Mrs. Perfect
by Jane Porter
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Book Reviews of Mrs. Perfect
Book Review: Review
Summary: 4 Stars
Taylor Young had the perfect life. She had a fine-looking husband three beautiful children, and a house that you could only dream about. You could say that Taylor lived the lap of luxury till now. Taylor's husband shares with her that they are broke. So broke that he informs Taylor that she should start looking for a...gasp...J_O_B! What is Taylor going to do? She has not worked in a long time. The only thing Taylor is good at is spending money and lots of it.
Taylor can't believe they are in this situation. All Taylor knows is that she can't let any of her friends find out. Taylor ends up find an unlikely friend in her arch nemesis, Marta Zinsser. Soon Taylor is putting away all the designer clothes and getting her hands dirty in the real world.
You would think from the summary that Taylor would be a rich, spoiled diva, which at the beginning Taylor was that was but soon after she turned out to be pretty tolerable. For this I am thankful. If Taylor has stayed a diva the whole way through the story, it would have been hard for me to read. I probably wouldn't have given this book a chance; except that I read Ms. Porter's Flirting with Forty and enjoyed it. Plus I am not a big fan of the chick lit books, but hey every once in a while; everyone needs something that lightens the mood from psychopathic serial killers. Mrs. Perfect did just that for me, so for this reason, I say Mrs. Perfect was just that...perfect!
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Book Review: The Journey of Womanhood
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are a suburban mom in America, chances are you have run into a Taylor Young! She's the perfectly manicured, beautiful mother who volunteers for everything and is envied and looked up to by her peers. She has the perfect husband and the perfect kids...but did you ever wonder what goes on behind closed doors? Is it really as idyllic as it seems?
Jane Porter masterfully crafts a story that examines women's role in America today. Taylor Young is the quintessential suburban mom; she is the woman that society leads us to believe we should all strive to be. But she has flaws and she has a hard time keeping her game face on. When she is faced with challenges, however, she prevails and she comes out stronger and healthier, less stressed and I think as she begins to really understand the journey of life, she is happier.
Ms. Porter forces readers to look at the tough choices women are forced to make in our society and with both "Odd Mom Out" and "Mrs. Perfect" she shows the pros and cons of that ideal. Hopefully, somewhere in the middle, we will all find some solace and comfort, some happiness, some sense that we are enough. But I am sure that in sharing these heroine's journeys, women will get a sense that they are not alone in their thoughts and their feelings and they will find a reason to celebrate that we are all in this journey together!
Book Review: Enjoyable light read, but the ending...too perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
This was my first book by Jane Porter. As a relative newcomer to the mom-scene (my daughter is 4.5), and having been brought up outside of the US, I am still amazed at and amused by the "professional" and highly competitive approach to parenthood, particularly motherhood in this country. While I enjoyed reading the book - it is perfect for a long summer weekend - the message at the end gets muddled somewhat. Here is this long and somewhat labored build-up to Taylor's realizing that putting oneself in a totally dependent situation is not such a good thing, that perhaps her talents and abilities can be better utilized outside of making copies at a school office and helping with lunch, or baking designer cookies... She gets a job and seems to be at least initially successful at juggling being a mom and working full time, which is what 75% women in America do, and survive. And then, as though at a wave of a magic wand, Nathan gets a fabulous job overseas, with double the earnings, and sweeps Taylor off to Sidney, where she undoubtedly will once again fall into her seemingly perfect life of being a social ringleader, a professional uber mom decked out in designer garb, and ultimately an accessory to her bread winning husband. So, where is the message? What did Jane Porter really try to say with this book?Book Review: deep character study
Summary: 5 Stars
In Bellevue, Washington everyone envies thirty-six year old Taylor Young who seems to live the perfect life. Her husband adores her and they have three wonderful children as they share an affluent lifestyle. Taylor looks forward to being super Head Room Mom for her daughter Tori's fifth grade class.
However to her shock, MRS. PERFECT is bypassed as class supermom as her enemy and complete opposite hippie mom Marta Zinsser is selected. As the two women fight over everything, Taylor learns her affluence is gone and her trust devastated; her spouse has been unemployed for six months but hid it; he no longer can. As everyone seems to cut her off only her enemy combatant Marta still talks with her.
ODD MOM OUT was a deep character study of Marta that focused on personal and professional relationships; this time Marta plays a secondary role as Jane Porter places her spotlight on a supermom MRS. PERFECT in another deep character study. Taylor evolves from her image is the message lifestyle to the realization that true friends are there when things turn nasty. Fans will appreciate Ms. Porter's strong look at what happens to relationships when the walls come tumbling down.
Harriet Klausner
Book Review: Insight plus writing skill equals a terrific book
Summary: 4 Stars
Jane Porter has taken a unique point of view in romance books, namely, telling the story from the point of view of a character who is ordinarily seen as simply nasty. [It's not necessary to read the prequel, ODD MOM OUT, to get further examples of Taylor Young's nastiness but I read OMO immediately after finishing MP and it did give greater dimension to both books.] Taylor Young is a character who could have been in a Joan Collins or Jacqueline Susann book, or on Desparate Housewives on TV. She is slick, overly-concerned with how she looks and without a clue about how to parent. Yet, Porter lets the reader know what is going on below the surface and makes the unfolding of change in her life and character totally believable.
It's impossible to put this book down once you start it and its lessons will remain with you although it's far less preachy than OMO, the prequel.
A good book to read and to share with friends, especially in a book club, since a discussion of values and suburban life is sure to ensue. Particularly relevant in today's economy, too.