I truly disliked this book. None of the characters were good people and I hated how weak and extremely naive the main character was. I kept wondering what the story was. It just felt like I was reading an episode of some soap opera

I couldn’t finish this book. The main character was not likeable and her thought process was disconnected and annoying. I found the book (what I read anyway) very depressing and I couldn’t see much hope of it getting any better. I didn’t like anyone in the book. They were all twits!

Split Level is a trip back to the seventies, but a reminder that relationships are relationships no matter what the era. Alex, a Mom with two young children, lives in New Jersey with a husband who unhappily works for his father. Alex, who devotes her life to her children, is insecure about her relationship with her husband, Donny, feeling jealous when he looks at other women, when he doesn’t behave the way she feels a devoted a husband should behave, and when he’s not emotionally available the way she needs. After what could best be described as questionable incident with Donny and the babysitter late at night, they attend a couples counseling retreat.
I’m a stickler for not giving spoilers. The story took a direction I did not expect, and though there’s something of a sagging middle, Berger’s writing sharpens towards the end and she finishes with clear, straight forward prose which I found fully engaging, drawing to a smart conclusion.

Sande Boritz Berger , Author of "Split-Level" has written a unique, thought-provoking and entertaining novel. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction and Women's Fiction. The timeline for this story is in the 1970s after Nixon was President. The story takes place mostly in an affluent community in New Jersey. The author describes her dysfunctional cast of characters as complex and complicated.

This is a Novel that questions what marriage should be. Alex Pearl will soon be thirty, has two young children, is very artistic, and seems to have it all. She has a family, a beautiful house, yet there are certain questions that are bothering her. Somehow, she has doubts about her husband Donny. After a certain incident, Alex insists that she and Donny go to a Marriage Encounter of sorts. It appears that Donny is obsessed with the idea of more of an open marriage. Alex is conflicted what she wants.

I appreciate that the author discusses the concept of marriage, communication, honesty. family, friends, love, and hope. The author also mentions the use of alcohol and drugs, which seems to play a part in decision-making. When is it time to grow up and take responsibility? What happens if you try to change tradition? I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a though-provoking novel.

Realistic, Romantic, predictable, deep.

This was an enjoyable easy laid back summer read about a marriage taking wild chances but in the end they learn to love each other even more.

Many values are put to the test and explored, but I really enjoyed reading about the moralistic mind set of the 70's.

Great read, highly recommend it.

Split-Level by Sande Boritz Berger is the story of Alexandra “Alex” Pearl, a married woman with children in 1974. She lives in a lovely home in an upscale New Jersey suburb and seems to be content with her two daughters and her charming husband. Until one day, she receives a telephone call which will send her world crashing down. In order to save her marriage and avoid the dreaded “7-year itch”, Alex signs her and her husband, Donny for a marriage retreat, to rekindle their marriage. When another participant at the retreat gives Donny a book on wife swapping, it begins a slippery slope that they may not be able to stop. Donny believes it’s the key to their happiness. At first, Alex refuses but she quickly finds a new heightened desire beyond her husband. Will this new life be the answer to their problems? Or will Alex find herself in a mess that she cannot get out?
Split-Level is a book in which the book description doesn’t give an accurate depiction of the story. I expected an edgy, dramatic book about one woman’s discovery of herself and her desires. From the very beginning, Alex was boring, dull and so naïve that I resisted the urge to scream. As she recounts the beginnings of her relationship with Donny and leading up to their wedding, there were so many red flags that she ignored and continued to minimize as she deals with that phone call. The great part about the book was the author’s description of the 1970s atmosphere. However, the characters were either creepy or so bland you just didn’t care for him or her. There were no real emotions, no real conflict and even a real resolution. With a topic like wife swapping, which usually ends badly, the book fell flat. I do not recommend Split-Level.


