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One Flight Up
What happens after happily-ever-after fades? Can the answer be found one flight up? India, Abby, Esme, and Monique have all been friends since their days at Manhattan’s Sibley School for Girls. From the outside, these four women—all grown up now—seem to be living ideal lives, yet each finds herself suddenly craving more. India Chumley is a whip-smart divorce lawyer who routinely declines the marriage proposals of her charming French boyfriend, Julien. She’s taking the first plunge by moving in with him, but she’s keeping her own apartment—and keeping it a secret from him. Abby Rosenfeld Adams is an irrepressibly upbeat gallery owner who married her WASP college sweet heart, a passionate but tormented sculptor. When she suspects he is cheating on her, she realizes that perhaps there’s more to life than reassuring her husband of his artistic brilliance. Esme Sarmiento Talbot is a Colombian Scarlett O’Hara, bored with her proper Connecticut life and her tame, all-American husband. In order to satisfy her sensuality, she escapes to Manhattan and distracts herself with casual encounters. A card-carrying member of Harlem’s thriving buppie-ocracy and a successful gynecologist, Monique Dawkins-Dubois is married to a powerful but dull financier who barely notices her anymore. When an attractive coworker beckons, Monique can’t help but be flattered. The most straitlaced of them all, India is dismayed by her friends’ illicit activities. That is, until her ex-fiancÉ, the love of her life and the destroyer of her heart, reappears in New York— and she finds herself caught between the dependable man she thought was her future and the man she never quite let go of. Dazzling and sexy, One Flight Up is an irresistible comedic romp through the boardrooms, bedrooms, and ballrooms of Manhattan and Paris.
368 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2010
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July 29, 2018I talked about One Flight Up in a recent instagram post, stating that I call this Black & Bougie lit, novels that follow well-to-to blacks who have more issues than People magazine. This fits very neatly in the genre. These women - India, Abby, Esme, and Monique - have known each other since their days at an all-girls prep school, but now they're grown and trying to handle their business in the most messy of ways. While I think things wrapped up too nicely, and some plot points were the tiniest bit cliché, I enjoyed this book a lot, the drama was delicious.
March 16, 2011
I am so unbelievably tired of reading and hearing about the "problems" of rich people; fiction or nonfiction.
This book presents four well-educated, seemingly intelligent, multicultural women. However, with their fabulous wardrobe and desirable residence in the poshest neighborhoods in New York city, they are ALL unfulfilled and quite lonely. What?! So to fill that void, and the time on their hands, they all decide to cheat on their others. Brilliant! These spoiled brats step out on their relationships, instead of confronting the issues, because they can't get what they want. Find a hobby! Volunteer or something because sleeping around is certainly not productive, or safe.
Anywhoville, I had high hopes for the book because the author wrote for The Cosby Show and A Different World. And I LOVE those shows. But the storyline of this fell short and the writing became annoying with the author's injections of her own knowledge of "fashion" and "high culture." So what! And to appease the humanitarians like me the author throws in a few pompous "charity" shindigs to flaunt the wealth. When these events only highlighted the girls' outfits and the communities' economical hierarchy.
Reading this book was not completely agonizing. I did have a good laugh at the characters' fall and eventually being humbled under their stupidity, oh the joy!
This book presents four well-educated, seemingly intelligent, multicultural women. However, with their fabulous wardrobe and desirable residence in the poshest neighborhoods in New York city, they are ALL unfulfilled and quite lonely. What?! So to fill that void, and the time on their hands, they all decide to cheat on their others. Brilliant! These spoiled brats step out on their relationships, instead of confronting the issues, because they can't get what they want. Find a hobby! Volunteer or something because sleeping around is certainly not productive, or safe.
Anywhoville, I had high hopes for the book because the author wrote for The Cosby Show and A Different World. And I LOVE those shows. But the storyline of this fell short and the writing became annoying with the author's injections of her own knowledge of "fashion" and "high culture." So what! And to appease the humanitarians like me the author throws in a few pompous "charity" shindigs to flaunt the wealth. When these events only highlighted the girls' outfits and the communities' economical hierarchy.
Reading this book was not completely agonizing. I did have a good laugh at the characters' fall and eventually being humbled under their stupidity, oh the joy!
July 3, 2012
a good, lightweight read...
August 5, 2011
*3.5*
As of lately, I have really started to love the chick-lit genre. The books always tend to be fun, light reads for the most part and sometimes that's just what I need in a book. Therefore, when I was offered the chance to read and review Susan Fales-Hill's One Flight Up, I jumped at the chance. However, while I found the book to be well written and the storylines to be enticing and intriguing, I wasn't always the biggest fan of the characters presented.
