Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakthrough [Paperback]

Isabel Sharpe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2007

Welcome to Kettle, Wisconsin, a town where everyone knows nothing bad ever happens.

Enter Lorelei Taylor—notorious, glamorous, and hot off a not-guilty murder verdict that stunned the nation. To the women of Kettle, bad things seem suddenly inevitable . . .

Sarah Gilchrist—A perfect house and garden can't quite make up for a marriage that's a wreck. Sarah is determined to rise above her opinion of Kettle's dreadful newcomer and give her a perfect welcome. But in the face of Lorelei's outrageous provocations, Sarah's control starts to unravel.

Erin Hall—What her husband does to her behind closed doors stays hidden. But Lorelei's acquittal gives Erin hope for the first time. Convinced Lorelei did kill her abusive lover . . . and got away with it, Erin thinks she may have some power after all.

Lorelei Taylor—In Lorelei's eyes, peaceful, heavenly Kettle could not look any more like hell. She vows to shake up the town—smug, priggish Sarah; mousy, downtrodden Erin; and while she's at it, her widowed neighbor, Mike. Except the harder she shakes, the more the shake-up is happening to her.

Sometimes the only thing women on the edge need . . . is a push.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Little happens in Kettle, Wis., but when Sharpe, who has written over 20 romance and erotica novels, sends an acquitted murderess to the town days after her sensational New York trial concludes, there's trouble in the offing. Lorelei Taylor, found not guilty of murdering her "publishing magnate" lover, heads to Kettle, home of her late grandmother, to lay low after the trial. As luck would have it, there's a too-good-to-be-true widower/ handyman across the street, but he refuses to be another sex toy for the gorgeous Lorelei. Neighbor Sarah Gilchrist is long accustomed to her beautiful home and ugly marriage, but Lorelei's ballsy New York attitude rubs off on her. Same with dowdy Erin Hall: abused by her husband, Erin is given hope by the arrival of the flamboyant woman she sees as a hero. Although the "surprise" at the end isn't surprising and the loose ends are tied too neatly, this feel-good story won't disappoint women readers looking for a light read. (Feb.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 375 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061140554
• ISBN-13: 978-0061140556
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,187,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Isabel Sharpe was not born pen in hand like so many of her fellow authors. After she quit work in 1994 to stay home with her first-born son and nearly went out of her mind, she started writing. Yes, she was the clich'd bored housewife writing romance, but it was either that clich' or seduce the mailman, and her mailman was unattractive. After more than twenty novels for Harlequin, and the exciting new direction of women-focused stories for Avon/HarperCollins, Isabel admits her new mailman is gorgeous, but she's still happy with her choice.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, February 28, 2007

By 

Tanya Spiker "Tanya" (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakthrough (Paperback)

Being familiar with Isabel Sharpe's wit and noting that some of the reviews called it a comedy, I was expecting to laugh--and I absolutely did. I also winced, cried, empathized, held my breath and continued to think about the characters long after I'd read the last sentence (when you get the book, make sure you don't overlook the epilogue information in the back!) Sharpe doesn't shy away from writing about seriously flawed characters. Her "heroine" (although that's too simplisitc a description for Vivian) can be over the top and at times even self-destructive, but she remains throughout a complicated character that you root for. Even Sarah, who I would probably want to smack in real life, tugged on my heartstrings, especially in her attempts to be a good mom to her difficult teenage daughter an to ultimately change her own life. And Erin's story blew me away. If you're looking for the escapism of books that feature characters who are distinctly "good" or "bad" without much of the gray area in between or character growth, then this isn't the book for you. But for anyone else, it's a definite keeper!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-read and a Keeper, February 12, 2007

By 

Barbara Daly "an Isabel Sharpe fan" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakthrough (Paperback)

Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakthrough is a simply fabulous book. The characters are wonderfully drawn, I feel as if I've visited the setting, Kettle, Wisconsin, and the stories of these three women touch the heart. The surprises in the twists and turns of the story continue right up to the last words. Sharpe's voice is energetic and the writing is flawless. This book gets my highest recommendation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Breakthrough novel of female empowerment, July 30, 2007

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakthrough (Paperback)

Accused of electrocuting her abusive and philandering lover, Lorelei Taylor manages to escape prosecution nearly penniless. In need of some down time, she drops her sex kitten former stripper persona and reverts back to her given name, Vivian Harcourt, to relocate to the small Wisconsin town of her deceased grandmother. She has happy memories of Kettle, Wisconsin, unfortunately, the townspeople aren't excited to have someone who they think got away with murder in their midst.

Vivian unwittingly has quite an effect on the town, from Mike the widower she wants to seduce, to the frigid wives like Sarah, who seemingly has the perfect life, but it's a mask of unfulfilled promise. Former childhood playmate, Erin has been a punching bag for her abusive husband, something a fellow victim is able to detect. As she navigates the small mindedness of her adopted small town, Vivian tries valiantly to live up to her image and maintain control her heart, while Mike slowly chips away at her armor.

Sharpe's novel of female empowerment is at times funny, bittersweet, and cathartic, and a lesson in not believing first impressions or gossip. Unfortunately, an abrupt ending and an all too brief epilogue cheats readers of the action surrounding the outcomes of each woman's life.