Claire Knows Best (Claire Everett Series, No. 2) (Paperback)

by Tracey Bateman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
** "Tracey Bateman is one of the most talented new storytellers in Christian fiction" - Karen Kinsbury

Product Description
DESCRIPTION: In this humorous follow-up to Leave It to Claire, this overwhelmed single mother enlists the help of a life coach to get a grip on the chaos in her life. Claire Everett is finally getting along with her kids, her ex-husband, and even his pregnant wife. She's attending church and happily dating Greg, a cute widower. So why is her life suddenly out of control? While juggling the attentions of Greg, another man, and her kids, Claire discovers that her writing career may be cooling down. When panic attacks threaten to keep her homebound for good, she enlists a life coach to help her sort it out. But will a stressed-out life coach help or hinder Claire's growth? And will Claire acknowledge that God directs her steps--or will she continue to insist that CLAIRE KNOWS BEST?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (June 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446696064
• ISBN-13: 978-0446696067
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #211,483 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I had to read on...and on!, July 4, 2006

By	Ane Mulligan "writer and reviewer" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't like present tense writing, and Claire Knows Best is written in present tense. Funny I didn't discover that until page 226 of this 288 page story. Bateman managed to suck me into Claire's world from the first line: "I have a bad habit of laughing at the wrong time." Yeah, don't we all? I had to read on ... and on ... and on. The plot is hilarious, and the characters are some of best I've read--flawed but striving for a foothold. Claire is at odds with everyone, except perhaps her youngest son. Little boys are a mother's blessing. I loved the way Claire held firm with her rebellious daughter, but her thoughts had me laughing out loud as a mother--I've had some of those same thoughts about my own kids.

Bateman reveals a very real woman dealing with life's problems. The plot is not predictable and has enough twists to satisfy any reader. Funny and tender, Claire Knows Best receives a high recommendation from this reviewer. Any writer who can make me forget I'm reading present tense is truly a master! Bravo, Tracey!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, June 11, 2006

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (6/06)

Claire Everett, divorced mother of four and a writer of popular romance novels, finds her life reeling out of control. She disgraces herself in church by laughing at the illness of another congregant, a tornado sends a tree crashing through her house, her 16-year-old daughter is sneaking out of the house at night, her steady boyfriend rethinks his career choice and moves to another state for training and her ex-husband's new wife is pregnant and depending on Claire to help her get through it. If that isn't enough to deal with, Claire's publishing company decides to switch to another genre and won't sign a new contract with her.

As the tensions in Claire's life mount, she starts getting panic attacks that are bad enough to make her seek help from a counselor and the advice she receives is about what you would expect from someone you hire sight unseen, with no reference check.

Claire struggles to bring order back to her life at the same time as she is preparing a book proposal for her agent to shop to other publishing companies and answering the siren call of a new book that is fomenting within her. Along the way she makes some new friends and rethinks her relationships with others in her life, bringing her two more wonderful friends.

Tracey Bateman has written a wonderful story, showing how Christians cope with the modern world without preaching to the reader.

This was a delightful book. I sat down and read it straight through and enjoyed it so much that I went online and bought the first book in the series, "Leave It To Claire."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Claire is BRILLIANT!, July 18, 2006

By	Sharon Hinck "Sharon Hinck, author" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Full of cultural references that made me feel like Claire was my next-door neighbor childhood best-friend, this story is a mom-lit with snappy wit and a lot of heart. Claire is a beautiful example of a woman who blesses the people around her by being herself--goofy, insecure, warm, determined, open about her faith, but also authentic about her doubts.

Claire's Christian faith doesn't magically make her ex-husband easy to like, or her daughter Ari embrace wise choices. Claire wrestles with decisions about her career, her boyfriend, her parenting. But as she muddles through her imperfect life, Claire makes a remarkable difference to those around her. BRAVO! Highly recommended!