What do you think?
Rate this book
A Better Man
Every couple has a wish list.
Maya wants
Nick to come home earlier
To engage with their children
To engage with her
Nick wants . . .
A divorce
Having decided that their marriage is over, Nick is determined to leave quickly and with dignity. But when he looks into the financial realities of splitting up, he realizes that more of his hard-earned income than he can handle will go to Maya.
Then a mutual friend proposes that Nick improve the marriage in order to end it amicably, because the better father and husband he is, the more self-sufficient Maya becomes and the cheaper his pay-out will be at the end.
But as Nick sets out to be a better man, he starts to feel like one. Time with his kids, dinners with his wife, fewer hours in the office has the strange effect of making him happier. As Maya starts to feel appreciated by her husband again, she starts to blossom, to unclench her fists from the parenting reins and start to do things for herself.
Nick and Maya feel like they are falling back in love. How odd, how funny, how serendipitous. But if Maya knew what had promoted this marital metamorphosis? Then it would be war.
A BETTER MAN is the story of a modern marriage on the rocks, how we constantly change in and out of relationships, and the price of love.
Maya wants
Nick to come home earlier
To engage with their children
To engage with her
Nick wants . . .
A divorce
Having decided that their marriage is over, Nick is determined to leave quickly and with dignity. But when he looks into the financial realities of splitting up, he realizes that more of his hard-earned income than he can handle will go to Maya.
Then a mutual friend proposes that Nick improve the marriage in order to end it amicably, because the better father and husband he is, the more self-sufficient Maya becomes and the cheaper his pay-out will be at the end.
But as Nick sets out to be a better man, he starts to feel like one. Time with his kids, dinners with his wife, fewer hours in the office has the strange effect of making him happier. As Maya starts to feel appreciated by her husband again, she starts to blossom, to unclench her fists from the parenting reins and start to do things for herself.
Nick and Maya feel like they are falling back in love. How odd, how funny, how serendipitous. But if Maya knew what had promoted this marital metamorphosis? Then it would be war.
A BETTER MAN is the story of a modern marriage on the rocks, how we constantly change in and out of relationships, and the price of love.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 30, 2015
15 people are currently reading
792 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
July 19, 2015
I'm giving this book a 3/5.
While this is a book I would have never normally read otherwise, I won it via a Goodreads Giveaway so I gave it a chance.
From very early on to the very last page of the book, I didn't really connect with the main characters. They seem like snobby yuppies. Even as Nick turned into A Better Man, I still thought he was a dick. In fact, the only characters I liked were the 4-year old twins.
What this book does have going for it is a very lucid and flowing writing style that I appreciated. The pace of the writing was well done and doesn't get caught up in any one part for too long. The amount of detail for each scene was very fitting.
While the story is very predictable with no real "twist", it's a believable story that realistically really could happen. All-in-all, I liked it but don't know if I would recommend it as a "must-read".
While this is a book I would have never normally read otherwise, I won it via a Goodreads Giveaway so I gave it a chance.
From very early on to the very last page of the book, I didn't really connect with the main characters. They seem like snobby yuppies. Even as Nick turned into A Better Man, I still thought he was a dick. In fact, the only characters I liked were the 4-year old twins.
What this book does have going for it is a very lucid and flowing writing style that I appreciated. The pace of the writing was well done and doesn't get caught up in any one part for too long. The amount of detail for each scene was very fitting.
While the story is very predictable with no real "twist", it's a believable story that realistically really could happen. All-in-all, I liked it but don't know if I would recommend it as a "must-read".
August 8, 2023
Today I will rake this book over the coals of my disappointment and disgust. The characters (2 stars) had the EQ factor of a beige wall. Sociopathic, cruel and horrifically thoughtless. The story (3 stars) itself held so much promise - perhaps with less superficial wrecks, it would have done better.
However, the end earns the worst of my ire (1/10 th of a star).
All told, this book has fully earned 1/4th of a star.
However, the end earns the worst of my ire (1/10 th of a star).
All told, this book has fully earned 1/4th of a star.
August 23, 2015
Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from GoodReads. I started this book and truly wanted to finish it because I'm not a quitter but, 40 pages in, I threw in the towel. DNF. For me, I thought it was very predictable. Why spend my time reading something that I sadly see played out in real life all too often. No thanks.
September 15, 2015
A Better Man by Leah McLaren is a captivating, thought-provoking novel about a couple whose troubled marriage is on the verge of collapsing.
Nick and Maya Wakefield were, at one time, the perfect couple with a happy, sex-filled marriage. However, their once happy union has slowly disintegrated in the three years since the birth of their twins, Foster and Isla. Maya gave up her career as a lawyer to become a stay at home mom while Nick gradually turned into a workaholic. Nick is ready to move on but after learning how much a divorce will cost him, he instead decides to take their mutual friend (and fellow lawyer) Adam Gray's advice to minimize how much the dissolution of his marriage will cost him. However, once Nick begins spending more time with his wife and kids, he rethinks the divorce but will a shocking betrayal cost him his family?
In the beginning, neither Nick nor Maya are particularly likable or sympathetic characters. Both are rather selfish and the gulf between them is of their own making. Maya is a bit of a control freak whose fears for her children's safety borders on the ridiculous and her childrearing philosophy is cringe inducing. As for Nick, his ambivalence toward fatherhood plays a huge role in allowing Maya to make him a spectator in not only his children's lives, but their marriage. Each of them is clearly unhappy, but they deal with their dissatisfaction in different ways. Maya tries to deal with her frustrations through exercise and fantasies about her personal trainer while Nick manages his discontent by working long hours and indulging in flirtatious liaisons with other women.
However, once Nick follows Adam's advice about pretending to become a better husband and father, both Nick and Maya begin to evolve. At first, Maya is a bit distrustful of Nick's motives, but she willingly chooses to ignore her doubts and enjoy the changes in their lives. She begins to loosen up and relax her standards once Nick starts becoming more present in their lives. The pair begin "dating" and while their first attempts at intimacy do not exactly go as planned, they do make progress in becoming a couple again. This shift in their status leads to Maya letting go of her tight hold on Isla and Foster and Nick begins to step up and become a parent to their children.
