Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Bright Side Of Disaster” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Bright Side Of Disaster

Katherine Center (Goodreads Author)

3.68 · Rating details · 3,728 ratings · 543 reviews

“Offers credible descriptions of first-time motherhood, affecting characters and situations and low-key charm.”–Kirkus Reviews

“Stellar . . . Center paints an accurate and humorous view of motherhood.”–Booklist

Jenny Harris always expected that she’d fall in love, get married, and have a baby–in that order. Now, very pregnant and not quite married, she actually doesn’t mind ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published June 26th 2007 by Ballantine Books (first published June 26th 2006)

More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Bright Side Of Disaster, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about The Bright Side Of Disaster

Lists with This Book

The Brave Art of Motherhood by Rachel Marie Martin

The Second Nine Months by Vicki Glembocki

It Sucked and Then I Cried by Heather B. Armstrong

Motherhood

146 books — 193 voters

Chick Lit Motherhood

79 books — 34 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

3.68 ·

Rating details

· 3,728 ratings · 543 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Aug 16, 2007 Christi rated it really liked it

I read this in one sitting...couldn't put it down. While the story isn't new to the world of literature (girl's world falls apart, girl picks herself up, girl finds love again), Center does it justice. Her writing made me care for the main character enough that I didn't care if the laundry got done or if I even left my chair.

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

May 19, 2011 Rebecca Sanders rated it really liked it

Really, really enjoyed. "The Bright Side of Disaster" was, for me, like going to someone's house for dinner. It's exciting. You don't have to do any of the hard work. You eat a fantastic meal. Granted, it's food that you've had before. But it's still really good. You might get a piece of meat in your teeth. Or maybe a corn kernel. It's a little irritating in some parts, but not nearly enough to ruin the whole meal. And you are thoroughly satisfied afterward. Especially later, on the drive home, ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2009 Lamandra rated it liked it

Entertaining and easy read, albeit frustrating at times due to the heroine's dumbo decision making. Light, easy summer book, not gaining any brain cells here.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 14, 2009 Amber rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: didn-t-finish

My rating: R. Too many "F" words. Needless to say, I didn't finish this book. It makes me kind of sad because the author has a unique writing style and she's very witty.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2018 Mary rated it liked it

I like Center's stuff. She's got a great off beat sense of humor. This book was a romp, filled with unique characters and a cute story line. New mom gets dumped the day before she gives birth. The baby's daddy is a moron. I especially loved Jenny's parents and the way they all interacted. However...I wasn't completely taken with. ..... .Jenny. Sure, she was funny and impulsive. She really made me laugh in spots. But she was also really really stupid with choices and decisions we readers knew wer ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 19, 2009 Vivian rated it liked it

Katherine Center's debut novel is a charmer. It's a story about single motherhood, bad boyfriends, family and friendship and finding love unexpectedly. It brought back, vividly, those new mother feelings that I had and I related easily to Jenny's initial terror, the late night feedings and lack of sleep. Yes, some might consider this "mommy chick-lit", but it's more than that. And you don't have to be a mother to enjoy it. I had a great time reading this warm, sweet and funny novel and look forw ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 22, 2012 Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Katherine writes feel good books. There may be difficult times involved but she deals with them lightly, never letting her reader get too overwhelmed by sadness for her characters.

Always guaranteed to be a page turner.

Her heroine was human, real and easy to identify with - you can't help but root for her and hope for the happy ending you know she deserves. If you want a quick read that isn't too heavy but is well written, nicely characterised and just manages to take you out of yourself for th ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 14, 2010 Meg rated it liked it

Shelves: women-s-fiction, read-in-2011

Busy planning a wedding to her rock-star-dreaming boyfriend, Dean, Jenny Harris wasn’t quite prepared for a little surprise headed the couple’s way: a baby. Just months from their wedding day, Jenny’s pregnancy has thrown everyone for a loop . . . especially her fiance. When Dean begins acting strangely and then announces his departure, Jenny must pull herself “up by her bootstraps,” as her father would tell her, and prepare for the arrival of a little one. Even if she’s doing it alone.

Katherine Busy planning a wedding to her rock-star-dreaming boyfriend, Dean, Jenny Harris wasn’t quite prepared for a little surprise headed the couple’s way: a baby. Just months from their wedding day, Jenny’s pregnancy has thrown everyone for a loop . . . especially her fiance. When Dean begins acting strangely and then announces his departure, Jenny must pull herself “up by her bootstraps,” as her father would tell her, and prepare for the arrival of a little one. Even if she’s doing it alone.

Katherine Center’s The Bright Side Of Disaster, the author’s 2007 debut, was — more than anything — a shocking portrayal of first-time motherhood. And though Center is still a no-fail author for me, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as her more recent efforts, Everyone Is Beautiful and Get Lucky.

