I absolutely couldn't engage with this. It felt unrealistic in so many ways that I couldn't even get to the halfway point. Nothing gelled for me.

Very entertaining. While some plot points were a bit over the top, I did thoroughly enjoy Jane's journey from lawyer to felon to Tik Tok star and back to lawyer. A quick read

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Ms. Demeanor by Elinor Lipman.
"Ms. Demeanor" is a quirky romcom with a hint of mystery. While the author tries to juggle a lot, the pacing stays steady and the story flows smoothly. Some parts are predictable, but it's still an okay read overall.

Ok, I think this book was a hard read for me because I am feeling a bit adrift myself. It was a good, solid read but honestly not the right time for me to be reading it. Ooooooops indeed.

Ms. Demeanor is an irreverent, fun little book perfect for summer. Lipman has a good snarky writing style with Jane and I enjoyed following her as her world fell apart. I enjoyed both Jane and Perry as characters, even though I couldn't really see them together, All in all I think the premise of the book drew me in and then never really materialized, but it was still a fun book to read. Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for the early read in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had just finished a sad, depressing book that I really didn't like (one star on Net Galley), when I chose to read Ms. Demeanor. It was perfect for what I was feeling! Was it the most literary book in the world? No. Did it impart some earth shaking knowledge? No. Was it fun and made me smile? Absolutely! The characters were delightful--even the "villains", the premise was silly, the story was really unreal, but I loved it. Everything worked out in the end--and sometimes a reader just needs to feel happy about a book at the end.

The first few pages pulled me in and then everything after was a letdown. The author didn’t seem to have focus. The storytelling was dry. The characters had no chemistry and were altogether forgettable. This one was not for me! It’s a shame because the premise could have made a fantastic story but I feel it was wasted here.

Thanks to Harper Perennial for the review copy.

Quirky characters, awkward situations, murder to solve. - what's not to like? Have a laugh as you imagine yourself living as a successful, single lawyer in New York City with a nosy neighbor who winds up dead. Jane makes the most of her house arrest "situation" by introducing herself to others in her building and posting TikTok videos of her cooking from recipe books from the late 1800s. But can her wit (and her cooking) solve the crime and snag the guy?

I was sold on the premise of this one: "Jane Morgan is a valued member of her law firm—or was, until a prudish neighbor, binoculars poised, observes her having sex on the roof of her NYC apartment building. Police are summoned, and a punishing judge sentences her to six months of home confinement." I mean, can you even imagine?

And I felt that it got off to a good start, with Jane settling into house arrest (and not apologizing for consensual sex!). But I'm afraid I was not a fan of the genre mashup, with the book veering from family drama to mystery to romance. It began with a comical tone but ended saccharine sweet? I also really didn't like the subplot involving Mandy—that made me see Jane less as an unshamed, relatable woman and more as a mean girl, or at the very least, someone who doesn't quite know how to be a friend.

This was my first book by Elinor Lipman, whose writing I'd heard was charming and witty. Perhaps a different book of hers would be a better fit for me.

I think this had potential but it fell flat. I might have read too many influencer type books lately for this to hold my interest. The premise sets it apart but this really wasn't what I was expecting. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Classic Elinor Lipmann! This very entertaining contemporary love story is the perfect solution for escapism and fun.

This was such a strange book, really all over the place. Was it a romance, a mystery, a comedy, a sibling rivalry family story - all of the above? I couldn't tell which areas to get invested in as they didn't all stick. The romance was the weirdest part in that it never actually felt like a romance but had a (view spoiler). Yet, parts of it were cute, clever, and endearing. I did reach much of it wondering what the heck was going on, though, so not sure I can recommend it.

This was the cutest. Utterly delightful. I laughed out loud. If you are looking for a light, fun, rom com that's all about second chances this is your book. Grab it for a cozy weekend.

I really, really enjoyed the story line! It was a little difficult fore to catchy reading stride. The author's writing style was very different. I couldn't tell if she was being snarky or serious sometimes. Also the use of uncommon words, stopped me quite a bit. Overall, the story was engaging. The characters were quirky.

This was a pleasant surprise. Very funny and understated. This possesses the same qualities of other classic New York comedies. Quirky, anxious, driven, elitist. I love that genre, which contains the likes of the better Woody Allen and Norah Ephron movies. The characters were familiar without being over the top, and things came together in a zany fashion indicative of classic screwball comedies. It wasn’t absurd, but the author went for it when necessary. I liked the real feel of the main characters. This was also an accurate portrayal of single, childless professionals in their late 30s and early 40s. I’d like to read more by this author.

#MsDemeanor #NetGalley Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really solid read.

A lawyer ends up under house arrest in her New York City apartment building because a neighbor caught her naked on the roof with a man and called the police. The situation is (purposely) a bit absurd and the various things that happen in the book continue the absurdity but Ms. Demeanor makes for a funny, hopeful, fast read.

There were a lot of times I wasn't quite sure where this book was going, and I absolutely love that. Jane is a fun character and we get to see her experience crime, bad decisions, friendship, romance, mystery, cooking, and TikTok.

I have never read a black rom com; this is my first and hopefully there will not be many more surprising me. I liked the main characters, Jane and her identical twin sister, and her love interest Perry. However, the introduction of the Polish royalty brother and sister, children of a count, and their nanny Francis, starts the heart of darkness that is aggravated by the unfortunate introduction of Mandy. These four stand out as misfits in a rom com, though adding to the interest and the necessary conflict in the story.

I think Mandy could have been deleted or her story shortened, though she became a reason for what finally happened with the brother and sister.

I enjoyed the book except for Mandy introducing even more blackness in the grey chapters of the book. I didn't find her amusing or comedic at all.

What’s the go-to excuse for being caught having sex high up on a building’s open patio? Jane Morgan is incredulous to find out the police are as prudish as her nosy neighbor spying on her with binoculars. Soon enough Jane is sentenced to house arrest and her legal license is suspended. All is not lost when she meets fellow house arrest felon Perry Salisbury who also messed up at his job at an art dealer. The pair discover they have more in common that ankle monitors but will a full romance develop? Jane’s twin sister calls the shots from off-stage but what about that snooping neighbor? There’s more here than a typical girl meets boy rom-com and the pacing is fast marked with witty dialogue and just a bit of skullduggery.