Customer Reviews

Teeth in a Pickle Jar

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Parental upheaval, death, surprise love connection and an untimely pregnancy deliver realism and emotion for a `can't put the book down' read.

Italian heritage, cyber romantic interlude, and an unexpected pregnancy are all key factors in H. B. Milligan's "Teeth in a Pickle Jar".

Meagan Gigliardi grew up with her mom's strict Italian heritage. Dreams of joining the Peace Corps were quashed and the regret in not following her heart remained.

Zoom now to one foolish night to remove the `virgin' status and you have an unexpected pregnancy, a rash decision to marry this unattractive rich boy and a whole lotta trouble from the mother-in-law.

Yet Megan slowly begins to place her life the way it should be all due to an unknown man she's been communicating with over the Internet for a web design.

Miss Milligan adds the realistic pain of death, decisions to make, and a fantastic love relationship to round out this highly recommended novel.

Although not exactly a Danielle Steele read, Milligan does have that same flair to draw her readers into her character's situations and emotions. Makes for an amazing winter read with a feel good experience throughout. The first person point of view only enhances the novel and the superb beginning with correlating ending- an open letter-adds authenticity to Meagan Gigliardi.

Lea Schizas - AllBooks Reviewer

I wasn't sure whether I would like this book when I started to read it, but as I went on, I was hooked. The story -- an older woman meeting a younger man on the Internet and falling in love -- might sound a tad unrealistic except that this was based on the author's own life. I read that this is how she and her (younger) husband really met. Wow!

I liked how the main character, Megan, evolves from an obedient, meek young girl afraid to upset her neurotic "Mamma," to a strong, assertive woman who makes difficult -- daring even -- choices in her search of happiness and love.

Although some serious matters are raised in the book, humor is the driving force of this novel. Mamma's idiosyncrasies, for example, are so irritating I could punch her in the face, but the author presents them in such a funny way, I couldn't help laughing through much of the book.

I recommended this novel to my book club and all those who like romance fiction / chick lit.

If you were intimidated by your mother, and married, or thought of marrying a much younger man, you will enjoy this read.

The book is well-written and funny - an easy read - believable, and will appeal to many women. As the author put it so well:

"This book is dedicated to all those who think out of the box, walk the unbeaten path, don't crumble in the face of adversity, and believe in second chances."

Those who would love "Teeth in a Pickle Jar" are infinite.

"What about sunsets and sunrises, the ebbs and tides of my own life? I think about the still-new love that suddenly, unexpectedly crashed into me like a powerful wave. The love that lit up the darkest corners of my heart and filled me with the greatest joy I have ever known."

Sitting on a beach as the sun gives way to dusk and then dark, Megan holds onto an envelope from Mamma, waiting until the last possible minute to open it up and read the letter waiting inside. H.B. Milligan's Teeth in a Pickle Jar is the story of second chances and taking risks, of finding love in unexpected places and letting one's heart be open to joys and sorrows. Megan is a 44-year-old single mother, living in an apartment and teaching French. With a daughter in college and a brash, opinionated mother, Megan is living her life day to day, not really happy but getting by.

When she decides to have a web site designed for her business, she meets a designer named Brent online. They chat via instant messenger, and before long their chats become personal. Each feels a connection, a chemistry, despite the distance between them - Megan is in New York, while Brent is in Florida. When Megan finds out Brent is just 30, she goes through the reasons in her head why it can't work. But despite it all, the connection is forged, and Megan allows herself to go with her feelings.

After Brent makes a couple of trips to New york to see Megan in person, Megan takes a trip to Florida. There she meets Brent's sister, who is opposed to the idea of their May-December romance, and Megan winds up feeling that she's right. Having lost faith that they can make it work, Megan nearly sabotages the budding relationship.

Back in New York, Megan focuses on her life there. She's angry with her mother for not accepting Brent and failing to support her daughter's interests. She's worried about her sick neighbor, Tina. But mostly, she misses Brent and regrets not trusting him more.

Teeth in a Pickle Jar left me with tears in my eyes as I finished reading it. I wasn't sure how much I was going to like the book as I started it, and certain details here and there didn't sound terribly authentic, but the further I got into the book, the more moving the dialogue become and the more engrossed I became in the characters' lives. Arguments with Mamma sounded like they could have easily been real words that Milligan put down on paper. Milligan is the 'older woman' in her own marriage, so she writes with a knowing voice when Megan speaks of her insecurities as well as her confidence.

