The Stepmother

I read The Godmother first and really enjoyed it, so was excited to read The Stepmother, which is a continuation of Tessa's character. It had a couple new characters, as well as several of the same from The Godmother. It was nice because I already felt like I understood some of the characters already, but I was very confused as to why the spelling of Billy turned into Billie in the second book. It seems minor but this change in spelling really annoyed me--could the author not remember how she spelled a character's name?? I even went back to double check the spelling in The Godmother to make sure I wasn't losing my mind (and I wasn't!). Overall, though, I recommend this book, and I actually enjoyed the story line even better than The Godmother.

I thought this book took a great look at the agony, angst and payoffs of divorce and second marriage. It took a bit of time for me to get into it, but once I did, I thought it was really worthwhile. I liked that the author didn't gloss over some of the really tough things in a relationship -- it was more realistic in many ways than lots of these kinds of books. It also made you realize what was at stake as well -- how wonderful and rewarding a good relationship can be. I also read the Godmother, but given others' reviews, I gave myself time to forget much of it. I was then able to approach this book as an (almost) new book entirely. Carrie Adams is a very talented storyteller and I look forward to reading more books by her!

I'd read so many books inbetween 'The Godmother' and 'The Stepmother' that I didn't realize 'The Stepmother' was a sequel until I was almost to the end. And a good thing, by the looks of the previous reviews. 'The Stepmother' was truer to life than I expected and had great character depth. In fact, the main characters took turns lifting me up and then ticking me off. I felt for Bea when she discovered she wanted her ex-husband (Jim) back. I felt for Tessa when she was worried about meeting Jim's kids and family. I thought Jim a bit more oblivious than some husbands/dads, but not unbelievably so. His saving grace being his ability and willingness to love. If you're seeking a funny, light read, this isn't the book I'd recommend. If your looking for a book to carry you a way, this one comes highly recommended - I was able to lose myself in it while at the airport. What I appreciated most was the way Ms. Adams carried me through the raw, honest parts of the book and dropped me off once we came full circle. It wasn't a wave-of-the-wand, everything is better story. The growth of the characters earned them their happy ending.

Bea and Jimmy have a great relationship. They have three beautiful daughters ages 8, 9, and 14, and always seem to be there for each other. Also, they separated four years ago and divorced two years ago. Bea and Jimmy are the poster children for amicable divorce--that is until the day that Bea realizes that she's fallen back in love with her ex-husband. Coincidentally, it's the same day Jimmy tells her, "I've met someone." That someone is Tessa King. Now, can I just stop right here and say that this is the second book in a row that I've read, and haven't realized it was a sequel until it was far too late to do anything about it. So, FYI, Tessa King is the protagonist of Adams' debut novel, The Godmother. It might have been nice to have known of her single girl looking-for-love back story, but truthfully I don't believe it's necessary to have read the first novel. As I was saying, Tessa is introduced more than 60 pages in, which gave us plenty of time to really get to know Bea and Jimmy and see all that is good about their relationship. The first four chapters are all told from Bea's point of view, and I was rooting for her. Then, amazingly, the next several chapters were told from Tessa's point of view and I truly empathized with her! The novel switched POV between the two women every several chapters, and my allegiances continued to switch back and forth throughout the novel--through not strictly based on who was currently narrating. Sometimes I felt the most for Jimmy (or James, as Tessa calls him) and sometimes for the kids. The point is, Carrie Adams did a terrific job of making these characters seem real and empathetic. Love triangles and modern family life are painful. I could really appreciate this difficult situation from all sides. I don't have to give a detailed synopsis of struggles with an unruly teenager, or family dysfunction, or second thoughts. I don't want to tell you the ups and downs these people go through. You'll want to experience that on your own. There's a lot of drama--which might stretch some readers' credulity--but it's no worse than what I've heard from people in real life. Adams' writing is fine. I don't know that the London setting was integral to the story, but American readers may experience slight confusion over some references or slang. It's nothing too impenetrable. Overall, The Stepmother is an engaging family drama that occasionally veers towards melodrama. In a story like this not every character can live happily ever after, but as a man once said, "All's well that ends well."