Full Measure

by Kat Lee

NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, ELLE CASEY, brings readers the romantic chick lit novel, DESPERATE MEASURES.

[Formerly titled Desperate Measures Trilogy: Book 1, Full Measure, published under Elle Casey’s alter ego, Kat Lee.]

Drawn together over a love of books, three women strike up an unlikely friendship, and end up forming bonds that move well beyond what any of them ever imagined possible. Desperate Measures serves up laughter, romance, cookies, tea - and a whole lot of love.

Aimee: A housewife left in the dust by her philandering husband, with an outdated high school education but a serious talent when it comes to confections...

Elizabeth: An accountant tired of crunching numbers for hundreds of clients with more money than they know what to do with...

Kiki: An exotic dancer who wants nothing more than to get out of the game...

Content warning: Due to sexy situations and content, this book is definitely not appropriate for younger readers.

A message from Elle about this book: Being a huge bookworm myself, the idea of writing a story about friends finding one another through books was really appealing to me. One thing I’ve learned about people who love books is that they come in all shapes and sizes and from all backgrounds and places, but the common ground of literature somehow makes everything work. When I was younger, I was the only bookworm I knew. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve found the joy of seeking others out and spending time with them. It’s like a whole new world has opened up to me, and so of course I wanted to write about it! Not that I have a former stripper in my book club or anything…

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Ebooks, Humor, Womens Fiction, Book Club

317 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Contemporary Romance and Women's Fiction Author

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun chick lit ebook I got for free from Book Bub. I would have finished it sooner but I keep getting books from the library that I need to read and return.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a major fan of Elle Casey, I decided to read the only adult novel she has written. I WAS NOT disappointed. I could not stop reading this book. She is an amazing writer and it upsets me that she has not been picked up by a major publisher. Full Measure gives insight to how women look to each other for friendship and strenght. Not only is she a visual writer (which I adore) she also can make you weep without pause. I laughed and cried throughout this book. December can not come soon enough for me. If you haven't read her YA novels (Elle Casey) please download one now. War of the Fae, Wrecked, and Apocolypse are all great reads.

[❤Marie Gentilcore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a light and easy to read book. The story is about three women who are going through big changes in their lives. There is Kiki, the exotic dancer, who is getting out of the business; there is Aimee, stay at home mom, who is going through a nasty divorce; and there is Elizabeth, accountant, who is quitting her job also. The three women meet at a book club meeting and we follow them through the changes. The writing had a nice flow to it and the story had humor, drama, and romance. I'm glad to have read it and I will look for more by this author.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Free Bookbub download. My immediate characterization was "oh, Marian Keyes" which was a high bar and so I ended up a bit disappointed. The slut-shaming was unnecessary and done in a way that irritated more than empathized: given Jack's abuse, there should have been far more worry about Tiffany. That, and other things sprinkled throughout the book (Kiki's dismissal of her fellow dancers, for instance) was at odds with the "YAY FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS, WOMEN RULE" vibe that was so strong elsewhere. I'd expect a more consistent feminism for something written in 2015.

The dialogue was well done and the plot moved well, if a bit too quickly at the end. I would have happily read a longer book to have more information on Elizabeth's life and whether or not Kiki (very minor) tells/told that pretty boy that she used to be an exotic dancer.

[Stacie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's my issues with this story and I'm sure people will think I'm nuts. While a cute attempt at female empowerment, the constant references to douching as a joke were annoying, the physical and sexual abuse that appeared out of nowhere was odd though and at times I wasn't sure if these women were friends or hated each other. I did not need the descriptions of every little thing from the shoes to the heel height to the car engines. It was just too much. The old lady was funny and I appreciated her but between feeling kind of icky while I read it and plot points that were not summed up, I kind of wonder why I finished it.

1.5 stars

[Sandi Faulconbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG This book is Fan-Blimmin-Tastic!!! Three amazing, completely different women meet up at, of all places, a bookclub (Yup I'm a librarian & a bookclub attendee!!), and from there an incredible friendship blossoms.

This book is in turns humorous, gritty, romantic, heart wrenching, inspirational and just plain lovely.

The character development and growth is so well done. There is parts of each character that so many of us can relate to or aspire to ... Kiki is my kinda lady!!! Oh goodness and all the new men sound rather scrummy!

Super read.

[theBookDevourer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I wasn't sure that I would. I don't tend to read romances but when this was offered to me free on Amazon first reads, it was the only one I fancied.

I loved the friendship of the ladies in the book which seemed so much more important than the romances but I still appreciated that the girls got their guys in the end.

My only complaint (if you can call it that - I can't think of a better word) is that I had no idea where the book was set until about halfway through. See, I said it wasn't really a complaint - who cares, amirite? But honestly, suddenly they were in Orlando when the closest to a location I could get was America.

I will be looking out for more of Elle Casey's work as she writes the kind of friendships we all aspire to have. She made me miss my friends, I teared up in happiness at the end. This was a fun book.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how these three women met and how amazing their friendship became. They all three were so different from each other yet they clicked and were willing to do anything for each other. I wish there was more friendships like this in books. Now days I mostly find books where the so called best friend ends up being a complete piece of crap. I'm just glad to have had a chance to read this.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aimee is down on her luck after her attorney husband leaves her for his assistant. Elizabeth, an accountant, replied to an ad on Craigslist selling very expensive golf clubs for her client. Kiki was heading to the bookstore, thigh-high boots and micro-mini'd out, to buy another book; her guilt pleasure. They all meet and click, deciding to join Elizabeth's book club; an unlikely little trio of friends.

A whirlwind journey ensues and the three ladies find themselves thick as thieves -ready and willing to join forces on a new venture. But would a jealous ex-husband and a new beau interfere?

~ This is definitely considered chic lit. A bit disappointing at first because it felt like it was lacking depth. I like books that empower women, but I felt this was doing the opposite. Until the end, which was pleasant and quite feel good. I just wish I didn't have to struggle to get there.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was such a fun read, I really liked the charactures

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the first of a trilogy called The Desperate Measures. Bonds begin to take shape over the love of books. This book centres on three women who for all different reasons need friends more than ever. Aimee is separated from her husband Jack and has a desire to take her talent of making cakes to the next level. Elizabeth is an accountant who is bored of just thinking of numbers all day instead of herself and Kiki is an exotic dancer who wants more in her life and to get out of the exotic dancing once and for all. Jack was a control freak and really mean and this will help the reader feel empathy for Aimee and the situation she is in. This was such a funny and heart warming book, I think readers will be able to relate to at least one of the characters. I was drawn to this book as it was set around a book group. There is a serious element to the book which will pull at reader’s heart-strings but this doesn’t take away the humour and hearts warming feel to it. I am now looking forward to the second instalment of the trilogy.

[T.S. Pagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bem mais ou menos. A ideia é legal: um grupo de mulheres que através da amizade inesperada que encontram entre si, se salvam na vida.
Acho lindo essa coisa de não ter um herói perfeito, rico, lindo, bom de cama e que inexplicavelmente é louco por ela e salva ela de todas as confusões que ela apronta.
Mas tem muita parte que ficou meio arrastada, cenas que poderiam ser mais curtas ou não existir, enquanto outras ficaram faltando, como um fim. Tem muita coisa q terminou sem explicação e outras foram meio corridas no final.
Faltou um bom editor pra esse livro.

[P · Rating 1 out of 5]

- 1.5
- Free kindle download
- Nothing special
- Very simple, quick read
- Kind of predictable e.g. just knew that Jack would be a problem
- Everything falls into place very easily
- A lot of dramatisation and it felt like every single thing was spelled out and documented
- Didn't mind the personalities of the main characters but they didn't really have any real depth to them

[Jessica Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun, somewhat suspenseful

I liked the three main characters. I mostly related to Aimee, but the other two women also has realistic aspects with which I identified. The love stories were rather heavy-handed, rushed and contrived. Overall, however, this book was an excellent read.

[Julie Fuerst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book

I couldn't put this book down. This is by far the best book I have read in years. The story was something you could believed happened. Loved how 3 very different women became friends. And oh the adventures they had together.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining, interesting, unpredictable book in general, with a few things that bugged me:

- Characters writing texts or emails in ALL CAPS... no one actually does that, why not use italics? I almost stopped reading at that point because to me that was a sign of a poorly written or edited book. (But I'm glad I kept going.)

- The coincidences... I don't want to just list a serious of spoilers, but seriously, the number of fortuitous coincidences and lucky breaks the main characters get was a bit ridiculous. (Three strangers who become fast friends in a few days and ALL need new jobs and ALL have talents and money to bring to the table and ALL find new partners at the same time?)

- The timeline... In addition to unrealistic plot-advancing coincidences, everything seemed to happen on way too short a timeframe. (Either that or the author didn't make it clear how much time had passed - it always sounded like the next chapter was taking place on the very next day, even the same day.) It certainly seemed like someone took a photo, commissioned a painting of the photo from an established artist, got the painting completed and hung in their home, and had a guest around to see it in the space of... two days, I think. No way.

- Two of the main characters had unresolved storylines... Maybe this is hypocritical of me after saying I didn't want things to be so unrealistic, and not everything in life wraps up neatly. But I was sad that we didn't get to see what happened next for Elizabeth and Sebastian, or Kiki and Brent.