Now that their marriage is on a more even keel, Maya decides it is time to consider going back to work. Their friend Adam is a logical starting point and she is soon back on track with her law career. Nick is nothing but supportive and he eagerly picks up the slack at home. At this point, he is rethinking his plans to divorce Maya but outside interference threatens to derail their relationship.
A Better Man is a well-written novel with a unique storyline. While Nick and Maya are not particularly likable in the beginning, they gradually transform into characters that are impossible not to root for by the novel's end. Leah McLaren throws in a completely unexpected plot twist (!) and the fate of their marriage hangs in the balance right up until the story's dramatic conclusion. A truly unforgettable read that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Nick and Maya Wakefield were, at one time, the perfect couple with a happy, sex-filled marriage. However, their once happy union has slowly disintegrated in the three years since the birth of their twins, Foster and Isla. Maya gave up her career as a lawyer to become a stay at home mom while Nick gradually turned into a workaholic. Nick is ready to move on but after learning how much a divorce will cost him, he instead decides to take their mutual friend (and fellow lawyer) Adam Gray's advice to minimize how much the dissolution of his marriage will cost him. However, once Nick begins spending more time with his wife and kids, he rethinks the divorce but will a shocking betrayal cost him his family?
In the beginning, neither Nick nor Maya are particularly likable or sympathetic characters. Both are rather selfish and the gulf between them is of their own making. Maya is a bit of a control freak whose fears for her children's safety borders on the ridiculous and her childrearing philosophy is cringe inducing. As for Nick, his ambivalence toward fatherhood plays a huge role in allowing Maya to make him a spectator in not only his children's lives, but their marriage. Each of them is clearly unhappy, but they deal with their dissatisfaction in different ways. Maya tries to deal with her frustrations through exercise and fantasies about her personal trainer while Nick manages his discontent by working long hours and indulging in flirtatious liaisons with other women.
However, once Nick follows Adam's advice about pretending to become a better husband and father, both Nick and Maya begin to evolve. At first, Maya is a bit distrustful of Nick's motives, but she willingly chooses to ignore her doubts and enjoy the changes in their lives. She begins to loosen up and relax her standards once Nick starts becoming more present in their lives. The pair begin "dating" and while their first attempts at intimacy do not exactly go as planned, they do make progress in becoming a couple again. This shift in their status leads to Maya letting go of her tight hold on Isla and Foster and Nick begins to step up and become a parent to their children.
Now that their marriage is on a more even keel, Maya decides it is time to consider going back to work. Their friend Adam is a logical starting point and she is soon back on track with her law career. Nick is nothing but supportive and he eagerly picks up the slack at home. At this point, he is rethinking his plans to divorce Maya but outside interference threatens to derail their relationship.
A Better Man is a well-written novel with a unique storyline. While Nick and Maya are not particularly likable in the beginning, they gradually transform into characters that are impossible not to root for by the novel's end. Leah McLaren throws in a completely unexpected plot twist (!) and the fate of their marriage hangs in the balance right up until the story's dramatic conclusion. A truly unforgettable read that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
October 4, 2015
Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes
I found the whole novel dark with underlying greyness. There was obviously a reason for this as they couple are not the on the same page about their marriage or their positions in it (or indeed the world).
Nick was so bland at first that I hardly could understand where their marriage had come from but as the novel progressed the author gently gave us a bit of background information for their mutual initial attractions. I began to understand what they had had before the arrival of their twins.
It’s an honest portrayal of a marriage sunk into unhappiness by simple miscommunication. Having a child completely alters your universe and most parents will agree that there is something in this novel that will resonate in their own partnerships. One or other partner will feel neglected, superfluous, guilty, unappreciated, ignored or just plain lonely during the early stages of child-rearing. It’s hard to address these feelings when you’re sleep-deprived and solely focussed on making sure this tiny being is getting what it needs to survive to the next day, let alone next week and next thing you know is you’ve gone several years without really looking at your spouse or wondering how they’re doing. It happens, a lot.
The novel really explores what went awry in Nick and Maya’s marriage and though it seems dark and depressing I think there’s actually a lot of hopefulness in their story. Underneath everything they are still kind people and neither one is out to “get” the other. They just cannot see a way to be happy together and be able to give the other what is needed.
It’s a good book, not an easy read but easily readable. I would recommend it to those who have come out of the fog of early parenthood so they can recognise that they weren’t alone or to those about to head into the fog, so they can avoid all of our mistakes.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
I found the whole novel dark with underlying greyness. There was obviously a reason for this as they couple are not the on the same page about their marriage or their positions in it (or indeed the world).
Nick was so bland at first that I hardly could understand where their marriage had come from but as the novel progressed the author gently gave us a bit of background information for their mutual initial attractions. I began to understand what they had had before the arrival of their twins.
It’s an honest portrayal of a marriage sunk into unhappiness by simple miscommunication. Having a child completely alters your universe and most parents will agree that there is something in this novel that will resonate in their own partnerships. One or other partner will feel neglected, superfluous, guilty, unappreciated, ignored or just plain lonely during the early stages of child-rearing. It’s hard to address these feelings when you’re sleep-deprived and solely focussed on making sure this tiny being is getting what it needs to survive to the next day, let alone next week and next thing you know is you’ve gone several years without really looking at your spouse or wondering how they’re doing. It happens, a lot.
The novel really explores what went awry in Nick and Maya’s marriage and though it seems dark and depressing I think there’s actually a lot of hopefulness in their story. Underneath everything they are still kind people and neither one is out to “get” the other. They just cannot see a way to be happy together and be able to give the other what is needed.
It’s a good book, not an easy read but easily readable. I would recommend it to those who have come out of the fog of early parenthood so they can recognise that they weren’t alone or to those about to head into the fog, so they can avoid all of our mistakes.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
October 6, 2015
I enjoyed this story though I haven't given it an excellent rating.
In the beginning there's a tired marriage, an obsessed wife and mother of twins (now that's understandable) and a bored husband and father. The man in the story, Nick, has a very successful and attention intense company and seems to be working on a social life that doesn't include the wife and kids. The wife, Maya, has morphed from a crack lawyer into a stay-at-home mom who obsesses about everything to do with her children, and when she's not doing that, she's at the gym. Neither have a life to be envied.
