Publisher’s Description
When he changes the locks, she changes the rules.
Agnes Murphy Nash is the perfect Hollywood wife – she has the right friends, the right clothes, and even a side career of her own as a writer. Her husband Trevor is a bigshot producer, and from the outside it looks like they’re living a picture-perfect celebrity life, complete with tennis tournaments and lavish parties.
But the job description of a Hollywood wife doesn’t cover divorce, which is the way Agnes’ life is headed after she comes home one day to find her credit cards cancelled and the security passwords to get into her enormous LA home changed. Oh, and there’s a guy there whose job it is to tase her if she tries to enter…which she does.
Needless to say, Agnes’ husband is dead set on making sure she loses big time, but Agnes isn’t the type to just lie down and take it. In a world of fremenies and hot nannies, personal psychics and “skinny” jello shots, Agnes may be losing her husband, but could that mean getting her own life back?
Been There, Married That is a drop-dead hilarious battle of wills that will make you laugh out loud, cringe, and keep turning the pages to see what crazy disaster will happen to Agnes next…and how she’ll rise from the ashes.
Details
- Title: Been There, Married That: A Novel
- Author: Gigi Levangie
- Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin (February 11, 2020)
- Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
- Pages: 336
- READ AN EXCERPT
My Thoughts
Some reviews are harder to write than others. This is a hard one. While I clearly know how I feel about the book and my rating, at the same time I want to be fair to the author and the story. I’m afraid this review probably won’t come across in a very positive way, however. And for that, I apologize.
As I started the book I could see that it was going to be heavy on one-liners. I also sensed a storyline that felt more intent on being funny than relating a tale. And the characters in the book marched right into that mold. Rather than portray any believable characteristics they were more interested in impressing the reader with their sometimes foolishness and humor.
Now, this can be fine. But if it continues on for too long, it helps for the humor to be your style and to continually tickle your funnybone.
In Been There, Married That Agnes is a writer who is married to a notable producer named Trevor. She describes her life rather sarcastically since she lives in Hollywood where she believes everyone is fake.
At her book launch party, Trevor ends up being a no-show which of course is a disappointment. And her Uber ride home from the party is a story in itself. But her day manages to get much worse.
When she arrives at her destination she finds that she is locked out of her large, gate-surrounded, home. It seems Trevor is ready for a divorce so he’s locked her out and canceled her credit cards.
My thanks to #NetGalley #StMartins and the author for an ARC to review and offer my opinion.
What Concerned Me
- Though some of the lines were funny, as a whole it wasn’t my type of humor.
- I felt a few funny lines in a more realistic story would have been more meaningful.
- It didn’t feel interesting enough to hold my attention.
- I needed a character that I cared about.
What I Like Best
While there really wasn’t much that attracted me to this book, it is very possible that if your sense of humor jibes with the author’s then this will be a book you will enjoy.
About the Author
Gigi Levangie (formerly Gigi Levangie Grazer) is the author of seven novels: Rescue Me (2000), Maneater (2003), The Starter Wife (2006), Queen Takes King (2010), The After Wife (2012), The Seven Deadlies (2013) and the upcoming Been There, Married That (2020). The Starter Wife was adapted for an Emmy Award-winning USA Network miniseries starring Debra Messing, and later for a television series; Maneater was adapted for a Lifetime miniseries starring Sarah Chalke in May 2009. In addition, Gigi wrote the screenplay for Stepmom, starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon. Gigi’s articles have appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour and the Wall St. Journal. She lives in L.A. with her husband, two sons, a miniature dachshund, an English bulldog and a leopard gecko.
