Thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me and I didn’t even make it into the third chapter. It was all over the place, the characters were just mean and I found some of the jokes offensive. I don’t need to waste my time reading this when there are much better books out there.

I started this book yesterday in preparation for it's 2/11 release date. Three chapters in and I just couldn't go on. I'm sure many people will love this frantic storytelling, but for me it was a bit too mean spirited and I just could not find any character relatable. So, I'm marking this a DNF. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me this ARC and I'm sorry it wasn't to my liking.

Too much tongue in cheek humor and a disorganized writing style made this read not enjoyable. Since I requested it, I felt like I needed to finish, but it was hard. It was hard to believe that Agnes would take all of the BS just lying down and so I didn't have much sympathy for her character. One thing I did like about the book was the cover! It was clever!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

not my sort of book...i tried and got half way through but it wasnt for me

though i could see it is well written and has a pace to it...but hollywood type stories just dont do it for me, though there were some funny bits

sorry

The reviews seemed so mixed on this one that I went in with an,open mind. Unfortunately I fall in the not for me group. I thought I'd be getting a sarcastic funny book about the perils of being a Hollywood wife, with some celebrity gossip feelings. What I got was a heroine who was IMO, TSTL, and little to no actual plot. Sure navigating a divorce in Hollywood can be a story, but it was, well, boring and repetitive in the issues and resolutions. Just not my cup of tea.

I loved this book! Agnes Murphy Nash is a likable, witty, sarcastic, and sometimes caustic writer navigating divorce and custody issues while digging her jailbird sister out of questionable situations and battling the effects of menopause, the dreaded "M" word that women over a certain age commiserate about. This book was a look behind the stereotypical superficial Hollywood world that Agnes' husband Trevor thrived on, while Agnes tried to stay grounded and survive the BS Trevor was throwing her way.

Have I said I loved this book? I laughed so much I was close to tears. "Cognitives," companion sleepers, rehab for made up addictions, a stolen Steinway and towels, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Let's not forget Fin's questionable ability to acquire things. And Pep... your typical tween much wiser than her years. Gigi Levangie gave me a story that allowed me to escape the real world for a bit. I look forward to more books like this from Ms. Levangie.

This book was hilarious to read and truly enjoyed Agnes point of view. There was some stereotyping (hello, Trevor) but in some ways that’s what makes it enjoyable.

At times the writing is all over the place and could have used a bit more copy editing but on the end I laughed and that’s what I needed.

Unfortunately I could not finish this book, it jumped all over the place right from the beginning and I couldn't follow half of what was going on, so I finally had to just give up.

As much as I hate it when this happens, this one wasn’t for me. What I read was very scattered and casual. Some casual is relatable, but this was heavy handed and a little too much. Thank you so much for letting me have the opportunity, though!

This book was hard to follow. I didn't enjoy it however I may not have been the best candidate for this book. I believe others will enjoy. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

I tried to get into Been There, Married That but I didn't finish this tit;e I couldn't get into it. I found it confusing and hard to follow.

This book was absolutely hilarious! I really enjoyed these characters, and the humor was totally my style. Definitely recommend for fans of YOUNG JANE YOUNG. It really reminded me of that story.

Thanks to Netgalley, StMartins Press, and Gigi Levantine for this ARC. I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Itwasall over the place, I didn’t connect or like the characters, and where there was potential for this story, I found very little. I had a hard time getting through this book, and even did some skimming to get through it, sorry, 2.5 stars ..

I remember reading The Starter Wife back in 2006 and absolutely loved it!! So when I saw that the author had a new book coming out and read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this!

While I found the story funny at times, I felt that I just couldn't connect with the main characters. I enjoyed Fin's character much better than that of her sister, though.

This would make for a good beach read -- fun and quick.

I wanted to read this book because the cover drew me in and because I have read books by this author before. Unfortunately, within a few chapters, I was lost. For me the book was all over the place, for instance, one minute Agnes is talking about how not to talk to or about the children of Hollywood superstars and the next sentence she is talking about the first time she and Trevor had sex. I had to go back more than once to make sure I didn't miss anything. I had no emotion for any of the characters and, although I'm sure some of them are supposed to be over-exaggerated characters that resemble famous people, they just seemed like the worst people ever. Eventually, went to remind myself what other books I had read by this same author and realized I didn't enjoy those books much better than this one. Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for a digital arc of this title.

I received a copy of this book.

This is a complicated book to review. I'm a fan of 90s/00s chick lit women's fiction and this fits into that genre nicely.It doesn't completely work though.

The writing is chaotic,the writer's history as a screen writer comes through,and the slice of life style makes it hard to keep up.Agnes is a flawed but likable heroine.Her snarky musings about her fellows and the absurdity of the Rich and Famous lifestyle makes for an entertaining if somewhat disjointed read.

This is a good book but it will not appeal to everyone.

2.5⭐

Been There, Married That is my first book by Gigi Levangie Grazer, and I wasn't sure what to expect, but honestly the synopsis sounded fun, and I'm always on the lookout for new authors to try. So, I was pleased to accept an early copy of this book for review.