In casual conversation with his best friend, the divorce lawyer, Nick finds out that should he decide, a divorce will cost him more than half of all he has accrued. He gets advice to change and become a better husband and father, for the short run in any event. And the change is good, good for Maya and good for Nick. Unfortunately early on his motives are suspect and when the genie is released from the bottle, all hell breaks loose.
In the beginning there's a tired marriage, an obsessed wife and mother of twins (now that's understandable) and a bored husband and father. The man in the story, Nick, has a very successful and attention intense company and seems to be working on a social life that doesn't include the wife and kids. The wife, Maya, has morphed from a crack lawyer into a stay-at-home mom who obsesses about everything to do with her children, and when she's not doing that, she's at the gym. Neither have a life to be envied.
In casual conversation with his best friend, the divorce lawyer, Nick finds out that should he decide, a divorce will cost him more than half of all he has accrued. He gets advice to change and become a better husband and father, for the short run in any event. And the change is good, good for Maya and good for Nick. Unfortunately early on his motives are suspect and when the genie is released from the bottle, all hell breaks loose.
March 25, 2016
Quick read. Not a lot of substance to this novel.
It appears to be about how disruptive having children is to a relationship no matter how much money, financial security and a full time housekeeper/nanny you have. No kidding???? Having children changes your life regardless of your circumstances.
The central characters in the novel include neurotic helicopter mother of fraternal twins Maya Wakefield, her self-indulgent materialistic husband Nick and their mutual frumpy but highly successful best friend and top divorce lawyer Gray.
While the overall premise of a husband plotting to reduce the cost of a potential divorce by turning into a model husband to give his wife a sense of stability to go back and pursue her career is interesting, my overall impression is that there truly is no sense of 'family' or what it means to parent in the relationship.
It appears to be about how disruptive having children is to a relationship no matter how much money, financial security and a full time housekeeper/nanny you have. No kidding???? Having children changes your life regardless of your circumstances.
The central characters in the novel include neurotic helicopter mother of fraternal twins Maya Wakefield, her self-indulgent materialistic husband Nick and their mutual frumpy but highly successful best friend and top divorce lawyer Gray.
While the overall premise of a husband plotting to reduce the cost of a potential divorce by turning into a model husband to give his wife a sense of stability to go back and pursue her career is interesting, my overall impression is that there truly is no sense of 'family' or what it means to parent in the relationship.
August 19, 2018
A Better Man take us through some unexpected drama. Married Maya is a stay at home mum with twins. Nick contacts his best friend Adam Gray who is a lawyer as Nick is determined to leave his wife Maya. Unfortunately Nick hasn't exactly been the super Dad for quite a few years. As Nick finds out divorce is expensive with legal fees, daycare and school fees and with the family home. If he wants a better divorce settlement first of all he will have to become a better husband and to do that he will need to become a better man. A Better Man is a whirlwind of a read that is well worth reading.
February 10, 2020
I'm giving this book 2.5 stars and rounding down. I only liked the kids.
January 17, 2020
Is it a cautionary tale? Probably not, I was left with a feeling of be careful what you wish for and be careful who you trust. I’m not so sure that was the author’s point. Neither are all that likable, initially both are incredibly shallow but in very different ways. He’s defined by money and things and she by her desire to be the perfect mother. The end up better people, I guess that’s the point.
September 3, 2015
This story is told by the male of this partnership - an unusual angle - tells the story of Nick and Maya the seemingly perfect couple with their darling twins and ideal life and the revelation that Nick wants a divorce.
It seems that since the birth of his children he finds it hard to cope or adapt to parenthood while Maya appears to embrace it which is driving a wedge between them. He believes that Maya is a natural mother but does not realise that she is having just as much a hard time coping as he it, she is having to learn as she goes along which is what Nick should be doing instead of which he chooses work as an escape route and the gap between them just gets wider. Nick decides that he wants out, a divorce. Before she gave up work to start a family Maya was a lawyer and although she loves her children she misses being able to work as well. Nick confides in an old friend Adam Grey (also happens to be a top billing family lawyer in the city's biggest firm) that he wants to divorce Maya, that is his intention until Adam shows him just how much it will cost him. Nick is resigned then that he can't afford to divorce until Adam suggests a 'way out' and convinces him that if he were to treat her better, wine and dine her, take her on holidays, become a better man, suggest she go back to work and say he'll help out with child care then when he does petition for divorce she will be unable to say she is totally dependant on him and won't get everything in settlement. Gray suggests 6 months of this would be enough to make it work. Nick decides this is for him and immediately embarks on the 'new man' strategy.
So the story is set in motion; I struggled with this in the respect that Maya apparently being a divorce lawyer herself does not 'smell a rat' and it was a bit much to expect that she would be so gullible. I also felt it made her look a bit feeble and needy so it didn't really work for me.
The story rumbles along, a bit slower than I would have liked and ended up very much as expected. No surprises or curve balls, no excitement or fizz - quite disappointing.
It's an OK read if you accept women as being feeble, weak, gullible, shallow and stupid but not really a modern day depiction of females so not really believable. If you're looking for a book that is just a frivolous read then it's OK but not really a page turner or a memorable read, very predictable, very ordinary.
From being Nicks' story at the start it essentially turned into Maya's story which was disappointing as having started from the man's point of view and an unusual angle (also a unique selling point) I felt that the author really missed an opportunity here. Because of this I can only really give it a 3 star rating.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
It seems that since the birth of his children he finds it hard to cope or adapt to parenthood while Maya appears to embrace it which is driving a wedge between them. He believes that Maya is a natural mother but does not realise that she is having just as much a hard time coping as he it, she is having to learn as she goes along which is what Nick should be doing instead of which he chooses work as an escape route and the gap between them just gets wider. Nick decides that he wants out, a divorce. Before she gave up work to start a family Maya was a lawyer and although she loves her children she misses being able to work as well. Nick confides in an old friend Adam Grey (also happens to be a top billing family lawyer in the city's biggest firm) that he wants to divorce Maya, that is his intention until Adam shows him just how much it will cost him. Nick is resigned then that he can't afford to divorce until Adam suggests a 'way out' and convinces him that if he were to treat her better, wine and dine her, take her on holidays, become a better man, suggest she go back to work and say he'll help out with child care then when he does petition for divorce she will be unable to say she is totally dependant on him and won't get everything in settlement. Gray suggests 6 months of this would be enough to make it work. Nick decides this is for him and immediately embarks on the 'new man' strategy.