One Flight Up tells the story of longtime friends India, Abby, Esme, and Monique, four girls who have stuck through it all since their past school days at the elite Manhattan's Sibley School for Girls. However, as of lately, everything is starting to became a bit chaotic. India is attempting to decide between two very different men, the kind and sweet Julian or the broody, sexy Keith. Bored in her own marriage, Esme has taken to stepping out on her husband to gain the thrill and suspense she craves, while sweet and timid Abby is dealing with her husband's long-time infidelity and her own feelings for a new man. Last but not least, Monique, a recent addition to the girl's inner circle, is dealing with her own seemingly disastrous marriage, hoping that a fling may provoke the feelings she's been craving. Jumping into their own affairs and deceit, all four women begin to see the pros and, most importantly, the cons of their infidelity. However, will they be able to save their marriages as well as their own wellbeing and reputation before it's too late? Only more time and pages will tell in this scandalous new read!
First, I have to say that I was quite impressed with Susan Fales-Hill's writing and overall storytelling in this. She did a fantastic job of switching between narrators in a way that allowed each woman's story to be developed thoroughly even with the limited page time. I also enjoyed how she took the reader on a ride through New York as well as Paris in this, allowing the setting to develop as the story continued to build as well.
However, I have to admit out right, I barely liked the characters in this one, and that's where One Flight Up began to fail in my eyes. Esme, Abby, Monique, and India are all very interesting and diverse woman, but their actions as well as decisions were disastrous and not very likable. You see, all four woman to do one thing that annoyed and irritated me to one end: instead of communicating with their spouse/partner about their worries and concerns about their relationship/marriage, they took to using affairs as a quick and easy alternative. That just struck a point in me, because while I wanted to like these women, I had one little problem: I didn't truly respect them. Sure, they had glamorous and admirable lives and jobs, but at the end of the day they were lost in a way that really didn't make me feel for them; sometimes I didn't even really want to root for them to overcome their troubles. While they did face the music eventually and become a little more likable (especially Abby), in some ways I felt it was a bit too late.
In all, I'm undecided about it, because while the writing and world building was fabulous, the characters weren't always my favorite. However, I still will be reading more by Susan based on her writing alone and I highly recommend this one to fans of the chick-lit genre, specifically ones who enjoy shows like Gossip Girl and Sex and the City.
Grade: B
As of lately, I have really started to love the chick-lit genre. The books always tend to be fun, light reads for the most part and sometimes that's just what I need in a book. Therefore, when I was offered the chance to read and review Susan Fales-Hill's One Flight Up, I jumped at the chance. However, while I found the book to be well written and the storylines to be enticing and intriguing, I wasn't always the biggest fan of the characters presented.
One Flight Up tells the story of longtime friends India, Abby, Esme, and Monique, four girls who have stuck through it all since their past school days at the elite Manhattan's Sibley School for Girls. However, as of lately, everything is starting to became a bit chaotic. India is attempting to decide between two very different men, the kind and sweet Julian or the broody, sexy Keith. Bored in her own marriage, Esme has taken to stepping out on her husband to gain the thrill and suspense she craves, while sweet and timid Abby is dealing with her husband's long-time infidelity and her own feelings for a new man. Last but not least, Monique, a recent addition to the girl's inner circle, is dealing with her own seemingly disastrous marriage, hoping that a fling may provoke the feelings she's been craving. Jumping into their own affairs and deceit, all four women begin to see the pros and, most importantly, the cons of their infidelity. However, will they be able to save their marriages as well as their own wellbeing and reputation before it's too late? Only more time and pages will tell in this scandalous new read!
First, I have to say that I was quite impressed with Susan Fales-Hill's writing and overall storytelling in this. She did a fantastic job of switching between narrators in a way that allowed each woman's story to be developed thoroughly even with the limited page time. I also enjoyed how she took the reader on a ride through New York as well as Paris in this, allowing the setting to develop as the story continued to build as well.
However, I have to admit out right, I barely liked the characters in this one, and that's where One Flight Up began to fail in my eyes. Esme, Abby, Monique, and India are all very interesting and diverse woman, but their actions as well as decisions were disastrous and not very likable. You see, all four woman to do one thing that annoyed and irritated me to one end: instead of communicating with their spouse/partner about their worries and concerns about their relationship/marriage, they took to using affairs as a quick and easy alternative. That just struck a point in me, because while I wanted to like these women, I had one little problem: I didn't truly respect them. Sure, they had glamorous and admirable lives and jobs, but at the end of the day they were lost in a way that really didn't make me feel for them; sometimes I didn't even really want to root for them to overcome their troubles. While they did face the music eventually and become a little more likable (especially Abby), in some ways I felt it was a bit too late.