Despite some weaknesses when it comes to dealing with her own mother for much of the story, Megan is a remarkably strong woman. Pregnant after her first sexual experience, she stands up to her monster of a mother-in-law and never backs down. Putting myself in those shoes, I don't know that I could have held my head that high, particularly at that young age. She also learns from that experience, and from the way her Mamma treats her, and gives her daughter the support she needs when life throws her a curve ball.

Teeth in a Pickle Jar is about being hopeful and supportive, about believing in dreams and having the courage to go after them. How much of it is fiction and how much of it is based on Milligan's own life, I don't know, but overall it is a story of faith and family, of loving and being loved. The story ends where it started, with Megan reading the letter from Mamma on that darkened beach. The plot moves along a bit fast at times, but the dialogue and characters are believable, and the story funny and touching.

Teeth in a Pickle Jar is a good chick-lit read that is fast-paced and riveting with all

the right elements to make it satisfying. Ms. Milligan writes a book that is down to earth and, at times, melts the heart. She has cleverly included wit and great dialogue making it hard to put the book down. She constructed characters that are well rounded and very realistic in everyday life.

Ms. Milligan spins a tale that has you wishing for more. This is a book that I highly

recommend to everyone, if only to read the character of Mamma. If you like movies

like `My Big Fat Greek Wedding,' then this book is for you.

--Coffee Time Romance Reviews, www.coffeetimeromance.com

Megan hasn't had an easy life. Her first sexual encounter leads to a delightful daughter--and a loveless marriage that comes complete with Annabelle, a mother-in-law who gives new meaning to the idea of hauteur and arrogance. After a year of getting by and enduring, Megan has had enough and she leaves Paris, and the husband, for New York City, and her own overbearing mother.

For years Megan devoted herself to providing a good home for her daughter Hayley, trying to provide a balance for the emotionally cold world of Hayley's father and the domineering presence of Mamma. Suddenly Brent, a much younger man, enters the picture, throwing Megan's world into turmoil. Will Megan throw away a chance at true happiness or will she take the leap, regardless of what her Mamma has to say?

H.B. Milligan has crafted a novel of discovery out of some fairly stereotypical plot lines: WASP-ish upper crust society mirrored against the ethnicity of recent immigrants; an overbearing mother of ethnic origin; young single mothers whose lives are relived by their daughters; and finally a middle-aged woman robbing the cradle.

Rather than a formulaic romance novel, Teeth in a Pickle Jar is about searching, discovering anew the shadow our past can cast on our present. Wrapped in a story of a May/December romance, Milligan has constructed a morality play that causes the reader to pause and reflect.

Is it truly better to cling to the hurts we know than to gamble on potential happiness? If Brent is what waits at the end of the journey, then I for one vote for happiness!

Armchair Interviews says: Throwing all these disparate plots together with a crazy title like Teeth in a Pickle Jar shouldn't work, but Milligan's pen delights, creating an entrancing tale of self-discovery, friendship and romance.

I like light reading and this novel was great. Despite a sprinkling of sad moments it was mostly funny and I had many a good laugh. I didn't want it to end and wonder whether there'll be a sequel? I am recommending this to all my female friends.

Kristen, Oakland CA

My book club chose this book based on good reviews it had earned. However we were all disappointed. It wasn't at all what we had hoped for. The characters were flat at best, occasionally just plain unbelievable, the plot was predictable, and the theme was unclear. The main romantic interest was too good to be true, the mother of the previous lover was too bad to be true, and the whole book was just not plausible. If you're looking for something genuinely touching about children and a second chance at love, look at some books by Anna Quindlen, or even Jodi Piccoult. This one is not a winner.

This is a book written by a woman for women, Yet, as a male, I enjoyed it. Firstly, it was witty. Secondly, it dealt with a romance between an older woman and younger man that was originally plotted and sounded believable. There is an element of pathos in the story.

A nice blend of romance and wackiness. Very well written, the characters are realistic, the dialogue flows and the humor is great. I found the love story between an older woman and a younger man very inspiring, especially as it is based on the author's own life. All in all, an enjoyable and riveting read.