Kerry ReichsRezensionen

This is the story of Maeve, an flaky and impulsive young woman who decides to take a trip across the USA, stopping off at places with the most bizarre names. Her only redeeming feature appears to be the affection she has for Oliver, her white cockatiel.

When her car breaks down in a small town called Unknown, Maeve is forced to stay for some weeks. She makes friends, and discovers that she can't keep running away from some painful episodes in her past.

It could have been a big cliche, but somehow it worked. The book was well-written, with a light style that made some thought-provoking revelations and flashbacks all the more believable.

I started out by wondering if I'd have any sympathy for Maeve, but as the book progressed I liked her more and more.

Recommended.

The women in this book didn't really do anything for me. I couldn't seem to connect with any of them, no matter how hard I tried. It was a decently written book, but this is the first of her books I've read, and I doubt I'll read any more, unless the description just really blows me away.

I didnt expect to really like this book so I put off reading it for quite some time. Once I started it, however, I found it to be engaging and well-written. The way the stories of the main characters are woven together was done in a way where you cared about each of them and could see what motivated them. I thought the book was fairly realistic and worth reading.

Early Reviewers copy.

What happens when the urge to have a baby doesn't line up nicely with being in the right place in life to become pregnant or with a person's fertility or so many of the other reasons that might keep a person from having a baby? And what about a person who truly doesn't want to have a child? There's much written about the insistant tick-tock of the biological clock but what happens when people cannot or choose not to heed that pull? Kerry Reichs' newest novel What You Wish For takes three women and one man who are all at a crossroads in their lives with regards to having children and follows them down the path of their deepest desire.

Dimple is an actress who is weighing her options. She's getting older and knows her time to have a baby is running out. What she doesn't know is whether or not her career is more important to her than her deferred dream of being a mother. Eva is single and a very successful LA agent who knows that she never wants to have children. She feels that she and her siblings turned her mother from an exciting and carefree woman into a depressed and wrung-out, colorless soul. But whenever she meets men, they assume that she will eventually change her mind about children. Maryn beat breast cancer but lost her fertility in the battle. That she and her husband frozen some viable embryos before her treatments should mean that she has a chance at motherhood except for the fact that she and Andy are no longer married and he is unwilling to let her use the embryos. And Wyatt, the high school principal wants a baby so badly he's willing to pay a surrogate since there's no one else on his romantic horizon. He'll have to face prejudice and suspicion about his desire simply because he's an unattached straight man.

Set in the high stakes world of tv, movies, politics, and Hollywood, the novel is narrated in third person focused on each member of the ensemble cast in short, staccato chapters. Initially, the characters are completely unconnected, linked only by their desires regarding babies but eventually all of the various story lines do converge. Maryn waffles on whether or not she should go ahead and have a baby but when she meets a hot shot director who may or may not want her to star in his latest movie, she puts her desire on the back burner, especially once they pair up as more than simply director and actress. Eva's nasty bubble-headed client Daisy is the other actress up for the role and her job depends on Daisy getting the job so she starts keeping close tabs on the competition, namely Dimple. Meanwhile Maryn, whose company transports horses across the country for very wealthy clients, is locked in a legal battle with her ex, Andy, over the frozen embryos. His new wife, the very ambitious Summer, pushes him to run for elected office, at which point the fate of the embryos becomes a political hot button and rising scandal. Wyatt, Eva's cousin and who has been disappointed at almost every turn in his quest for a child, meets Maryn and helps her when one of the horses she's transported has an emergency and the two of them end up becoming friends.

The drama of relationships, careers, and the pressure of wanting or not wanting a baby is at the forefront of each of the characters' stories. Although this sounds like chick lit about having babies, it is much more serious than that would imply, taking on moral and political implications, the ethics of medical intervention, and the choice of whether or not to ever bear children. The ways in which each character's life plays out, against the backdrop of Hollywood and the unreality of LA, are unusual but realistic. The novel is packed with wanting and feeling and deep emotion. Reichs has done a good job of explaining each characters' motivation and not tarring anyone as completely good or bad, even when their decisions hurt others around them. She's captured the complexity of longing and the hesitation to be found even in certainty. The struggle between reality and what you wish for weaves through all of the characters' lives, even after they've individually settled on their course, deciding what their families might look like in the future. Initially the short chapters made the book hard to follow, especially as the characters' connections to each other were not yet explained but eventually they worked in its favor, moving each story ahead quickly and decisively. And in the end, the various plot lines are all resolved, some better than expected, some worse, as is the way of the real world.½

After years of on-and-off baby hopes and considering all the options, I thought this book would strike a chord with me when I requested it through Early Reviewers. Maybe it was just too personal of a thing for me, but the fictional account of these people and their quests for a child somehow didn't touch me at all. The characters seemed shallow and one-dimensional; I didn't like a single one of them. I read about half the book and had to give up on it.