However, it was a struggle if I'm being brutally honest, as it was frantically paced, and so full of comments, quips, and snarky jokes that I started to get confused about what was actually going on at any given moment, and by the end nothing felt truly resolved. Plus, I couldn't connect with these characters, and although it seems they are written to be extreme caricatures of Hollywood stars, they just ended up coming across as overly vapid, egocentric and unappealing rather like those I imagine who appear on such shows as Real Housewives. And maybe that was the point, but either way these characters didn't resonate with me, although I did have a soft spot for Agnes's sister Fin, who seemed to be the only one keeping it real.

Yet, my issues aside, there is no denying this was a somewhat off the wall, funny and satirical story which I'm sure fans of the author or even shows like the Real Housewives will enjoy; it's just a shame it wasn't for me.

**I was kindly provided with an ARC via St Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review**

2.5 Stars – Rounded

So – I went in expecting a War of the Roses (the film) sort of vibe – with a power struggle between a wronged wife and her producer husband putting her to the curb with a series of changed locks, cancelled credit cards and no answers. Agnes isn’t particularly happy with the changes in her circumstances, so she digs in and decides to “fight back” in some unusual and often futile ways.

For me, the tone and pacing of the book threw a wrench into the works – and Agnes was far too mercurial – from actually funny moments to highly juvenile and spiteful steps – the back and forth here was enough to give me whiplash. And the dance that the author did with the point of view, from a hybridized first person that was so close to in the moment (with a nasty habit of sharing EVERY thought that comes through) and this made the entire read a difficult one. Sifting through relevant to irrelevant isn’t a reader’s job in fiction – it is the editor’s – and here I think that the editor let the story down.

Because it started out fairly smart and witty – and until you get to see that Agnes is petty, her husband even more so, even the teenager is full of “whatever” – there isn’t anyone to root for, let alone actually connect to. Sadly the premise WAY outshone the product here, and that is always a disappointment.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.


Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aBv/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie is a novel about Hollywood, Marriage/Divorce and Scandal. At the start, we meet our heroine, Agnes Murphy Nash, who is the wife of a famous producer, and has lived a glamourous Hollywood life, as well as a writer. Life is about to change for Agnes, when she comes home and finds herself locked out. It seems her husband is filing for a divorce, and slowly takes everything away from Agnes, including locking her out of the house, taking away her credit cards, accusing her of being an unfit mother; just to name a few things.

Trevor, her husband, is a powerful and arrogant man, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants; a divorce, custody of their daughter, no money for settlement and a new girlfriend. Agnes is beside herself, trying to get some support, but money talks and Trevor seems to be winning everything, not to mention being a horrible person.

Been There, Married That is noted as a hilarious frantic comedy that focuses on the wild antics of the main characters. The concept of the storyline is good, but I thought the writing all over the place, which also came across as confusing often. I will say it was wild and crazy from start to finish, and maybe others will enjoy that style of writing. The husband, Trevor as noted was a terrible person, but Agnes did not come across as a great character either. Sure, you did feel sympathy for her, and there was so many absurd and laughable situations that it was hard to like anyone in this crazy story line.

Been There, Married That was a different kind of read, a bit too wild for me, but if you enjoy wild chic lit entertainment, you should enjoy this book.

Ms. Grazer is a new-to-me author and the blurb on Netgalley sounded interesting. I’m always looking for a new author, so I requested the book.

I always write something positive about each book, but this is a difficult review to write. I wanted to stop reading but out of the thousands of books I’ve read, I’ve probably only DNF’d a couple. It seemed like a long, slow slog to make it through this story. I never read the reviews on Goodreads until after I finish a book, so I’m not influenced. I was hesitant to read the reviews, thinking there would be gushing reviews and was surprised to see so many felt like I did about the book.

There were a few entertaining scenes and dialog. The felon sister, Fin, seemed to live her life to the fullest, even if illegally, and didn’t seem to care what anyone thought of her. She was the most entertaining part of the story.

I got confused in many places thinking I had missed something because the topic, time, day, location and people would change from one paragraph to another. I felt sorry for Agnes at times but didn’t care for any of the characters. It’s not because it’s based on Hollywood, the lavish lifestyles, or any other aspects of that life. It’s not uncommon for powerful men to drop their wives but I was just appalled at the way Trevor treated her and yet he was so needy and she continually tried to help him. Agnes seemed to just go along with everything, and I couldn’t believe that she would agree to Trevor’s (and her family’s) suggestion go to a ‘spa’ to help her when the only thing she was addicted to was almonds. Trevor was a narcissist, who blamed everyone else for any of his issues, he was a cruel coward the way he treated his wife, seldom confronting her directly but through a nasty game to win at all costs. He was so self-absorbed he didn’t care how the manipulations affected his daughter.

To me the only redeeming quality about Agnes is that she spent her book sale money to help her father and sister and then at the end of the book, to fight for custody of her daughter after she realized what was important.

The ending was another odd aspect and continued the issue with the story jumping from one thing to the next. I so wanted to enjoy this book and was disappointed. I’ve never given one star previously and just can’t do it here either so am rating at two stars.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing this book for my review.