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Better Off Without Him

by Dee Ernst (Goodreads Author)

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 · rating details · 867 ratings · 153 reviews

Mona Berman is an expert at Happily Ever After - after all, she's a best-selling Romance writer and happy endings are what she does best. So when her husband of twenty years leaves her for somebody 15 years younger, 30 pounds lighter, and French, she's got a lot of adjusting to do, both personally and professionally. Lucky for her she's got three savvy teen daughters, a fe...more

Paperback, 261 pages

Published October 10th 2010 by Smashwords.com/Lulu (first published September 10th 2010)

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Jul 29, 2012 Ines rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, laughs

Mona Berman writes romances and is happy with her wedding and three daughters until her busband tells her he wants a divorce. Mona is completey caught off guard, and as she puts it: “Mr. Arnold,” I said between clenched teeth, “looking into a lighted make-up mirror with a plus-seven magnification is a humbling experience. Having your husband leave you for a younger woman just plain sucks.” Now Morna has to adjust to being single, convince her editor that her new book will sell even though she is...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Luc rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit, unremarkable

I really liked Dee Ernst first novel, "A different Kind of Forever", but I have to say this one is not even close to her debut novel.

Don't get me wrong, the book is fun and funny in more parts than others, but I just could not engage with Mona. And there's nothing worse then not engaging with the main character!

Mona leads a happy life with her husband of 20 odd years and her adolecent daughters. Until he leaves her and she needs to learn how to be single again.

Sounds lovely, right? A a successf...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Diana Hockley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dee Ernst's book is a delight to read. A 45 year old mum whose husband callously breaks up with her one morning, then proceeds to make out that "they" are in agreement about the split? No way!

Mona is a believeable character with a laid-back humorous attitude to life. I found myself laughing out loud - e.g. Mona thinks her divorce lawyer is so tough that he undoubtedly circles on the bottom of his swimming pool - but make no mistake, this novel, in spite of the fun is about betrayal and pain. Dee...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Alexa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I almost put this book down after the first two pages. It starts off with Mona complaining about the month of April--taxes, allergies, etc--then describing her three teenage girls, who initially sounded a bit spoiled.

I got the impression that Mona was going to be an overly depressed, beaten-down-by-life heroine who finally finds some bitter type of satisfaction when her husband leaves her and she fixes her personality problems.

Fortunately, I kept reading, and found that my first impression was...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, kindle

Better Off Without Him is one of the funniest chick-lit books I’ve read in recent memory. Ernst starts with a great cast of characters: the protagonist, Mona, is a strong woman with a great talent for recognizing the humor in life, even in negative experiences. She has to be, with her three teenage daughters, each with unique personalities that keep Mona guessing and with the typical teen problems of being on the cusp of adulthood (with some very adult like insights), yet still needing parental...more

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Jun 01, 2012 DelSheree rated it 3 of 5 stars

Romance writer Mona Berman never expected her own life to become a bad romance novel cliché. In her mind, her marriage had been perfect, ideal. It took her husband leaving her for a younger, thinner, blonder, French woman for her to realize that not only was her husband not the devoted man she thought he was, but she wasn’t happy, either. Now she is faced with writing a new book about love when it’s the last thing on her mind, and moving on from relationship disaster while raising three teenage...more Romance writer Mona Berman never expected her own life to become a bad romance novel cliché. In her mind, her marriage had been perfect, ideal. It took her husband leaving her for a younger, thinner, blonder, French woman for her to realize that not only was her husband not the devoted man she thought he was, but she wasn’t happy, either. Now she is faced with writing a new book about love when it’s the last thing on her mind, and moving on from relationship disaster while raising three teenage girls.

Better Off Without Him is filled with entertaining characters. Each one was unique and had their own story that lent an air of reality to the novel. Mona was very naïve about her relationship in the beginning, but it was believable because she was such an independent and self-sufficient woman she wouldn’t realize how much her husband never helped and even neglected her. The other characters each had aspects that kept them from being too stereotypical as well.