In all, I'm undecided about it, because while the writing and world building was fabulous, the characters weren't always my favorite. However, I still will be reading more by Susan based on her writing alone and I highly recommend this one to fans of the chick-lit genre, specifically ones who enjoy shows like Gossip Girl and Sex and the City.
Grade: B
August 31, 2010
In the past year I've read a few novels that take place in modern New York City. There were a couple that tried to tackle the topics of the new generation of women struggling with career vs. staying at home, gentrification into whatever is the hot neighborhood of the moment, and celebrities wanting a "normal" life. One even tried, unsuccessfully, to take on the race question. It was laughable. The ones that turned me off the most were billed as sort of Sex and The City hybrids, where former party girls were finally settling down and having families.
So I was a bit hesitant when I saw One Flight Up, especially with the picture of the brownstone on the cover. I hadn't read any reviews and just didn't want to be disappointed again. But, on the other hand, I'm a sucker for a brownstone on the cover of a book, so I went ahead and picked it up. Glad I did.
One Flight Up follows the lives of four women (it's always four, isn't it?) in Manhattan as they work on their "happily-ever-afters". India, the mixed-race daughter of a drama queen British actress, makes her living as a a divorce lawyer. She is safely ensconced in a relationship with a French chef, but her lack of faith in love as well as unfinished business with an ex, make it difficult for her to commit fully. The other three women are India's former classmates at an upscale private girls school. There's Abby, who supports the artistic dreams of her philandering husband, but struggles with her own desires. Esme is the (almost stereotypical) fiery, Brazilian heiress who finds herself married to a loving husband and living in the suburbs. But that doesn't stop her from having lots of fun on the side. And then there's Monique, an African-American gynecologist who was India's nemesis in high school. Monique married for love and security, but now finds herself needing a little more passion. During the course of the book, each woman is forced to examine and re-examine her life and priorities.
What I Liked: I liked that although these were obviously women who made lots of money and were successful in their careers, I didn't feel beaten over the head with it. Yes, they can afford lavish vacations, and pricey material objects, but compared to some other books I've read, the label- and name-dropping were pretty much kept to a minimum. In essence, the problems that these women had weren't just rich people problems, they are universal. The conversations surrounding race were interesting and sometimes uncomfortable, just as they are in real life.
What I Disliked: There were a couple passages about India's ex that were a bit redundant. It was nothing major, just an extra explanation that wasn't needed.
So I was a bit hesitant when I saw One Flight Up, especially with the picture of the brownstone on the cover. I hadn't read any reviews and just didn't want to be disappointed again. But, on the other hand, I'm a sucker for a brownstone on the cover of a book, so I went ahead and picked it up. Glad I did.
One Flight Up follows the lives of four women (it's always four, isn't it?) in Manhattan as they work on their "happily-ever-afters". India, the mixed-race daughter of a drama queen British actress, makes her living as a a divorce lawyer. She is safely ensconced in a relationship with a French chef, but her lack of faith in love as well as unfinished business with an ex, make it difficult for her to commit fully. The other three women are India's former classmates at an upscale private girls school. There's Abby, who supports the artistic dreams of her philandering husband, but struggles with her own desires. Esme is the (almost stereotypical) fiery, Brazilian heiress who finds herself married to a loving husband and living in the suburbs. But that doesn't stop her from having lots of fun on the side. And then there's Monique, an African-American gynecologist who was India's nemesis in high school. Monique married for love and security, but now finds herself needing a little more passion. During the course of the book, each woman is forced to examine and re-examine her life and priorities.
What I Liked: I liked that although these were obviously women who made lots of money and were successful in their careers, I didn't feel beaten over the head with it. Yes, they can afford lavish vacations, and pricey material objects, but compared to some other books I've read, the label- and name-dropping were pretty much kept to a minimum. In essence, the problems that these women had weren't just rich people problems, they are universal. The conversations surrounding race were interesting and sometimes uncomfortable, just as they are in real life.
What I Disliked: There were a couple passages about India's ex that were a bit redundant. It was nothing major, just an extra explanation that wasn't needed.
