011 SweetPea rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, pg-count-up-to-500, library-kindle

Disappointing follow up to Waiting to Exhale. The writing was very disjointed and the techniques used (multiple viewpoints, using present tense in some chapters) did not effectively convey the story. And in particular, many times where dialogue went on for pages and pages and was so mundane it felt like filler (just trying to meet a minimum page target instead of adding to the story).

This felt like a novel that was released as an indulgence to the author, as though someone along the line (edito...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Alicia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nook-book-library, aa-fiction, 2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 22, 2010 Collin Kelley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Like another reviewer here, I read the first 100 pages and almost put the book down. Then, at about page 164, it was like the writing got better, the plot picked up, and there was actually some "happy" on the horizon.

But, lord, those first 100 pages were tedious. The book lacked both the zest and crisp dialogue found in McMillan's earlier work. It was hard to tell Savannah, Gloria, Robin and Bernie apart because they all sounded the same. And they all spoke in this stilted, formal way, always a...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Mimi rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was fairly entertaining, but I thought there was way too much drama. It cheapened the plot. The action felt like that of those so called "reality" shows. You know the ones where there's so much drama that it's obvious it could not possibly be genuine. That being said, I felt like the characters were unrealistic. Their attitudes were similar to the characters in the first book, but their reactions were way off! I found myself thinking who are these women and what planet are they from? I don't...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Deanna Burrell rated it 1 of 5 stars

This was a sad little book. I had a bad feeling when I read the author's note at the beginning and Terry McMillian wrote about her Waiting to Exhale characters that "To be honest, all four of them got on my last nerve long after their shelf life." The writing was choppy. The dialogue was sophomoric. The editor should have gone through the book and removed the word "Anyway" from the start of way too many sentences. There were too many references to pop culture as if Ms. McMillan was trying to pro...more This was a sad little book. I had a bad feeling when I read the author's note at the beginning and Terry McMillian wrote about her Waiting to Exhale characters that "To be honest, all four of them got on my last nerve long after their shelf life." The writing was choppy. The dialogue was sophomoric. The editor should have gone through the book and removed the word "Anyway" from the start of way too many sentences. There were too many references to pop culture as if Ms. McMillan was trying to prove that she's hip or something. The women watch Hallie Berry's "Catwoman", Terrence Howard's "Hustle and Flow", and "Crash". (But they can only watch movies if Gloria can buy a bootleg movie. Gloria has a successful salon and the other women are financially okay, but none of them can purchase or rent a movie. For some reason, they can't have movie night until Gloria's bootleg movie guys return.) There are references to the tv shows "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Days of Our Lives". With the excessive and unnecessary pop culture references, it felt like Terry McMillian didn't have enough substance to fill up the pages, so she added a bunch of fluff.

The story and characters were sad. The women didn't communicate well and even though they had been friends forever, they constantly lied to each other. I disliked Savannah the most. She was just plain mean and foul-mouthed and her sister was beyond annoying. Bernadine was pathetic. I was sad that Ms. McMillian turned her second husband into such a jerk and the bigamy storyline was unbelievable and incredibly stupid. How would Bernadine not know he wasn't a big time civil rights attorney? With all the multi-media references, you would think somebody would have googled his name.

I hated the names she gave to all the children in the book: Stone, Blaze, Diamond, Brass, Go-Go, Sparrow. I guess this was supposed to be a commentary on the silly names parents give their children, but it was annoying. And compiled with all the other annoying elements, it worked against any social commentary. I liked Gloria and Robin the best, but I don't understand how Gloria's salon has an rule against "unnecessary gossip." That's an oxymoron. All gossip is unnecessary, but fundamental in a salon. It was laughable how Ms. McMillian described the big sign in Gloria's salon listing way too many rules and regulations. Then at the end of the sign it says "So relax."