One element of this book that I thought was interesting was Ernst’s combination of Mona’s romance writing life and her real life. Every once in a while (usually when around an attractive man) Mona’s thoughts would wander into novel mode, describing the scene as she would in one of her books. It added a slightly silly, but fun aspect to the book.
When Mona begins practice dating (dating only men she knows so she can get ready for dating a stranger), it doesn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped. Mona ends up with a purely physical relationship with her neighbor, Doug, and a string of awful, but very funny dates with other islanders. I enjoyed the terrible dates, and laughed my way through those chapters. I was actually rather surprised that there were no sex scenes in this book, given the Mona’s job and the type of book it was, however that doesn’t mean it was a PG type story by any means.

There was a fair amount of profanity in this book, which I don’t care for, and even without sex scenes there was frequent talk about sex. With the language and the sexual references, this book definitely makes it onto my “No way would I let my teenage nieces read this” list. I also felt like the language detracted from the story in some ways. Even though Mona was angry about what had happened, the foul language didn’t seem to suit her character, and she really could have expressed herself without the profanity just as easily and more effectively.
The sexual references seemed to be a substitute for not having any sex scenes, but for me this didn’t fit well, either. I understand not wanting to write sex scenes, but using explicit conversations as a substitute wasn’t genuine. I would have preferred Ernst had kept a consistent outlook on the sex aspect of the book. I felt like she could have done without the language and suggestive conversations and still told her story effectively.

Overall, Better Off Without Him was an entertaining book. I enjoyed the characters and watching Mona progress after her husband left her. I did expect from the very beginning that Mona would end up with a particular character that she did in fact end up with, so that was somewhat predictable, but I was still pleased with the ending.

Would I recommend this book? Not without warnings about the language and sexual references. This was a good casual read. There were some editing errors, but nothing significant that distracted from the book. It was well written with good characters, and an entertaining read.

Who would I recommend this book to? Definitely adults. It’s a tough one to place with a specific reader group. Hard core romance readers will be expecting sex. Some women’s lit readers may not care for the focus on sex, which sometimes seemed to dominate over Mona's personal change. The language may be a problem for others. This book is for readers who want a romance novel that is somewhat tame with a good story line and fun characters.(less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Allizabeth Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Description:

Mona Berman is a best-selling romance novelist, the mother of three teenage girls, and a dedicated wife. She has a great job, has penned twenty-seven romances, and is optimistic about her family's future. Until that is, her husband, Brian, decides to pack his bags, file for divorce, and leave her for a skinny, French twenty-something.
Faced with the biggest shock of her life, Mona must recover by finding herself before everything swirls down the drain. Can Mona be the woman she was...more Description:

Mona Berman is a best-selling romance novelist, the mother of three teenage girls, and a dedicated wife. She has a great job, has penned twenty-seven romances, and is optimistic about her family's future. Until that is, her husband, Brian, decides to pack his bags, file for divorce, and leave her for a skinny, French twenty-something.
Faced with the biggest shock of her life, Mona must recover by finding herself before everything swirls down the drain. Can Mona be the woman she was without Brian? Are the romances in her books truly fiction? Is love still an option? With help from her romance savvy daughters, her best friend, a crazy aunt, a matchmaking neighbor, and a plumber "too sexy for his"... everything, she may still have a chance at "happily ever after"!

Review:

This book is definitely one of the better romantic comedies I have come across lately. I love characters with real personalities, real flaws, and the ability to overcome whatever gets thrown at them, and that is what I see in Mona Berman - as well as in her cohorts. Mona is hit with news that would floor any woman, but that doesn't stop her from making the most of a bad situation. Dee Ernst's characters are genuinely fun to read about; it feels like they live next door, and I wish they did! The story-line isn't your typical "chick-lit" romance, as a matter of fact, I thought the premise of a newly divorced mother of three finding herself and loving again was refreshing; especially since Mona was looked to as an authority on love, and her own happy ending, (with Brian), failed. I also appreciated that I didn't really know who Mona was going to end up with. The book had a mild predictability, not enough to displeasure readers, and the dialogue was smart, funny, and encouraging. Readers will have no problem falling in love with the characters, particularly Mona's crazy aunt and three daughters - I hope that they make appearances in Dee Ernst's future novels. Recommended for lovers of the chick-lit genre, as well as those looking for an example of how to be 'Better Without Him...'

