Customer Reviews

And One Last Thing ...

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With the recent Chick Lit and Women's Fiction I've been reading there has been this great balance between the humor and silliness and the heartfelt and real emotions and the book And One Last Thing... is no exception.

The always horrible issue of cheating and divorce is made a lot easier to handle when main character Lacey sends out an email detailing her horrible husband's activities. The fallout of that is crazy! To protect herself and get away from it all she stays at a family cabin where she expects to find isolation...

But instead she finds a grumpy but attractive man that wants to be left alone. One thing I really liked about this book was the idea of these two people basically being isolated from everyone else so if they have interactions it's going to be with each other. I don't normally find that that happens a lot in books at least for this long of a time period.

I thought Lacey and Monroe's relationship was sweet, they are first friends helping each other out, specifically Monroe helps Lacey decide where her life should take her next and then they become more. I found this book to be a lot of fun. Lacey was surrounded by a great cast of secondary characters including her brother, the woman that her husband is having an affair with (I love how they almost have it out in a parking lot!) It's definitely making me want to check out the authors Jane Jameson series!

I would say that Molly Harper is a friend-defining author. She writes the types of books that you proudly pass along to friends and if they hand them back to you after reading and say, "I just didn't get it" or "I didn't find her all that funny" then they're ex-communicated. Cut-off! Cut adrift! Molly Harper just inspires that kind of loyalty and passion in her friends... and with good cause!

Molly Harper is a chick-lit-romance-genius. I fell in love with her and her `Jane Jameson' paranormal romance series. And in `One Last Thing...', her first contemporary romance, I fall a little bit more in love/creepy-stalker-reader-infatuation with Ms Harper...

`And One Last Thing...' is a story of crushing blows and fist-pumping feminism. Lacey Terwilliger has become a cliché at 30 when she discovers that her husband, Mike, has been boning his secretary. In a fit of rage she e-mails a newsletter detailing Mike's sexcapades to his colleagues, friends and family... and gets slapped with a divorce and lawsuit in the same day. Lacey's wronged-woman rant goes viral and Lacey has to escape the media furore in the wake of her lawsuit. She decides to play hermit in her grandmother's abandoned cabin where her solitary wallowing is interrupted by a handsome Hugh Jackman-lookalike called `Lefty' Monroe.

It is at the cabin that Lacey finds peace, orgasms, acceptance, guilt and her literay voice...

It's no secret that I love Molly Harper. Her `Jane Jameson' series made her an instant-buy author for me, `And One Last Thing...' reiterates why. Harper had me snorting and convulsing within the first chapter, and by the end of the book my stomach muscles were sore from belly-aching laughs.

How to describe Harper's acerbic wit? She's a little bit of everything I love and find funny, her characters speak a language I understand and march to the beat of a drum I can hear. Lacey and Jane Jameson's sense of humour (which is ultimately Molly Harper's humour) is a dash of Veronica Mars, a splash of Gilmore Girls, a head-nod to Joss Whedon and a salute to Tina Fey. Screw `whiskers on kittens', those funnies are a few of my favourite things!

Molly Harper changes genres from `paranormal' to `contemporary' and loses none of her writing flavour. She seems to enjoy putting her female heroines through the emotional ringer; tearing them down only to make building them up that much sweeter to read. Lacey is absolutely put through her paces in the beginning of the book; lamenting everything about her marriage from Mike's cheating, to their stilted love-life (he thought `racy' was having sex in a camping tent). Harper isn't afraid to write what every woman thinks (at least once in her life) - everything from secretly despising `earth tones' in the home, to navigating the purchase of a vibrator.

And then, for Lacey, Monroe walks onto the scene.... right when she is at her most emotional and irrational, a hunky Wolverine-looking next-door-neighbour is dropped into her lap and things perk up. Monroe and Lacey are H-O-T, but I mostly loved them because their repartee was high-notch and hilarious. They bounce off of one another effortlessly and their scenes are fantastic!

I'm not surprised that I loved `And One Last Thing...'. Molly Harper rules, and I am embedded in her fan-club. She writes funny like it's nobody's business, and her romances are lush to read.