From the get-go, something about this one fell flat for me. While I appreciated Jenny as a resilient character, I was still frustrated by many of the silly decisions she made. I can understand that she’s a young woman trying to figure out a difficult situation, but the way she let Dean in and out of her life grated on my nerves. Jenny is the good friend you see screwing up all over the place and badly want to tell the truth, but you’re too afraid of hurting her feelings. What she really needed was someone to throw a bucket of cold water on her face and shout, “Get a grip!”

But, you know. That happens to all of us sometimes.

The strength of the novel comes from Center’s ability to portray, with stunning clarity, just how difficult it is to be a parent. On the flip side? Well, that’s also the book’s downfall. Having no kids myself, I’ll be frank: The Bright Side Of Disaster scared the tar out of me. If I remember little else about this book (and I might not, to be honest), one scene will stay with me forever: Jenny’s birthing scene. Oh. My. Goodness.

Just . . . I’ll stop there. It’s terrifying.

A few side characters provided distractions from the chaotic monotony (is that possible?) that becomes Jenny’s life with her newborn: the handsome neighbor down the street, Gardner, who steps in and mans up when Dean won’t; Jenny’s divorced-but-maybe-still-in-love parents, who provide much needed levity; Claudia, a new mommy friend who contributes perspective. But overall, I wasn’t too interested in the side plots or invested in Dean and Jenny’s back-and-forth relationship. It was obvious what she needed to do from the start.

Center is an engaging, warm writer — and I still love her! At the risk of sounding condescending, it’s obvious how well her writing has progressed in the two novels she’s penned since this release. The Bright Side Of Disaster is a fast read, yes — and I’m sure parents will see shades of themselves in the up-all-night baby stories. But it wasn’t a homerun for me. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 17, 2019 Alisa Jamerson rated it it was amazing

I found this book at my local Dollar Tree and decided to purchase it. I'm glad that I did! I liked the story and as a fellow single mom, could relate to the main character's experiences, with the exception of the ending and other male main character.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 07, 2014 Carrie rated it it was amazing

Center is one of my new favorite authors. I really liked this book also. Her characters are so likeable. After reading about what a hard time Jenny had with the baby in the beginning I thought, "If that's really how hard it is, why on earth do people have more than one baby?" And I loved Gardner. When Jenny saw what he had done to his house, I gasped a little bit...so sweet! Center writes such charismatic, charming heroes. I'd like to invite Ms. Center to please write a hero like Gardner or the ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

May 20, 2008 Peggy rated it liked it · review of another edition

I liked this book except for that darn “f” word that kept popping up. Why would an author ruin a perfectly good book like that? But the story was nice, even if it was a bit predictable. I can totally see this being made into a movie. And there were some very lovely passages of prose as well, particularly about her love for her baby (maybe I liked that so much because her baby is the same age as my baby right now and I totally got it). But again, why ruin such a nice book with that ugly word?

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 02, 2019 Cathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: library

The Bright Side of Disaster is the second book by Katherine Center that I've read and it was a cute, enjoyable read. There wasn't a lot of depth but it was a feel good story that made me chuckle more than once. We meet Jenny Harris who is pregnant, engaged and happy when suddenly she shockingly finds herself alone and on the brink of single motherhood. The book follows her struggles in the months that follow and finding her way back to happiness and perhaps a better life than she could have imag ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2019 Robin Ince rated it liked it

I LOVED How to Walk Away by Center and having been dying to get my hands on another of her books. I was disappointed that this one was only meh. It does paint a really good picture of what having a newborn is like which I appreciated. I just didn't love the main character and didn't feel like she was dynamic enough with the circumstances she goes through in this story.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 30, 2014 Kristyn rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I've had this on my bookshelf for awhile now, and not even the bright colored cover made me pull it off of my shelf and read it right away. I finally got around to it, and I must admit, it was a rather quick, and easy read. I didn't want to put it down, but I wasn't changed after reading the book. Jenny, the main character, is definitely someone you can look up to. Her relationship with her boyfriend, Dean, on the other hand wasn't something any girl would ever want. I didn't appreciate how he d I've had this on my bookshelf for awhile now, and not even the bright colored cover made me pull it off of my shelf and read it right away. I finally got around to it, and I must admit, it was a rather quick, and easy read. I didn't want to put it down, but I wasn't changed after reading the book. Jenny, the main character, is definitely someone you can look up to. Her relationship with her boyfriend, Dean, on the other hand wasn't something any girl would ever want. I didn't appreciate how he disrespected her, and treated her as if she was disposable. Jenny didn't seem to realize this though, and I guess we've all been in this kind of a relationship, even though we'd never admit it. She ends up pregnant and engaged to Dean, and Dean leaves her the day before she gives birth to their child. The birth is real, and complicated, like life, but she had determination and stubbornness to help her through it, and when she was willing, she received all the help she needed.

She still feels lonely, even after finding outlets - like her friends from lamaze class, and her parents. I love that she doesn't glamorize birth, especially the days following. Eventually she meets a man, Gardner, but she still isn't over the heartbreak of Dean, which is frustrating, but it's real. But, it's difficult to move on when there was no closure, and plenty of questions in one's head. It amazes me though, that we can't just say what we feel to other people, specifically when it comes to love. We write letters, text messages, or just keep to it ourselves... we can't just look someone in the eye and lay all of our feelings down on the table. They decide to go on a date, and the intimate Cantina scene is thoroughly enjoyable to read.