So the story is set in motion; I struggled with this in the respect that Maya apparently being a divorce lawyer herself does not 'smell a rat' and it was a bit much to expect that she would be so gullible. I also felt it made her look a bit feeble and needy so it didn't really work for me.
The story rumbles along, a bit slower than I would have liked and ended up very much as expected. No surprises or curve balls, no excitement or fizz - quite disappointing.
It's an OK read if you accept women as being feeble, weak, gullible, shallow and stupid but not really a modern day depiction of females so not really believable. If you're looking for a book that is just a frivolous read then it's OK but not really a page turner or a memorable read, very predictable, very ordinary.
From being Nicks' story at the start it essentially turned into Maya's story which was disappointing as having started from the man's point of view and an unusual angle (also a unique selling point) I felt that the author really missed an opportunity here. Because of this I can only really give it a 3 star rating.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2019
what attracted me to this book was the synopsis. it was unlike anything i had read before: a romcom-esque story of a failing marriage told from a man's perspective. the idea of nick trying to act like a better man to essentially manipulate his wife, while definitely a dick move, intrigued me. i wanted to see how it would play out.
i was admittedly wary of how she would pull off writing nick's pov, but i was surprised to find that she was able to create a believable male character that i could simultaneously hate and feel for. she frames the characters in a way that is so smart and empathetic i started to think that she may have gone through something like this herself. the characters were complex and well thought-out, but also easy to understand and dissect. this ultimately made it easier for me to connect with them despite their sometimes misguided and reckless behaviour. they felt like real people. the inner monologues were detailed without being redundant, and when describing a certain feeling the writer does so which the utmost specificity. you're always left thinking, "finally someone put that feeling into words". although i could kind of predict the ending, she managed to put it in such a simple and beautiful way that tied everything together really well, even though it was a little abrupt.
*spoiler alert* my only beef with this book comes not from the writing and structure of it all, but some of the events. i'm knocking off a point bc of how involved the lawyer gray was in the story. i just felt like his character kind of disrupted the organic and delicate nature of the plot in a way? that whole maya-gray arc made the story feel contrived and kind of rom-com, click-flick ish. it made maya out to look naive, while the whole time she was intelligent and mature (albeit sometimes neurotic). i also wish we could have seen a bit more of nick's "origin story", for lack of a better term. his crappy behaviour had to come from somewhere, right? we got that in some ways with maya, what with the subtle references to her mother, but not so much so with nick. i also hated the whole shelly situation, but whatever. i guess it had to happen.
overall, i liked the story a lot and would recommend it. it's an easy read which also manages to be heart warming and thought provoking.
i was admittedly wary of how she would pull off writing nick's pov, but i was surprised to find that she was able to create a believable male character that i could simultaneously hate and feel for. she frames the characters in a way that is so smart and empathetic i started to think that she may have gone through something like this herself. the characters were complex and well thought-out, but also easy to understand and dissect. this ultimately made it easier for me to connect with them despite their sometimes misguided and reckless behaviour. they felt like real people. the inner monologues were detailed without being redundant, and when describing a certain feeling the writer does so which the utmost specificity. you're always left thinking, "finally someone put that feeling into words". although i could kind of predict the ending, she managed to put it in such a simple and beautiful way that tied everything together really well, even though it was a little abrupt.
*spoiler alert* my only beef with this book comes not from the writing and structure of it all, but some of the events. i'm knocking off a point bc of how involved the lawyer gray was in the story. i just felt like his character kind of disrupted the organic and delicate nature of the plot in a way? that whole maya-gray arc made the story feel contrived and kind of rom-com, click-flick ish. it made maya out to look naive, while the whole time she was intelligent and mature (albeit sometimes neurotic). i also wish we could have seen a bit more of nick's "origin story", for lack of a better term. his crappy behaviour had to come from somewhere, right? we got that in some ways with maya, what with the subtle references to her mother, but not so much so with nick. i also hated the whole shelly situation, but whatever. i guess it had to happen.
overall, i liked the story a lot and would recommend it. it's an easy read which also manages to be heart warming and thought provoking.
January 20, 2016
Better than I thought it would be, a short read about a marriage in trouble. It's an easy read and that is just what I needed at this time. It portrays both sides of a husband and wife who have drifted apart after the birth of twins until divorce seems the only answer. As mentioned I did not have high expectations so was pleasantly surprised and was routing for Nick and Maya to get it together. They aren't particularly great characters and there are a few things that stick out as odd; one being that since Maya was super concerned her children not be subjected to anything bad - food wise and life style, why would she live with a "friend" so quickly after leaving Nick and risk her kids getting wrong impressions of her relationship with him because certainly the adults around her did and kids pick up quickly? It seems Nick turns himself around but Maya not so much other than to return to work. A beach type read in the middle of winter with a happy ending and nothing too deep. Who could ask for more? It does confirm what I already know about marriage - it requires work and when you don't put in that work, things can quickly so south.
December 14, 2015
Not quite as exciting as I thought it would be but a decent read. There seemed to be a strange struggle for me as the story drew me in and then pushed me away again.
I desperately hated the fact that Maya moved in with Gray knowing he loved her, he was a friend to her and Nick AND she took her kids there, AND slept with him. Major turn off and extremely irresponsible as a still married woman and she didn't even like it!
In additon, I don't relish reading fiction where there are numerous words I have to find definitions for to understand what's being said; layoff the thesaurus.
I desperately hated the fact that Maya moved in with Gray knowing he loved her, he was a friend to her and Nick AND she took her kids there, AND slept with him. Major turn off and extremely irresponsible as a still married woman and she didn't even like it!
In additon, I don't relish reading fiction where there are numerous words I have to find definitions for to understand what's being said; layoff the thesaurus.
May 15, 2016
It was the synopsis that had me sold on this novel, as it was rare to find a different storyline in chick-lit. While I enjoyed the novel, I expected more out of the story.