I remember the day it hit me that I was in my mid-30's and unmarried with no children on the horizon. It was a blow to me, I'm not going to lie. I'd grown up the eldest of nine and, even as a child, fully expected to be married by 21 and a mother by 22. I envisioned a house filled with childish laughter and a white picket fence out front. Now, at 35, I'm wiser and older (although the two did not happen concurrently) and have accepted the very real likelihood that motherhood is not in the works for me, just as I accepted that marriage was not for me about four years ago.

That's a very personal thing to put out there for a review, I admit. But that's how this book affected me. What You Wish For is a novel about unconventional parents. It's about adoption, IVF, natural pregnancy, birth, death, and life. It's real, honest, and it does not pull any punches. Kerry Reichs lays the facts out with brutal honesty and follows the natural path when it comes to the story of Maryn, Eva, Julian, Wyatt, and Dimple - even if that brings harm or an "unhappy ending."

Honestly, I loved and hated this book. I loved it for being so engrossing - I didn't want to put it down. I hated it for being so real. I hated seeing the facts about being a 35 year old woman put down on the page, and knowing that - if I decide to go the same route as Dimple - I may be facing some of the same difficulties. I hated reading about how difficult it is for a single man to adopt, or seeing what happens when zealots get their hands on information for political gains. What You Wish For is more than a feel-good novel, it's a contemporary study on what life is like now, what it is like to try to be a parent in a world that says that the "normal" parents are one man and one woman.

This is an important story and Kerry Reichs does a great job of pushing past the limits to deliver it.½

I adored Kerry Reichs' previous book - Leaving Unknown. (review here) So, I was eager to dive into her latest release - What You Wish For.

We are rapidly introduced to the characters who populate Reichs' tale - and they all have one thing in common. Children. The desire to have them or in some cases - to not have them.

Dimple was first up. She's a moderately successful actress, closing in on the the end of her ticking biological clock. Can the role of a lifetime beat out her desire to have a child? I did find her opening chapter a bit frenetic and didn't really warm up to this character until midway through the book.

Eva has no desire to have children. Will this end her relationship with the man she loves? Or will she change her mind?

Maryn has battled breast cancer and won. Before her treatment, she froze eggs with her then husband. They've since divorced and she needs his approval to use the eggs. But his new wife says no. Will he change his mind?

And my favourite character - Wyatt. He's the principal of a high school, single and straight and he wants to have a child of his own. He's headed down the surrogacy route. Wyatt was just so warm, caring and innocent. But at the same time he's wise to the ways of his high schoolers. These were some of my favourite chapters.

And these four main characters' lives all intersect in the most interesting fashion....

Loved it! Once I had the characters and their lives straight in my head, What You Wish For was an easy, breezy read. Reichs is a clever writer. The amount of puns she worked in between two characters was truly funny. (and some of them were emminently groan worthy!) The banter is light, some situations are quite comical, but there is a depth to What You Wish For that transcends everyday chick lit. Reichs explores the desire to have children from four very different viewpoints with candor and thoughtfulness, allowing the reader to share in each character's decision making - and think about what really consitutes a family.

Reichs utilizes Hollywood as a backdrop for her novel. Her sly skewering of televison dramas and starlets made me laugh out loud.

Fair warning - have the tissue box close by for the ending. My husband looked at me and asked - are you really crying over a book? Umm - yeah, I got that caught up in the story. Thanks Kerry for yet another great read. Pop this one in the beach bag this summer - you won't regret it.

Take the lives of four unique individuals at different stages in their lives and see where life takes them is what you will find in the latest novel from Kerry Reichs. The common thread running through them is often times family, marriage and wanting a child.

Agnis Dyemma Bauskenieks will never be known by that name expect by the parents who decided it would be fun to name her after her grandmother while trying to repair their own fractured relationship with her mom. She instead goes by the name Dimple Bledsoe, who vows never to become fifty years old. One can not be fifty as an actress in Hollywood if she wants to continue to work. So her only other outlet is her agent, Freya Fosse, who she confides in about all her latest break ups while searching for her next job.

Wyatt is forty-eight, a busy teacher who insists on making sure that he will leave this planet a much greener one, taking his bike to work while sorting through his own issues. Losing both of his parents within six months of each other, and is now working through starting his own family with Ilana. He is loving living in Los Angeles where the average temperature never wavers much from 70 and never has a fall.

