Mrs. Perfect
by Jane Porter
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Book Reviews of Mrs. Perfect
Book Review: Book Review: Mrs. Perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
The Review
I was introduced to Jane Porter's work when reviewing Flirting With Forty last December. Being a huge fan of the ChickLit genre, I really enjoyed reading the book and watching the Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear. (BTW: Jane's got a MEAN recipe for MaiTai's that is posted on my Flirting with Forty post).
When I received Flirting With Forty for review, I was fortunate enough to get all of Jane Porter's books including Mrs. Perfect. I've just now finally gotten around to reading and reviewing it, I'm really happy that I did. Jane Porter DELIVERS in this novel and I loved it! (Imagine me tearing through this fun 419 page book in less than 24-hours!) I have to admit that I liked it EVEN BETTER than Flirting With Forty! (Hope that's okay... Jane!)
A neat thing that I have discovered is that Mrs. Perfect is tied to Odd Mom Out with Marta as the heroine of that story. Cool Beans! Since I enjoyed her very much in this story, I can't wait to crack open that book and read Marta's story. It's a good thing it's on the nightstand ready for reviewing within the month.
If you have never read of any of Jane Porter's books, let me just tell you that so far they've all been great for me. They are a fantastic escape from my life and her characters are so relatable! I can completely envision them and I find myself really rooting for their successes. Being a mom, Jane Porter does a great job writing characters who are also moms which makes these books so endearing to me. For example, the way Taylor's girls are fighting in this book are written so true-to-life that I could hear their little voices in my head, which is not hard considering I can also hear mine at it in the next room!
In Mrs. Perfect, our heroine undergoes a major life change and faces challenges, daughters in tow. How much more perfect could this book be for me? But, then again... you just can't go wrong with a Jane Porter book!
On Sher's "Out of Ten Scale:"
If you're a fan of ChickLit, Jane Porter is right up there with Jennifer Weiner and Helen Fielding. I think that she does a great job of having "a little bit of this" and "a little bit of that" to each of her books. You get the heartache and the sadness, but you also get the humor! Along with those, you can count on heroines who get in touch with what's going on inside them and overcoming the obstacles that are holding them down. Another great component of Jane Porter's books, especially Mrs. Perfect, is the great character development of the heroine's girlfriends. Jane Porter has really great insight into the female mind and it really shows in her books!
For the genre Fiction:Women's Fiction/ChickLit, I am going to rate this book a 9 OUT OF 10.
Book Review: An Interesting Journey--
Summary: 4 Stars
I will admit it was a shock to eagerly dive into the sequel to the fabulous ODD MOM OUT, only to find ourselves inside perfectly-perfect Taylor Young's pretty (empty) head; but, of course, she would be MRS. PERFECT and this one is from her perspective.
It does start empty, with fleeting, superficial and cringe-inducing meanderings on Taylor's perfect life (again, from her perspective): PTA, entertaining, weight issues, beauty regimen, shopping, managing a very large home, judgements and criticism of other women and, ultimately, in spite of it all, self-pity:
"And the problem -- if there is a problem, and I even hesitate to call it a problem -- is that this life, my life, looks good from the outside, but it's not so fun on the inside. On the inside, it's intense. On the inside, it's endless stress." (page 96)
[Poor Taylor, right?!]
Fortunately, it gets better. Something is wrong with Taylor's husband. He's acting all weird and then he abruptly decides to move the family from upscale Bellevue, Washington to Omaha, Nebraska. He goes ahead, leaving Taylor to finish out the school year with the kids. Taylor begins to realize the extent of their trouble when her credit card is declined while she is at lunch with a friend. (Turns out, her husband was fired from his executive job and has been out of work for months.)
Poor Taylor's situation goes from bad to worse, as her husband abandons her, the collection notices start rolling in and she has no money. We could almost cheer for Taylor as she begins the transformation from rich housewife to resourceful woman and mother who must figure out some way to survive and take care of her children: Taylor has a garage sale.
Next, Taylor gets a job -- a job as a go-to girl/office manager in advertising, employed by her once and not-quite-former PTA nemesis, ODD MOM OUT Marta Zinsser.
MRS. PERFECT turns out to be an in interesting journey, with Taylor's growth through challenge. She works to support herself and her daughters; she figures out a new lifestyle on her own; she moves from a very large, beautiful mansion to a dingy rental house and makes it a home. She triumphs and finds new depths of character as she re-settles her children, focusing on what they still have, rather than what they've lost and making the best of it.
While it was more fun inside ODD MOM OUT's narrative with Marta, Jane Porter does a masterful job of portraying similar lives from two very different perspectives, making both books a must-read experience for women who can relate to the PTA lifestyle.
-- Sherri Caldwell, Humor Columnist & Reviewer at RebelHousewife.com
Co-Author, The Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Domestic Bliss!
Book Review: Just When You Think You Know Someone
Summary: 4 Stars
Jane Porter does it again! Her new novel, Mrs. Perfect, is a sequel--of sorts. In her latest book, Porter returns to Bellevue, the home to Seattle's software elite. This time, the story shifts to Taylor Young, a woman who has it all--handsome husband, three beautiful daughters, a dream home, and a bottomless bank account.
Yes, this is the same Taylor Young we met in Odd Mom Out, but this time Porter takes us behind the polished image of this Alpha female to reveal the complex motives behind that saccharin smile.
That's what I love about Porter, her ability to step into someone else's shoes and take us along with her. This rendition of Taylor Young is not the two dimensional sketch of a stereo-type, but the portrait of a vulnerable woman desperate to keep it all together:
"Standing at the bus stop with the other moms, I chat about everything and nothing and it's comforting. They're all as frazzled and frustrated as I am. At least, I think, I'm not alone in my mountain of worries. All women seem to worry about being good enough, doing enough, trying enough."