I expected more depth to the characters. There was no epiphany moment or turning point. I find it hard to believe that the two characters did not have internal struggles, second guessing their feelings and doubting the situation.
I expected more depth to the characters. There was no epiphany moment or turning point. I find it hard to believe that the two characters did not have internal struggles, second guessing their feelings and doubting the situation.
October 30, 2015
Just finished this book and it was unexpectedly beautiful A tale of what happens when lovers lose sight of one another during life’s journey, only to turn a sudden corner and find their partner there, in sharper focus than ever before, unrecognizable and yet, somehow, the same as always and happily so. Marriage is supposed to bring out the best in people, but so often it brings out the worst.
October 16, 2016
What happens when you fake an emotion you think you no longer feel in your relationship? And what happens if your partner finds out? A good story that makes you look at your own relationships with a new eye!
September 28, 2017
Library Request, this is the second time around, still thought it was a good read, I enjoyed all the characters and the interesting storyline. Second time I even got a better understanding of Nick, and how much I hated Gary for what he did to Maya's family just to one up Nick.
January 15, 2018
I’m a bit torn for this review. In some ways it deserves at least four stars, because it is undoubtedly very well written in a style I often admire: quite literary, very fluid, finely constructed sentences, and a wide precise vocabulary. But in this case, it didn’t work for me. The main problem is a sense of distance, of looking with cool detachment at two not very interesting protagonists. There is no real sense of being inside their lives or connecting with their problems.
But that may be partly because the problems are not ones I could readily connect with.
I don't think I would class this as a chick lit. It's not meant to be fluffy or fun and is definitely not funny; it's about the disintegration of a marriage. The plot: essentially, affluent and disengaged husband Nick has fallen out of love with stay-at-home mum Maya. But wow, who knew divorce was so expensive? So to reduce his losses, he hatches a plan to be a better husband and coax Maya back to work: as a highly-paid lawyer herself, she will no longer be a dependent. But, during the process, he unexpectedly falls back in love with her.
It’s quite a cute plotline and did attract me to read the book. But even apart from the sense of distance mentioned above, the story annoyed me in so many ways. Maya’s parenting style is ridiculous (no boundaries – lets her brattish boy hurt and smash things with no reprimand or consequence; obsesses about food) – and how on earth, with a nanny working fifty hours a week (yes, fifty – five ten hour days – like employees need no life of their own) could she find parenting so hard? I had twins (breast fed) and an older boy not yet four. No Nanny. Yes, it’s hard work – but... what can I say? You just have to be organized, and firm, and patient, and hardworking. It’s really not that hard. Maya’s twins aren’t even around half the time, with all the thousands of activities she (or the nanny) constantly takes them to. I felt sorry for Velma the nanny, who does most of the actual work anyway while Maya swans off to her personal trainer and various other fitness/therapeutic activities.
It’s first world problems writ large. Too-affluent people with nothing to do but screw up their own lives through being self-obsessed and selfish.
And it also annoys me anyway, (rant follows) the way so many books are about super-affluent people. It’s like, 95% of people aren’t super-affluent, but in books the proportion is reversed: we have to read about people who never really have to worry about money. Their worries are at the level of who gets the lion’s share of a really big pot of money, not how to pay the rent so my kids aren’t on the street.
It’s not even escapism, in a book like this. It’s meant to be a reflection of real society, from which we are meant to derive insights about love and marriage and childrearing. Meh.
And then, when Maya goes back to work, it’s in the full knowledge she’s going to be working a sixty-hour week plus. Now, putting aside poor Velma’s overtime (I’d like to think she gets double time for anything over forty hours, ha ha fat chance), that really annoys me. If you are working twelve-hour days plus, you are not going to be there for your children at all. You are abdicating responsibility. Now, I know that this is supposed to be the dilemma women face, that they are frowned upon for leaving their children to pursue a professional career blah blah – but why does anyone need to work sixty hour weeks, period? So Maya can earn $17,000 dollars for a single court appearance (which bankrupts her deserving client and fails anyway), apparently. Maybe so she can buy more sessions with her personal trainer, or a bigger fatter BMW.
This is all a bit of a rant – but the bottom line is, I really dislike that all-or-nothing working mother approach. If there are no law firms that will let you work thirty hour weeks and pay you pro rata – then there really ought to be. Maybe Maya should have started one herself: child-friendly law firm for working mothers who don’t want to abandon their children totally to the hired help.
So yes, it made me cross. And it was quite slow anyway. So even though it was well-written style-wise, I’m only going to give it three stars (head says more, heart says less, three cuts a deal).
For more of Brin's reviews go to:
http://www.brinmurray.com/review-blog...
But that may be partly because the problems are not ones I could readily connect with.
I don't think I would class this as a chick lit. It's not meant to be fluffy or fun and is definitely not funny; it's about the disintegration of a marriage. The plot: essentially, affluent and disengaged husband Nick has fallen out of love with stay-at-home mum Maya. But wow, who knew divorce was so expensive? So to reduce his losses, he hatches a plan to be a better husband and coax Maya back to work: as a highly-paid lawyer herself, she will no longer be a dependent. But, during the process, he unexpectedly falls back in love with her.
It’s quite a cute plotline and did attract me to read the book. But even apart from the sense of distance mentioned above, the story annoyed me in so many ways. Maya’s parenting style is ridiculous (no boundaries – lets her brattish boy hurt and smash things with no reprimand or consequence; obsesses about food) – and how on earth, with a nanny working fifty hours a week (yes, fifty – five ten hour days – like employees need no life of their own) could she find parenting so hard? I had twins (breast fed) and an older boy not yet four. No Nanny. Yes, it’s hard work – but... what can I say? You just have to be organized, and firm, and patient, and hardworking. It’s really not that hard. Maya’s twins aren’t even around half the time, with all the thousands of activities she (or the nanny) constantly takes them to. I felt sorry for Velma the nanny, who does most of the actual work anyway while Maya swans off to her personal trainer and various other fitness/therapeutic activities.
It’s first world problems writ large. Too-affluent people with nothing to do but screw up their own lives through being self-obsessed and selfish.
And it also annoys me anyway, (rant follows) the way so many books are about super-affluent people. It’s like, 95% of people aren’t super-affluent, but in books the proportion is reversed: we have to read about people who never really have to worry about money. Their worries are at the level of who gets the lion’s share of a really big pot of money, not how to pay the rent so my kids aren’t on the street.