Split-Level
is available in paperback and eBook

This story is about Donny and Alex Pearl who are married with two young daughters. Alex isn’t satisfied but not completely sure why. Donny is basically a brat that hates his job, is immature, and does questionable/skeezy things from time to time. After some time they meet a couple, Charlie and Paula Bell. They become friends, have their kids hang out together, and then one thing leads to another… But once those lines are crossed, all four of them, but especially Alex, find themselves struggling with right and wrong, as well as, what their true feelings are.

So, there were a few things I wasn’t crazy about in this novel and I will start with that because there was much more that I loved. First, Not many of the characters were very likable and/or relatable. Perhaps just because the story is told only from Alex’s point of view, but I don’t feel like I really knew them. Actually, the only two main characters I felt invested in at all were Alex and Charlie, but again, it could have been a POV issue. Secondly, with the exception of Charlie, I don’t feel as if I knew what any of the characters looked like. Maybe I missed descriptions in the beginning, but other than Paula being sort of mousy and Donny enjoying giving Alex wide-eyed and smirky looks, I couldn’t tell you what anyone looked like.

What I loved about this novel was the realism in Berger’s writing! Her writing and execution of this plot felt personal as if it were her own story. We all know that it’s all fun and games until real feelings get involved and I feel that she captured Alex’s ever-changing and evolving feelings perfectly. One minute, there was this new exciting/taboo part of their lives, then the next minute she was jealous, but then she would be enamored with Charlie all over again. None of it made sense. Moods and feelings seemed to change like the weather, but it seemed honest to me. Messy, emotional, exciting, horrible, etc., but honest.

Moreover, with regards to the realism in the novel, were Alex’s struggles with her marriage and young motherhood, completely separate from the open marriage issue. A child starts wetting the bed again, her husband hates his job, yet wants to succeed, Alex isn’t completely successful at her artistic endeavors but keeps trying, her best friend is somewhat of a mean-girl and judgemental of Alex and Donny, etc. Granted, these are timeless challenges that all of us girls have faced, but that’s what I loved! This author took a woman from a time period when I was born, and delivered her story in a way in which I could empathize with many of her struggles. It was difficult to relate to all of her approaches and handling things, but it still served as a reminder about the internal and external battles and dialogue that go on in our lives.

Split-Level’s ending is very ambiguous and I am not a fan of these endings because I need concrete information about what will happen next in character’s lives. But what I did know, and hope is somewhat on point, is that by the time the novel ends Alex has grown a spine, quit being whiny and unhappy, and has taken back control of her life. Open marriage, swinging, swapping, whatever you want to call it, obviously was not the best thing for Alex and Donny. The ending left me feeling sad because of a somewhat lack of closure and the uncertainty about the futures for the main characters. However, it also left me hopeful that Alex was on her way to finding happiness while learning for sure what would not result in a happy ending.

*Thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sorry, but I just couldn’t finish this book. I made it to the 50% mark, and then realized I was dreading having the continue.
I originally picked it up because I thought it would a sort of romance, where a neglectful husband is replaced with a “true love” but found it to be the opposite and “icky”.
I just didn’t like the heroine - Alex. She’s 29, married to a man-child and “trapped” in suburbia with two small children. Her “friends” and parents are self absorbed narcissists. She seems to blow along with whatever anyone else wants with no mind of her own.
Her husband has or is on the verge of having an affair and suggests that they try an “open marriage” , which evidently is what keeps a marriage going after seven years. Instead of telling him to get the F out of the house- she simpers. They meet another couple at a party hosted by her serial cheating friend. The wife appears shell shocked the whole time ( perhaps because she is forced to watch her hubby hit on everyone with a vagina), and the husband is creepily schmarmy, and yet Alex is oddly attracted to him.
Alex is whatever is the opposite of an empowered woman. The book may have gotten better, maybe she grows a spine, but watching a marriage self destruct, is not my idea of entertainment. Moving on.

Set in 70's suburbia, the author captures this time beautifully. The story features Alex as a stay at home wife who for some unknown reason goes along with her idiot husband's idea to explore open marriage. This was where I had some believability problems. Alex just floated along and went with it. I don't know that this would happen so effortlessly. The arrangement changes them, their marriage, their children. A slightly predictable outcome. The writing was good, as were all of the characters, and she has a great sense of humor.

