Play Dates

This one is for all the moms out there whose children have busier schedules than they do. Claire is recently divorced, trying to juggle her daughter's busy Manhattan schedule, and make ends meet. Along the way she finds her talent, a new love, and respect for herself. It's not an easy journey though. Claire must make the difficult decision to (gasp!) hold her daughter's birthday party at home (a definite no-no in many circles), grapple with how much she should get involved with homework that seems far too difficult and numerous for a second grader, and struggle to work while managing life as a single mom. I enjoyed the book and found it to be true chick lit for young moms (another gem in the book - another mother assumes Claire must be an au pair since she is in her twenties - the creme de la creme postpone motherhood till their thirties!). Claire is likable and the book is filled with interesting other characters who keep things moving.

I enjoyed this book an awful lot! It made me smile so many times! A very good portrait of a Mom-child relationship for those who are thinking of becoming a parent. And for those who already are parents - well, it serves as another reminder of how great and rewarding it is to be one.

This story is told from the point of view of two totally different independant women and the lead character's daughter. I was not sure if I would like the style but after a couple of chapters I was totally captivated by the story and the different points of view by the ladies. I would definitely recommend this book. Yes it fits into the Chik Lit area of style but it is at its very best.

I loved this book. It's a story about a newly single mom trying to raise a 6 year old daughter but it was real and had details that are truly unique. That's what I liked about it. I also liked the fact that not only was the main character Claire telling her story, but Zoe, her daughter as well as the sister were telling their stories too. It made it fresh and gave the reader great insight to what each one was actually going through. This is the first book by Leslie Carroll that I have read and I am going to move onto her other book...Temporary Insanity and I am looking forward to it. Enjoy!

Lesie Carroll's witty observations about her upper-class but struggling single mom are presented in sharply observed, deftly penned details that reveal the competitive, neurotic obsessions of her characters. The result is vivacious entertainment, especially when the heroine is being pressured to compete and conform, and when her precociously bright daughter Zoe is commenting on the somewhat warped values of the adults who define her universe (for those who think Zoe's voice is too sophisticated for a girl of her age, I assure you it's quite persuasively real; you apparently haven't met the worldly little Manhattan girls some of us run across more frequently). With its keen perceptions of the warped educational values foisted on rich NY City children (the inclusion of a genuinely underprivieged one would have been interesting, but that's not really the world of this book). Carroll's humor and charm make this tale of modern upper-class city life fun to read and easy to think about afterwards. I look forward both to the film version of this book, and to Ms. Carroll's next novel and bravely spunky heroine.