Maryn finds herself alone during this stage in her life, and gets upset when people take their own lives too casually. Dealing with the aftermath of a divorce to her ex husband Andy, and his current wife Summer who insists on trying to get him to go by Andrew because it's less childish. Maryn is dealing with age and not being young anymore, dealing with wrinkles, a belly and the transformation of her hands into her mothers hands. She knows she can't compete with the younger women and tries to age gracefully, even purchasing a wafer thin bottle of face lotion for $98 and has successfully waged a war against breast cancer. It's dealing with happiness that makes her rage bubble over now and now dealing with infertility that cancer had robbed her of. She and Andy had undergone the procedure prior to her cancer treatment to freeze fertilized eggs, and the only thing holding her up is Andy's consent.

Andy Knox is not sure he wants to sign the consent forms for Maryn to use the fertilized eggs for her to have a baby. Now that he is working on a new marriage with Summer, this kinda complicates things. He can't exactly allow Maryn to have his child now that they are no longer married. They only have seven eggs to use to help Maryn have a child of her own, she has no other choice to become a mom. But with it comes a responsibility that Andy would have a child out there, he'd become a father and he wasn't sure he could do this.

These are the characters the reader will encounter in the novel, What You Wish For by Kerry Reichs, as the chapters alternate with what is happening in the lives of each of them as they move forward. I think this makes for an interesting read but it can be confusing keeping track of who goes with whom and how their own personal stories are being told. In fact, this is almost like getting four books in one! I love how Kerry spent the time crafting each one and where their stories go, you'll have to check this one out for yourself.

I received What You Wish For compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publisher for my honest review. Keeping a note card inside this book enabled me to remember what characters were dealing with what issues until I felt comfortable I no longer needed it to move forward through the book. I would rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars due to some language and subject matter that might bother some readers. Overall I think the novel was well thought out and the author really spent time creating believable characters we can all relate to.

A story of many lives intertwined all for one main goal: a baby. I enjoyed this book and it was a quick read. My main gripe was that I frequently got some of the female characters confused (Eva & the two actreses) along with their storylines. It was interesting to see how each characters paths somehow crossed with one another- some a bit far fetched but none the less, still a quick breezy read.

Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/what-you-wish-for.html

What You Wish For is the quest for parenthood - the desire to have children, the desire to not have children, and the lengths to which people will go to to get what they wish for. The book follows a set of characters on their journey.

Dimple is the single successful actress contemplating her biological clock. Maryn is the divorced childless woman looking to get her husband's permission to use embryos frozen while they were married. Eva is the Hollywood agent who is steadfast in her voice that she does not want children. Wyatt is the single gentleman looking to adopt a child. Their stories overlap and interconnect in unexpected ways.

Surrounding these individual stories is a story of Hollywood and the movie business. Deals made and broken. Actresses hired and fired. Individuals on the brink of fame. Politics and all the drama that entails.

The story weaves back and forth between the characters with each chapter focusing on one character. All the stories do come together. However, sometimes it was necessary to flip back and forth to remind myself where the story was going. Also, the setting of the story competes with the story itself. The Hollywood drama sometimes muddles the individual stories of parenthood. So, a good premise for a story that got a little lost.

*** Reviewed for LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program ***

First of all, let me begin by stating that I did enjoy this book. It was an easy read and I did enjoy the story line and how things tied together at the end. Also, going through infertility treatment, I had a lot of the same emotions at different periods of my life; and those emotions were portrayed throughout the book by all the main characters. But. . . there were times when the book was hard to follow – either with who was talking or how much time had elapsed, even between paragraphs.½

I thought this was a great book that discussed some pretty serious and possibly controversial topics. I liked how all the characters were somehow entwined and it was a good reminder about what a small world we really live in. I like the tag line “All they ever wanted is nothing they ever expected” and thought over and over in this book how exactly true it was. Even though the characters were different than normal everyday people (movie star, director, political wannabe, agent, horse transporter, principal), they had all the same worries and hopes, dreams, fears, etc., than all of us.

At first I was worried about all the characters and keeping them straight, but it was fluidly written and not confusing.

Side note: I thought it was funny - that Dimple’s story was told in first person, while all the others weren’t and it left me wondering why the author did that. Also, this was a fast read - I really enjoyed it and wanted it to continue. Always a good sign. :)

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I read Kerry Reichs' The Best Day of Someone Else's Life a couple of years ago and I thought it was just OK. I don't think I would have sought out any of her other books, but I am so glad this book came to me via the Early Reviewer program, because it is a much more mature and thoughtful work. The story lines are unique and the way then interweave is interesting rather than forced. It brings to light a 360 degree view of modern baby-making that I don't think has been captured in the same way before.