January 25, 2016
IQ "In terms of both Keith and Julien, she needed never utter the words 'It might have been.' That was more than many people could say, for that she reminded herself to be grateful" (312)
My issue with this is not because the characters were all rich. In the author's first novel she sticks to what she knows and rich people have their own problems too. Furthermore I understand the temptation of cheating and I never thought that went away with marriage. I think the author expertly and eloquently examines the many ways people cheat or the issues that drive them to cheating. I was more so constantly thrown off kilter by the awkward stream of consciousness. The writing also had a constant dramatic tone to it, everything was always a crisis with Irina. I'm also running out of patience with the "tragic mulatto" tale, she obsesses over feeling out of place but I'm hoping that the next generation of writers will not have this problem (for example I did not go to a super fancy school but there are a number of biracial/multiracial families in existence so I found it hard to understand why her classmates were so baffled by her. Maybe I just don't get it because I'm mixed). It was distracting. Furthermore having the judge-y main character (Irina) as the main narrator made it even more annoying. I was also under the impression that the characters would alternate telling the story since there were four of them but the other three characters are mostly neglected. Esme's back story is well crafted but I wanted to know a lot more about Monique. I guess I'm not mature enough yet but she and Irina made up super fast considering how awful Monique was to Irina as a child.
Ironically the biggest takeaway from this novel for me were the feminist reasons Irina became a divorce attorney, it was actually very inspiring. But although I understood why the four women were inclined to cheat what I did not understand was why/how the majority of them chose awful men. They also seemed to forget that cell phones had texting capabilities and would end up in scrapes that could easily have been avoided. I ended up only liking and fully understanding Esme but I think that was simply because the author spent the most time developing her character aside from Irina. But this was a frothy read that I read in one day and it's always nice to see upper class Black men and women portrayed in novels having ordinary wealthy problems. Unfortunately I did not feel the author successfully answered the question of if it's possible to have love and security but perhaps her non answer is the answer.
My issue with this is not because the characters were all rich. In the author's first novel she sticks to what she knows and rich people have their own problems too. Furthermore I understand the temptation of cheating and I never thought that went away with marriage. I think the author expertly and eloquently examines the many ways people cheat or the issues that drive them to cheating. I was more so constantly thrown off kilter by the awkward stream of consciousness. The writing also had a constant dramatic tone to it, everything was always a crisis with Irina. I'm also running out of patience with the "tragic mulatto" tale, she obsesses over feeling out of place but I'm hoping that the next generation of writers will not have this problem (for example I did not go to a super fancy school but there are a number of biracial/multiracial families in existence so I found it hard to understand why her classmates were so baffled by her. Maybe I just don't get it because I'm mixed). It was distracting. Furthermore having the judge-y main character (Irina) as the main narrator made it even more annoying. I was also under the impression that the characters would alternate telling the story since there were four of them but the other three characters are mostly neglected. Esme's back story is well crafted but I wanted to know a lot more about Monique. I guess I'm not mature enough yet but she and Irina made up super fast considering how awful Monique was to Irina as a child.
Ironically the biggest takeaway from this novel for me were the feminist reasons Irina became a divorce attorney, it was actually very inspiring. But although I understood why the four women were inclined to cheat what I did not understand was why/how the majority of them chose awful men. They also seemed to forget that cell phones had texting capabilities and would end up in scrapes that could easily have been avoided. I ended up only liking and fully understanding Esme but I think that was simply because the author spent the most time developing her character aside from Irina. But this was a frothy read that I read in one day and it's always nice to see upper class Black men and women portrayed in novels having ordinary wealthy problems. Unfortunately I did not feel the author successfully answered the question of if it's possible to have love and security but perhaps her non answer is the answer.
August 19, 2011
One Flight Up by Susan Fales-Hill circles around four married friends, each at a different stage in their life, each unhappy in their own ways. India Chumley, our main gal, is a biracial, high powered divorce lawyer, whose clients and her own mother’s marriage keeps her from saying “yes” to all the proposals her hunky French boyfriend keeps bestowing on her. That, and the fact that she is still in love with Keith, her ex-fiancée who cheated on her weeks before their wedding date. Abby Rosenfeld Adams discovers her husband Nathaniel is having an affair, quite possibly multiple affairs, and is devastated that her high school sweetheart would throw away their years of marriage for a younger protocol. Esme Sarmiento Talbot is a spicy Colombian that has become bored of her suburban ways and too sweet husband Tim. She finds excitement with the waiter, and the bartender, and the doorman, etc. Monique Dawkins-Dubois is a successful gynecologist who married her husband mostly for his checkbook, and now is finding comfort in the arms of another employee. All friends have dived into affairs, but when their adulterous actions come back to haunt them, they must ask themselves- was it all worth it in the end?
I had a fabulous time reading One Flight Up. All the characters were similar with their unhappiness about where their life was, but all had different approaches on how to make it better. While I don’t typically like reading about affairs and cheating (I’m still a young gun that believes marriage is forever) I couldn’t help but get sucked into their world. The writing was flawless, and once I hit the middle of the novel, I really couldn’t put it down. I had to see what would happen to each woman, how she would come out of her particular situation. There really wasn’t a character I disliked, though I didn’t approve their choices, but as a reader, I could easily understand how they were feeling and why they were making their mistakes. I realized towards the end that maybe this is a little too much like my beloved Sex and the City. I saw Carrie and her Big issues with India and ex-fiancée Keith, Abby has the art loving, WASPy-like Charlotte, and Esme as a married Samantha. But that didn’t necessarily detract from my liking the book, because I’m still giving it five stars. A great book that I think chick lit fans will enjoy as well.
I had a fabulous time reading One Flight Up. All the characters were similar with their unhappiness about where their life was, but all had different approaches on how to make it better. While I don’t typically like reading about affairs and cheating (I’m still a young gun that believes marriage is forever) I couldn’t help but get sucked into their world. The writing was flawless, and once I hit the middle of the novel, I really couldn’t put it down. I had to see what would happen to each woman, how she would come out of her particular situation. There really wasn’t a character I disliked, though I didn’t approve their choices, but as a reader, I could easily understand how they were feeling and why they were making their mistakes. I realized towards the end that maybe this is a little too much like my beloved Sex and the City. I saw Carrie and her Big issues with India and ex-fiancée Keith, Abby has the art loving, WASPy-like Charlotte, and Esme as a married Samantha. But that didn’t necessarily detract from my liking the book, because I’m still giving it five stars. A great book that I think chick lit fans will enjoy as well.
February 16, 2013
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Four women who are friends and three of which find themselves in unhappy marriages, while the other is still in the dating scene are the characters in this story. For one reason or another each of these women are unhappy in their current situations and instead of working on them, would rather venture to find happiness with someone else.
Four women who are friends and three of which find themselves in unhappy marriages, while the other is still in the dating scene are the characters in this story. For one reason or another each of these women are unhappy in their current situations and instead of working on them, would rather venture to find happiness with someone else.
May 9, 2013
A little disappointed with this one. The women did not have many redeemable qualities and I don't know that et learned their lesson in the end. Plus the brand name dropping was a bit too much for me. It was a quick read, but I was not 100% satisfied.
November 16, 2011
Great read.
February 5, 2014
I felt like this book was written with the intention that it would be adapted into a movie and not as a piece of literary work.
February 21, 2024
Yeah, I was not a fan of this one. SOOO much infidelity. Wishy-washy main characters...do I continue cheating? Do I go back to my husband/partner and forget my affair? Do I sleep with both men at the same time and hope my husband doesn't find out? Back-and-forth 7,000 times. The character traits of some of these women are so unbelievably outrageous, especially Esme. She is so over-the-top that it is not even a little bit believable. The only character I somewhat enjoyed was India. Plus, with all this infidelity and discussions of sex, you would think there would have been some juicy parts. Not-so-much. Would not recommend.
June 26, 2018
Hmmm, well then. I have to say I sure am glad none of these women are my friends. It was interesting & had a few characters I was really pulling for which kept me reading on but geesh, what a bunch of cheating, lying, awful people. A "sassy summer beach read?" Yeah, no.
September 7, 2019
🙄🙄🙄
Uverih se napokon da mi ovakvo štivo ne leži.
Uverih se napokon da mi ovakvo štivo ne leži.
August 30, 2010
Four friends who met at the elite Manhattan Sibley School for Girls are at a crossroads of life and love in Susan Fales-Hill's novel One Flight Up.
India is a hard-charging divorce attorney with a high maintenance actress mother, an addiction to chocolate, and a loving French chef boyfriend. When the man she left at the altar years ago for cheating on her comes back into her life, she is torn between her strong attraction to the "bad boy" and her understanding, caring boyfriend.
Abby has a artist husband and two children whom she adores, but soon she is forced to face the fact that her husband is a cheater when she sees him kissing a gorgeous younger woman. When her son's music teacher shows romantic interest in her, she is tempted to find happiness for herself.
Monique is a doctor, who has been married for many years to a man with a time-consuming financial career. Like many long-married couples with dual careers and children, the spark has gone out of their marriage, and when a sexy young EMT shows her some attention, she makes a mistake that could endanger everything for which she has worked.