Oh this one was fun! I think Lacey is what every woman who has been cheated on is really like deep down. Oh how I would have loved to write what I really felt about my ex who cheated on me and sent it out for everyone to know what a jerk he was. But luckily, I had enough sense not to. Lacey just went with it and thus unfolded a great story about getting over someone and moving on.

Lacey was a great character! She was spunky and fun and just said what she thought. I loved her! And Monroe seemed so hot! The brooding, mysterious guy at first who then opens up and becomes the great male romantic interest. And the cast of secondary characters were great too--Maya, Lacey's potential new work partner and Emmett, Lacey's gay and fabulous brother.

And the plot worked so well. Yes, the basic formula for a chick-lit story was followed, but it went so well. I felt like the story could be real. Lacey's feeling adn growth throughout the story seemed accurate and felt right.

If you've ever been cheated on, then you'll identify with this story. And if not, then you'll just enjoy laughing at Lacey's fun personality.

Lacey Terwilliger's life is about to change in a big way when she's sent flowers from her husband that says, "To my BumbleBee, Happy Anniversary, With all my love, The Stinger." Lacey's accountant husband Mike doesn't call her by a cutesy nickname, and definitely not BumbleBee. Shock fills Lacey's entire body because Mike's receptionist is named BeeBee Baumgardner. These flowers were sent to her by accident. And then it hits her like a ton of bricks. Mike is cheating on her with his bimbo receptionist. Lacey is more than mortified and wants to hurt Mike badly. She plays it cool, up to a point, and then gets her revenge. Lacey ends up writing and sending out a newsletter to all of Mike's clients and friends announcing what a scumbag cheater he is.

Lacey is through with the Tax King of Hammet County, and is raging over his betrayal. She has stood by Mike all these years, helping his company grow and suffering silently as he never cared about her needs, including those in the bedroom. As word runs rampant all over town, Lacey is the subject of both pity and scorn. She has no choice but to call a divorce lawyer and lick her wounds at her grandmother's rustic cabin in the woods. Perhaps the alone time will give her what she needs to meditate on her life that has gone down the toilet.

While Lacey tries to relax, she meets her attractive, hermit like next door neighbor who she nicknames Wolverine, with his wayward hair and sideburns that need a trim. He keeps to himself and is less than friendly, until one night, while Lacey goes skinny dipping in the lake, he rescues her. His name is Lefty Monroe and an author. Lacey just call him Monroe, since his first name makes her giggle. Soon these two become friends, and Monroe wants Lacey to channel her aggressions over Mike into writing. Lacey finds her writing to be great therapy, especially since her story is about a wife's horrible husband who's eaten by their house.

As the days go by, Lacey finds a way to move on, and that may mean with Monroe. They fall into a friends with benefits situation, that is, until his family comes for a surprise visit where Monroe announces what Lacey really means to him. Now Lacey has to decide if she's ready for a new relationship, move on with her life, and forgive The Stinger who has embarrassed her with his sweet little Bumblebee.

And One Last Thing... is a combination of romance and womens' fiction about a woman who must go through the steps of finding herself again. Lacey was ruled by her marriage and her husband who took her for granted. Even though she felt her marriage wasn't the best it could be, she tried to create a happy home. Unfortunately, it was her selfish husband who destroyed everything.

Mike is a big jerk who makes it all about him. Not once does he feel ashamed for what he has done to Lacey. His mistress BeeBee is a caricature and typical sex pot that thinks she has a right to Mike because Lacey is at fault for not doing her best to keep her husband from looking elsewhere. Lacey's gay brother Emmett bring forth the laughs, as well as Lacey's divorce lawyer Samantha, and Maya, a woman who was wronged by her fiancé and then started a greeting card company where she creates customized cards for all those unfortunate events that Hallmark doesn't cover. She wants Lacey to come work for her based on her newsletter that has become an urban legend for betrayed housewives everywhere. And then there is Monroe, who is wonderful, as Lacey's friend and lover. These two heat up the sheet together perfectly.

