Sleeping with Ward Cleaver [Mass Market Paperback]

Jenny Gardiner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2008

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE "HAPPILY EVER AFTER"?

Sleeping with Ward Cleaver is the funny yet poignant story of a woman at a crossroads in life, who years earlier married a man who swept her off her feet, but now finds that her Mr. Right has evolved into Mr. Always Right, and the only sweeping going on in her life involves a broom and a dustpan. As her dreams collide with reality and the one that got away shows up trying to worm his way back into her heart, she must decide if her once charmed marriage is salvageable, and if so, how she's going to go about saving it.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Somewhere along the line, Claire Doolittle’s handsome, carefree, exciting husband, Jack, turned into staid, solemn, know-it-all Ward Cleaver (of Leave It to Beaver fame). Claire and Jack’s life together is so dull and regimented that even sex is performed according to schedule—every Sunday night, come rain or shine. The lack of romance in her life begins eating away at Claire. She craves passion and desire. Enter “Todd the Bod,” an old flame. Claire is torn. Does she want an exciting love life badly enough to leave Jack? Should she fight or flee? In Gardiner’s emotionally realistic picture of a stale relationship, it’s easy for women to identify with Claire, from her physical midlife slump to her emotional one. And the resigned wife, the oblivious husband, and the enticing blast from the past are such well-crafted characters readers will swear they know them. Fans of such books as Cassandra King’s The Sunday Wife (2002) and Susan Wiggs’ The Ocean Between Us (2004) will enjoy Gardiner’s. --Shelley Mosley

Review

"REVIEWER TOP PICK AND LIFETIME KEEPER! Jenny Gardiner brings to life Claire Doolittle with such vibrancy that I feel I know her. With her sharp wit and hilarious descriptions, Ms. Gardiner has a delightful voice that left me wanting more." -- Vee, Night Owl Romance

"The "Bridget Jones Diary" for all married and harried mommies! And perhaps a good gift to give to our younger and single girlfriends-it's a gentle and humorous way to give them a glimpse of what's to come . . . Sleeping With Ward Cleaver (is) the perfect romantic comedy for a 30-something Mommy, who still wants to be a sexy and sassy gal, despite the spit up encrusted on all of her clothing. I can only hope Rob Reiner and friends, will put this sassy book on the big screen!" -- MamaLit.com

"A fun, sassy read! A cross between Erma Bombeck and Candace Bushnell, reading Jenny Gardiner is like sinking your teeth into a big frosted chocolate cupcake...you just want more." -- Meg Cabot, author of the Princess Diaries, Queen of Babble, & the Heather Wells Mysteries

"Honest, real and wickedly funny, Sleeping with Ward Cleaver is a keeper!" -- Jane Porter, author of Flirting with Forty

"In this "woman's fiction," debut novelist Jenny Gardiner achieves the difficult, if not impossible, task of creating sexual and romantic tension between characters who have been married more than a few years. And they said it couldn't be done. The risk with writing about a married couple is how to sustain the conflict without getting shrill or soapy. Gardiner pulls it off. I wanted to see Jack and Claire fight for their marriage and their romance.

Armchair Interviews says: Sleeping with Ward Cleaver is a clever and engaging romance with humor and heart" -- Carrie Padgett, Armchair Interviews

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: Love Spell (February 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0505527472
• ISBN-13: 978-0505527479
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #791,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Domestic Life