Esme is described as a "Columbian Scarlett O'Hara", a woman who enjoys receiving all the male attention from the moment she walks into a room. Esme frequently cheats on her nice-guy husband, just as her father cheats on her mother.
The author does a wonderful job creating characters with lives that the reader would envy- wealthy, smart, beautiful- and yet she gives them problems that face most women. How do you balance work, family, and love?
She understands the realities of long-term monogamy, and how hard it is to work at staying happy in a marriage. I liked that while she showed the excitement of a new sexual relationship, she also showed the consequences. If you are thinking about straying, this novel will give you something to think about.
The setting of Manhattan is a great character too. I enjoyed recognizing the various landmarks Fales-Hill uses, and the reader will feel like a real Upper East Sider as she reads. I also loved the mental pictures the author creates of the gorgeous dresses the ladies wear to their many social events.
Lifetime TV would be wise to option this book as a movie- and hire Sophia Vergara of TV's "Modern Family" as Esme, she'd be perfect!
One Flight Up has interesting characters, sex, fabulous clothes and Manhattan- it's Sex and the City for married women.
India is a hard-charging divorce attorney with a high maintenance actress mother, an addiction to chocolate, and a loving French chef boyfriend. When the man she left at the altar years ago for cheating on her comes back into her life, she is torn between her strong attraction to the "bad boy" and her understanding, caring boyfriend.
Abby has a artist husband and two children whom she adores, but soon she is forced to face the fact that her husband is a cheater when she sees him kissing a gorgeous younger woman. When her son's music teacher shows romantic interest in her, she is tempted to find happiness for herself.
Monique is a doctor, who has been married for many years to a man with a time-consuming financial career. Like many long-married couples with dual careers and children, the spark has gone out of their marriage, and when a sexy young EMT shows her some attention, she makes a mistake that could endanger everything for which she has worked.
Esme is described as a "Columbian Scarlett O'Hara", a woman who enjoys receiving all the male attention from the moment she walks into a room. Esme frequently cheats on her nice-guy husband, just as her father cheats on her mother.
The author does a wonderful job creating characters with lives that the reader would envy- wealthy, smart, beautiful- and yet she gives them problems that face most women. How do you balance work, family, and love?
She understands the realities of long-term monogamy, and how hard it is to work at staying happy in a marriage. I liked that while she showed the excitement of a new sexual relationship, she also showed the consequences. If you are thinking about straying, this novel will give you something to think about.
The setting of Manhattan is a great character too. I enjoyed recognizing the various landmarks Fales-Hill uses, and the reader will feel like a real Upper East Sider as she reads. I also loved the mental pictures the author creates of the gorgeous dresses the ladies wear to their many social events.
Lifetime TV would be wise to option this book as a movie- and hire Sophia Vergara of TV's "Modern Family" as Esme, she'd be perfect!
One Flight Up has interesting characters, sex, fabulous clothes and Manhattan- it's Sex and the City for married women.
October 21, 2010
I appreciate a couple of things captured by Susan Fales-Hill with this book: A story about affluent African-Americans; a REALISTIC story that shows different facets of "love"; and last but certainly not least, the fact that WOMEN DO CHEAT!!!! Fales-Hill delivers a very intelligently written account of 4 VERY different women. Despite their differences, their friendships never faulter through all the madness. It was nice to see that true sisterhood. It was also nice to see the multicultural themes within the story. The outcome and shenanigans of the women are completely realistic and fun to read about. This book does fall a little bit short with me in some areas. For example, putting the book down and picking it back up was a little daunting as it was hard to remember which character is which (among the 4 women)and what was actually happening when you last put it down. Also, everybody in the book is EXTREMELY attractive, bi-racial, blue eyes, green eyes, gray eyes, dressed immaculately, etc...etc...it was all just a little too "perfect" for me as far as aesthetics. Also affluent should not equal BOURGEOIS-NESS by EVERYBODY. Too much designer name dropping and lavish lifestyling and profiling by all the characters. This doesn't really allow anyone to stand out much. Other than that, I do recommend the book to others and appreciate the overall story!!! I would read another novel from Ms. Fales-Hill in future!
August 14, 2011
Susan Fales-Hill is an award winning television writer and producer who has worked on shows ranging from The Cosby Show to Suddenly Susan. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Always Wear Joy. And now, Susan Fales-Hill has written a fun, New York story that has all the elements a good novel should have, love, lies, lust, betrayal and perhaps hope - readers won’t want to put it down, not until the very end! One Flight Up is a dramatic-comedic romp through the boardrooms, and bedrooms of Manhattan and Paris.
