I struggled getting into this book. I felt myself skipping past parts in hopes that it would catch my attention. Sad to say it didn’t. I am however not opposed to reading more by this author so thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

I had a really hard time getting into this book, it was all over the place. I ended up confused and lost and just started skimming at one point. I love a good snarky or whitty come back or comment but I couldn’t follow anything that was going on in this story. I couldn’t relate to the characters and there was nothing that made me want to even find anything to like about them.

Agnus has the perfect life. Her husband is a successful producer. She’s launching her own career as a writer. Then things start unraveling. It starts with a trickle that turns into a downpour. Her husband doesn’t show up at her book launch party. If that isn’t enough, she comes home to find that she’s been locked out of and barred from her home. From there, things just get more and more overwhelming.

I found this book absolutely hilarious! For those who are expecting something more serious, this book won’t be for them. It’s full of satire. I feel like it’s meant to be a parody of sorts. I found the book very fast-paced, but easy to get into and understand. I had many “wow” moments. I knew when I saw the cover and title that I’d love it. It wasn’t what I expected, but it’s still worth a read. For those who love books with a lot of comic relief, this book is definitely worth it!

I’m going to start with the obvious here. Agnus. She’s just amazingly quirky. She has this ability to let almost anything slide off her. She just keeps going. That is until you try to come between her and her daughter. Then, it’s on. Her sister Finn was pretty hilarious as well! I have to say she and the daughter were my favorite two characters in the entire book. I was sad I didn’t get to see more of the daughter and the husband. All of the characters in this book were AMAZING.

This book was narrated by Amy McFadden. One of my all-time favorite narrators of all time! She’s amazing! Once I found out she narrated it, I knew it would be worth listening to! So I jumped at the opportunity to get it on audio. Not that actually reading it isn’t worth it. It’s just that when you love a narrator, you want to hear them read it!

While this may not be a serious book, it’s definitely worth the read. It’s full of drama and chaos. It’s also full of all kinds of references to pop culture. Some of which are taken way out of context. Which makes it even more hilarious. I enjoyed this book more than I can even explain!

This book is a case of bad beginning, okay middle, and bad ending. I was about ready to stop reading after two chapters, but I pushed on and the book started to pick up. Then as I neared the end of the book I found myself speed reading just to hurry and get it over with. I liked the snarkiness and dry wit of the main character Agnes, but that was about all there was to like about her. I also enjoyed her sister, Fin, but those two characters were the only likable ones in the whole book. And there were a lot of characters. Too many. And speaking of too many, the cringy moments of this book really mucked up the storyline. The plot had potential, hence the reason I kept reading, but the author missed so many opportunities and left out way too many details that could have made this book so much better. Would it work if you wanted something mindless to read by the pool or on the beach? Absolutely. But I don't think I could recommend this book and still have people trust my bookish opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I just couldn’t get into this. I felt like writing was all over the place. I hated the characters. This was not for me at all.

I probably would have given this fun novel 5 ⭐️ If the ending was better. I did enjoy this book immensely though.

I’ve read several book by this author, and “Starterwife” is one of my favourite books of all time.
I enjoyed reading “Been There, Married That”, but it wasn’t quite as good as “Starterwife”.
The plot is a little crazy, but so are the author’s other books. They aren’t stories straight out of real life, and I like that.
Read this book if you are looking for a fun escape from your real life for a few hours. Grab a cup of tea, or a glass of wine, and enjoy some over-the-top characters and out-there storylines. I enjoyed it, and found it time well spent. And I think you will too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book to review with my honest opinion.

The beganning was hard to get through with all the sarcasm, ect. However, I didn't stop and enjoyed the ending. I also, liked Fin and some other characters.

