I usually don’t include spoilers in any reviews but I couldn’t think of a way to discuss this book without discussing something that happens at the end so be warned….MINOR  SPOILER……

This book was an Amazon freebie. I will say that it was a well written book which often is not the case with Amazon free books. The book has a cheerful cover and I started it thinking, chick lit/women’s fiction light kind of thing…no, not exactly. Everyone is miserable and stressed out.  The main character’s life is an essay on everything that can go wrong with a dual working couple’s life.  Sophie, her husband, her children, her mother, her co-workers, basically everyone is miserable.  There is no humor to soften the misery.  This is a very realistic portrayal of failure in a marriage, a family, a life.  

So, if that part of the book is the doughy part of the doughnut, then the feminist manifesto parts are probably the sprinkles on top, which only leaves the chocolate frosting.  That is where the light read, chick lit piece comes into play. *** SPOILER*** The uber rich fairy godmother type who swoops in at the end and makes everything better after admitting she meddled around with questionable results back in the beginning.    

I’m really torn about this book.  I’m not so sure that the three parts  work so well together, but the writer does write well.  I think it is just so depressing in the beginning, it doesn’t achieve that angsty kind of misery balanced by humor that other chick lits seem to excel at.  Then, the mood shift at the end seems almost jarring in contrast, like reading two separate books.  Maybe it just wasn’t the book for me.  I thought I was getting a light, escapist read and this is not that, for most of the book.