Natalie Quackenbush is approaching thirty, drowning in debt-and did she mention she lives with her parents? It's the kind of small talk she'd rather avoid. So she and her friends have found a new way to entertain themselves on the Scottsdale, Arizona singles scene: lying.
It's an innocent game, but when Natalie meets a guy she actually likes-and wants to see again-how will she explain that her mother isn't actually insane? Or that she doesn't really work with convicted murderers? If she can find a way out of her lies without destroying this fragile new relationship along the way, she might just wind up with something real.
Called "an author to watch" by Booklist, Carol Snow is an American author of contemporary women's fiction and young adult literature. After graduating from Brown University with a degree in psychology, she spent many years writing literary short stories before accepting that she couldn't go more than a few hundred words without cracking a joke. She eventually turned her attention to crafting humorous, heartfelt stories with a wider commercial appeal, and In 2006, Berkley/Penguin published her first novel, Been There, Done That, which Publisher's Weekly called "humorous, wise . . . romance with a bit of social commentary." Since then, she has written four more books for adults, Getting Warmer (2007), Here Today, Gone to Maui (2009), Just Like Me, Only Better (2010), and the upcoming What Came First (2011), about which Laura Fitzgerald, bestselling author of Veil of Roses, said, "Carol Snow mixes her trademark humor with tenderness and understanding in this good-mom/bad-mom tale of unexpected twists and turns." Carol has also written two young adult books for HarperCollins, Switch (2008), an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, and Snap (2009). Foreign rights to her books have sold to publishers in Germany, Norway, and Romania.
Carol Snow grew up in New Jersey. Much of her childhood was spent immersed in books; the rest was focused on avoiding dodgeball. In addition to her psychology degree from Brown University, she holds an M.A.T. in English from Boston College. Before getting her first book published, she had the typical (for a writer) assortment of odd jobs: tour guide, tutor, chambermaid, waitress. She worked for a T-shirt company, a child services agency, and a vanity press. She even had a short stint in local politics. Her campaign brochures were really pretty, with flawless punctuation.
Since leaving New Jersey, Carol has lived all over the place: Rhode Island, London, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Utah, Arizona, and, now, Southern California, where she shares a cat-fur-coated house with her husband and their two children.
I really enjoyed the book. The Publishers Weekly review above is far off the mark. This was a light, frothy confection with some serious messages about becoming more content with yourself and your lot in life.
Natalie Quackenbush is a besieged high school teacher who's still crying every week at school. "The first two years are the hardest," her boss tells her. When she's not dealing with recalcitrant students, she's cruising the bars with her friend, the school guidance counselor. Over margaritas, they make up outrageous stories about themselves to fend off would-be suitors.
The plot thickens when Natalie meets a guy she actually likes. The problem is, he appears to be married (after a quick Google search). So she and Jill make up some crazy lies. But there was a misunderstanding; it turns out he wasn't married. So Natalie starts a relationship with him, but all the while she's aware of her lies.
This story will resonate with anyone who's painted herself in a corner through impulsive actions (and haven't we all?) Natalie is a sharp, intelligent character with problems everyone can relate to. I thought the dialogue was crisp and the situations were funny. I'm going to read her previous novel, too.
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I really enjoyed this second novel by Carol Snow. For better or for worse there is a little bit of Natalie Quakenbush in most of us. I found myself laughing out loud and sympathizing with several of her characters. Such descriptive writing had me "there" with her in the Arizona landscape and suburbia. I am looking forward to her next book.
T Scott
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