I'd only wish Lacey's parents would have been more supportive with their daughter and what she's going through. It seems they were a bit distance to her dilemma, which I couldn't understand. It would have been nice if Lacey had a few more tender moments with her mother, including her father, who acts cold to her because of his personality. But, the central focus of And One Last Thing... is not getting revenge, or necessarily looking to others who have your back, but finding a way to overcome a horrible event and moving on.

And One Last Thing... is pretty easy reading, has some nice moments of humor and steamy love scenes. Molly Harper has really written an enjoyable book that can speak on many levels to women about love and life.

Katiebabs

I LOVED the newsletter she sent out about her husband. It was hysterical! Unfortunately, the newsletter was the single most exciting thing the primary character, Lacey, did in the book.
I loved two of the secondary characters, Emmett and Maya. Lacey was even more uninteresting when compared to those two. And the love interest, Monroe, didn't appeal to me at all. He and Lacey were about as dull together as dry toast and water. My biggest disappointment was that the Maya character was so cool, and then she was just wasted. I would have rather seen more of her than Lacey's lawyer, mother or Beebee.
Also, I get the whole "personal growth" aspect of the book, but I would have liked Lacey much more if she would have done what she wanted and gone Maya's way (Monroe would have been more appealing if he had supported her in it and not been a judgemental A-hole). As it was, the last third of the book trekked to Dullsville with Emmett's character bringing the only humor and interest whatsoever.
And one last thing, why even bother writing Monroe's ENTIRE family as doctors if you aren't going to delve into why he chose to be a cop/writer instead?!? Did I miss that part when my mind would snooze during Monroe's scenes? Is it supposed to suggest he's a "rebel"? Ugh, I still don't like him.

Despite Lacey and Monroe, I love Molly Harper's urban series (Nice Girls and Naked Werewolves) so I'll give her next chick-lit a try. But I hope the primaries are at least as interesting as the secondaries next time.

Lacey Terwilliger just discovered her husband's affair. He accidentally sent his mistress, aka his personal assistant, flowers and had them delivered to his home address. Lacey, quite stunned and in disbelief, hightails it to her husband's office only to witness their affair first hand.

So what does Lacey do? She writes about her cheating husband's extramarital trysts. I forgot to mention, she writes them in his company's newsletters and emails these newsletters to his clients, family and their close friends. Needless to say, this does not go over well and Lacey quickly realizes she acted purely out of emotion. She retreats to her family's cabin to reflect on their marriage and herself. It's there that she meets Monroe, the quiet, loner "I don't like divorce drama" man who encourages Lacey to pick herself up, dust herself off and begin again.

And One Last Thing... is about a woman who acts impulsively out of emotion (and humiliation) and thinks about the consequences later. Despite her irrational decision to write and send the newsletters, Lacey is a woman that the readers will immediately love. Early on it's obvious her husband Mike doesn't deserve her. He treats her more like his girl Friday instead of his wife. By the end of the novel, I liked that Lacey fought hard to gain her identity back and was given a second chance for happiness.

Ms. Harper is a new-to-me author. I enjoyed And One Last Thing... so much, that I'm looking forward to reading more of her books. Highly recommended.

4.5 Stars

And One Last Thing by Molly Harper was a wonderful mixture of silliness, humor and pragmatic emotion. I love stumbling upon a great chick-lit novel and this one did not disappoint me. The plot was a little tired, but it flowed and was smooth so it worked wonderfully. Everything from the characters' actions to emotions just seemed so realistic that I couldn't let go of them.
Lacey has been betrayed and has a huge falling out with her soon to be ex. I wish I had this woman's wicked sense of humor. She finds herself dealing with the drama by letting her emotions guide her and sending a spiteful e-mail to everyone detailing her husband's incriminating extracurricular activities. To escape her life and protect herself, she seeks isolation in her family's cabin... she doesn't find the isolation she sought after. Instead, she finds a grouchy, sizzlin' man who is trying to barricade himself from socialization. I found it adorable that they both tried detaching themselves from everyone, finding themselves being forced into interaction with each other. Who doesn't want help from an attractive, brooding neighbor-man though? HA

Lacey was a spectacular, spunky main character! And I adored her and the mysterious Monroe as a couple, they had chemistry that popped off the page. It was sweet watching their friendship evolve into something more. The secondary characters were brilliant as well- my favorite being Lacey's brother Emmett.