Atlanta, New Jersey and New York housewives meet the wives in, One Flight Up. India, Abby, Esme, and Monique this intelligent spirited foursome have been friends since their days at Manhattan’s Sibley School for Girls. All grown up now—they seem to be living ideal lives, until the happily ever after fades and they find themselves at the crossroads of their lives, each with her own set of troubles, and suddenly craving more.
It's not a throw your head back and laugh until you get a cramp in your side, nor is it a grab the box of tissues and boo-whoo type of story - what it is, Read More or Read Here
Atlanta, New Jersey and New York housewives meet the wives in, One Flight Up. India, Abby, Esme, and Monique this intelligent spirited foursome have been friends since their days at Manhattan’s Sibley School for Girls. All grown up now—they seem to be living ideal lives, until the happily ever after fades and they find themselves at the crossroads of their lives, each with her own set of troubles, and suddenly craving more.
It's not a throw your head back and laugh until you get a cramp in your side, nor is it a grab the box of tissues and boo-whoo type of story - what it is, Read More or Read Here
September 26, 2011
Susan Fales-Hill, a writer I've enjoyed for over 20 years now (she wrote for The Cosby Show and A Different World), released her first novel--a follow up to her memoir/biography of her mother. I was looking forward to this book for some time. Now that I've finished it, I am disappointed.
Authors are urged to "write what [they] know!" Ms. Fales-Hill did exactly that, perhaps to a fault. The biracial, Harvard-educated daughter of a tempestuous marriage, India Chumley appears to be Ms. Fales-Hill in a slightly tweaked package. While writing what one knows is expected, one would also imagine that an otherwise talented writer wouldn't drag out the same trite phrases we've read from Ms. Fales-Hill in numerous articles, interviews, and in her previous book. Infidelity was trotted out a little too often...marital unhappiness doesn't have to come in the form of the Other Man/Woman ALL THE TIME. In a book featuring 4 female characters, why did all of them cheat? That speaks to a certain pathology.
I was sadly disappointed by the trite cliches, reliance on weak plot twists, and thinly veiled references to Fales-Hill's own life and upbringing. Ten years ago, when she wrote her first book, they were funny and exciting. Now? Just boring.
Authors are urged to "write what [they] know!" Ms. Fales-Hill did exactly that, perhaps to a fault. The biracial, Harvard-educated daughter of a tempestuous marriage, India Chumley appears to be Ms. Fales-Hill in a slightly tweaked package. While writing what one knows is expected, one would also imagine that an otherwise talented writer wouldn't drag out the same trite phrases we've read from Ms. Fales-Hill in numerous articles, interviews, and in her previous book. Infidelity was trotted out a little too often...marital unhappiness doesn't have to come in the form of the Other Man/Woman ALL THE TIME. In a book featuring 4 female characters, why did all of them cheat? That speaks to a certain pathology.
I was sadly disappointed by the trite cliches, reliance on weak plot twists, and thinly veiled references to Fales-Hill's own life and upbringing. Ten years ago, when she wrote her first book, they were funny and exciting. Now? Just boring.
August 19, 2014
What horrible horrible women! Every character in this book was absolutely horrible, except maybe for Julien. They were all cheating whores who didn't care who they hurt in the process. And it really pisses me off when women who love high, expensive fashion look down on and make fun of others who don't dress just like they do. Not everyone cares about fashion nor can afford it. I hated all of these women.
I hated this book, it was just so discouraging. At least they all came to their senses in the end, but only because every single one of them got caught. But in my opinion they all should have gotten what they deserved, and they all just basically got off scott free. I would not recommend this book.
I hated this book, it was just so discouraging. At least they all came to their senses in the end, but only because every single one of them got caught. But in my opinion they all should have gotten what they deserved, and they all just basically got off scott free. I would not recommend this book.
August 30, 2010
This is a "Sex and the City" type story with lots of brand names thrown around (Chanel suit, Hermes handbag) and it features four professional women who have been friends since attending the same tony private school. But now as women in their 30s they are all cheating on their men! It was a little disturbing and it makes it a tough one to put into the hands of readers since I don't know if it will offend. I know it's just a story but this is the second one in a row with this same subplot. It know it's part of our lives these days but I'm getting tired of it. Without spoiling the ending, I really liked how one of the plots ended up!
