Lotty Brooks’ days consist of avoiding thoughts of her failing marriage, changing diapers, and trying not to eat chocolate brioche for breakfast and lunch. However, everything changes when her perfect, lakeside Montana neighborhood begins bustling with crime and she seems to be the target.
Jason Brooks wants to know what happened to the woman he married. Lotty’s a mere shell of her former self. When she becomes the focal point of neighborhood threats, and the town seems to question her innocence, he must decide how well he knows his wife.
As Jason and Lotty try to get to the bottom of the threats and find those responsible, they’ll need to remember what they once loved about each other. Otherwise, they may lose everything and everyone they care about.
Crissy Sharp has a special knack for avoiding cooking and cleaning so she can focus the hobbies she truly enjoys, like writing and running. Though she’ll always be a Montana girl at heart, she also loves Tennessee, where she currently lives with her husband and four children.
Lotty is the mother to two young boys and is unhappy with her marriage but they haven't thrown in the towel just yet. When things start happening in their neighborhood and it seems Lotty's life is in danger they finally figure everything out.
Can I tell you that Lotty had me laughing during the beginning chapters of this book. Ok, I was a little sad as well. There's a whole gamut of emotions running through her mind that takes the reader on a little journey of their own emotions. But, the little humorous quips were great to relieve the more sticky, sadder emotions.
I think many mommas can relate to Lotty. She's a young mother of two kiddos and life hasn't quite turned out like she thought it would. She's trying to figure it all out, but when outside forces wreak havoc on your life, without you even realizing it, life can kinda be hard. Part of the stickier emotions are Lotty and her hubby Jason's relationship. Misunderstandings and sorrows have happened and these two haven't quite figured out how to fix them.
Those moments that had me laughing? Lotty was just funny! The crazy mom moments and her busy body little boy...how many moms can relate? When you think you've got everything under control and plan to go for a run, or make something, or run an errand, or go do something fun, or, or, or...and disaster strikes! Ha! My daughters are all getting older and we're past the little tykes stage (I miss it) and reading about Lotty's kiddos had me laughing and remembering oh so many moments that I thought I had it perfectly planned and my kids decided to show me otherwise. Or the moment when I was trying to potty train a daughter, a brand new puppy (inside dog) and my hubby calls telling me he's expecting a very important call on our house line. Daughter has a major accident (#2), puppy went out to potty and steps in #2 and the phone call comes in...all at the SAME TIME!!! So here I am holding puppy like a baby with her paws out and stinky yuckiness all over her paws, little daughter trying to wipe her stinky yuckiness off of her (really all over her) and the phone cradled between my shoulder and ear. The lady on the other line was very understanding as I told her I was kind of in a moment (hahahahahaha) and was trying to write down all the information that I needed to relay to my hubby (yeah I know why didn't she just call him at work????-who knows I can't remember except that I had to take the call). I got off the phone and got two stinky yuckies cleaned up, called my hubby and relayed info to him and told him my story. He and his secretaries were laughing so hard. At least we could laugh about all the yuckiness! Hee Hee!!!
Ok, I'm not writing this review about my crazy moments but about Lotty's. She thinks she's got things under control when fires and murders start happening. Life turns quickly upside down and Lotty is trying to act and remain as normal as possible.
I was unable to read for a few days and it was killing me not knowing what was going to happen. As soon as I could read again, I dove in and couldn't stop turning pages. I was not at all correct in my assumptions and guesses. How did I not figure it out? I'm usually so much better at catching the bad guy before anybody else does. But I failed Lotty. Jason on the other hand did not. He came through like a white knight and saved the day! Yay! Jason I was immensely proud of you.
If you're looking for a down to Earth, frazzled mom and kids, not perfect life book with mystery and suspense moving everything forward have fun and pick up this book.
Content: Clean. Some murder (not graphic), some suspense and danger (not graphic).
I received a copy from ebooks. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Being a mom isn't as glamorous as you might expect, especially when you're struggling with your marriage and life in general. The first part of this story focuses on Lotty and her obvious depression and it can be a bit of a downer, but it also really helped me to connect with her. I think it's safe to say that most moms feel pretty blah towards life at some point and we all just want to be loved and appreciated.
Everyone has friends and neighbors we can count on; we all have insecurities and struggles; we all have ups and downs. I absolutely adored these characters and couldn't get enough of them, but I must admit there were a few times when I wanted to yell at them to just communicate. Although I read to escape life, and this book deals with mom life, I was completely caught up in the story, especially once the mystery began.