Rating: On the Run (4/5)

* I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 Enkel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Actually 2.5 stars. This could be a good airplane or beach book. I pulled it down free to a KindlePC. So it is nice of the author to have made it available and I would suggest that you at least give it a try. It is definite, definite chic lit.

The story started slow for me because I don't have kids (and I nearlly put it down). By the end of the first chapter it picked up a bit. Then by the end of the 4th or 5th chapter (@ 40% mark), I thought this is really good reading and would have given it fo...more Actually 2.5 stars. This could be a good airplane or beach book. I pulled it down free to a KindlePC. So it is nice of the author to have made it available and I would suggest that you at least give it a try. It is definite, definite chic lit.

The story started slow for me because I don't have kids (and I nearlly put it down). By the end of the first chapter it picked up a bit. Then by the end of the 4th or 5th chapter (@ 40% mark), I thought this is really good reading and would have given it four stars (I reserve 5 stars for OMG, I'm going to read this again! type books). It moved along quickly and there were some genuinely funny points.

Then at the 45% mark, it went down hill, by 52% it was flat lined and stayed that way at least until the 60% mark where I just put it down. The author writes well. But the draw backs for me were:

(a) It seemed one of those autobio/wish full fillment type books. The MC is a 40 something writer, who gets divorced, who then decides to make her next book about a 40 something writer who gets divorced.

(b) When it went into the string of bad dates, I totally lost interest and ended up putting it down because it was not only predictable, but I'm guessing that she has already given away the ending anyhow. (to be clear, it is not man-bashing. Think more of a dates-from-hell approach)

(c) It is written in first person, and those are not among my favorite types of books.

I wanted something light and funny after 3 days reading Under The Dome. (As a note: I'm a fan of Dave Barry type humor). Maybe I'll come back to this and finish it someday, but I'm just not up to slogging through the next few hours to find another ho-hum ending unless it is going to explain leatherheads.

I definitely think the author could write a very good book and maybe she just needed to get this one out of her system.

UPDATE: Well, I went back and finished it because I felt guilty about the rating and couldn't stand wondering if maybe it did pick back up. Nope. At the 80% mark, I was going to just put it down again, but pushed through because of my "maybe it ended well" phobia. I must not be a Romance Novel type. The 40% mark was the high point, then at 60% it went from flat to total (unrealistic) happy ending cliche. The last 25% was spent hitting all those 'points' that any typical divorcee would fantasize about (Well, she didn't give the ex a terminal illness or sexually transmitted disease... and he wasn't hit by a bus, so I'll give credit for that)

So, I'm not going to raise my rating because of the 'plot' and the writing did fall off in the last half. This would probably play well to someone wanting a divorce or in the process of a divorce. Especially if they have teenage kids.
(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Stephanie Dagg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Better Off Without Him by Dee Ernst is modern romantic comedy at its best. Mona Berman is a very successful author who’s forte is the historical romance novel. Throughout the book she slips into author mode to translate a scene that’s actually happening into a flowery passage in one of her books. It’s the witty hallmark of this story. Mona, who specialises in happy endings, suddenly finds herself facing a bleak one. Her husband suddenly announces he wants a divorce because he has met Dominique,...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Bee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Better Off Without Him has a lot going for it. While the plot itself is nothing new (husband leaves wife for younger woman, woman has some hilarious dates/hijinks, woman learns to love herself and finds someone she can be happy with), what makes it stand out is the phenomenal tone. It reads like you're talking to your snarky yet hilarious best friend--the one who is perfect at summing up people with a clever phrase.

I also enjoy that the book gives a nod to the tropes of the romance genre. The ma...more Better Off Without Him has a lot going for it. While the plot itself is nothing new (husband leaves wife for younger woman, woman has some hilarious dates/hijinks, woman learns to love herself and finds someone she can be happy with), what makes it stand out is the phenomenal tone. It reads like you're talking to your snarky yet hilarious best friend--the one who is perfect at summing up people with a clever phrase.