- The dialogue at times was a bit cheesy. They called each other "babe" pretty quickly. And did we really need a blow by blow of them making plans to meet at the gym or the lawyer's office the next day?

- Tiffany. Poor, pregnant Tiffany was seen to be getting what she deserved. Um, actually, no one deserves a controlling, abusive, increasingly violent partner.

A few things I want to note that I really liked, though:

- Goofy, sweet, adorable Aimee.

- No-nonsense, ball-busting, smart Kiki.

- A story climax that wasn't all about romance.

- Sex scenes not being overdone.

- The accurate portrayal of domestic violence. Jack was scary, and realistically so. The most dangerous time for a women in a violent relationship is after she's left - more women are killed by former partners than by current partners (which is one reason many don't leave at all or go back). Aimee didn't choose to leave Jack, but she did show increasing agency, confidence, and happiness, and that made Jack more dangerous in his jealous and controlling behaviour. I loved when someone in the book said Jack is jealous because miserable people are jealous of happy people. That rang true to me and put a new spin on the role of jealousy in abusive relationships - it's not all about new partners.

Not many books inspire reviews this long from me - my reactions were quite mixed throughout the book - but overall I enjoyed it, and I have no qualms recommending it to someone who wants a light read (or who is interested in the depictions of violence, so rarely seen accurately - or at all - in light-hearted fiction).

[PN · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book started off promising it quickly began to deteriorate halfway through the book. It advertised it as a romance for all three ladies, only Aimee’s got any attention and even that was a bit rushed in terms of how they progressed including not using protection for their first encounter, which was just stupid. Plus their ending made me groan and roll my eyes since that was just too kitschy to be believable even in a fluffy story like this.

Kiki’s was lackluster at best and there was no resolution or indication on what would happen Brent figured out where he knew her from (which honestly wasn’t a big deal anyways but not a good idea to start off a relationship with a lie). Elizabeth’s seemed thrown it because the author realized that the story was winding down and she was still single and oh look here is an artist for her. They forgot the fourth member of the book club (Betty I think?) until the end and again it was thrown in like an afterthought. Jack as the villain was too hammy and seemed to take a sharp turn out of nowhere and they never mentioned the assault he did on Aimee when he kidnapped her, which is a big freaking deal and not something that can be swept away as casually as it was. And then the ending was just a bit too hokey for me with their respective ‘beaus’ helping with their shop location.

The beginning was strong and humorous enough for me to press on, but then after a little over halfway it became completely unbelievable and I finished it just to see how it all turned out. Not the worst thing I’ve read but not the best and it is not a re-read for me by any means.

[Beth Peninger · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was mildly intrigued by this title because of the description of 3 women, who are very different from one another, meeting through a book club. I think I should have just left my reading of the book with the description and moved on. But I didn't. I read it, the whole thing, and I'm not sure why. It wasn't very good and it was incredibly implausible. Listen, I know fiction always has an element of unbelievability to it but some more so than others. This title for sure did.

Three women, each struggling with life in their own specific way, meet through a book club and keep getting thrown together through various circumstances so a friendship forms. That's not super implausible but what happens after that is. They decide to start a cafe together and they name it...Desperate Measures. I'm sorry but what? Would you go to a cafe called Desperate Measures? I for sure would not. That doesn't sound like something I want to frequent. I don't want desperation, I want ease. Moving on. These are grown-ass women who are acting like, well I was going to say high schoolers but middle schoolers might be more accurate, around men. It's ridiculous really. They are talking like and behaving like horny little girls, it's kinda gross. All the money Kiki and Elizabeth seem to have is not based in reality at all, especially Kiki's, and Aimee's waste of a soon-to-be-ex-husband just needs to be reported to the police. OH! And speaking of police, why wouldn't Aimee's new boyfriend do something more about Aimee's ex?

There was a lot of drama, a lot of angst, and a lot of middle school behavior in this book. Why...WHY...did I finish reading it? Sheesh.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

To be honest, I don't even remember why this book landed on my Want-To-Read list, but I am so very glad it did! Not only was it on my tbr list, it also got randomly selected to be read for the Popsugar Reading Challenge Prompt #48. A book from your TBR chosen at random. So, here I was with a book I couldn't remember and not really in the mood for another random chick lit book.

Here is where this book actually surprised me! Is it chick lit? Yes, it is, but it is oh so deliciously good chick lit! You basically get three stories in one book, because while we follow Aimee and her journey, we also get two wonderful subplots in Elizabeth and Kiki. I really wish there were follow up books, where we delve deeper into their stories and romances, but I digress.

Desperate Measures delivers what it promises, a story about three women and the desperate measures they take to not only take ownership of their lives, but also develop the most amazing Insta-Friendship for life. This book had me engaged, fully immersed into their world, laughing out loud, smiling and just having the time of my life from start to finish.

It's not all roses and sunshine, though, Aimee's husband is a bad person and there are some scenes of abuse (although not extensive and not very explicit), so if you are triggered by that I suggest being careful with this book.

For me, this was a solid and easy 5 out of 5 stars, I would recommend it to anyone who prefers their books with sassy friends, real women and friendships and finding love along the way.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Couldn't put it down. But it ended very suddenly.
3 girls come together by chance at a reading group. Kiki, an exotic dancer, Aimee, a stay at home wife and Elizabeth an accountant, are all ready for a change in direction. Their plan was to open a coffee shop/bakery called Desperate Measures. Kiki would be looking after the decor, Elizabeth the finances and business plan and Aimee would be the baker!
Parts of the story were predictable, whilst others caused shock.
Throughout the story we follow the 3 girls but once Aimee's life appears sorted , the book ends very abruptly.
What about Kiki and Brent? Does he find out what she used to work as? What is his interest in Lola's?
What happens with Elizabeth and Sebastian? What does she think of the painting? How does 'Desperate Measures' get on?

Then I read in the reviews that the book is called 'Desperate Measures Trilogy Book 1'
But where are books 2 & 3?

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice quick easy read about 3 women who were not in the best situations at the beginning of the book. The characters were interesting. Some of the story was far fetched: how they became close friends so quickly and formed a business relationship and how they all found boy friends at the same time. Unfortunately the description of Aimee's abusive ex-husband seemed to be accurate and the way he came after her a few times. I was surprised towards the end of the book when Aimee told her lawyer that she was not afraid of her ex coming after her anymore, but that set up the next part of the book. All in in all I enjoyed it although I will admit it was the picture of the books and the coffee cup on the cover that attracted me to the book and that only ended up being a minor part of the book. They did all meet in a book club but there was much about the club in the story.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was an easy read and it was free, besides that I'd have to stop short of saying I'd recommend it to someone for reading. There's just nothing special in the book or the characters. It was predictable, slightly disappointing, and too much accounting for every minute of time. Would have appreciated more character development and understanding of Aimee's decision making process, especially as it relates to her dating while still not divorced, and even understanding her evil husband, soon-to-be ex-husband. The book was well-written, just too much telling, not enough showing and not enough about the characters to make us really care about them.

[Raluca Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely my type of book, so I liked it. But I would have loved to know how Kiki got over her fears, and, maybe, to know that she and her Prince Charming got together. And how He reacted to her truth. The story is beautiful and full of hope. Even more, the women (and some of the men) have strong personalities and strong values that are kept dearly close to their heart - and this, I love!
But I want more! At the end of the book, I felt like Elisabeth and Kiki did not have their happy ending, or, rather, that their happy ending is a bit unclear...

[Vani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story, but executed pretty poorly. The book was highly unbelievable & extremely predictable. I mean, within what I believe was two weeks, if I'm not mistaken, 3 women meet, quit their jobs, become best friends, each find the love of their lives, and start a business together? That just doesn't happen that quickly. It was kind of forces. It was a fun, light, easy-to-read chick lit, but definitely could have been written better.

[Alessia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable book. I started it looking for something fun for the summer and ended up loving it. It's very nice to read a light book that also has some very important and delicate elements. It was great to read a nice story about friendship, love and mostly female indipendence. It made me want to start my own business and do something more with my life! I didn't know the author but I think I will read something more by her.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fast chick lit read, but cute enough. I like stories of female friendship, although this one was a bit over the top. Plus, why bother making us care about three characters when only one woman's story is going to be wrapped up in the end? This is billed as a trilogy, so perhaps the "happily ever after" for the other two will be revealed then.

[Thais Monteiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice and fun. I love that it's centered on friendship while also full of romance, but I wanted to see Kiki and Elizabeth just as fully developed as Aimee, so I wouldn't mind if the book were longer to tie the loose ends for these two... I also wanted more from the book club (given that it's in the blurb), I love Betty so much! Haha.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the writing and characters and story. Sadly the ending felt extremely unfinished, like I was in mid-story, then I turned the page and there wasn't any more. I feel like it was hastily tied off or else like it needed to have the very necessary part two or three that were forecast under the original title. If the story had been finished I would probably be giving it a 4.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naughty but nice...

I gave this book 5 stars because I couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed the friendship that the girls had and I love a happy ending! The gorgeous cop is a lovely fantasy that never gets old. The descriptions were outstanding and it's just an all around good book!

[Patricia MacCallum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desperate Measures

Very relatable story, filled with believable characters and descriptive scenery. The women are warm, funny, and take a stand when the chips are down. The bond that forms between the three women makes the reader looking forward to a sequel. Happy reading. Highly recommend!