Customer Reviews

Sex, Lies and Real Estate: a novel of the real estate industry

5 star:		(4)
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If you have every thought of becoming a real estate salesperson and making some big, quick money, read this book. It's the fast-moving story of a homemaker with rusty job skills who suddenly finds her husband gone and has two preschoolers to support. Like many, she becomes a Realtor because it is the last profession that requires weeks instead of years of additional education. What they don't teach you in real estate school is how to make money and survive in a very competitive field. Jojo learns the hard way, but has the advantage of a very caring mentor who shows her the ropes...until the mentor commits the ultimate sacrilege and almost destroys the friendship. You'll ache with Jojo as she struggles to balance career and family while maintaining her own sanity. This is the lot of all working mothers, but in real estate it is perhaps more intense than elsewhere. You are beholden to your clients 24/7, and they have no respect for your need to care for your children and relax now and then. Carrol Wolverton has dished up a very realistic inside look at one of the world's most interesting professions.

Author Wolverton has written not only a good story, but also a guide for the newly-divorced, the real estate hopefuls, and the spouse intending to stray. Wolverton offers help for those who face a broken family, those who want a career and those who contemplate destroying the lives of their family. It's a great source for realtors across the country and for people suffering divorces.

In this novel, the story of lives and inner workings in the Florida real estate venue is an immensely enjoyable work. The story is captivating. I found it hard to put down, engrossing and fast-paced.
This is the second novel I have read from Carrol Wolverton, and look forward to her next publication.
I highly recommend this book for all who enjoy a good novel.

Carrol Wolverton has given a very interesting look inside the complex real estate business. Great characters! Jo Jo is certainly someone you want to see win. Highly recommended.

St. Augustine author, Karen Harvey, wrote the following review but was unable to post it on amazon. As such, I am posting it for her. Thank you, Karen. Carrol Wolverton
The title titillates: "Sex" is the grabber with "Lies" nibbling at its heels. The "Real Estate" part raises a curious eyebrow and then you open the book to discover the connection.
Author Carrol Wolverton makes the connection of "sex," "lies," and "real estate" in a book filled with believable characters and a story line you don't want to happen to you. It takes place in the regional southeast where real estate sales and development are practically a way of life. With a volatile housing market across the nation, it is easy to put the dealing into perspective from any part of the country.
It is JoJo's voice that you hear in this first person novel. She is too naive to be a heroine, but strong enough to be understood. Her introduction to the real estate world after discovering her cheating husband is more than a liar makes the reader wonder what else happens before a closing and behind closed doors. It is intriguing to say the least.
JoJo strugges with her past, present, and her future and finds her inner strength in the process. Her story isn't meant to be inspirational. She really toughs it out most of the time and primarily learns from the school of hard knocks. Maybe there is a lesson after all. With the help of good friend Charlon and her own mother, JoJo manages to succeed in an unfriendly business.
JoJo's progress in rebuilding her life and in constructing a career is somewhat predictible, but the end of the story is not. I found myself drawn back to the book when distracted by events. That's the mark of a good story.
This is Wolverton's second novel: "Back Bay Boston Basement" plays out in a different part of the country and with a totally different set of characters and circumstances. Both are definitely worth reading.