Lauren Leo is not a perfect woman (what is perfection after all?) She is smart, excels at her job and speaks out for women’s rights. She realises that being jilted at the altar is just a jolt compared to the troubles of some people who lead seemingly perfect lives. So what if she’s heartbroken by the Great Humiliation? Lauren picks up the broken pieces and begins anew.

We cannot control other people and their behaviour. Lauren has learned this the hard way. Sometimes you could be engaged only for your fiancé to leave you at the altar. You could be married to someone for a decade only to discover your husband’s affair or addiction that turns your world upside down. You can never control the people in your life. But you have one person. Yourself. And you can be the best if you set out to do it.

The story unfolds at the right pace and with enough touches of humour. The bond between the sisters evolves in the course of the tale and is a reflection of reality. Also at the heart of the tale is body shaming, especially from one’s own family. Lauren finally does stand up for herself, after a well-needed push from an unexpected friend.

A good book, easy to finish in a day, and worth your time.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

At first I felt sorry for Lauren. It’s cowardly to not only leave the bride (or the groom for that matter) at the alter, not even showing up, but not even having the balls to tell them yourself is a whole other matter.

But soon after she just started getting on my nerves.
Her ex-parents-in-law are annoying. Her parents are annoying. Her older sister is annoying. Her younger sister is the golden child. Lauren is always overweight. Boohoo. Yes, they are. But she is 41 effing years old and could just… give them a piece of her mind? Why is she always silent??
She managed to lose weight for her wedding, which means she is capable of keeping a healthy diet. 1. why didn’t she start earlier then? And 2. why doesn’t she continue? Instead we get to read about her binge-eating which if it was going on for so many years should’ve been treated. She’s 41 for Petes sake. Old enough to look for professional help on her own.

I liked the funny one liners, both in Lauren’s thoughts as well as in the dialogues but since many of them happened after she started annoying me I sadly couldn’t enjoy them much anymore.
And then there suddenly was even more drama. This book dragged on a bit too long for me.

Loved this book! I found it super funny and a quick read for me. The character growth and development was amazing in this book. I loved it very much

crazy to leave you is a book following lauren leo's growth after she gets left at the altar. i couldn't connect with the story right from the beginning, the entire story seemed to revolve around her weight and while i understand that her relationship with food is a big part of the story i couldn't read it, some parts were kind of problematic and it just wasn't for me.

crazy to leave you is a witty, thought-provoking, and passionate contemporary read that follows our protagonist lauren after she is left at the altar and is forced to rearrange her entire life. the novel touches on subjects such as weight-loss, the struggles when navigating both familial and romantic relationships, sense of self, workplace problems, and general living. the book’s overarching message stressed the importance of striving on throughout life, even with all of the hardships and obstacles one must overcome to find true happiness and serenity.

there were things that i really loved about this book, and things that i really did not like as much. i found the book very easy to read, and for the most part, thought there was a good balance between lighter content matter and heavier content matter. i saw bits of myself in lauren, especially with her weight struggles and self-esteem battles. the increase in discussions concerning weight in contemporary novels is quite important to me, so i was happy that this was a main point of the novel. i also thought the family dynamics were quite interesting. coming from a complicated family, it always intrigues me when one of the main plotlines of a story is the protagonists relationship with their family members. this book offered a lot of interesting thoughts in this area which was fantastic. in thinking about what i didn’t like, it was more-so that the book did not really have a wow! factor for me. i enjoyed reading it, and related to it, but the book did not particularly stand out among those i have read. however, this was still a good read, and i know others will enjoy it very much!

thank you so much to netgalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I got an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The book follows Lauren Leo as she is left at the alter. This would have been her first marriage at 41,

Trigger Warning: This book touches on Lauren's weight and her family's perception of it. She is very hard on herself and her mother constantly criticizes Lauren with comments about it such as "Are you sure you want to eat that slice of cake?" Her weight is a large focal point of the book. I can imagine this would be difficult to read if you have an eating disorder or a bad relationship with food. It does not determine the overall worth of the book but it cannot be skipped over if it is something that bothers you.

This book is an honest look at Lauren's feelings about her weight from her childhood to the present day. Her mother badgers her about her diet and weight.. The author does not shy away from how traumatic it is for her and how it has impacted her relationship with her mother.

After being left at the alter, she finds herself at a crossroads. She wanted a traditional family - a husband and a child or two. At 41, she knows that her window for having kids is closing. She works at advertising firm and has been a dedicated employee there since graduating college.

A major issue that I had with this book is that I didn't know where it was going. I was not sure if the author intended this - Lauren does not know where her life is going so we are along for the ride? The synopsis said she is looking for a second chance. I was constantly asking myself what medium it would be in.

The overall lesson I learned from this book is that no one is perfect even if they seem like it. We often idolize people for the lives we think they have. We sit around making a lot of assumptions and judge ourselves for not matching up. I wish this was reflected more in the summary.

I would have enjoyed this book more if I had a clearer picture of where it was going. It was an interesting premise and I liked the author's writing style.