I haven't completely finished this book but a lot of that has to do with the writing style and tone of the book. I was getting a vibe that it was all like a 'run on sentence.' I read books as if I was the character and I felt with this book, she was just talking and talking and talking and kept jumping from story to story. I never felt like there was a complete finish/thought with what was going on in that moment. Once second we are talking about the mistress wearing her dress and then next we are talking about her discussing blueprints to the house. It seemed very chaotic and messy which is why it is taking me awhile to read.

The story overall seems great and interesting but just hearing it all said aloud in my head is making me cringe.

Been There, Married That is a wild ride. The pacing is frantic. It reads like you are grabbing pages out of a whirlwind. Yet, I didn’t want to put it down. There’s something about getting the inside dirt on the Hollywood chosen that appeals to people.

I felt like the story could have been told a little better. However, for a quick, mindless read, it serves its purpose well.

There is a bit of Hollywood tell-all, name-dropping, wifely-revenge, and fun characters. It was an enjoyable story and I would recommend it. I felt I had to remove 1 Star for the frenetic pace.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

I selected this book because I’ve enjoyed other Gigi Levangie books. But this one was disappointing. Even though I’ve gone through a divorce myself, I just didn’t find this one funny or original. All the characters seemed like clichés, and the plot was pretty predictable. I know the author has gone through her own divorce from a Hollywood mogul, so I am not sure how much was based on her own experience. Some might enjoy the escapist, madcap farcical style. But this just didn’t work for me.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read of Gigi Levangie. This book intrigued me because it stated it would be a hilarious Hollywood Glitz. Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. The writing style didn't do it for me. I didn't find it humorous. In the future, I may pick up some of her other works. Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for the eARC.

A totally fun book! Thank you to the publisher for granting me an advanced copy! I think this is a great vacation read! If you're looking for a book to take to the beach on spring break, toss it in your beach bag!

I thought this would be a good book based on the cover and the description, but I was disappointed. There wasn't much of a plot and the characters were uninteresting and shallow.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh thank God I finished it! Okay...if I had to judge this book by the first third if it, like the entire time I wanted to DNF it, it would have been a 1 star. The second third, I also didn't enjoy, but it had more substance than before. The last third I actually could stand, maybe almost liked, but not enough to make up for the rest of the book.

My breakdown...

1/3 This is a reading version to my most hated shows on tv, The Real Housewives of Anywhere Rich & Overly Privileged.

2/3 This chick is completely clueless. Even the Barbies that get into these loveless marriages go in with lawyers and some sense of self preservation.

3/3 Pure luck...lucky your sister loves you, lucky your ex had a mental breakdown, lucky your for your Dad.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the free copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book was a funny, and good read. When I first started the book, I was confused as to what was going on. Once you get through the halfway point, it starts to make more sense.

Agnes is the perfect Hollywood wife, that is until she comes home one day to find out she’s been locked out. Her Husband Trevor, a big shot producer, wants a divorce. Agnes’ husbands priority is to make sure that Agnes loses the divorce. But Agnes isn’t about to let that happen.

The second half the book follows Agnes and Trevor as they go through court for their divorce. The court scenes are hilarious, as Agnes says everything she’s not supposed to.

Overall, I thought this was a good book. It did take me awhile to get through it though. The beginning jumps around a lot and doesn’t make a lot of sense. But, it gets better as it goes on. This would make a good beach read!

I had a very hard time following the writing of this book. It seemed to be a little all over the place, and with unlikeable and unrelatable characters, I gave up trying to care about what was going on. This one was not for me, but I appreciate the publisher giving me a copy to review.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

2.5 Hearts This was a close DNF for me but decided I would skim the rest of it. I think the author was too set on throwing in snark that she forgot there should have been a story involved.

I have never read this author but the title caught my attention. And then the description seemed good so I requested it. I really just didn’t enjoy it.

The husband is such an asshat that I just wanted to stop reading anything about him. There was NOTHING good about this man. And why Agnes listens to anything he says is beyond me. I mean he sends her to rehab for almonds and she goes? I can’t even begin to tell you the words that would have come out of my mouth and the last one would have been divorce…. And been happy about it.