I also enjoy that the book gives a nod to the tropes of the romance genre. The main character, Mona, is a romance writer. As she's telling her writing group about how her husband left her for a French blond coworker, she points out how tons of romance books start like that. Mona also has hilarious moments where she rewrites what is going on in her head with her hunky plumber into scenes from her historical romances.

I wasn't a big fan of how meta the book got at times. Mona is trying to write a "not-exactly romance" novel that of course seems strangely similar to this book. This "not-exactly romance" category is hard to define, but this novel definitely falls into it. For example, the main character's divorce and dating life follow a much more realistic timeline than the average romance novel. She has bad dates, she has okay dates, and she has this-is-fun-for-now but not forever dates, just as a real person would.

The problem with this slightly more realistic plot is that it's difficult to transition to one week to six weeks to a day passing without it seeming choppy. It also means that the wonderful, funny characters are described, have one or two scenes, and then are rarely heard from during the rest of the book. There is very little sense of growth either with Mona or with the periphery characters. Also, as a personal opinion, I like good sex scenes and this one did the tasteful book equivalent to a fade to black at during those moments.

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.(less)

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Jun 23, 2011 Dizzyc rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mona's world is turned upside down when her husband, Brian, announces that he is leaving her straight away, today! Mona was unaware that there was a problem in their marriage, let alone a third party - 30 years old, French and Blonde known as Dominique.

Up until now Mona, writer of romantic fiction, has been the model wife, caring for her husband and family, probably a little too well.

Mona is not short of support to help her get through this. She has a good network of close friends and her PA. St...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Delena Silverfox rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't remember the last time I've said, "I effing love this character!" at the 25% mark of a book. I knew at that point I was going to love this book.

Mona is classic, and even though in the beginning it seems she's getting shafted, her husband leaving is the best thing to happen to her. Naturally.

I think what made this book so great for me were the characters. Patricia was awesome. Every woman needs a friend like her. Mona's assistant Anthony was the one that made me literally laugh out loud...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Julia Lippert rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started out this book not expecting to get much out of it. "Better off Without Him" is essentially a book about a woman, Mona, who is going through a divorce. There were aspects of the book which have been overdone, in my limited experience with chick lit I have found, for instance, that many of the main characters are somehow involved in the writing process. Dee Ernst chose to write a novel about an author who was writing a novel about an author. Very original.
The grammar needed some work. In...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Jacqueline Gum rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book very much. It’s a happy read and a storybook ending and sometimes I need that escape into fantasy. Dee has great writing skills and deftly developed her characters. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between mother and daughters and who wouldn’t love a crazy Aunt Lily in their life? It is pat, for sure, with the ending all tied up in pretty ribbon. And we all need that, right?

I only withheld the fifth star for a) the typos and formatting issues for Kindle. I know it’s th...more

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Oct 05, 2011 *Babs* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-asked-to-review, romance, comedy

Mona is an author, has 3 children and a lousy husband. He decided it was time to waltz in and tell Mona he is leaving her. Shocked to see he was packing up his things and moving out. Mona took it hard for a few a while, but with the push of her daughter's she decides to start dating again. They go to her summer home off the Jersey shore for some relaxation and dating. Some of Mona's dates are interesting and funny along the way.

I had a good time reading this story. Between Mona's Aunt Lily and t...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Tyler Griffith rated it 3 of 5 stars

I knocked a star because it took 100 pages for me to connect with the character and really want to see her story play out. I bought this book nearly six months ago and it sat on my shelf until I had run out of things to read and my next book was delayed from Amazon because of snow. Well, thank goodness for March snowstorms because in the end I really liked this story and would recommend it for light summer reading. Mona is viciously dumped by her awful husband in the first few pages, completely...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Tracy Tucker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I chose to read this book because the genre and synopsis were similar to the one I had written! I liked the author's writing style and sense of humor. It was a comfortable, enjoyable read, and I would have finished it sooner if I wasn't reading at late at night! I liked the MC and could relate to her (although I thought she could have been more "real" - i.e. less generous in her dealings with her cheating husband!). I thought it clever how the author had excerpts from the MC's books interwoven t...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, contemporary-fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Recommend to: fans of chick-lit

This book was:
A. sweet
B. hilarious
C. adorable
D. heart-warming
E. all of the above

Can you guess? Mmhm, definitely choice E. Poor Mona is a forty-five year old romance writer, wife, and mother to three teenage daughters. Then comes the day her husband walks into the kitchen and calmly tells her that he is leaving her for a younger woman. What seems to be a shattering moment in her life actually turns out to b...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fun read about a woman whose husband declares he's having an affair and is leaving her. She needs to learn how to live without him and her daughters inform her she needs to start dating. Though she is wary of this get back on the horse idea, she gives it a good go.

