Flirting with Pete: A Novel

I consider myself a 'book snob'. I demand a solid story, great writing, characters who hold my affection and attention, a plot that goes somewhere in a somewhat forward manner and a writer who keeps me entertained. Barbara Delinsky is that and more. I consider this a masterpiece. "Flirting with Pete" sounded fun and somewhat interesting so I picked it up and was surprised when I found myself reading it at 3 am on three different mornings. I didn't want to go to sleep. She weaves several stories together so flawlessly that you're able to live through all of the characters. She takes a subject that's been "done" and redoes it in a way that you can go through it without wanting to take Prozac and call in to work for a week. This is not a book about victims or survivors, it's a story about life that is so beautifully told you will never forget it. I love the fact that she unfolds the story slowly and switches back and forth so that you're not overwhelmed by sorrow or that you feel badly throughout the book. It's a wonderful story about "making it" through life and coming out the other side - no matter what obstacles are faced. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Everything you love about Barabara Delinsky's writing is here in her latest novel, plus some bonuses. This is the first time, well, since "A Woman Next Door," that she has written something you cannot put down. There is suspense, mystery, complex emotional issues, right to life issues, small towns, incest, child molestation, ghosts, suicide, aging parents, grief, etc.. plus much, much more. And, all these themes are tied together beautifully.I rarely give Delinsky 5 stars, but I can see "Flirting With Pete" is a first-rate effort. It really is one of Delinsky's best, if not the best she has ever written.Was there anything I didn't like? I think she gets a little too technical with the medical stuff. An author needs to make sure a novel isn't coming off like a textbook in explanation. However, I am interested in medical stuff, and nature/gardening, so it wasn't that boring for me. That's the problem: if the subject is maple syrup, or apple cider making, and you couldn't care in the least, then getting too technical is a problem.But, here, the whole gardening/flowers aspect of this novel works because there is a sense of nature that parallels the gripping plot. I really got a strong sense of the sprawling three-tiered garden setting, and the multi-level Beacon Hill townhouse that much of this story takes place in. Delinsky's characterization and insight into her characters moods and feelings is so nuanced and precise, I felt like the characters were in the room with me.I did, however, think the cover was a bit too much and gimmicky. But, so what? I don't rate based on a cover and I couldn't care less what's on the jacket. What matters is what's between the covers, and Delinsky has absolutely outdone herself on this novel.One thing that Delinsky does right is to throw in her twists all throughout this novel--unlike some authors (Nicholas Sparks) who make you wait until the very end until the payoff. Delinsky throws in a series of payoffs all throughout her novel, giving the reader some immediate satisfaction, as well as hooking the reader early-on. I'm serious, once you get to the final eight chapters, you will absolutely not be able to put this one down, and I'm usually a slow reader and like to pace myself, but I easily had this done in less than a week.Anyone who liked Delinsky's "Three Wishes" is sure to like "Flirting With Pete". Also Delinsky's writing is as good as Anita Shreve's and similar in tone to the writing in Anita Shreve's "The Last Time They Met" and Anita Shreve's "The Weight of Water". All of those novels had two parallel stories going on which rapidly careen, collide, and intersect in gripping plot twists. Delinsky brilliantly uses foreshadowing ala Anita Shreve, and creates a sense of urgency in the plots, all done through character, making this effort of Barbara Delinsky's so much more than a "romance". I think Delinsky has proven herself, with "Flirting With Pete," to be one of the most accomplished mainstrea

Popular voice artist Linda Emond gives an assured reading of Barbara Delinsky's latest heart-tugging tale in which the lives of two women seeking answers are interwoven. Casey Ellis is a successful young professional woman who has always sought to know her father, famous psychologist Cornelius Unger. Her birth was the result of an almost passing relationship between her mother and the father she has never known. Now, her mother lies comatose, the result of an accident, and her father has died. Surprisingly, he generously remembers Casey in his will, leaving her an elegant townhouse on exclusive Beacon Hill. Not only is the townhouse luxurious, it also comes with a full staff. Shortly after taking possession of her new home Casey comes across a puzzling journal among her father's papers. It was written by a young woman, Jenny Clyde, who detested her father, a man in prison for killing Jenny's mother. He will soon be released and Jenny fears further abuse from him. The journal and the story it tells baffle Casey. Is it a true account or fiction? And, very importantly, what does it tell her about the father she would like to know? Of course, there's romance mixed with the mystery, which is always an irresistible combination. - Gail Cooke

Just loved this latest Delinsky novel - it ranks with my all time favorite Coast Road! Her literary style - a fragmented journal within the main story made for an interesting scenario. Characters in both were essentially trying to conquer their own demons and the author delved into their minds and souls. Jenny and Pete, Casey and Jordan and the other relatives and friends added to the emotional environment. The added touch of mystery was equally enjoying. Several tears were shed over the relationship of Casey and her mother which resonated personally. To see how the journal and the story complemented and evolved and came full circle was satisfying. If I had one complaint it would be about the descriptions of the abundant flowers in the gardens. I am a budding gardener and did pick up some tips but thought the story would have been fine without the excessive descriptions of the flowers.Flirting with Peter was a quick read, entertaining and interesting as the reader starts to fill in the blanks with the subtle clues. A character study is one of my favorite genre to read and Barbara Delinsky did a superb job in this one.I'd sure like to meet a Pete or a Jordan!

Therapist Casey Ellis is attending the funeral of renowned psychologist Cornelius Unger, a respected person in his field. Casey feels melancholy because Cornelius is the father who never acknowledged her and never made any effort to talk to her even when she enrolled in one of his classes. At the end of the funeral, his lawyer tells Casey that her father left her his Beacon Hill townhouse with the request that she keep on the maid and the gardener.At first Casey doesn't want anything to do with the home out of loyalty to her mother who has been in a coma for the last three years and is not expected to wake up. When one of her partners in her group practice absconds with the rent money, Casey decides to open a solo practice at her father's townhouse. There she meets the handsome gardener Jordan; they start a relationship. She also becomes involved with a manuscript her father left for her about a woman who he treated as an outcast by the town she lives in and is afraid of the father who is coming home from prison after six years for killing her mother.Barbara Delinsky has written a moving tale of two women having to cope with severe traumas, one fighting her demons alone and the therapist having a support system that carries her through each crisis. One of this author's greatest talents is to write about people who immediately establish rapport with the audience so that readers care what happens to them. FLIRTING WITH PETE is a memorable work of women's fiction.Harriet Klausner