Bethany Crandell

torn between a 3.5 and a 4 start rating. this is my first book where the plot involved a cheating husband who was married to a woman but was cheating with men for almost the entirety of their marriage. so that made it a nice read. but it was VERY slow paced and just barely picked up half way through the story. a majority of the story the wife had kept the secret within herself to conform to society’s expectation of the husbands profession and to keep the image up. i think if the secret was revealed to others sooner it might’ve been better? also, a lot of character names were given out for all the girls at the support group that was hard to follow at first, especially since not all of them were relevant. that could’ve been kept to a minimum. but overall, easy read!… (mehr)

What a horror.
Don't go there. PLEASE.

EDIT 2014/07/21 - Some clarifications

The idea was interesting - but executed just terribly.
I'd love to read a decent book dealing with special needs people. Hell, I'd love to work at this kind of camp!
I loved those kids, with bright and colourful personalities.

The main character? Flat cardboard cutout. No development.
Outdated culture references.
Author seems to not know what "politically correct" IS.

This book is plain terrible… (mehr)

Jane Osborne is desperately trying to preserve the facade of her ‘perfect life’, even though her handsome, successful husband of 18 years is sleeping with someone else (and not for the first time), her twelve year old daughter is getting in trouble at school, and, after a supermarket car park incident involving oranges and a purloined ecstasy tablet, she’s been ordered to attend a First Offender’s Group to avoid jail.

In this witty contemporary novel, Bethany Crandall explores the struggle of a wife and mother to keep it altogether while everything is falling apart. Jane is under tremendous pressure to protect her husband’s career, her daughter’s innocence, and her mother’s care needs, and expected to suppress her feelings of betrayal, guilt and anger. Though the specifics of Jane’s trials may not be familiar, it’s very easy to empathise with the strain she is under, and honestly who hasn’t been tempted to throw something at a person who insists on going through a 12 item only check out with twice as many groceries!

Jane’s parking lot meltdown, and the consequences of mistaking an ecstasy pill for Zoloft, had me laughing out loud. Though the event, and subsequent punishment, seems like it can only make everything worse, it serves as a catalyst for Jane to confront her situation, and figure out how to move forward. I really liked the friendships Jane developed in the group, and the unexpected romantic connection with her arresting officer. I was absolutely always on Jane’s side, and felt Crandall’s development of her character was thoughtful and realistic.

See Jane Snap is often funny but also provides some astute observations about the difficult balance many women face between the needs of others and themselves. This is a light, entertaining and engaging read.… (mehr)

This is a solid 3.5 for me.

Dan has a big secret he’s been keeping. Jane is forced to keep this secret, which ultimately forces her to Snap, in a humorous way. Avery is a total victim in this secret, but senses there is an issue, acting out as teenagers can. While the premise is good, I found most of the characters annoying and the writing left me wanting more. While there were a few laugh out loud moments, this book delved into some deeper topics before being wrapped up in a neat bow. An enjoyable beach read, or lighter diversion read. I would give this author another try.

Thanks to Ms. Crandall, Montlake Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.… (mehr)