My only minor complaint is with the chapter titles and the book cover which are too cutesy for this book. I feel like they dumb it down to be sure to place it squarely in the chick lit category. I don't think that is necessary.

In any case, I really look forward to more by Kerry Reichs.

I started reading this just a few pages at a time---enough so that I confused myself with the characters. And then suddenly I was pulled right into the story. Describing lots of different sides of the world of "baby production" was handled with not only very current information but was also presented in believable ways with the different stories and relationships of the women and men involved.½

When I get up extra early and even then am almost late to work because I can't put my book down, I know it is a good book. I was excited to get What You Wish For by Kerry Reichs in the LibraryThing Early Reviewers lottery. Since I am debating some of the issues in the book, I found that I really identified with the characters. I am glad Reichs chose this topic to write about as I feel many adults are stuggling with the same problems as the characters in the book. I found the endings to the different stories to be surprising, but not exactly what I was hoping for. I didn't feel the Reichs tied up everything too perfectly like many authors do - thus making other stories unbelieveable. If there was one teeny thing I would critique, I would have changed the location from L.A. to a place that more people might identify with. I really loved this book and would recommend it wholeheartedly.

I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. This book tells the stories of various people whose lives intertwine in a number of ways and who are all affected in one way or another by the choice whether or not to have children. Some of the stories are tragic while others are triumphant, but all have a different take on what it means to want a family.

I found this book to be very readable, and though parts were somewhat predictable, I don't think it detracted from the over all story. I read this book in a matter of days, and when I wasn't reading it, I found myself thinking about the characters from time to time...which in my mind is what makes a book interesting. I think this book will be a great summer read, although the stories might stick with you for a little while after you finish the book.

Kevin “Vi” Connelly has dreamed of her perfect wedding since she was six years old. Ever since she was a flower girl at her aunt’s wedding, she has embraced the belief that your wedding is the best day of your life. Now Vi is an adult living in D.C., trying to figure out her career path and living for her Sunday get-togethers with her posse of friends. but she still clings to the dream. Then three friends from Vi’s hometown ask her to be their maid of honor, and shortly after those weddings, Vi is invited to about 12 more! The more Vi is exposed to demanding brides, ridiculous themes, and the punitive cost of attending all these weddings, the more she loses her faith in marriage. But will her newfound cynicism cause her to miss out on true love?

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I was looking for a fluffy chick-lit read with some romance in it, but the book doesn’t quite deliver that vision. I could sum up the plot of this book in one sentence: Vi goes to a lot of weddings. Seriously – in terms of events, that’s pretty much all that happens. While the various bizarre stories certainly provided some humorous moments, the sheer number of weddings was overkill. The romance isn’t particularly well developed, either; Vi meets her man at a wedding (of course) about halfway through the novel, he is super hot and amazing and perfect, and he pursues her until she caves in. It’s the same exact story I’ve read a hundred times before, and there was no unique spin to make it interesting. I also thought there were way too many characters, between Vi’s friends and all the brides and grooms, which made it hard to care very much about anybody. The more I think about this book, the more it frustrates me! I would definitely not recommend it, even to chick-lit fans.

I really enjoyed this, some great touches of humour and a little less light than I expected. Reichs has created some interesting characters, the inhabitants of Unknown are a little eccentric, Oliver has a personality all his own and Maeve grows on you and her motivations become more understandable when her secret is revealed. Not your average chic lit - well written, entertaining, and thoughtful.

I found the beginning of this book not very interesting but by the time she got to Unknown (town) I thought it picked up. While one could figure out the ending there were some surprises along the way.

Maeve travels across the country and finds home in a quirky small town called Unknown. A fun read, with an unexpected twist in the middle.

I could tell Leaving Unknown was going to be a fun and quirky book but I wasn't prepared for how spot-on it would be. Maeve is the type of person you just want to be around because she's fun, spunky and different! But what we (or at least I) didn't realize at first was that she was hiding something, something that had a big impact on her life but doesn't share with others. Other reviews talk about what it is she's hiding but I really liked reading it in the book and discovering it for myself, the hints all adding up!

I loved the little quirks about this book. Maeve's cockatiel Oliver, which had some hilarious phrases he shot out at the most horrible times and a set of little sculptures Maeve's mother made for her when she leaves on her journey. And just the way Maeve interacts with the other characters made her so endearing, she was such a caring person that tries her best but sometimes falls a little short, but definitely not for a lack of trying.

The secondary characters were fabulous, especially bookstore owner Noah, doctor Samuel and co-worker and friend Tuesday. The author cultivates this community not unlike one of my other favorites, Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.

Every page was a pleasure to read, I laughed (a lot), worried for Maeve and wanted her to find her place in this world. I was very pleased to find out the author's first book, The Best Day of Someone Else's Life following Maeve's sister Vi, it's sure to be just as good!

You know me - covers first. Loved this one! What is she running from or to on that long road?

Leaving Unknown had me laughing in the first few pages. From the protagonist, Maeve Connelly...

"I've always been restless. I can't seem to settle on anything. I had no idea what I want to do and a lot of time on my hands. That's when the trouble began. That's when I discovered facebook.com."

Maeve reconnects with an old friend out in California. She also discovers the Facebook app 'Cities I've Visited'. (it's real) She's always had a fascination with place names. (I must admit to sharing this appeal) Impulsively and with nothing to hold her in Charlotte NC, she decides to drive to California, taking the scenic route and stopping in as many oddly named places as she can. (Climax, Toast and Whynot NC, Ninety Six, SC and many more - all real. (Satan's Kingdom in Vermont seems a little worrisome)

Maeve packs her cockatiel Oliver and herself into her battered car Elsie and strikes out. They do pretty well until Elsie breaks down outside of Unknown, Arizona. Maeve is forced to wait in town while parts are ordered. She also needs to find a way to pay for those parts. And it is here that the story really begins.

The town of Unknown and its denizens come to life under Reich's pen. Unknown is full of eclectic characters and settings. The residents are warm, caring and funny. I connected with every one of them. The town is a world unto itself. I was totally enamoured of the bookstore that Maeve finds work in. Unknown is a place I could call home.

The longer Maeve waits for the parts, the happier she becomes. She's found work, friends, a purpose and maybe...love? Maeve discovers that sometimes the road less travelled leads you right where you need to be.

I thought the book was an excellent chick lit read, but Reichs surprised me midway through the novel with a character's revelation about their past. I didn't see it coming at all. This added another layer to an already wonderful book.

Kerry Reich's writing style is warm, witty and effortless. The story and the characters will stay with you after you turn the last page, wondering what's going on in Unknown...

Excellent book, with zany characters, unexpected depths, and a storyline that makes it hard to put down. I immediately reserved her other book at our local library, after reading this one.

This is great chick lit: funny, romantic, great love interest.

I used to watch Friends on TV. That was back when we lived in England. The networks showed it late at night when my kids were safe in bed. Then we moved to the States and it was shown at 6pm. No way could we persuade the kids to do homework while Mum and Dad sat on the sofa in front of the box, so no more Friends. And we never saw a single Friends wedding.
Anyway, if you liked Friends, you’ll probably like Kerry Reich’s book, The Best Day of Someone Else’s Life, coming out in May 2008. It’s filled with characters and relationships that reminded me of the TV series, as twenty-somethings sit drinking wine, teasing the wine-waiter, and sharing the ups and downs of their big-city lives. The action moves between Washington DC and North Carolina, where the protagonist grew up, and where the first weddings take place. “Eleven weddings in eighteen months,” it says on the back cover, though I thought I counted more…
The protagonist, Vi, uses mixed-up movie titles to label her life, and I’m pretty sure Four Weddings and a Funeral came in there somewhere. It’s one of my favorite movies, and one I thought of often as I read. I even found myself wondering what a movie of The Best Day… would be like, and though I’m hopeless at identifying movie stars, I certainly had some very clear pictures in mind of how the characters would look and sound.
Kerry does a really good job with dialog. Movie names that I didn’t recognize, store names that may or may not have been real, different types of wine, and a pretty large cast of characters – everything seemed very clear just from the speakers’ tone of voice. The transitions from big city to small town pulled me along beautifully, despite my limited knowledge of American life. And I loved the chance to see behind the scenes of “the America Wedding.” (I must admit, I’m very glad I only have sons.)
At 431 pages, Vi’s story, from excited six-year-old in the first chapter to genuine, well-rounded adult in the conclusion, is quite a long read. However, it’s perfectly designed for someone who isn’t aiming to finish a whole story in one sitting. The book rewards being set down between chapters, with characters that stay with the reader as if you’ve really met them, and with deft reintroductions of ideas that help you remember what’s going on. It’s the sort of book that you don’t need to flip back through, to see who was whose friend, or why Vi’s upset with her mother; an easy, relaxing read, but not a trivial one. In the end, besides being entertaining, the book really does make you think about what weddings and marriage might mean.