Single in Suburbia

Amanda Sheridan has no idea what she's in for when her lawyer husband decides to trade her in for a younger model. She has no idea about the state of their finances, hasn't worked outside her home for the last fifteen years, and is pretty much clueless about anything besides cleaning her house and taking care of her family. When it turns out her successful husband isn't as well off as she originally thought, she scrambles to find work to provide for their three children and keep their home. Brooke Mackenzie is more than just a pretty face, though you wouldn't know it unless you talked to her--which most of the other trophy wives refuse to do. Brooke is everything that the other women despise and hope to keep away from their own husbands. At 28, she left her job as an accountant to become a housewife to her recently-divorced husband, her stepson treats her with silent disdain, and she can't help but wonder if she made a mistake in hiding her past from her husband. Candace Sugarman has it all by anyone's standards. Thrice-divorced, the numerous settlements from her previous marriages have left her comfortable enough that she doesn't have to work. She owns a fantastic house in a suburban neighborhood, has hordes of designer clothes, and a loving boyfriend who coaches a youth baseball team. Unfortunately, Candace also has a meddling mother who refuses to let Candace live her own life. Wendy Wax's third novel, Single In Suburbia, focuses on the impromptu bond that three very different women form when they are ostracized from the suburban cliques formed by their neighbors. Bonded by the youth baseball teams to which they are all somehow tied, these three women forge a friendship based on more than just the size of their respective bank accounts. This is the first of Wax's novels that I've read and I have to say that she has a fun and refreshing take on the chick lit genre. Her characters are believable, her story was well-paced, and she has a knack for plotting that made this book a joy to read. I'll definitely check out some of her earlier stories and I'd recommend this one to a friend.

I read Wendy Wax's fourth novel, Single in Suburbia, during a recent, lazy Sunday afternoon. While I didn't intend to fritter away the day in such fashion once I got involved with the story I found I could not and did not want to put it down! Wax's characters came to life as she offered us a glimpse of life behind the suburban curtain, where problems lurk even if dust does not. In its essence this is a light hearted tale about three women coming to terms with who they are and finding the strength to live the lives they crave. The characters each shine with a vibrance of their own giving this summer read both life and depth. I highly recommend it!

In Wendy Wax's newest story, Single in Suburbia, mother and housewife of eighteen years, Amanda Sheridan is forced to go out and get a job after her husband leaves her. When Amanda files for divorce, she discovers their finances are not what she always believed, so, she's forced to make the transition from Stay At Home Mom to member of the work force. Unfortunately, her skills are quite lacking. That's where Maid For You comes in. Amanda knows the one thing she is truly good at is cleaning. And what does every bored and stay at home mom in suburbia need? A maid! Enter Solange, aka Amanda Sheridan disguised as a French maid. With the help of her two friends, Candace and Brooke, Amanda starts to navigate the waters of suburban life while being single. It's harsh and a quite a rude awakening for her, but Wendy Wax imbues Amanda's character with resilancy and strength. She doesn't back down from challenges and to her, the most important people in her life, her children, need her more than ever. Whether through tears or laughter, Amanda and her friends cope and excel in their new career. Single in Suburbia features a very humorous plot. It's serious, no doubt, but Ms. Wax doesn't make it melodramatic. Rather, she shows how Amanda is getting on with life. There's no doubt that Amanda isn't a tad scared of the new challenges awaiting her, but she's also not too afraid to tackle them. Add in lots of wacky and off the cuff situations, a little romance with a few single suburban males, and you've got the perfect ticket to a fun and entertaining story. Thankfully, it doesn't take itself too seriously. Rather, Wendy Wax knows how to keep the lessons implied in the story personal and simple, without creating a big monologue of melodrama. Single in Suburbia is the world of fiction's answer to Desperate Housewives, with a much more interesting premise and some characters who are sure to leave good impressions.

I picked this up as a quickie at the grocery store to sandwich in between 2 heavy reads. I was pleasantly suprised! Fully expecting a bodice-ripper, I found laugh-out-loud lines, fully-developed characters and social insight. The book reminded me that for all of our media-savvy and technology taht we have not deviated that far from the world of Jane Austen. High society in the suburbs turns balls into baseball fields and servants into maids, Wendy Wax reveals taht suburbia has all the earmarks of British society. Although the plot was a bit predictable, many of the scenes were quite touching. And each of the main characters' moral dilemmas shot the book with a sparkle of self-awareness. In the end, Wendy Wax shows that soccer moms are like all mothers; women taking care of those they love and teaching their kids how to love, hope and faith in the future.

I bought this book just wanting something "mindless" to read. I was very pleasantly surprised at what a great read it was. I read it in less than 24 hours and would purchase a book by this author again.