Taylor Young is driven by perfection, yet oblivious to the dangers that could unhinge her Bellevue lifestyle . . . and reputation. As her fairy tale begins to unravel, Taylor must learn to let go of her own preconceived notions and accept the help of her old nemesis, Marta Zinsser.
In Mrs. Perfect, Porter plucks at the taunt string of anxiety deep within the modern female psyche. This is not the first book I've read, in which the female lead struggles to maintain a pristine façade over her dark secrets. However, unlike other characters who snap beneath the weight of their own fictions, Taylor Young finds the strength to face her greatest fears. Of course, that's not to say Taylor doesn't pay a hefty price for the lessons she has to learn.
In this trip back to Bellevue, Porter reminds women that all actions have consequences, and ignorance is never a solid defense. She also cautions women to be aware and to be ready, because everything changes. Life is not a fairytale and things won't magically work themselves out. It takes hard work and sacrifice to correct the mistakes we make, and we all make them.
Porter's characters are real women struggling to discover who they "could" be within the social clamor of who they "should" be. These are women you know, women you despise, women you admire. We are all taking the same journey together, yet managing to isolate ourselves and each other from the shared experience. The true beauty of Mrs. Perfect is the way Porter takes a character you think you know, and alters your perception. Perhaps, there's someone in your life you should get to know better.
Book Review: Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Summary: 5 Stars
I made the mistake of reading Mrs. Perfect BEFORE I read the book that comes before this, Odd Mom Out. However I actually quite happy that I did because it allowed me to have a better understand of Taylor when I went back and read the previous book. As someone in a marriage that has seen their share of financial struggles, I could relate a bit to what Taylor and Nathan were going through. Of course we didn't have nearly the amount of problems they were having, but it was understandable how Taylor could have been left out in the dark of how much in debt they were. Granted she should have kept up with her spending and realized that she was a shopaholic and was buying stuff she didn't need. Her husband keeps saying he's trying to help but he's been keeping secrets from her for almost a year. Now they are in deep trouble and stand to lose everything that Taylor has worked so hard to accomplish.
The book shows Taylor trying to do everything to keep up with the lavish lifestyle she's been used to and trying to ignore what is really happening. Eventually though reality finally sinks in and she has to go against what she's supposed to be like and accepts that she cannot afford this lifestyle. It was incredible satisfying to see Taylor completely humbled by the end of the book. She no longer craves a rich life or tries to keep up with appearances. Instead she's come to realize that family is more important and just being together. I really like the complete 180 degree attitude change. Also equally interesting was Taylor's choice in friends. While she does have some true friends who stick by her even when her circumstances change, she soon finds out that most of her "friends" not only abandon her but begin to talk about her behind their back. Therefore she begins to turn the Marta, the one woman she despised like no other. It's quite the kicker to read about that friendship.
What I love best about Jane Porter's book are how incredibly thick they are for a chick lit novels, which is wonderful because it gives more time to build up characterization and expound on the plot. Taylor is a really good character to have a longer book on because she's actually a really complex character with a hidden past she's trying to keep under wraps. While I was reading Odd Mom Out, I was able to look at her in a totally different way than I would have if I hadn't know her back story. It made me pity her while normally I would have hated her. Jane Porter's books are wonderful and this one is no exception. A wonderful read to kick back and relax with.
Book Review: Mrs. Perfect--The Perfect Summer Read or Anytime Read!
Summary: 5 Stars
We first meet Taylor "Mrs. Perfect" in Jane Porter's previous 5 Spot book, "Odd Mom Out". While it is not necessary to read "Odd Mom Out" first you should because it is also a good book and sets the stage for "Mrs. Perfect".
On the outside looking in, Taylor seems to have the perfect life with a handsome, rich husband, three beautiful blonde daughters, a gorgeous house on the waterfront in an exclusive area of Bellevue, Washington, a fabulous wardrobe, and country club set friends.
She is a super-mom doing everything to volunteer at her daughters' schools. She volunteers in all of the classrooms and chairs the auction committee for an annual fundraiser. She set her own career in PR aside when she became a wife and mother.
Slowly Taylor's seemingly perfect world begins to unravel when shockingly she learns that her husband has lost his high paying, high power job and has actually been unemployed for the past several months. Everything changes for Taylor when her husband moves across country to accept a job in Omaha, Nebraska.
Suddenly Taylor finds herself with none of the security or money she had before--she has a closetful of designer clothes, but nothing of substance. I was hooked from the moment Taylor sat down in her husband's den and went through all of the unpaid bills and realized just how much in debt they were and how far behind they had fallen on the payments.
You will cringe when Taylor's credit card is rejected at a restaurant much to her humiliation and in front of a girlfriend. You will feel bad for her when her ATM card is not accepted at the grocery store when she is buying treats for her daughter's Halloween party. You will laugh when she turns her hair orange after being forced to color her own hair!
The book is funny and sad and real and empowering all at the same time. Taylor finds her own strength as she sells her things at a garage sale, gets a job beneath her qualifications after being out of the job market for so long, sells her beloved house to a woman she can't stand, tries to save her marriage, finds out who her real friends are, etc. I don't want to give anything else away.
I give this book 5 stars!! "Frog Prince" used to be my favorite Jane book...but "Mrs. Perfect" may have taken its place. Read all of Jane's books--she speaks to women and we can see pieces of ourselves in all of her characters!