Split-level had an excellent premise. I enjoyed the idea of a couple going through changes and the development the story could take. The problem I had was how long it took to get there, and just not enough clarity with the problems. It just went on and on with tedious details about daily life that did not want to make me continue. I gave up. And I never give up.

I liked the setting and the interesting seventies vibe. I was born too late for that era but I love everything a little bit vintage so that was fun.
But honestly, this book was strange. I finished it feeling like I hated the characters, which isn’t usually an issue for me - I don’t judge books on unlikeable characters. But to not care about anyone or anything left me quite uninvested in the whole book...

I was given the opportunity to review Split-Level by Sande Boritz Berger and found the description to be interesting as I was newly married in the early '70s. I did not live in a split-level house but I know the kind of house it is. It is the kind of house that Alex Pearl and her family live in in the New Jersey suburbs.

Alex feels that she is missing passion in her life and marriage, she is happily married though with two daughters and a charming husband. She receives a call from her babysitter's mom that Donny has taken her daughter on a midnight ride. Alex is upset by this even though Donny says he was teaching the girl how to drive. Not sure whether to believe him or not she insists that they go to Marriage Mountain, a couples healing sanctuary.

Donny at first is reluctant but once they started going but learns the 'manifesto' a spouse-swapping idea that at first Alex does not want to do but eventually capitulates and they meet a couple that they do the 'swap' with. As you can imagine, this is not always what it is cracked up to be. Problems emerge that can put their marriage at risk.

Like I said, I was newly married in the early '70s and among the free love and smoking pot, a lot of things happened that probably would not happen today. I am sure that there are still couples that 'swap' but you just don't hear about it. This book was not only about marriage but of a woman coming into her own, finding out what she wanted out of life and a dull marriage was not one of the things. She finally came to realize what she wanted and went after it.

At first, I thought I would be bored with the story but that was not the case. I totally enjoyed it. Something a bit different from what I typically read and I really liked it. The author's writing was easy to follow, writing about an open marriage I imagine can be challenging!

Split-Level follows the lives of a family that looks like it has everything on the surface, but when it comes down to happiness, there is much that is lacking. Alex and Donny throw themselves into the openness of the times and find a couple that is willing to do the same. What transpires isn't as surprising as one would think, given the nature of the characters involved.

Although this book is well written, you'll leave at the end of the novel feeling like you hate most of the characters, whether you are totally cool with the idea of these couples as swingers or whether you are appalled by that idea. It's not that the situation turns them into severely unlikeable characters, it is that the story make you see that however unlikeable they are at the end of the story, you can clearly see this is how they were even before the story begins. In terms of setting, this story fits right into the 1970s with the openness of the time as well as all of the depressing things (Nixon, gas prices) that come with it, seeming to fuel the already unquenchable fire in these characters.

Alex Pearl has it pretty good. She may be a bit bored but she's happy and doesn't want to rock the boat. In fact she wants to make the boat sturdier so she and her husband attend a weekend marriage retreat. Only her husband Donny finds a whole different idea of improving his marriage.

I guess he goes by the whole sharing is caring code. Even if it is a spouse.

I was very kindly provided an ARC of this one by Netgalley. It does not affect my opinion. This book came out in early June so I am getting a little better with my review timing here. :)

For the most part I enjoyed Split-Level. Alex is a relatable narrator and it's not a subject that ever bothered me. Yes I know people will point out the deficits- basically everyone is a whiny, bored, middle-class white person- but as Alex's story it worked for me.

I thought the author did a good job of finding that balance between someone who was torn between passion and normalcy. Between her all-consuming love for her daughters and her still-consuming desire to live her own life to the fullest and find that perfect mix to make both those things possible.

The problem for me was the ending felt too drug out. Alex's decisions changed all the time. Donny (her husband) and her in-laws became a little too much to deal with and the affair felt as though it wasn't even that realistic any longer. And I think the resolution suffered a bit from trying to have it both ways.

So Split-Level was mostly good and a little messy... You could probably make larger point about that and marriages period. It's a good character study though even if you occasionally want to roll your eyes at or punch the characters.

Recommend: Yes. If you are looking for something more character based. But also keep in mind the subject matter if that's going to bother you.

Set in the 1970's world of pot roasts,tupperware and avocado kitchen appliances.
Can a New Jersey couple make an open marriage work?
Published May 7th 2019 by She Writes Press.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

On the surface, Alex Pearl has a pretty good life, with all the accessories a proper 1970s wife requires. She has two lovely daughters, a beautiful home with shag carpeting, and a husband who works in the family business. She is close with her in-laws, but her parents retired to Florida soon after her marriage to Donny. Alex, an artist, designs and paints children’s’ T-shirts to make some extra money of her own. Insecure in her marriage, Alex signs them up for Marriage Mountain, a retreat designed to strengthen their marriage, though an introduction to friends of friends sends Alex and Donny on a journey neither of them could have imagined.

Being a child of the 1970s, I got the pop culture references, the fashion sense, and the lack of options for women that the author described. Alex seemed to me to be a fairly typical young woman, raised to defer to the man in her life, whether father or husband, and never to voice an unpopular opinion. Her embarrassment at Donny’s behaviors, her worry about her daughters, and her habit of following the crowd makes her a prime candidate for the events described in the book. Though I found this to be a fast read, I never felt fully invested in the characters. I found it to be a bit superficial, skimming over the top of the drama rather than digging deeply into it.

More '70s drama! I guess a lot of authors who grew up in or near this time are writing books because I think I've accidentally read more books based in that decade in the past 6 months than I have in the last decade. This one was very well written. My husband was born in 1972 in nearby Staten Island so I felt like I was getting a peek into the suburban life of his childhood. The book was pretty serious but had some light hearted moments that I appreciated. .

As a child of the 70's, I wanted to read Split-Level. What happens when a married couple decide to have an "open" marriage and become swingers? Will it survive. Back in the 70's things were a bit different.. but still in today's world. About the same.

Alex, tells us her story in the first person. The writing was great, I really enjoyed this book, my first time reading from this Author.

It will bring you back to that ERA, and always the spouse wants to sway away from his marriage or try something, so in order to please her spouse Donny, changes start happening. Is it for the good or the bad?

Great read. Enjoy it!

I received a free copy from NetGalley for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this flash back to the 70's. Remember things like wall phones, and console TVs, and pot-smoking/music listening neighborhood parties, and uhhhh wife-swapping? Okay, so maybe I don't remember the wife-swapping part so much. This was, however, a very engaging read. It's the story of Alex, who is kind of the perfect 70's mom. 2 awesome well-adjusted kids, lovely home, seemingly perfect marriage. Just a little something is missing. A bit of restlessness. Then she finds out her husband may have done something just slightly inappropriate with the baby-sitter (at least slightly inappropriate based on the time - nowadays no one would have even batted an eye). She decides their marriage needs a bit of a refresh, and she and her husband go to a Marriage Encounter type weekend. Unfortunately, her husband befriends someone at the Marriage Retreat that points him in the direction of the joys of swapping couples. Back in their daily life, still unbeknownst to her, Alex's husband to steer them toward a couple swapping situation. That's when things really start to become blurred and take a bad turn for all parties involved. It's a great, eye-opening look at something that was so popular back then, and all the unintended problems and consequences. This is truly Alex's story and how she learns and grows and comes into her own - and I loved it.

I was excited to read Split-Level by Sande Boritz Berger. I was 12 in 1970 and had a friend whose parents were in an "open marriage" . While fascinating to me, I saw the resultant damage it did to their family and children in the long run and how complicated marriage, family and relationships truly are. I thought Berger did a good job describing the temptations and complexity of marriage. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy.