Customer Reviews

Claire Knows Best (Claire Everett Series, No. 2)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Full of cultural references that made me feel like Claire was my next-door neighbor childhood best-friend, this story is a mom-lit with snappy wit and a lot of heart. Claire is a beautiful example of a woman who blesses the people around her by being herself--goofy, insecure, warm, determined, open about her faith, but also authentic about her doubts.

Claire's Christian faith doesn't magically make her ex-husband easy to like, or her daughter Ari embrace wise choices. Claire wrestles with decisions about her career, her boyfriend, her parenting. But as she muddles through her imperfect life, Claire makes a remarkable difference to those around her. BRAVO! Highly recommended!

I don't like present tense writing, and Claire Knows Best is written in present tense. Funny I didn't discover that until page 226 of this 288 page story. Bateman managed to suck me into Claire's world from the first line: "I have a bad habit of laughing at the wrong time." Yeah, don't we all? I had to read on ... and on ... and on. The plot is hilarious, and the characters are some of best I've read--flawed but striving for a foothold. Claire is at odds with everyone, except perhaps her youngest son. Little boys are a mother's blessing. I loved the way Claire held firm with her rebellious daughter, but her thoughts had me laughing out loud as a mother--I've had some of those same thoughts about my own kids.

Bateman reveals a very real woman dealing with life's problems. The plot is not predictable and has enough twists to satisfy any reader. Funny and tender, Claire Knows Best receives a high recommendation from this reviewer. Any writer who can make me forget I'm reading present tense is truly a master! Bravo, Tracey!

Tracey Bateman's mom-lit is a hoot, and I can't say enough fabulous things about her Claire series: Leave it to Claire, Claire Knows Best, and I Love Claire.

Single mom Claire Everett's plan for her life is tossed out the window when a tornado rips through her home, crashing her computer, and forcing her family to move. She's dating Greg, the cute widower down the street, but there are mega-problems--her teen daughter's rebellion, her ex-husband's pregnant wife, and her writing career on the skids.

Should she seek the help of a life coach, or does God really know what He's doing with her life? By the end of the book, you'll feel like Claire is your new best friend, ready to join you for pizza and a good chick flick.

-- Christian Women Online Book Buzz

Claire has now begun to settle down after having it all out with her ex husband and his new wife. She has a great boyfriend, her kids are starting to finally get along well with her and she's finally starting to relax from her panic attacks. Then a tornado hits her house and everything changes for Claire. When Greg invites Claire to move in with his mother for a while, he then drops the bomb on her that he wants to go to seminary to become a full time pastor. Claire can't deal with having to become a pastor's wife so she dumps Greg, and then begins to regret it. In between her relationship issues, she also has to deal with a contractor that dies on her, another that wants to date her, her teenage daughter rebelling big time, her son wanting to become an actor, the retired atheist actor who wants to give him acting lessons, his estranged daughter who Claire wants to reunite with her dad, and her publicist saying that her new book idea will be a flop. But leave it to Claire, who takes all this issues and handles things her own special way.

This was another fun read in the life of Claire. In this book, she's grown up some and isn't as wishy-washy as she was in the first one. She begins to put her foot down involving her children. I'm glad that she finally laid down the law with Ari because she was really starting to rebel and no one was punishing her. I felt though that Claire was being a bit unfair to Greg's decision. I realize that she may have had fears about the idea of what a pastor's wife should be and it would be intimidating. However she just blows him off without telling him the real reason why she's breaking up with him. I also felt that she was a bit paranoid about letting her atheist actor neighbor coach her son. I know she was afraid that he might let his views waver her son's faith, but I honestly felt all the guy wanted to do was just help her son with his acting, and she was making a mountain out of a molehill. I'm glad though that Claire resolved her issues with Darcy who might be a little annoying but is still very friendly. I found it very hilarious when she called the psych student to discuss her problems and the girl was trying to pretend to be twins and Claire caught on and called her out on it. I also liked the bit about Claire's former publicist naming her daughter Anakin Skywalker. As a huge Star Wars fan, this got a big grin from me. I really did enjoy this book. It was a fun and fast read. I'll be looking very forward to reading I Love Claire.

Claire Knows Best by Tracey Bateman is the sequel to Leave it to Claire. I love Claire; she's so much like me! After a tornado destroys much her home, Claire has to deal with her boyfriend's decision to become a pastor, her daughter's acting out, her ex-husband's pregnant wife, and she's lost her writing contract. How can you juggle all of that pressure? Claire doesn't, God bless her! She makes mistakes and tries to control everyone and everything around her. Bateman writes Claire with a great deal of honesty, and that makes Claire lovable in spite of regular missteps. While she slips a little, many of the lessons of the previous book remain. Like Claire, I tend to stay within my home and small comfort zone, but Jesus calls us to be His disciples out in the world. Claire learns that as she comforts, she is comforted and that she is capable of far more than she realized.

I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys reading about the trials and tribulations of the everyday woman. This book does exactly that. Claire openly speaks of everything that goes wrong, doesn't sugarcoat it or pretend issues don't exist. And she doesn't place herself on a pedestal - she actually accentuates all that's wrong with her, with others, and how to tackle it. Claire is a woman that is real, open and wanting to improve on everything but realizing that to do so isn't always easy, and at times, is impossible. She looks to God for direction, but although there are some spiritual moments within this book, it is not heavy on the religion aspect. It is very REAL. Claire gets depressed, as would be the real case with a woman who was dumped by her ex-husband, leaving her to raise 4 children while he now remarried and lives in what's described as a truly elegant house. His new wife, however, admires and really loves Claire, a relationship which personally I find a little stretched, but who's to say for real that it can't be. The author took liberty in making that relationship work in the end - although Claire fought it tooth & nail the whole way. The kids are realistic - they're always there (not conveniently out of the picture when need be) and Claire has many a meltdown due to problems with them. Life is hard for Claire, as it is for most of us, and the author does a wonderful job in taking us along on Claire's discoveries, battles, tears and joys. Along the way, Claire has to make some decisions regarding a new love and what her future may bring because of it. I believe the message here is that Claire, in good times and in bad, is open. She makes mistakes along the way, but by being open, she allows herself to hear God's directions and realize that she is being blessed, if she only opens herself to seeing the signs along the way. I kept reading this book and found it difficult to put down. I just wanted to know what happens next! A truly excellent read! And now I'm going to start the 3rd book of this series - I wouldn't miss it!

Bateman is hilarious! I am at the gym on the treadmill busting out laughing as I read this book. I love this series. You walk away from it feeling like the chaos in your life is somehow NORMAL?! I can't wait to read the next one. Love, comedy, chaos, disaster, family disfunction, kid issues and insecurity all wrapped up in one nice little package. Keep em' coming Bateman!

I read this book third, instead of second. I didn't know it was a series when I started. The cover does not warn you either.

I enjoyed the book. There is something in the character I think most women/mom's can identify with. I enjoyed the humor. Was worth reading.

I loved the first Claire book. Claire seemed like an "everyday" Christian that a lot of us could relate to. The second book had a lot of the same elements as the first... humorous, down to earth most of the time. Toward the last third of the book, it started steering away from it's realistic pretense, and turn into something of a fairy tale. Claire, who struggled with her Christianity, suddenly finds people all around her that she could minister to. All that was missing was the proverbial light from Heaven to shine down on her when she realized Yes! darn it all, I CAN be a pastor's wife and still be true to myself.
Also, the kids feelings seemed to be trivialized a bit, esp. Sadie. Anyone who's been through a divorce can recognize this child was probably not ready for a stepmom. And Claire's kids were going to have to deal with their dad's attention being divided by a kid by the new wife, did they really need a stepdad at this time in their lives? I thought the book at times could be a little insensitive to all the kids had to handle, making me wonder if the author really knows what it is like to go through a divorce, as a spouse or child.
Then at the very end, Claire ends up with her dream house, her dream man, and her mom back at home to be her on call nanny again, and all is right with the world. A little too much sugary ending for an otherwise great summer read.

Claire Everett feels pretty good about the direction her life is going ever since she forgave her ex husband Rick for cheating on her and even talks to his pregnant spouse Darcy. Her relationship with her three children is solid for the first time in eons even with her mom having left town and she enjoys quality time with her significant other Greg.

A tornado tosses a tree on to her roof, but though harrowing she feels okay that no one was hurt. However, the storm has made Greg consider the direction he is going. He decides he wants to become a 24/7 pastor with Claire at his side as his wife. Instead of rejoicing at his proposal, Claire fears she is not worthy of becoming the spouse of a minister at the same time her writing career seems blocked so she turns to a "coach" to help her, but instead is adding to her confusion as CLAIRE KNOWS BEST, not anyone else.

The sequel to the delightful LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE continues to focus on a working mother struggling between caring for her offspring, her vocation, and now her significant other wanting her at his side as he reaches to do God's work. Though doing better with the kids Claire knows that remains a constant vigil especially with two teens. Her writing career seems over at least to her. With all that now, Greg wants her to become a minister's wife, something Claire had doubts she can perform properly. Though some of the sting is gone as she is no longer acrimonious, Claire's lack of confidence makes for a fine character study of a middle aged woman perhaps turning to her life coach for escape.

Harriet Klausner