Customer Reviews

Sweet Life

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

I won this book online and am so glad I did. I loved it. I have never been to Hawaii but I would love to go. The story was well written and drew me right in. It was definatly worth my time and I did have a hard time putting it down!

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!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I don't really know anything about Hawaii and it was exciting reading about Pele, the goddess of the volcano. I loved reading how Marissa changed from a selfish, arrogant woman to a thoughtful, selfless, and loving mother. The Marissa at the end of the book is completely different from the Marissa we see at the beginning. Although if I were in her shoes, husband moves you to Hawaii and then decides on a separation, I don't know if I would have reacted much differently. Marissa is heartbroken when Paul tells her on Valentine's Day that he needs some time apart and thinks a trial separation would be best. She doesn't react in the best way, but I don't really blame here - that is a hard thing to comprehend with no warning.

My only complaint is the ending. While there is a happy ending there is not much discussion on how Marissa and Paul got their happy ending. I would have liked to have read about how they dealt with all the issues while trying to restore their marriage.

Paul's promotion is too good to pass up; so he, his wife Marissa and their daughter Pansy relocate. They leave New York for Hawaii. The whole family has adjustments to make, but especially Marissa who has gone from Manhattan working mom to Islander stay at home mom.

However, Paul reacts the strangest as demands a trial separation so that he can "find himself"; as he feels he lost his identity to being provider, husband and father. To economically survive, Marissa takes in renters that lead to friendships; however, she also knows it is a time of reckoning. She has to decide Hawaii with a chance of Paul returning or New York where employment exists for her.

This entertaining tale focuses on what is a SWEET LIFE as the lead couple relocates to what each assumes will prove to be paradise only to find location is important, but people make their own "Eden". The story line is character driven especially by Marissa who is unsure what she must do for her and their kids. Although Paul is appallingly simplified to the point of stereotypical born again slacker, fans will enjoy this fine tale of a woman rediscovering just who she is.

Harriet Klausner

When her husband gets a new job, Marissa Price leaves the island of Manhattan for the island of Hawaii. Paradise seems like the perfect place to find herself, save her marriage, and reconnect with her daughter. But Marissa discovers her new life is less about beaches and beautiful sunsets and more about cows and lava flows. Their new "home" is a fixer-upper. But what most needs fixing--Marisa's marriage-- is the first thing to crumble when her husband announces he wants time apart to find himself. Pulled in opposite directions, Marissa is faced with the most important decision of her life--a choice that will define who she is, what she wants, and where her happiness lies. This is Sweet Life by Mia King.

After the first few pages, I have to admit, I started thinking what do I have in common with the main character Marissa. She was living the wealthy life, working full time, and letting a nanny take care of her daughter. But I am so happy I stuck with it, because that was exactly the point of the whole novel. It was Marissa discovering what her true happiness could be and it took her husband leaving her to find it. I loved the storyline, especially that Sweet Life was set in Hawaii. It was interesting to learn about the customs and sights and especially the food.

Marissa has to take in tenants after her husband leaves to pay bills and the women that come to live with her are fun and strong women. This part is where the book really took off for me. One of them cooks a lot which leads to another thing I loved about Sweet Life, the recipes that Mia King includes at the end of the book. Some of the ones included are Chocolate Lava Cake and Guava Grilled Steaks. The themes covered in Sweet Life include marriage, motherhood, friendship and most importantly, self-discovery.

This fiction story did wrap up a bit too perfectly but it was a truly enjoyable read. There were some wonderfully funny moments as well as an awesome moment at the airport that every woman would love (You'll have to read it to see what I mean). I recommend you grab a copy of Sweet Life, make some Chocolate Lava Cake, and enjoy this delicious book!

I am not typically a woman's book reader. I am a woman who generally reads sci-fi, fantasy, horror, thriller and some random genres here and there. I had come upon this book at the library on the recommended shelf and found a treasure. The night I started it, I stayed up until 2am ("Just one more chapter and then I'll go to bed") and accidentally took too long of a lunch the next day. I finished it the next night and I absolutely loved it.
It's a sweet little story with great characters. You get interested in their lives right away and just have to know what happens. The main women are all so their own characters and you love them for all of it. The characters have integrity, morals and show that to be a good woman's book, you don't have to have steamy sex scenes but instead can focus on what most women want - a happy, healthy life and family. The struggle to make this happen and realizing when we've lost touch and are blind to it.
I really appreciated this book and it came along at a great time when I'm trying to reflect on and improve my own life. I wrote the author and told her how much I enjoyed it and got a very nice email in return. I'll be picking up her other books this evening and will have likely devoured them by this weekend.

"Sweet Life" by Mia King is pure beach reading...even if it's in mid-winter and the coast is miles away. The author, who has a flare for travel vignettes, re-creates such a vivid, off-the-beaten-path-where-the-locals-live slice of Hawaii that you can almost smell the salty ocean mingle with the fresh plumeria in the air...pass me a chunk of guava, please, ummm...now back to the book.

An extra star goes to an interesting plot that involves the main character, Marissa and her husband Paul, along with their young daughter, undertaking a major relocation from Manhattan to Hawaii due to Paul's job promotion. Oops, one star down; some of the plot is a bit too incredulous. I mean, what are the odds of meeting an annoying fellow passenger on an airplane, only to end up roommates who transform from total opposites to total friends? Other unrealistic situations bring Marissa together with two other women who end up being Marissa's roommates after her husband skips out on her. Since the plot forces many of the puzzle pieces in the main character's life together, I could not get fully lost in the book.

On the plus side, call me Pollyanna, but I love the fact that Paul, Marissa's husband who is on the brink of a breakdown, ends up being a squeaky-clean committed husband. It is a refreshing break from a divorce-thirsty society and the way Mia sets up these circumstances is quite ingenious, but definitely credible.

The author's recipes (her hallmark) add another layer of sweetness to the book. Call it a day, grab a blanket and head to the beach of your mind, this book is meant for pure paradisiacal escape.

Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell, Author/Book Reviewer/Teacher
CONSUMMATE CONNECTICUT: DAY TRIPS WITH PANACHE

I couldn't put this book down! I could relate to it and it was touching. Great read!!!

After reading this book, I can't wait to read the rest of Mia King's work. She is a true artist, pulling the reader into the book and not letting go. I couldn't put the book down! It's a sweet book, reminding the reader of what matters most in life. Thanks for a wonderful read!