I think I'm a harder critic of contemporary fiction because it IS easier to picture myself in the story and if it feels way too unrealistic, even if it is fiction, I don't buy it. Crissy Sharp tells this tale in a way that made it easy to find myself fitting right into this small Montana neighborhood, while delivering a highly entertaining and (hopefully) unrealistic mystery. I was guessing until the end and on edge, right along with the characters. Add to that a very tender and heartwarming journey of rediscovering love, trust, and self-worth, and this one is a winner in my mind.
Content: mild romance; mild+ violence
*I received a copy, which did not influence my opinion*
I went into this blind, expecting a romance with a twist of mystery & was delivered a most intriguing mystery with a sprinkle of romance. Lottie (short for Charlotte) was in a slump. Married to a man she once thought wonderful, they went through their daily grind in near isolation of each other. A mother of two young boys, a glimpse of herself at the passing of a mirror confirmed her thoughts that "the woman she'd become was a sad shell of her former self". Clad daily in worn child-stained sweats, as a stay at home mom she felt frumpy & unattractive. Her marriage in shambles, with very little talk or connection, children that clung to her without a moment of solitary peace, Lottie needed a change, a new spark in her life. Strange occurrences began to take over her friendly small town neighborhood. Gossip, suspicions & fear prevailed, forcing Lottie, her husband Jason & their boys to flee for safety on a camping trip to figure things out & formulate a plan. One of my pet peeves is lack of communication between a couple, especially when their relationship is in trouble. I was so grateful that midway through this story & as a result of this trip they talked, they listened & were able to become a team to help solve this mystery in their neighborhood. Something happened four years ago, both were given second hand information, both were told lies about the other which resulted in a lifeless living situation. Now that their differences were resolved they were more determined to work together. Grrr, why didn't they talk sooner? I loved how Lottie took her role as a mother so seriously. She engaged with her boys, had the patience of a saint & their happiness & well being was paramount. Once their marital issues were resolved, Jason's parenting also became admirable & his love & adoration of his wife just tightened the bond within this family. I had my list of suspects throughout this book & I was wrong & pleasantly surprised that the author fooled me. The writing style was fluid, the pace kept my interest & I will not hesitate to read other works by this author. Very enjoyable.
Lotty's life is falling apart and now their once quiet neighborhood has become overrun with crime, much of which points right back to Lotty. The book takes you for a ride with great twists and turns as Lotty tries to prove her innocence and decide if her marriage is worth saving. I got sucked into the book very quickly and immediately found myself pulling for Lotty and her husband, wanting things to work out. The book continued at a fast pace and surprised me with twists I did not expect or predict, which I love when a book can do that! The book is what I call a clean book- free from graphic imagery and language. If you love a good clean murder mystery with relatable real characters, then I definitely recommend this book. This book made my "Can't Put Down" list. - I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review-
I thought I was going to enjoy this book but I underestimated just how much. I love being pleasantly surprised! I think what I loved most about this book was the perfect balance of the harder, sadder things and the humor. I smiled a lot. There were many emotions in this book all of which I felt. I love that.
I love getting the duel perspectives from Lotty and Jason. It really helped me to understand them both better and not pick sides. 😊 Lotty is a fun representation of young motherhood and there were so many things I could relate to as I remembered when my own kids were young and required so much of me.
I am completely interested in the mystery surrounding Lotty and Jason and their neighborhood. I sure didn't get all my questions answered in this book so it's a good thing I know there is more coming! I can't wait for the next book!
Content: peril, mild violence, kissing
- I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
This was an okay story. After learning why Lotty was targeted I thought it was a little silly . But besides that, I liked the story. Lotty and her husband could've avoided a lot of heartache if they had just communicated with each other, but that's something that happens a lot.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was real to me. In the beginning, Lotty was really hard on herself and that seems to be the norm for mothers now. Everything they do is never enough. I could also relate to how miscommunication or lack of communication can cause serious marital problems. It made me so sad that they both wanted to have things back to the way they were but neither one was willing to bend because of pride and because of what they thought the other one was thinking and feeling. The crime spree was interesting, I didn't see it coming. The camping trip was my favorite part. This was a clean book, there was no language or love scenes in this book.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat! I did not want to put it down and snuck in a few pages while at work (shhh don't tell my boss!)
I wasn't quite sure what to expect but this mystery/suspense novel has everything you could want - intrigue, a mystery to solve, romance, and even a scheming mother.
Lotty and Jason are like any other couple and have their ups and downs. For most of the book, it is more of a down period due to some misunderstandings. As I read along I wondered why they didn't just talk to each other about what was going on in their relationship. Of course, that would not have made the story as enjoyable.
The mystery was rather intriguing and while I sort of guessed who was involved, it was only because I couldn't pin it on anyone else. The author does a great job of weaving the mystery tale and throwing in many red herrings to throw the reader off track.
Definitely check this book out, you'll be glad you did!
Make sure that you don’t do what I did with these books! I read the second one, The Enemy Next Door and Other Misunderstandings first. Oops, that made things in that book a bit confusing and it kind of told me the ending of this one too.
I really liked the characters in this one. Most of it is told from the perspective of Lotty. She’s a wife to Jason, mother of tow adorable boys. But Lotty isn’t happy. She thinks that Jason doesn’t love her because of something that happened. This thought makes her do all sorts of crazy things, including building her own chicken coop and getting chickens. Strange things are happening in Lotty and Jason’s neighborhood and they all seem to center around Lotty. She has no idea why they would, she’s just a housewife after all.
I loved the way that Jason, even though he and Lotty are having issues, obviously cares so much about her. He goes out of his way to protect her in the best way he knows how. Especially when it appears that someone is trying to harm her.
This book is full of craziness, suspense and even forgiving. If you love a good suspense novel, this one is for you!
This book was very good. Lottie thought her marriage was over, but it was not. All kinds of bad things, started happening at the subdivision where they lived. Fires, dead bodies on the lawn, to take attention away from the real issue. Forgeries, and paperwork held some of the answers.
This is a pleasantly clean book , with plenty of drama, crazy escape driving a vile mother and father, corruption in local government , I’m puzzled by the title, because I couldn’t see one thing that was glamorous! But I liked the chickens a lot!
The Glamorous Life of a Mediocre Housewife is the messy, crazy life of Lotty Brooks. Lotty is the mom of two beautiful little boys that are very close in age and is trying to keep her sanity while also trying to mend fences with her distant husband. There has been a rift for months and neither Lottie nor her husband Jason know what to do to fix the marriage and both wonder if they're headed for divorce.
To add to Lottie's stress is where she lives: a picturesque lakeside neighborhood where every other mom seems to have it all together. When mysterious occurrences start to happen in their picture perfect neighborhood, including vandalism, arson, and personal threats to Lottie herself, it turns their family upside down and leads them down a road they'd never dreamed they'd be on.
I have to say, this was a cute story! To say that I related to Lottie and her life is an understatement. Being that young mom of two little boys with a crumbling marriage brought back a lot of memories for me. The writer gave Lottie a wonderful sense of humor and I caught myself chucking aloud a few times. The mystery was just enough to keep you interested and there were a few surprising turns even if I did guess who was behind all the crimes early on.
This is my first read by Crissy Sharp but it will not be my last. She has a great writing style and I loved that The Glamorous Life of a Mediocre Housewife was written from both Lottie and her husband Jason's point of views. I can see this being a wonderful series and I can't wait for the next book!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
Contains: kisses, some gun violence (holding someone at gunpoint, shooting). This book really held my interest I usually don’t read mysteries very often. I liked how the MCs both saw that their marriage wasn’t where they’d like it to be. It did seem like they could have communicated better earlier but their feelings did seem like they came from a very natural place and didn’t seem forced. I also thought the author did a great job describing the sometimes depressing life of a young mother. Her depression seemed so real. I didn’t really understand/relate to Doll and her horrible meddling. She probably should seek professional help for narcissism or something in that she purposely sabotaged her daughter’s marriage so that her daughter would rely on her. I also didn’t get the whole motivation behind the crimes. Maybe things will be clearer in the next books but the whole plot (outside of saving the marriage) was pretty cloudy to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
When I started this book I had very low expectations because it was an author I was not familiar with and it has the phrase "mediocre housewife" in it. At the beginning I was tempted to put the book down, it was sad to hear about a mediocre marriage and the unhappiness Lotty was feeling. Then the mystery started. And oh my goodness, I could NOT stop reading once the neighborhood mystery really began. I couldn't wait to figure out who the bad guy was, and I was actually surprised! This book was not too predictable, I really thought I had solved the case before the end and I was totally wrong! I can't wait to look for other books by this author!
This was such a great mystery drama fiction book! I loved the characters and the steady, unpredictable plot. I read it all in one night because I couldn't put it down. I haven't read anything by this author but I will definitely be looking to read more books by her. I'm hoping this is a mystery series.
I liked the main character Lotty-a strong woman, great mom; but yet like most women insecure in her abilities as a mom and wife wondering if she's doing it right and how to relay her love to her family. She was such an awesome character and I would love to read more stories about her and her family.
This was a great summer read-highly recommend!
I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm trying to be more selective about the "free books" I take on, but this one was a bit of a gamble. It's been a while since I've read much in the murder/suspense/mystery genre (since the Mary Higgins Clark days :) ), but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It flowed well, I didn't predict the ending, it had a cute falling back into love story. The main character was somewhat relatable- I did wish she would just *communicate* with her husband, but I think the author portrayed the insecurities and daily grind of being a mom, and I like she progressed as a character throughout the book. I liked it!
I really enjoyed reading The Glamorous Life of a Mediocre Housewife. The author Chrissy Sharp did a very realistic job of explaining the life of an average housewife/mother. As a matter of fact, this book was so realistic it made me laugh AND cringe at the same time. The main character Lotty had problems which turned out to be very understandable and easily explainable. This book has the three F’s of life: fun, fantastic and frustrating. And what neighborhood doesn’t have That One Neighbor? (We are all thinking of someone right now, right?) Give this book a try, it won’t disappoint. Great fun, quick read. 4.5 Stars. Clean.
This was the first novel that I’ve read from author Crissy Sharp. I really enjoyed this book. There was mystery, intrigue, romance, fighting, just everything wrapped up in one neat package. Being married is not easy and staying married is even harder. Marriage is something you have to work on every day, but it can become the best thing in the whole world. But I still think that communication is the biggest key in making it work. I love how this book has a struggling marriage and shows how to make it work. People can fall out of love, but they can also fall back in love with each other if it’s important enough.
This is a good, clean romance novel that I highly recommend. Great read!
This is a quick read that will make most "mediocre housewives" laugh and keep turning pages as quickly as possible. Oh how I related to Charlotte (Lotty) in the introductory chapters!!
This story is uncomplicated with solid character development and the perfect amount of detail. The suspense builds at a perfect pace and the outcome will likely have you doing an internal "Yes!" with a fist pump.
If you enjoy an easy-read crime story that will hold your attention and be over before you know it give this story a try.
This lighter mystery set in Montana, had me cracking up all through it. I really enjoyed it. I think the chickens going camping with them was one of my favorites parts! I most of all all enjoyed a husband/wife story where while they misunderstood each other, they both truly had help getting there and they really did love one another and it showed.
The mystery was interesting and the fake towns right near where I live set me back a bit, but nothing to make me not pick up this authors next book later!
I LOVED THIS BOOK. COULDNT WAIT TO GET TO THE END AND SEE WHO THE BAD GUY WAS. LOTTY AND HER HUSBAND JASON ARE SUCH A GREAT COUPLE AND YOU HATE TO SEE THEM STRUGGLING TO STAY TOGETHER. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER BUT ARE HAVING TROUBLE SAYING IT AND SHOWING IT. THE KIDS ARE HILARIOUS. LOTTY HAS SO MUCH ON HER PLATE AND WANTS HER LIFE TO BE LIKE HER NEIGHBORS. SHE TRIES EXERCISING AND HOBBIES AND JUST CANT FIGURE OUT WHY EVERYTHING JUST FALLS APART. THIS BOOK IS GREAT AND VERY FUN AND FAST TO READ. A BOOK EVERYONE WILL ENJOY.
Easy and enjoyable read. Great story about women head of households always thinking down about themselves and their skills.
Lots of crazy stuff begins to happen in Lotty and Jason's neighborhood. Husband and wife, Lotty and Jason haven't been on the best of terms, but once their car is stolen and their house catches fire, will Lotty open back up to Jason and share her thoughts and feelings? Will they navigate this together and figure out why Lotty is on someone's hit list? Only time will tell!
I received this book free with the intention to review, this didn't effect my opinion of the book. This book was a real page turner, I could not put it down! I really enjoyed how the chickens were included in the story, and how the mystery was not predictable. The conflict between Lotty and Jason and how it was resolved. Everyone will enjoy reading this book because the author does a good job of keeping the book flowing and the suspense going
This was an interesting story. It's billed as a cozy mystery, and mostly it was. There was also relationship issues that went fairly deep, bringing it into the realm of Women's fiction. There were some decent twists to the story, but I didn't feel the final reveal of the "bad" guy/gal (no spoilers) had enough hints throughout. But it was a quick read for a lazy afternoon and I will read the next in the series. I give it 3 1/2 stars.
This book made me laugh, cry, and gasp. I hadn't read anything else by this author before and I honestly didn't think I'd like it. But I was wrong! I mainly read Christian mystery and suspense books, and this one did not disappoint.
It spoke to me as a similarly aged mother of three young kids. It spoke to me as a wide who has over come relationship struggles. It even spoke to me as a daughter and friend. Great book! Give it a chance!
I have to admit that the first part of the book, while Lotty is very down on herself and her marriage, was kind of depressing. However, once the mystery in the neighborhood began, the plot moved quickly and steadily. The book is well written with likable characters that exhibit lots of good growth during the book. I look forward to reading more books in the Strawberry Lake Estates series.
I really liked that it kept me guessing as to what the real problem really was almost all the way through the story. I thought one thing, then another, and it turned out totally different.
The characters were great too. Except for the bad guys. And some of the bad guys were folks who should have been good guys. That was cool.