I listened to the audio version and that's the only reason I finished the book. Ms. McMillian should not narrate her books. Her voice is terrible or see talks with marbles in her mouth and I wanted to skip over the chapters she narrated. Anyway, "Getting to Happy" left me depressed. Ms. McMillian could have at least given the ladies a nice meal at the end of the book instead of dry chicken breast and three limp carrots with a lonely asparagus tip. Skip it.(less)

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Jul 15, 2011 J rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

(FROM JACKET)Terry McMillan's "Waiting to Exhale" was more that just a bestsellling novel-its publication was a watershed moment in literary history. McMillan's vibrant story about four African American women struggling to find love and their place in the world touched a cultural nerve, inspired a blockbuster film and changed African American fiction forever.
In "Getting to Happy", McMillan revisits Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin fifteen years after we parted ways with their stories. Each...more

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Nov 12, 2010 Titilayo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

well i made it to the end. i doubt that is how you are supposed to feel about a book. it seems that ms. mcmillan got lethargic towards the conclusion of the text. besides the sloppiness i was content. the title is not misleading.

the first half of the books reads as though you are playing catch up to their lives although the action is the present. they do not dwell or dive into any past issues, (so if you by some stroke of misfortune are ignorant of their backstories you maybe confused as to why...more

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Oct 08, 2010 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, audio

Overall, I enjoyed the follow-up stories of the women from Waiting to Exhale.

There were a few things that kept this from being a 5 star rating for me though:

1. I listened to the audio version and did not enjoy listening to the author read the character of Savannah. I've been an avid audiobook listener and have found that I prefer audiobooks where the author does not read their own material (with the exception of autobiographies or memoirs).

2. The timeframes didn't seem to add up...this could be...more

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May 07, 2011 Laurel-Rain rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this sequel to "Waiting to Exhale," we meet up with the four friends, Savannah, Bernadine, Robin, and Gloria, a few years after we left them last.

Still living in Phoenix, the women continue to meet for their girls' get-togethers and share what's going on in their lives. But the years have brought disappointments, sorrow, divorces, deaths, and all the inevitable events that life offers up to us. But how these women are dealing with these events is what "Getting to Happy" spotlights in this new...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Joe rated it 1 of 5 stars

Crap.

Pure shit.

Sorry for the profanity but this is the worst peice of so called "literature" I've read in a long time.

Ok, so let me preface this review I'm going to write (and there will be spoilers). Before reading Getting to Happy I re-read (and even watched the craptastic movie) Waiting to Exhale to refresh myself with the four sassy soul sistahs: Savannah, Bernadine, Robin and Gloria.

Now, when I first read Waiting to Exhale around 15 years ago I loved it. It tapped into the zeitgeist of A...more

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Oct 16, 2010 Morgan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have rarely been so disappointed by a novel before. McMillan has taken 4 strong, intelligent, independent women from Waiting to Exhale, and made 1 a drug addict, 1 a pushover mom/desperate single woman, 1 a widow, and 1 a divorcee. All of which wouldn't be the worst thing in literature, but McMillan has made their strong bonds of friendship minimal when compared to finding a man. When one character is widowed, her friends are more concerned with her weight gain than her mental well-being.

All...more

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Sep 01, 2010 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the sequel to Waiting to Exhale, but you don't necessarily need to have read that to follow this. I did, but I think I read it right around the time I read When Stella Got Her Groove Back, so I don't remember it. Still, I followed Getting to Happy easily.

This picks up 15 years after Waiting to Exhale and is set in 2005. It's about what happens after the happy ending that Gloria, Savannah, Robin and Bernadine found in the first book.

There are divorces and death, new loves, old loves and,...more

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May 11, 2011 Claudia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-challenge-2011, my-favorites

After 15 years and didn’t know the ladies was going to surfs again, we get a surprise that was not a let down. It was just like it was yesterday for me that I was reading and looking at the movie. All the ladies come back with the drama that leads to more drama to carry out the story of their lives where we left off with them all. Now they have their own lives and don’t really get a chance to socialize with each other like before.

Remember Gloria, well she’s married Gregory Hines but you know he...more

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Oct 11, 2010 Bookmarks Magazine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nov-dec-2010

For McMillan fans (and they are legion, given the immense popularity of her novels and film adaptations), the publication of Getting to Happy will be welcome news. The novel is full of the juicy romantic entanglements, family dysfunction, and high drama that readers have come to anticipate. The novel is not without its shortcomings; most critics noted the occasional clunky writing and predictable plot line. After all, McMillan's characters are the same as before--older and heavier, perhaps, but...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

Confession: I borrowed this one from the library, because Book Radio on Sirius was featuring it during my morning drive, and I found myself engrossed.
I had seen bits and pieces of its prequel - Waiting to Exhale -on tv now and again; but hadn't read the actual book. Therefore I couldn't really say I had a judgement on the characters.

Did I find the characters a bit weak? At times. Were they at times frustrating? Yeah. But as a woman of a similar age, I could understand some of where the characte...more

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May 15, 2011 Reader's Paradise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

When I started listening to this book and I must admit Terry M, should not narrate audio books. Her voice sounds like a run on sentence. I'm not saying that as a dig or a compliment just an observation. As I stated reading this book I was so excited to revisit these women several years later. To see where they are in their lives and what happened after they exhaled. What I found out is "Once you breathe don’t talk about it, be about it"

• Savannah Jackson (Whitney Houston) is a successful televis...more When I started listening to this book and I must admit Terry M, should not narrate audio books. Her voice sounds like a run on sentence. I'm not saying that as a dig or a compliment just an observation. As I stated reading this book I was so excited to revisit these women several years later. To see where they are in their lives and what happened after they exhaled. What I found out is "Once you breathe don’t talk about it, be about it"

• Savannah Jackson (Whitney Houston) is a successful television producer who holds on to the belief that one day her married lover (Dennis Haysbert) will leave his wife f or her. Ummmm
o Married to Isaac – they are moving towards divorce, Issac moved out and Savannah has finally filed. They've decided to make it a friendly divorce, but then Isaac calls to borrow $3K and she gives it to him, only to find out a few days later that he has defaulted on a loan she co-signed on. This act totally changes the idea of an amicable divorce.

• Bernadine Harris (Angela Bassett) abandoned her own career and desires of having a catering business to raise a family. Her husband (Michael Beach) is now leaving her for a white woman. There is a back story of Savannah and Bernadine being best friends since they were both in college together. Update: her new husband polygamist (Jessie/James), does the same thing to her which happened 6 yrs ago. We are not given much detail about the wife but one can assume this time she is African American. Jessie/James took her for everything, Onika her daughter is a lesbian. Taylor (15 yrs old step daughter) is her ex husband’s child. Her wit is truly something I appreciated in this somewhat dry story. Her ex offers to give Bernadine one of his properties, to help her from going broke. Hooked on pills, hooked on the victim syndrome Bernie finally realizes that she MUST do something for things to change. Is the answer rehab or being blessed to find out that Kathleen; the women her ex left her for has in fact left John?

Robin Stokes (Lela Rochon) is a high-powered executive and the long-time mistress of Russell (Leon Robinson). After dumping him she has problems finding a decent man of her own. She now has a daughter named Sparrow who seems to also be her best friend. Robin is on the internet looking for love. She meets a man online named “Dark Angel’ and he sounds really nice. But what she gets instead of her Dark Angel is her Dark and handsome ex, Russell. Dark Angel stands her up but she later on finds out that he is married w/kids. Sparrow is trying to gain a connection with her dad and it leaves Robin feeling a little off balance.
• Gloria Matthews (Loretta Devine) is a beauty salon owner and single mother raising a teenage son (Donald Faison) who is preparing to leave home and travel the world with Up with People. After years alone, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin King (Gregory Hines). Grandkids – losing her husband to gang violence. Glorias story was my favorite in this sequel.

All the women are trying to find happy again. What is happy? How do you find that island again, when you don’t love your husband anymore, or when he’s been a victim of gun violence and now you are no longer a wife but a widower? How do you get to that island when your first husband left you for a younger woman of a different race, and here you are again; but this time your new husband is a not only a cheater but a polygamist.

I enjoyed the middle of the book where the group gets together again to vent their issues, and breathe once again. As sisters they also try to figure out a plan to bring them back to their original queen-ness, one sister at a time with truth and advice.
Once you’ve exhaled as this group did there comes a time when you have to learn to breathe normally again.

Missy
Readers Paradise
4 book marks

"Waiting to Exhale" summary in this review taken from Wikipedia(less)

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Mar 27, 2012 Angeline Boulley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Listened to audiobook version, which was read by the author and three actresses, each taking on one of the four main characters. Note to self: if/when my novel sells, do not narrate my own audiobook. Authors are not necessarily voice actors. But I digress... Story was okay. I still like Gloria the best. One thing really bothered me about Robin's story. (Spoiler alert) She ends up crossing paths sixteen years later with Michael. In the first book, he's chubby and not very good in bed. In this boo...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Ms.Toni rated it 3 of 5 stars

Almost Happy

Mixing intrigue with harsh realities, author Terry McMillan returns with some of her most memorable characters in this sequel to “Waiting to Exhale.” Fast forward fifteen years and readers find Bernadine, Gloria, Robin and Savannah are not living happily ever after. They may have exhaled, but now find themselves trying to get to happy. Issues with men, children, addiction, money, and loss plague this foursome.

While I enjoyed revisiting the ladies and catching up with what’s been go...more

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Nov 17, 2010 Nakia White rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: booktini

Terry McMillan may be one of my favorite authors but this novel falls very short of what I expected from her. After having recently re-read Waiting to Exhale, the bar was set high as I anxiously turned the pages waiting to read a passage or something to happen in the story line that would make me laugh out loud or grin sheepishly at her creativity in bringing the lives and friendship of Black women to life. It never happened.

The book wasn't horrible. It just never resonated with me. The funny co...more Terry McMillan may be one of my favorite authors but this novel falls very short of what I expected from her. After having recently re-read Waiting to Exhale, the bar was set high as I anxiously turned the pages waiting to read a passage or something to happen in the story line that would make me laugh out loud or grin sheepishly at her creativity in bringing the lives and friendship of Black women to life. It never happened.

The book wasn't horrible. It just never resonated with me. The funny conversations as a group, or even the self evaluations dripping with truth, humor and pain that touched me in WTE, didn't so much as prick me in Getting to Happy.

I was also saddened at many of the love stories presented in the book. The demise of Marvin, and Bernadine's second husband, just didnt add up. Nor did Robin's eventual jump into love.

One of my book club members surmised that I didnt enjoy the book because I couldn't identify with 50 year old menopausal women, but not identifying with characters has never prevented me from falling in love with a novel. I fell in love with Waiting to Exhale at 12 years old, and again at 19 years old, at a time when I shared no common ground with Bernadine, Robin, Gloria, or Savannah.

A few things never connected to me: Bernadine's addiction to pills, when in WTE she had an extremely strong disdain for them; Robin becoming docile and celibate, allowing her teenaged daughter to essentially run her love life, when in WTE nothing could calm her attitude or her escapades in the bedroom, not even her fathers battle and subsequent death from alzheimers; Tarik's particular career being overshadowed by his original obsession and life long dream in WTE: music...the list goes on. Savannah and Gloria did seem to stay true to their original characterizations, though, which made me happy.

Also the book seemed to be weighed down by the current events of 2005, beating us over the head with the fact that the book did not take place in 2010. I understood that before I even started the book. The last thing I needed were tidbits about Hurricane Katrina, interest in Obama prior to his bid for president, and other such facts that didnt quite fit in with the storyline.

One book member commented that it is quite obvious that McMillan wrote this sequel with only the subsequent movie in mind. I am inclined to agree. It may not have moved me in literary form, but this story has the potential to do well on the big screen.

I still love her, though. Just not this particular book...autographed copy and all.
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Sep 18, 2011 Brandon Floyd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

McMillan certainly isn't the best writer, and "Getting To Happy" is awkward and tedious in a number of places. The dialogue is amateur, the pacing is a bit rushed, and there are even a few grammatical errors in the edition I read -but McMillan really cares about the topics she's exploring here, and that makes this novel an overall enjoyable read.

"Getting To Happy" is about practicality for McMillan's characters. The author takes a tactical approach that sidelines nuance and metaphor for straight...more

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May 02, 2011 Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Getting to Happy is McMillan's perhaps long-awaited sequel to her bestselling novel Waiting to Exhale. I read the first book back in college and really enjoyed the story of four African-American women trying to make it in the world leaning on each other through the hard times. While it was a fast beach-type read, I thought it said a lot about the value and power of female friendships. Getting to Happy, however, is a lot more fluff, and not too much insight. The four women are back, and while it...more

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Getting to Happy (Waiting To Exhale)

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