August 30, 2010
I wish I had waited until I went to the beach to read this one! Lighthearted yet utterly serious, this book watches four women try their best to screw up their lives! All professional women, obviously intelligent, these women are completely clueless when it comes to men. You will turn the pages faster and faster as each woman becomes embroiled in her own "extracurricular activity", all putting their relationships at risk as they search for love and excitement in their lives. This was a great example of some very smart women making some very foolish choices, and how those choices caught up to them.
August 15, 2011
So, the books is about 4 friends in NYC that have known each other for a long time. India is the main character and the only unmarried girl in the group. The story is mostly her perspective and is about the relationships that the women are in. My main problem with this book all the cheating. I think I was supposed to root for them and in the end, I just didn't. I feel like they got exactly what they deserve. Trying to win back husbands, trying to pay off the other man, trying to make ammends to ones they have wronged, etc. Did I enjoy the story, maybe ( minus the cheating )but the characters were the pits.
December 2, 2013
I don't normally read these types of books, but took this one on as an equivalent of a soap opera while cleaning your kitchen (something to make chores fun). Amusing yet predictable, but I knew what to expect. Rich girls, poor girls making it big, all your Manhattan money shakers in a book format. Sometimes it's fun to read something light though. Don't expect to find the answer to existential problems of the world here, but you will be amused. Proust would have been so much more accessible if he stopped for a second and considered the sublime cut of the Chanel jacket instead of all that hokey pokey about conflicting aspects of reality, right?
Read, enjoy, move on.
Read, enjoy, move on.
September 7, 2010
I can't wait until I hit my mid-30s, have a good career/family so I can cheat on my significant other and almost lose it all. Wait was that not the lesson I was supposed to learn from this book?
I did appreciate how India dealt with her friends through the majority of the book. She did want to lecture but left them to their own foibles instead. She was there at the end if they needed her. But it was hard to care/like the friends. Everyone came off as very shallow, and self-involved.
India's mother is a great character.
I did appreciate how India dealt with her friends through the majority of the book. She did want to lecture but left them to their own foibles instead. She was there at the end if they needed her. But it was hard to care/like the friends. Everyone came off as very shallow, and self-involved.
India's mother is a great character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2014
I honestly could not get into this book. I could not relate at all to this book. My biggest issue with this book was the fact that I felt the author made a huge issue out of the races of most of the characters. Maybe it's because I'm not black that I can not relate. But honestly.....leaving a guy because he can't relate to being half black and then the guy you cheat with actually cheated on you previously! WTF! I do not recommend this book at all.
The only reason I continued to read it was because I have to finish any book I start. It may take me longer but I will finish the book.
The only reason I continued to read it was because I have to finish any book I start. It may take me longer but I will finish the book.
January 27, 2011
One Flight Up
August 31, 2010
Susan Fales-Hill
This book reminded me of the popular HBO show “Sex in the City” with the four friends, the jet setters and fancy named clothes. It was well written and kept my attention. One Flight Up is a fun summer read. It will definitely show the pros and cons of having an affair and choosing the wrong person to marry! I enjoyed the book and finished it in two lazy summer afternoons.
August 31, 2010
Susan Fales-Hill
This book reminded me of the popular HBO show “Sex in the City” with the four friends, the jet setters and fancy named clothes. It was well written and kept my attention. One Flight Up is a fun summer read. It will definitely show the pros and cons of having an affair and choosing the wrong person to marry! I enjoyed the book and finished it in two lazy summer afternoons.
December 9, 2012
Not my type of book but I read it for my book club. This books tells the story of 4 friends who are successful and smart but still dumb enough to risk their marriages in meaningless affairs. Some of the book cover blurbs described the book as a great beach read, I guess because of all the gratuitous sexual situations, but I found them sad instead of fun. There are certain books where the actions of the characters get me so annoyed that I don't enjoy the book, and this was one of them.
October 17, 2011
I am currently "reading" through audio-book, read by Cassandra Campbell. She does well with the many accents. I'm not too far along yet: on disc 4 out of 9, but it's keeping me interested. It seems as though this is a story with an obvious ending for all four woman. But I will have to see once I get through disc 9.
March 28, 2011
This book started out a real page turner. But by the time I got to chapter 45, I was ready for her to wrap up the story (and it didn't end until 12 chapters later)!!! Definitely a good read, but a hard lesson for the heroine doesn't make the ending as satisfying as I had hoped.
July 8, 2011
Hard to read because I wanted to smack the main character India and all of her friends in the face. entertaining enough. can't say that I would recommend. Decent summer reading. Oh...to have the "problems" of these chicks!
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