Balancing Act (Heidi Elliott Series #1) [Paperback]

Kimberly Stuart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2006

Fiercely independent, new-mom Heidi has never been one for group activities, much less church chats and teas. Pushed into accepting an invitation to the Wednesday night Moms Group, she finds herself in a sea of polyester, polka dots, big hair, and strong women who just might hold the lifeline she didn’t think she needed.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Headline: With her baby on one side and her career on the other, what’s a girl to do? As maternity leave comes to an end for Heidi Elliott so does virtually everything she thought she knew. The substitute filling in for her high school Spanish classes has made a complete mess-not just with her students, but perhaps in way far more personal. Her husband has made a habit of going out of his way to help a beautiful, wealthy, thin, client and to further complicate things, an old boyfriend has moved back to the neighborhood. Fiercely independent, Heidi has never been one for group activities, much less church chats and teas. Pushed into accepting an invitation to the Wednesday night Moms Group, she finds herself in a sea of polyester, polka dots, big hair, and strong women who just might hold the lifeline she didn’t think she needed.

About the Author

Kimberly Stuart attended Wheaton College, in Wheaton, Illinois, and St. Olaf College, in Northfield, Minnesota. She has taught Spanish, English as a second language, and bilingual education in Chicago, Minneapolis, Costa Rica, and rural Iowa. She currently lives in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: NavPress; 1st edition (August 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600060765
• ISBN-13: 978-1600060762
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,724,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kimberly Stuart has always loved a good story, good writing, and a good laugh. She is also particularly fond of Dutch cheeses and dark chocolate. As a child, she would force her brother into playing the ever-riveting game of "Library." She would write official looking information with a red Sharpie and Ryan would have the honored task of holding an inscribed, stinky book. This game had a short lifespan as Ryan soon realized that there were neighborhood children who would not make him suffer so.

Decades later, Stuart turned to writing to cope with the isolation and charming chaos of motherhood. A few vignettes turned into the seeds for a novel, which turned into a two-book contract out of which _Balancing Act_ and _Bottom Line_ were birthed. While not autobiographical, these two titles were much cheaper than therapy. _Act Two: A Novel in Perfect Pitch_ is the story of a diva who gets stuck in the Midwest against her will. The pig rump on the cover is an exceptionally clever visual cue.

Stretch Marks hits Amazon and stores nationwide September of 2009, so get ready. Part romantic comedy, part mother-daughter war, it just might be the best way to spend a few bucks these days. Or you can always cut your losses and invest in a red Sharpie.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written look at the frustrations of trying to balance home, family, and work, October 26, 2006

By 

Barbara Warren - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Balancing Act (Heidi Elliott Series #1) (Paperback)

Heidi Elliott always intended to go back to work after having her baby. Norah, her really wonderful baby daughter, is all she expected, and more. And Heidi is a smart, hip, modern woman. Balancing a home, family, and a career should be a snap.

Then her former boyfriend moves back to town, settling a few houses away. Her husband is working overtime with a gorgeous female, and while Heidi is above being jealous, still. . . . Norah is perfect, but she's also smelly, messy, and a full time responsibility. That balancing act she was so sure of starts to fall apart.

Heidi isn't a joiner, hates group activities, but somehow she gets roped into a Wednesday Night Mom's Group from her church. The women are a diverse lot, different problems, different personalities. They couldn't possibly have anything to offer a smart, modern woman like Heidi, could they?

Any woman who has tried to balance home, family, and work will identify with this book. It's all here. the joys, the frustrations, the feeling that you're not doing enough. Balancing Act is a fast paced, funny story with realistic problems and believable characters blended with a strong faith message.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MOTHER'S CHOICE: WHEN BABY MAKES THREE, January 25, 2007

By 

Heather Ivester (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Balancing Act (Heidi Elliott Series #1) (Paperback)

Here's a book I could not put down. Stay-home moms and working moms alike will adore Kimberly Stuart's breakout novel. Don't we all know how hard it is to balance love, marriage, friendship, and career? But oh, how the challenges mount when baby makes three.

Heidi Elliot has it all - an award-winning career as a Spanish teacher, a cute home in a historical part of town, and a handsome hubby who loves the Lord. Six-month baby Nora sparkles with laughter and joy. (Insert Jaws music here.)

Then along comes a gorgeous, wealthy client who pays a little too much attention to Heidi's husband, Jake. And surprise! Heidi's old flame moves down the street, working as a freelance photographer for his big-shot New York editors. Meanwhile, Heidi's breast-pump stays in action as she's gone back to work early to solve a crisis. How will she cope?

Stuart's plot is full of pizzazz, giving tribute to every woman's need for the bonds of sisterhood.

-- Christian Women Online Book Buzz

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I laughed, I sighed, but never was I bored!, December 15, 2006

By 

Novel Reviews "www.novelreviews.blogspot.com" (Every City, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Balancing Act (Heidi Elliott Series #1) (Paperback)

Stuart has aptly named this book. She employs a perfect balance of humor and tender moments in this rollicking good read. I carried it everywhere with me for two days. Whether standing in line at the grocery store or picking up the dry-cleaning, I was reading and either laughing or sighing, but never was I bored.

Balancing Act is delightful and fresh. The spiritual thread is honest and definitely not preachy. It's a book a non-Christian could enjoy without rolling their eyes. Heidi's sarcastic wit lightens the moments that could easily have become schmaltzy or lumbering.

Like a virtuoso, Stuart delivered the denouement with a fresh approach that rang with honesty--a huge debut novel, in this reviewer's opinion. Balancing Act receives Novel Reviews' highest recommendation.

Reviewed by Ane Mulligan

www.anemulligan.com