I just couldn’t stand these characters and like I said the writing was going more for snark than humor if you ask me.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating:

3.5

Favorite Quotes:

So hard to make cogent arguments against a smart tween while driving in LA; I needed to concentrate on swearing and shaking my fist at all the illegal left turns.

We all knew, deep inside, our kids were probably growing up to be entitled, overeducated blobs. We were raising hothouse flowers, unequipped to climb a fence or fry an egg or spend five minutes bored… “When the revolution comes,” I said, “our kids will be food.”

Lip filler lemmings… I’d tell them to jump off a cliff into the Pacific, but we all know silicone floats.

“No one’s reading like they used to. Have you ever considered hosting a YouTube channel?” “Yes! A lifestyle channel,” I said. “‘ Agnes’s Spectacular Guide to Failing.’ I’ll invite people who’ve failed miserably— our advertisers will be firearms, funeral homes, and pharmaceuticals.”

“Who’s opposing counsel?” she asked. “Ulger Blecks.” She whistled. “Why is it everyone whistles when they hear his name? Is he a dog?” “A pit bull that frightens rabies.”

“Let me tell you something, dearie,” Dad said and lowered his voice, which was how I knew he was heated. “The world was a better place when we settled matters with fists rather than lawyers.” I opened my mouth to object and found that I couldn’t argue with him. I would’ve loved to have popped Ulger in the mouth, but I feared he would eat it.


My Review:

This amusing tale was shot through with clever wit and razor-sharp snark while cast with mainly vapid, vile, exasperating, entitled, arrogant, shallow, and obliviously bone-headed characters who were of the type of ilk that I would never willingly share air. The storylines had me rife with consternation and I was often simultaneously amused and intensely annoyed by the characters’ behaviors and poor choices. I will admit to being unfamiliar with many of the pop-culture references lavishly sprinkled throughout, so a considerable amount of the author’s cleverness flew right over my tiny pea-brained inhabited cranium and left me feeling more than a bit cretinous and imbecilic. The premise had such promise and the story threads had good bones with glimpses of cunning perceptiveness and sharp-edged humor that kept me reading to the end, but all in all, the odd pacing and unlikable characters consistently whittled at my enjoyment and rating.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Been There, Married That
By: Gigi Levangie

*REVIEW* ☆☆☆☆
Named "One of PopSugar's "22 of the Best Books Winter Has to Offer,"" Been There, Married That seems to be polarizing. Let's begin by defining the word satire according to the Oxford Dictionary:

"the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues"

To place this definition within context, Been There, Married That is a satire, and it fits this definition perfectly. Numerous reviews dislike the book because it's disjointed, confusing, ridiculous, off putting, weird, etc. I don't disagree with all of this. The story is disjointed and a bit hard to follow. Agnes, Trevor, the lawyers, friends and family are indeed ridiculous, lavish and over the top about everything. The entire story is exaggerated, but it becomes more coherent in the latter half. The characters are quite stupid and not relatable at all. Their posh lifestyle is offensive and disgusting to all of us normal people. Despite all of these issues, I like this story. I appreciate the satirical current running through it from beginning to end. Is it all over the place and crazy? Yes, because it's supposed to be this way. The author cleverly uses humor with modern day one liners, zings and cultural references that make no sense because in actuality, that is exactly how stupid and pathetic pop culture has become. The use of exaggeration is also well done to show how these people live. It's a wake up call to see reality as reality. Don't buy into the disillusionment you are bombarded with everyday. It's a messed up world with upside down priorities, and Been There, Married That highlights this in just the right way. Reading this story is a bizarre and at times, uncomfortable experience. As satires go, this is one of my favorites ever. I recommend keeping an open mind and giving this book a chance. Deceptively appearing as a romcom on the surface, this story is eye opening, compelling and thought provoking about the culture we have accepted for far too long. I can't wait to read more from Gigi Levangie!