It’s not even escapism, in a book like this. It’s meant to be a reflection of real society, from which we are meant to derive insights about love and marriage and childrearing. Meh.
And then, when Maya goes back to work, it’s in the full knowledge she’s going to be working a sixty-hour week plus. Now, putting aside poor Velma’s overtime (I’d like to think she gets double time for anything over forty hours, ha ha fat chance), that really annoys me. If you are working twelve-hour days plus, you are not going to be there for your children at all. You are abdicating responsibility. Now, I know that this is supposed to be the dilemma women face, that they are frowned upon for leaving their children to pursue a professional career blah blah – but why does anyone need to work sixty hour weeks, period? So Maya can earn $17,000 dollars for a single court appearance (which bankrupts her deserving client and fails anyway), apparently. Maybe so she can buy more sessions with her personal trainer, or a bigger fatter BMW.
This is all a bit of a rant – but the bottom line is, I really dislike that all-or-nothing working mother approach. If there are no law firms that will let you work thirty hour weeks and pay you pro rata – then there really ought to be. Maybe Maya should have started one herself: child-friendly law firm for working mothers who don’t want to abandon their children totally to the hired help.
So yes, it made me cross. And it was quite slow anyway. So even though it was well-written style-wise, I’m only going to give it three stars (head says more, heart says less, three cuts a deal).
For more of Brin's reviews go to:
http://www.brinmurray.com/review-blog...
November 22, 2020
Of all the species on the planet, humans have been given the amazing ability to think and feel, not just behave on instinct. We have the ability to feel empathy and compassion, make decisions based on logic, facts and evidence. Humans also have the ability to resolve conflict. Unlike the animals we share this planet with, humans can also demonstrate selfishness, greed, corruption and hate, just to name a few.
Nick and Maya Wakefield are that couple that appear to have it all. Amazing careers, beautiful twins, secure, cushy lifestyle. Somewhere along the way, she and Nick have lost the spark that brought them together in the first place. Maya gave up her career in law to be a stay at home mother and is consumed with over-protectiveness, bordering on obsession. I got the impression that Nick is a bystander in his home, not quite participating, just observing. Nick decides he wants out and after he talks to his best friend, Gray who is a divorce attorney, Nick is given the news that divorce will cost him more than he is willing to give up. Gray suggests to him that he should improve his marriage, become a better husband and father before splitting up so that the settlement will weigh more in his favor.
This whole premise knocked me back a little bit. Become a better husband and father, improve your marriage BEFORE YOU END IT? Wait, what? Isn’t the point of improving your marriage is so you don’t end it? This philosophy, though seriously messed up, was quite intriguing to me and what drew me into this story. Nick takes Gray’s advice to heart and actively sets out to be a better husband and father. Devoting more time to the family, spending time at home, picking up the slack and taking a more active role in the relationship. Nick is thoroughly shocked and amazed that he actually begins to FEEL like a better man. Maya notices it too and though she is confused and suspicious in the beginning at the practically overnight change she is seeing in her husband, she quickly embraces and accepts it and begins to relax more and be less obsessed about maintaining control over the household and everyone in it.
Though I thought it was shady of Nick to speak to Gray behind Maya’s back and thought it exceedingly underhanded of him to change on the surface so it would benefit him, I sensed that he really did change. I hoped he would come clean to Maya about not only why he changed his behavior on the outside, but how it also changed him on the inside. Just when I thought these two had struck the mother lode with the fix to all relationship problems, the proverbial cat is let out of the bag. Saying Maya doesn’t react well to the news is an understatement of epic proportion. She quickly moves out of their home with the children and starts divorce proceedings. She is completely unwilling to speak to Nick at all, which I totally understood, but it still frustrated me.
I liked both of these characters and wanted to see them succeed in their marriage. I didn’t agree with Nick’s tactics and I didn’t agree with Maya’s “take no prisoners” reaction but I could relate to both of them and where they were coming from. I couldn’t help but think if they had applied this kind of drive into making their marriage a priority in the first place, they wouldn’t be in this mess. As the most advanced and evolved species on the planet, humans sure know how to muck it up and do it well. I enjoyed this author’s voice and writing style. The story moves at a nice pace with enough detail to keep the reader engaged.
My Final Verdict: An all too realistic story-line for the times we live in but underneath the few top layers of two people all too ready to throw in the towel are two people who learn that sometimes pride needs to be chucked out the window and fighting for love is worth it. I recommend this story to anyone who has been in a relationship, which is most, if not all of us. We’ve all been there, at that cross-roads, when we have had to decide whether to throw in the towel or give it another shot.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of A Better Man from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Nick and Maya Wakefield are that couple that appear to have it all. Amazing careers, beautiful twins, secure, cushy lifestyle. Somewhere along the way, she and Nick have lost the spark that brought them together in the first place. Maya gave up her career in law to be a stay at home mother and is consumed with over-protectiveness, bordering on obsession. I got the impression that Nick is a bystander in his home, not quite participating, just observing. Nick decides he wants out and after he talks to his best friend, Gray who is a divorce attorney, Nick is given the news that divorce will cost him more than he is willing to give up. Gray suggests to him that he should improve his marriage, become a better husband and father before splitting up so that the settlement will weigh more in his favor.
This whole premise knocked me back a little bit. Become a better husband and father, improve your marriage BEFORE YOU END IT? Wait, what? Isn’t the point of improving your marriage is so you don’t end it? This philosophy, though seriously messed up, was quite intriguing to me and what drew me into this story. Nick takes Gray’s advice to heart and actively sets out to be a better husband and father. Devoting more time to the family, spending time at home, picking up the slack and taking a more active role in the relationship. Nick is thoroughly shocked and amazed that he actually begins to FEEL like a better man. Maya notices it too and though she is confused and suspicious in the beginning at the practically overnight change she is seeing in her husband, she quickly embraces and accepts it and begins to relax more and be less obsessed about maintaining control over the household and everyone in it.