This book was so much fun and I enjoyed myself straight through. Fortunately for us, Lacey follows her emotions and creates a magnificent story of heartache and moving on. If you're into contemporary romance or chick-lit, pick this one up. I have had Harper's paranormal series on my TBR list for awhile and after reading And One Last Thing I will definitely be jumping on that series as soon as I can get my hands on it!

Intoxicated Singletree Florist Cheryl Glick delivers the flowers from accountant Mike Terwilliger to his wife Lacey only there is no occasion, which is the only time he sends anything, and the card says to "My Bumblebee signed "The Stinger. Lacey realizes BeeBee secretary to her spouse was supposed to receive the floral arrangement. Fuming she goes to the email only to find Mike changed the password; but she enters BeeBee and finds the lewd emails including non facial pictures. Raging, she sends the emails to their clients as the monthly newsletter.

A hurt Mike files for divorce; while he and BeeBee sue for defamation of character. Her lawyer Sam "the Shark" tells her to stay out of trouble as her email has gone viral and the media is rabid. Lacey leaves for her remote cabin Lighthouse Cove. Her only neighbor is grumpy novelist Lefty "Wolverine" Monroe. He has a phobia about divorcees and she about men. With a nude swim and rescue, a door to the nose, her mom's food, and writing with beer, they becomes friends and more while a fellow victim of male deceit Maya wants Lacey to partner with her on a Season's Grating card business.

This is an amusing contemporary chick lit tale that satirizes the viral social networks in which one thing leads to another until there is no And One Last Thing. With a nod to Miss Manners who cautions people about placing relationships out there for the world to see, fans will enjoy the jocularity of a woman cuckold and then scorned finding solace in words and Wolverine who as her gay brother says looks him in the eye rather than everywhere else as Mike did.

Harriet Klausner

This is what summer is all about. I started this book when I couldn't sleep and then couldn't sleep until I finished it. It was a very quick read for me. Some of the one liners from Lacey are just spectacular. I am not going to quote any, you are just going to have to get your own copy. Lacey embodies what all women would like to do when confronted with a cheating man. Get revenge! And she does so spectacularly. After sending out a newsletter announcing her husband's infidelity to everyone and then becoming a punch line in the joke of the day, she finds herself and true love. Now isn't that what every summer read should be?

In Molly Harpers, And One Last Thing, we meet Lacey Terwilliger who has just found out that her husband is cheating on her with his secretary.. the nerve! Like any woman scorned, she is blinded by the sheer fact that she wants REVENGE! So she sends out an e-mail detailing her husbands philandering ways... what she didn't expect was the fallout.

In the hopes of hiding out for a while, Lacey makes a quick escape, and goes out to her family's lakeside cabin. There she meets neighbor Monroe - dark, brooding and definitely not looking for any drama in his life.

Lacey will definitely have to make some important decisions - her career/job, her marriage, decide on permanent living arrangements... and whether she can be with a man who is blunt and honest and does not tell her what she wants to hear...

This is chick lit at its finest. Molly Harper not only gives you a fun, spunky and witty heroine - but she also gives you a very quirky tale about one woman's life going up in flames and how she proudly emerges from its ashes.

I have to say that I absolutely loved how not only do we get some real emotions but we also get some zany, wacky and more than once laugh-out-loud moments all wrapped up into this one great story. Lacey is a phenomenal leading lady. She always finds herself in some sort of trouble (mostly by her own doing) and when you finally think she's in the clear, she jumps right into another load of trouble. Monroe and his Hugh Jackman looks... well, need I say more. There were also some very lovable and endearing supporting characters (i.e. Lacey's brother, Emmett, the husband-stealing secretary, Maya - Lacey's potential work partner, etc.).

Although very entertaining, Lacey's feelings, emotions and growth throughout the story were realistically depicted. You really get to know her, she literally feels like a friend by the end of the book. Very well done.

This is one that I can highly recommend to fans of chick lit or even contemporary romance. It has just the right amount of ingredients to make it a very enjoyable read. Loved it.

This book was provided for review by Simon and Schuster.