"The feeling was like nothing else. A strong arm holding you, guiding you to the next move, the sense that everything was taken care of, the pleasure of two separate people moving at the same time to the same music" (pg 187).

But of course, just as Gardner and Jenny kiss on the front porch, she opens up her door to a whole different world, one where Dean has returned. They quickly fall back into routine, and Jenny realizes she is filled with anger. Much to my disappointment, they sleep together and act as if him leaving had never happened. I would never take someone back who had left me in that vulnerable state... no matter how much I wanted a family. A woman deserves better than that... they deserve Cantina nights, every night.

"No man at all is better than a bad man like that" (pg 220).

I loved the ending, and I guess an individual has to learn a few lessons before their happy ending. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 14, 2017 Danielle Merjano rated it it was ok

** Possible spoilers**

Jenny and Dean are engaged and Jenny is pregnant. Dean sucks and leaves a day before Jenny goes into labor and she has to figure out how to be on her own (which doesn't last long because she has a handsome neighbor who used to be a doctor and now flips houses, because that's a thing)
My main issue with this book is that her daughter is more of a prop in the book and not a character. She talks about how she cries all the time and doesn't sleep and I get that, but by the end ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 07, 2018 Judy Christiana rated it really liked it

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

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 01, 2018 Natasha Stone rated it really liked it

Katherine Center has this great ability to make you care for her characters almost immediately. Some
Frustrating moments in this tale but a satisfying ending. Was a great weekend-lounge-by-pool book for sure!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 01, 2011 Shannon rated it liked it

Shelves: read-fiction

Light, pleasant, all problems resolved neatly, and some great lines about parenting an infant:

"She did not sound at all like a capsized person in a stormy sea of sleep deprivation and lactation hormones."

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 30, 2008 Dawn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: chic-lit

This was a such a cute book!!! I found myself rooting for the main character throughout the whole story. Definitely shows that even if your life doesn't turn out exactly how you planned it, in the end it could be better than you ever imagined it!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 16, 2013 Cloda rated it it was amazing

The is the first book I ever read by Katherine Center. It came at exactly the right time in my life. It was funny, witty, and made me feel hopeful. I was in the middle of my graduate school research and this was just what I needed to lighten things up in my very tense life.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 14, 2016 Andrea Stocking rated it really liked it · review of another edition

She's an excellent writer with witty dialogue. Overall, I recommend the book. My only con is that I differ so much from the main character that I had a hard time not wanting to strangle her for her terrible decision-making skills.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 18, 2018 Marsha Lambert rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Awesome Read

I absolutely loved this book as I love the other Katherine Center books I have read. Life, love, twists and turns all combine in this book to show us what are the most important things in life.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 22, 2014 Jennifer Selander rated it really liked it

I laughed.....I cried....twas good.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 21, 2017 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, friends-to-lovers, book-boyfriends

Holy wow Dean was the woooorst. I wished we'd gotten more Gardner since he's meant to be Jenny's love interest after Dean.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2018 Jan Crossen rated it really liked it

I loved it! I'm so glad I recently discovered Katherine Center!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 02, 2008 Wendy rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: women who think Harlequin novels are the height of literary achievement.

Recommended to Wendy by: no one.

Predictable, and not even a GOOD predictable. Perfect fodder for a Lifetime movie.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 11, 2019 Joanna rated it really liked it

Shelves: chicklit

Super relatable story of new motherhood, mixed with a shockingly bad boyfriend. I really enjoyed most of this novel, but have to say was pretty bummed by the late-stage old boyfriend drama and don’t really love how that part turned out. I did, however, kind of dig the fairy-godmother-wish-fulfillment vibe I got from how things just fell into place in such a perfect way with every other character but him.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 03, 2019 Leza Palguta rated it really liked it

Fun, quick, and enjoyable!

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 22, 2019 Katie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reads, borrowed-from-the-library

After hearing about Katherine on the What Should I Read Next podcast, I decided I need to dig a little deeper. I read Happiness for Beginners last year and loved it. This is her debut from about ten years ago and it was just as delightful. I loved Jenny and Maxie and Gardner and couldn’t stand Dean from the very beginning!

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 18, 2019 Anne-Marie rated it liked it

Very easy read. It just fell a bit short. I will read more from this author. The first book I read was amazing.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

95 users

Fiction

71 users

Romance

21 users

Contemporary

12 users

Womens Fiction

10 users

See top shelves…

About Katherine Center

Katherine Center

1,913 followers

Katherine Center is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away, the upcoming Things You Save in a Fire (August 2019), and five other bittersweet comic novels. Six Foot Pictures is currently adapting her fourth novel, The Lost Husband, into a feature film starring Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, and Nora Dunn. Katherine has been compared to both Nora Ephron and Jane Austen, and the Dallas ...more