Crazy to Leave You is an intriguing contemporary novel, Marilyn Simon nailed it in this book.

I loved following the journey of Lauren, an amazing character, it was very satisfying to see her "growth" during the book. With humor, losses, romances,

With humor, loss and romance Crazy To Leave You was the first book I read by Marilyn, but I will definitely read all the others and recommend everyone to do the same.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC
in exchange for my honest review.

A motivational story of the 41-year-old Jewish woman Lauren’s self-acceptance journey.
She was an emotional eater and always tried to please others, in her personal and professional life, but dared to change and realize the dreams she had always wanted.
The story was easy to read, realistic enough, except that she was left at the altar.
I wanted more emotions, scenes as she interacted and fell in love with her new 36 years old driver Rudy.

Many thanks to #netgalley and #MarilynSimonRothstein for the opportunity to read.

This is my first exposure to this author and definitely won’t be my last. I only give 5 stars to books I am willing to read again and “Crazy to Leave You” hits the mark.

Lauren Leo has successfully established herself in her career, but at age 41 is desperate to fulfill her dream of marriage, home and children. Unfortunately she suffers the Great Humiliation when her groom leaves her at the altar by sending a text message to her bridesmaid sister. Reeling from the pain of this rejection, Lauren is forced to confront her approach to life and, in that process, learns to value herself by asking for what she wants and setting boundaries with family and her boss.

This novel addresses some serious issues – low self-esteem, loss, rejection, critical parents, sibling rivalry, and workplace discrimination - with both humor and sensitivity. Lauren’s mother is hard to like with her constant emotional abuse in the name of “I only want you to be happy.” Her sisters (one older and one younger) are polar opposites, leaving Lauren the accommodating middle child.

I have read similar plot lines before, but what makes this book stand out is the sharp, witty banter of both spoken dialogue and silent mental commentary. This was a quick, entertaining read that also provided thoughtful insights into family dynamics and the issue of value and lovability based on dress size. The conclusion was realistic and satisfying.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This is the first time I have read a book by this author and I really enjoyed it. Lauren, got left at the altar by Eric. He texted Lauren's sister Stephanie to tell her. Margo her other sister did not attend the wedding.Lauren left the wedding in the rain and went to the diner after that she went to her apartment and promptly went to work the next day. This is where the story of her getting herself back on track starts. Her sister Margo comes to stay with her and soon they all get their lives on tract.Lauren, speaking up for herself and many other things. A GOOD READ

Wow! Best book by this author and I have written and read them all. If this isn’t five stars there are no stars in the sky.

I have read Marilyn Simon Rothstein's books since her first, and I've loved each of them.
I think Crazy to Leave You might be my favorite thus far. It has the sense of mortification of the bride (41) being left at the alter, a mother who seems to think her daughter's worth is set by the scale, sibling issues (also in part created by mom) and laughter. It made me think of the adage of not knowing what others might be going through until you walk in their shoes. Perfect lives aren't exactly as they seem, distance by one sibling is for reasons that aren't as clear as appear on the surface, and along the way, Lauren learns that she has to value herself before others will value her. I loved the characters in this book (and those I didn't love were well done.) This book is a light read with a lot of good insight. Highly recommended. (Preorder! I think you'll be happy you did.)
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

So surprising!

Forty-one years old, the last of her friends to marry, and down to a size 12, Lauren Leo is in her gown and about to tie the knot. There’s just one thing missing: the groom. With one blindsiding text, Lauren is unceremoniously dumped at the altar.

In the aftermath, her mother is an endless well of unsolicited advice (Stay on your diet and freeze your eggs). Her sisters only add to the Great Humiliation: one is planted on Lauren’s couch while the other is too perfect.

Maybe I’ve read too many contemporary romance stories lately, but this one wasn’t too memorable for me.

Lauren’s journey was nice, believable, I guess I just have a disdain for books that have to focus on a woman’s size. I get, she wanted to lose weight for her wedding, and stops dieting later on, etc. I just hate the level of importance and focus in so many stories.

I like the premise of this book — a middle age woman finding acceptance in herself. Unfortunately, I didn’t like any of the characters and so could not get into this book

Crazy To Leave You by Marilyn Simon Rothstein is a great contemporary fiction that not only has romance, but humor, love, loss, family, and finding happiness in life flaws and imperfections and all.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and it most certainly won’t be the last.

I enjoyed taking this journey with Lauren. Surrounded by an eclectic and larger than life cast of family and friends, Lauren works her way through the disappointments, losses, and obstacles in her life…works through her uncertainties, and through these situations (some that made me chuckle, some were more serious) she finds acceptance, family may be frustrating and challenging but will be there through thick and thin. She finds happiness and acceptance is all of life’s imperfections, and through these transitions, she is able to find her true professional satisfaction, love, and her place in life.

I enjoyed the dialogue, pacing, banter, character relationships, and also the satisfying ending.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Lake Union Publishing for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/24/22.