It was fun to read about her different dates. The good, the bad and the ugly ones. You are kept guessing throughout the book who (if any) of her dates will make it and will she find her next long-term love with any of them.

The book i...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Savitri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I needed something light and cheap for gymnastics read (daughter goes to gymnastics and I wait). This one hit the spot. It's light, funny, and touching at times. I'm not in my mid-40s, but soon enough I'll get there and it's nice to read about a mature woman trying to make it on her own after her husband of 20yrs dumped her. One thing I can't quite figure is this bit... is Mona an average mid-40yrs old woman or is she a foxy 40 something years old woman? The author made it seem like she's just t...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Gigi407 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. Hilarious!!!! I laughed so hard I cried. Mona is a romance writer, in what she thinks is a perfect marriage. She has 3 girls and a wonderful life, until the day her husband walks in and tells her that he is leaving her for a younger woman. She calls her best friends who are there to support her in her time of need and always ready with the martinis. In walks the hunky plumber who also shows his support for his friend. I love the way she thinks in lusty writer mode e...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Sandy Wolters rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mona is most definitely Better Off Without Him!

I had such fun reading BETTER OFF WITHOUT HIM written by Dee Ernst. The character interaction was imaginatively written and funny. It was so nice reading about a 40-plus woman for a change. I was able to relate to her in more ways the one.

I enjoyed getting to know Mona and her emotional strength in dealing with a husband she's been married to for twenty years but finds she never really knew him in the first place. I also really liked Mona's friends...more

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May 24, 2012 Samantha Robey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mona Berman, a best-selling romance author, knows how to write a fabulous happily-ever-after story. But her own world gets an unwelcome rewrite when her husband of twenty years leaves her for a much younger, thinner and French....girl. Her three teenagers daughters convince Mona she needs to give dating another shot, and spending the summer down at the Jersey Shore seems to be the perfect place for her to get back in the swing of things. But can Mona concentrate on her dates (the majority being...more

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Apr 06, 2012 ABookVacation rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a really cute, witty tale about Mona Berman finding life after being cast aside by her husband of twenty years. I enjoy a strong female lead, and Ernst does not disappoint in her character, Mona, whose quirky ways and strong sense of self worth make her triumph over her disastrous break up. I loved that Mona didn’t stop living, but instead began, dating, writing a new type of novel, and ultimately finding herself throughout the course of the story, and I highly enjoyed it.

I absolutely ad...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Even though this plotline has been done before, it is rarely done with the humor of this book. Brian is the evil husband who drops the D-word bomb, just after Mona and he have just discussed the most recent plumbing problem in their old house. Mona is stunned by this announcement, but the way it was delivered made me wonder about Brian. Was he always this crass, or is it his way of dealing with a very difficult situation, the demise of a marriage?

The characters in this book were so rich, so diff...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-reviews

