4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hero not redeemed so 4 1/2 stars!, June 17, 2010
This review is from: Sweet Life (Paperback)
Paul the hero is a Midwesterner and things seem to come to him effortlessly. He doesn't really seem to have to work hard for them. The one time something doesn't come to him so easily he has a crisis. Maybe that is just in his character. So he has problems in his marriage, should be effortless for Paul, yet since it is not he decides it is separation time (another mid-life crisis). The first one Marissa, whom he demeaned during this first one, stuck by him and he claimed that he would be there for hers. Yet the going got tough and that man left.
So Paul wants to take this assignment in Hawaii. What does Paul have to give up though? Marissa must quit her job, become a full-time mom, leave her friends behind, and relocate to a completely different area that is so far removed from what she knows. Of course they agree to go down for the weekend look around and then discuss it as a family. However, Paul decides that he will take the assignment without consulting with Marissa. She finds out and gets very upset and he apologizes later on. Marissa agrees to go after all she is a real trooper, someone who isn't afraid to work hard to get what she wants.
They are in Hawaii in a fixer-upper house with cows living next door. Quite a step down from what they are used to. Paul expects Marissa to grin and bear it. That's not her style though. She gets up tight about things, she seems to lose her self esteem (after some of this seems to be based upon her success in her job, which she gave up to accept the transfer of his), and she draws in on herself. She believes that he husband is fooling around and Ms. King makes that seem very believable. She becomes suspicious when he goes on a skiing trip and doesn't return until late. He claims he showered at the hotel and lost track of time, however if he already showered why does he need to shower again when he gets home? He told her that she could have gone on the ski trip but she felt like someone needed to stay with Pansy because the little girl couldn't go up there, the elevation wasn't recommended for younger children.
We are told that Paul is kind of romantic he doesn't forget dates and all yet he does seem to forget telling Marissa about the massage and the fact that they were going to be closer as a family because of this job transfer and oh the all important Valentine's Day. Marissa planned a romantic evening out with her spouse to try to make up for the uproar over the ski trip and she even got him a gift. What did Paul get her? Oh yeah, he wants a separation! He claims that all Marissa does is complain and that she brings him down. I must have missed that. The only thing I remember her complaining about was the house. It was a fixer-upper and really needed work, but I don't recall him trying to help fix anything at that time instead he was off doing what he wanted to do. So Marissa kicks him out. What else was she supposed to do? He wanted a separation that doesn't mean he continues to live there someone needs to move and made more since for him to leave as Pansy, their daughter, would probably stay with her mother.
Paul ends up getting a rental on the beach, never mind that they couldn't get that before because they couldn't afford it, but suddenly when he separates from his wife he can afford to maintain two households? She needs to take in roommates in order to make some money to make repairs to the house so that she can fix it up and resale it and then return to New York.
Poor Paul needs to find himself. I'm thinking Marissa needed to find herself. She had to rewrite her life for this selfish man. Even when he proposed the whole moving thing he said, ". . . Why not me? Us?" I'm thinking he was more concerned with himself. When he talked about the separation he kept saying I,I,I not us. He wanted her to be more supportive of him. She was! She believed in him, she quit her job, and moved across the country for him changing her way of life for him and his job. He hardly even spoke to her or tried to work things out and I guess he thought she should just sit around waiting for him to want to step back into the marital role.
When he shows up to his daughter's riding lessons he wants to know if Marissa checked out Tom's references. Marissa is right there watching. He didn't seem to care who would stay with Pansy when he told Marissa she could go skiing with him. Did he forget that? Paul took off his ring too. Granted Marissa had removed hers but he had asked for the separation if he was removing his ring it would seem he wanted more. She saw him at the store with another woman, heard he had been seen at the coffee house with another woman, and a co-worker said he was flirting around with said woman. What is Marissa supposed to think? Marissa decides to file for divorce. She wants to move on. She tells Paul, who says, "Whatever you want, Marissa. I'm tired of fighting you. Do whatever you want, since you are going to do that anyway." Another thing I must have missed. There was no fighting they hardly ever interacted!!
She goes to New York then suddenly he is in the house and helping out with her house mates, where was he all that time before. He can't believe that she did all of that repair work. Given how hard she worked to get through school and in her career why would he think she couldn't do the whole repair stuff? That man didn't need to find himself he needed to find out things about his wife because he apparently knew NOTHING about her!! Later he finally asks her what she wants. He seems to be saying that if she wants them to return to New York then he is willing to do it. He further says that the house has depreciated in value. I'm not sure how he comes to that conclusion given all the work she and her house mates did on the place though. I am left wondering if he is dumb or a liar and if he is a liar what else has he lied about?
Seriously I wonder if Paul really loved Marissa. We are not given his point of view in the entire story. We know hers and I feel that she loved him after all that she sacrificed for him. What did he give up for her? He was lonely so he had dinner with another woman when he could have been speaking to his wife and working things out. Is there a happily ever after? I don't think so. Paul needs to grow up, step up, and learn what love is about. When and if Marissa goes through a mid-life crisis I doubt Paul will hang in there he is too high maintenance! This story is more about a woman changing her life for the man she loves who just so happens to be completely selfish and self absorbed!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet Life, November 7, 2008
This review is from: Sweet Life (Paperback)
Wow! Mia King did it again! She challenges her readers in a light hearted way yet her point comes across loud and clear. She says,"Grow up girls, and while you're at it - GET A LIFE!"...or should we say SWEET LIFE? If you are looking for inspiration with island flavor, this is the book!
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