Though I thought it was shady of Nick to speak to Gray behind Maya’s back and thought it exceedingly underhanded of him to change on the surface so it would benefit him, I sensed that he really did change. I hoped he would come clean to Maya about not only why he changed his behavior on the outside, but how it also changed him on the inside. Just when I thought these two had struck the mother lode with the fix to all relationship problems, the proverbial cat is let out of the bag. Saying Maya doesn’t react well to the news is an understatement of epic proportion. She quickly moves out of their home with the children and starts divorce proceedings. She is completely unwilling to speak to Nick at all, which I totally understood, but it still frustrated me.
I liked both of these characters and wanted to see them succeed in their marriage. I didn’t agree with Nick’s tactics and I didn’t agree with Maya’s “take no prisoners” reaction but I could relate to both of them and where they were coming from. I couldn’t help but think if they had applied this kind of drive into making their marriage a priority in the first place, they wouldn’t be in this mess. As the most advanced and evolved species on the planet, humans sure know how to muck it up and do it well. I enjoyed this author’s voice and writing style. The story moves at a nice pace with enough detail to keep the reader engaged.
My Final Verdict: An all too realistic story-line for the times we live in but underneath the few top layers of two people all too ready to throw in the towel are two people who learn that sometimes pride needs to be chucked out the window and fighting for love is worth it. I recommend this story to anyone who has been in a relationship, which is most, if not all of us. We’ve all been there, at that cross-roads, when we have had to decide whether to throw in the towel or give it another shot.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of A Better Man from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2023
Que personajes de mierda los que se traía este libro (lo peor es que son tan mierdas porque son realistas, a qué hora viene la apocalipsis? Metele nitro)
El mmc es un hp infiel, manipulador, egoísta, asqueroso, sucio. Y aunque haya intentado cambiar mientras andaba en su viaje por el mundo, no se me hizo creíble wey. No lo perdono, y wacala.
Pero si hay alguien que me cae peor que un infiel es el triplependejo caca de gusano del “mejor amigo” aka EL BUITRE. Mira mamaguevo como vas a destruir un matrimonio a propósito porque te queres quedar con la esposa del amigo. QUE CLASE DE NOVELA MEXICANA ES ESTAA. Y ya se, el infiel es una ñaña también, pero el buitre del amigo me dio más asco aún. Imagínense.
La fmc no me disgustó pero tampoco me encantó. No recuerdo nada memorable de su personalidad si soy honesta, así que eso no puede ser buena señal.
Mis personajes favoritos fueron los niños 👍🏻 fueron el comedy relief, y eran adorables.
Mi parte favorita es cuando el mmc le da un puñetazo al buitre del amigo 👍🏻
El final de este libro es una poronga. Me cagan los finales abiertos y este final no pudo ser más abierto. Se sobre entiende que la pareja principal queda junta (lo cual no tiene sentido) y como no le dieron un cierre a la pareja de como trabajaron sus problemas, no me parece creíble, ni posible, que su matrimonio haya evolucionado bien.
No hubo nada de groveling, de hecho cuando ella le pregunta “dame una razón para no divorciarnos” el mmc le dice “por el dinero, para que no dividamos nada” y vos queres que luego me venga a creer que ella perdonó eso y lo dejo pasar como si nada? Solo por la carta que escribió? Nanananana.
Otra cosa es que este libro se me hizo parecido a “the divorce”. Mismo concepto pero the divorce estuvo superior.
Hubieron un montón de cosas problemáticas con el mmc empezando porque es una rata infiel. Y para seguir, ese plan de manipular a alguien haciéndole creer que lo queres para conseguir un mejor deal en el divorcio, me parece una de las cosas más mezquinas que he leído. No tenía perdón desde que puso en marcha el plan.
La escritura de paso tampoco fue mi estilo. Demasiadas descripciones de lugares, casas, ropa. Mamita, estás narrándome un romance contemporáneo, no uno de fantasía. Te prometo que puedo imaginarme por mi cuenta que el cuarto que me describis se parece al mío 🙏🏻
Para el 60% lo abandoné y me puse a leer otras cosas porque ya estaba cansada. Lo retomé ayer y lo terminé porque (me odio) no puedo dejar libros a medias.
No lo recomiendo a menos que se quieran pasar puteando personajes.
El mmc es un hp infiel, manipulador, egoísta, asqueroso, sucio. Y aunque haya intentado cambiar mientras andaba en su viaje por el mundo, no se me hizo creíble wey. No lo perdono, y wacala.
Pero si hay alguien que me cae peor que un infiel es el triplependejo caca de gusano del “mejor amigo” aka EL BUITRE. Mira mamaguevo como vas a destruir un matrimonio a propósito porque te queres quedar con la esposa del amigo. QUE CLASE DE NOVELA MEXICANA ES ESTAA. Y ya se, el infiel es una ñaña también, pero el buitre del amigo me dio más asco aún. Imagínense.
La fmc no me disgustó pero tampoco me encantó. No recuerdo nada memorable de su personalidad si soy honesta, así que eso no puede ser buena señal.
Mis personajes favoritos fueron los niños 👍🏻 fueron el comedy relief, y eran adorables.
Mi parte favorita es cuando el mmc le da un puñetazo al buitre del amigo 👍🏻
El final de este libro es una poronga. Me cagan los finales abiertos y este final no pudo ser más abierto. Se sobre entiende que la pareja principal queda junta (lo cual no tiene sentido) y como no le dieron un cierre a la pareja de como trabajaron sus problemas, no me parece creíble, ni posible, que su matrimonio haya evolucionado bien.
No hubo nada de groveling, de hecho cuando ella le pregunta “dame una razón para no divorciarnos” el mmc le dice “por el dinero, para que no dividamos nada” y vos queres que luego me venga a creer que ella perdonó eso y lo dejo pasar como si nada? Solo por la carta que escribió? Nanananana.
Otra cosa es que este libro se me hizo parecido a “the divorce”. Mismo concepto pero the divorce estuvo superior.
Hubieron un montón de cosas problemáticas con el mmc empezando porque es una rata infiel. Y para seguir, ese plan de manipular a alguien haciéndole creer que lo queres para conseguir un mejor deal en el divorcio, me parece una de las cosas más mezquinas que he leído. No tenía perdón desde que puso en marcha el plan.