Lately every chick lit novel I pick up involves a perky twenty and a bit bright young thing (who always seems to be either work as a PR or a PA in fashion or advertising), dumped by some love rat, who after copious tears and self pity navigates her way to true love with her soul mate. Well I have been there and done that and now that I am edging ever closer to 40 I want heroines with more substance and less style. Recovering from a break up is infinitely more complicated when it involves childre...more Lately every chick lit novel I pick up involves a perky twenty and a bit bright young thing (who always seems to be either work as a PR or a PA in fashion or advertising), dumped by some love rat, who after copious tears and self pity navigates her way to true love with her soul mate. Well I have been there and done that and now that I am edging ever closer to 40 I want heroines with more substance and less style. Recovering from a break up is infinitely more complicated when it involves children and property and Dee Ernst delivers with her warm and funny story about romance novelist Mona Berman who, when her 20 year marriage collapses, decides to move forward with her life, after all they say, living well is the best revenge. Of course Mona is a little bitter that her husband has left her and her three teenage daughters to be with a French tart fifteen years her junior but Mona's closest friends, her eccentric Aunt and even the gorgeous plumber, Ben, are there to support her with olive studded martini's and encouragement. From the moment Patricia and MarshaMarsha (distinct from MarshaTheBitch) mix martini's in Mona's kitchen and tell her to be the first to call her cheating husband's mother then collectively drool over the plumber's entrance (interspersed with snippets romantic fantasy) I was completely hooked. Perhaps because I have friends that would likely do the same for me should my husband ever decide to leave (though unfortunately I have no handsome plumber roaming my house and I may well insist he takes my teenage daughter with him).
Mona is capable and practical but has a hidden wild side. Her impending divorce frees her to recognise her own worth and take charge of relieving her frustrations, not only in her career but in her personal life. Branching out from the historical bodice ripping romances she usually writes Mona begins a novel that echo's her own experience as a new divorcee experiencing life released from cosy domesticity. At the same time Mona's practice dates while at her summer house relieve a different type of dissatisfaction. Her practice dates are a source of hilarity and her encounters with the long time neighbour certainly scratch her itch. The supporting cast are realistically drawn if perhaps a touch shallow, but I loved them all. There is enough truth in each of them for them to be familiar to many readers by dint of their quirks if nothing else.
I laughed a lot throughout the novel at the witty dialogue and slightly absurd situations in genuine amusement and wry sympathy. While the story is cliched in part, the humour carries it off. It may be a bit bawdy for some readers but I certainly enjoyed it.

Better Off Without Him is a hilarious yet honest story I found fun and engaging, a much better read than the cover may actually suggest I have no hesitation in recommending Better Off Without Him for the long married, newly divorced or anyone over the age of 30.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Beth Bares rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all women

Recommended to Beth by: ARR

Received this book through "ARR". Halfway through, I ended up purchasing the e-book. I liked it that much!

Dee Ernst is an awesome writer. The detailed expression of each character in this book was amazing. This is a laugh out loud, heart felt, true to life book. Mona is my kind of woman and Ben...well, Ben is just Ben - wonderful!

This fiction is not far from reality. It's a true testament, our lives can change within a blink of an eye. Another strong confirmation how important it is to embrace t...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Elizabeth Riley rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think this was free or very cheap on my Kindle Fire, which justified or not, kept my expectations low. I know, I know, what a snobby terrible thing to say. Believe me, I've said worse.

But, I loved this book! It was fun and I found myself laughing out loud at parts. Definitely a beach read, but quite honestly, those are the best kind! A few silly typos throughout the kindle edition, but that's ok. It was fun, funny and the right amount of smarm.

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Sep 21, 2012 Lori Green rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the voice a great deal but for a romance this book really missed the mark.

**spoiler**

The heroine is dumped by her husband and has a major thing for the plumber. But she has a sexual relationship with one guy and then moves on to a romantic/sexual relationship with another guy and then at the very end of the book when she's legally divorced the plumber says "I love you" and we're supposed to believe there's an HEA waiting.

I just didn't buy into it.

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Nov 02, 2010 jackie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I wanted Mona to be my friend. I had lots of advice to give her & wanted to sit with her and drink wine and discuss all sorts of things! We would have exchanged experiences and I would have liked to know her daughters also. She made decisions I agreed with and others I felt were not right but I still liked her. Who hasn't found themselves wondering exactly what the right thing to do when it comes to matters of the heart? Mona, you rule!

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About Dee Ernst

Dee Ernst was born Elizabeth Diane Ascoli in Newark, NJ. Her family moved to Morristown, NJ when she was still a toddler. She started writing stories on a battered Royal typewriter when she was about ten or twelve, and she graduated Morristown High School determined to pursue a career as a writer in some form or another (she considered advertising, but luckily came to her senses). Creative writing...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9619976-better-off-without-him?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1300309290l/9619976.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9619976-better-off-without-him?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Better Off Without Him by Dee Ernst[/url]

Better Off Without Him

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