La escritura de paso tampoco fue mi estilo. Demasiadas descripciones de lugares, casas, ropa. Mamita, estás narrándome un romance contemporáneo, no uno de fantasía. Te prometo que puedo imaginarme por mi cuenta que el cuarto que me describis se parece al mío 🙏🏻
Para el 60% lo abandoné y me puse a leer otras cosas porque ya estaba cansada. Lo retomé ayer y lo terminé porque (me odio) no puedo dejar libros a medias.
No lo recomiendo a menos que se quieran pasar puteando personajes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2018
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I found it funny with not being too outrageous. I think the reason for this is because of where I am in my life at this current moment. My youngest just turned 5-so you might say I’m a year around the books ending/corner. I found many of the relationship struggles extremely relatable. When my boys were three they were truly little a-holes, a working mom and a stay at home mom have guilt and trials. Your husband gets thrown on the back burner and it’s just expected he’ll be there when you come out of it all-but it’s not quite the same as before the kiddos. It’s not better, or worse, just different. The ending was feel good, but maybe the least believable of the entire book. I found myself upset at the main characters actions at certain points, but then again, she’s human and was written as such. I laughed and I teared up at bit at the end. I was left with a new appreciation for my husband and where we’ve come in life. I understand the books overall rating here though too, if you can’t relate to his book I think you might miss its points.
August 26, 2019
A BETTER MAN by Louise Penny
I have only one other Armand Gamache mystery. This one convinces me I should read more!
Armand is back at work, demoted and brushed aside for another – his son-in-law! A flood is happening and Three Pines is in the crosshairs. A woman is missing and her husband, who may be a murderer, is unconcerned. A new agent is pushing for Gamache to take over the case. The missing woman’s father is threatening to murder the husband. And then there is the dog.
Oh my – all these plot points and we are only in the first few pages. The tension doesn’t stop until the last page in this engrossing mystery. Penny keeps the tension alive with just enough red herrings and plot twists to compel reading far into the night.
A well written, engrossing mystery with a familiar character in a new and uncomfortable situation.
5 of 5 stars
I have only one other Armand Gamache mystery. This one convinces me I should read more!
Armand is back at work, demoted and brushed aside for another – his son-in-law! A flood is happening and Three Pines is in the crosshairs. A woman is missing and her husband, who may be a murderer, is unconcerned. A new agent is pushing for Gamache to take over the case. The missing woman’s father is threatening to murder the husband. And then there is the dog.
Oh my – all these plot points and we are only in the first few pages. The tension doesn’t stop until the last page in this engrossing mystery. Penny keeps the tension alive with just enough red herrings and plot twists to compel reading far into the night.
A well written, engrossing mystery with a familiar character in a new and uncomfortable situation.
5 of 5 stars
March 14, 2018
Loved the well written prose. The author's command of the English language is impressive. Good writing flows so smoothly that the ending leaves one wanting more. "Write about what you know" made me speculate that the story has autobiographical roots, and the truths revealed give a vibrancy to the privileged lives sketched out for us. Truths in fine clothes are more appealing than lies in rags. The sweet uplifting flavour of the book leaves one satisfied rather than bitter and disappointed like much of modern fiction.
July 1, 2019
Jag gillar premissen i den här boken: Nick vill skiljas, men för att inte förlora för mycket i skilsmässoprocessen, så låtsas han vara en bättre make till Maya och pappa till tvillingarna. När han låtsas så börjar han minnas varför de gifte sig, och livet blir plötsligt annorlunda.
Ändå är just premissen det som är problemet med boken, för man förstår redan på baksidestexten hur hela handlingen ska utvecklas.
Huvudpersonerna är inte så lätta att tycka om, och barnen är alldeles för vältaliga för att vara tre år.
Så sammantaget är det bästa med boken idén.
Ändå är just premissen det som är problemet med boken, för man förstår redan på baksidestexten hur hela handlingen ska utvecklas.
Huvudpersonerna är inte så lätta att tycka om, och barnen är alldeles för vältaliga för att vara tre år.
Så sammantaget är det bästa med boken idén.
February 23, 2018
3.5
There were parts of this story that were written so beautifully. Some of the best writing that I have read. But the characters and storyline were missing parts that made the story not flow. The end was a little too abrupt but also beautiful in it's simplicity.
I've given it 4 stars (but really 3.5) as I would like to read again. I didn't really read this properly the first time and next time I would really like to enjoy it end to end.
There were parts of this story that were written so beautifully. Some of the best writing that I have read. But the characters and storyline were missing parts that made the story not flow. The end was a little too abrupt but also beautiful in it's simplicity.
I've given it 4 stars (but really 3.5) as I would like to read again. I didn't really read this properly the first time and next time I would really like to enjoy it end to end.
June 5, 2018
It took me ages to get into this but once it got going I was interested to see how it would all turn out. Wasn’t that keen on Maya until she woke up and re-entered the real world. Nick was just plain odd – almost two different characters, rather than the better version of himself he was aiming for. The ending wasn’t entirely believable. I think a lawyer like Maya would have sussed it all out long before it got to that point.
October 19, 2019
Horrible cliche dis-likable man contrasted with over achiever mom with extreme health themes.
Setting with overly comfortable rich family with intimacy issues and parenting troubles fails to pull me in. Tragic best friend tries to take over caring for woman and children to find out it was only to be competitive with his friend.
All troubles resolved with a trip to Africa and some serious bike riding and letting his hair grow.
Setting with overly comfortable rich family with intimacy issues and parenting troubles fails to pull me in. Tragic best friend tries to take over caring for woman and children to find out it was only to be competitive with his friend.
All troubles resolved with a trip to Africa and some serious bike riding and letting his hair grow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2021
This was an okay read. I quite like it as it shows the common reality of a couple going through problems in a relationship. Too realistic to be honest.
The characters however are very annoying ( the only person tht I like is Velma)
The ending was an open happy ending which works for me. So I gave it a solid 3/5.
The characters however are very annoying ( the only person tht I like is Velma)
The ending was an open happy ending which works for me. So I gave it a solid 3/5.
August 7, 2017
3.5 - Cute and amusing summer read about the seemingly unattainable ability to balance mothering, marriage and work. Her humorous insights on parenting and divorce made the predictable storyline worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews