Saving Grace

Starred review from November 24, 2014
Green (Tempting Fate) woos readers with her latest offering, a memorable novel probing the flimsy façade of one woman's seemingly perfect life. Grace and Ted Chapman have an idyllic life: he is a well-known author, and she is his adoring wife. When their assistant, Ellen, leaves her job, Grace is desperate to find someone who can take Ellen's place and can adjust to Ted's ever-changing moods. Grace hires Beth, who proves to be an excellent employee, anticipating Ted's needs and assisting Grace as well. But there are oddities in Beth's behavior that Grace can't explain. And when Grace begins to see a psychiatrist who prescribes a host of potent medications, she hardly recognizes herself anymore, either emotionally or physically. As Grace's life threatens to completely spiral out of control, she must take stock of what is most important to her and discover how to find true happiness. Green has imbued her story with realistic, imperfect characters. The lure of the novel lies in Green's ability to create a consistenly evolving story that entices from the very first page. First printing: 125,000 copies. Agent: Christy Fletcher, Fletcher & Company.

November 1, 2014
The perfect personal assistant can make even the most accomplished wife dispensable.When Grace, a talented chef and assistant cookbook editor, meets legendary writer Ted Chapman, his notoriously mercurial attitude dissolves. A whirlwind romance leads to a seemingly ideal marriage, but beneath the surface, Ted's unpredictable rages keep Grace walking on eggshells. Ellen, Ted's longtime and efficient assistant, can usually keep Ted under control. So when Ellen leaves to care for her mother, Grace is anxious to find a replacement. Luckily, she meets Beth at a glitzy dinner. Fortified with stellar recommendations, Beth is surprisingly available to start immediately. She is, of course, too good to be true and quickly becomes indispensable, arranging Ted's schedule, editing his work, keeping him out of Grace's hair and even inspiring a character in his new book. As Beth's star ascends, Grace's begins to falter. A charity event she planned months in advance turns into a disaster, and someone-perhaps Grace herself?-may have sabotaged it. Worse, Grace seems fuzzier and more distracted each day, which prompts wild mood swings. She fears following in the footsteps of her mother, whose bipolar disorder tarnished Grace's childhood, driving her to adopt her friend Catherine's family as her own. Catherine's mother, Lydia, taught Grace to cook, and Catherine's twin brothers-handsome Robert and attentive Patrick-were Grace's first love interests. Suspense builds and suspicions loom over Beth until Grace discovers a stunning secret, which sends her home to England and to Lydia. Her sanity, career and marriage all about to shatter, Grace seeks shelter and finds unexpected love. Grace must devise a plan to save herself and snare the culprit. A rather uncertain resolution suggests a sequel may be in the works. Green (Tempting Fate, 2014, etc.) spins a dark romance, recalling All About Eve, where intimacy masks betrayal.

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 15, 2014

Grace Chapman knows better than most how a perfect-looking life can be anything but. Married to the temperamental author Ted Chapman, she is adept at appearing serene at public events and avoiding his rages as much as possible, owing in part to the efforts of his competent assistant. When that assistant leaves, Grace truly wonders how they'll cope. Enter Beth; she seems like the perfect aide and blossoms in the role while Grace withers. When Grace's life begins to come apart, she wonders if Beth is pulling the strings. One explosive night, Ted takes sides and Grace must decide if her mental health, her marriage, and her happiness are worth fighting for, and, if so, how. Fans of Green (Tempting Fate; Family Pictures) get everything they have come to expect and love in this psychological domestic drama: it's fast paced and emotionally satisfying if a little rushed and downbeat in the conclusion. The addition of recipes at the end of chapters in which they're mentioned (cooking is one of Grace's great pleasures) is a little disjointed but will be appreciated by any reader motivated to try one based on Green's affectionate descriptions. VERDICT Recommended for fans of women's fiction along the lines of domestic drama. [See Prepub Alert, 9/8/14.]--Amy Brozio-Andrews, Albany P.L., NY

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2014
As the wife of renowned novelist Ted Chapman, Grace seems to have the perfect life. Her husband dotes on her publicly, and now that their beloved daughter is grown up, Grace fills her days with cooking and charity work. But beneath the veneer, Ted is demanding and critical, and his mood swings leave Grace cringing. Grace thinks she has found the solution when she meets Beth, a frumpy, eager young woman, at a party and promptly hires her to be Ted's new assistant. At first Beth is a godsend: she cleans up around the house, helps plan a charity function, and keeps Ted in check as he works on his new novel. But slowly Grace starts to grow uncomfortable with Beth, suspecting her of stealing her favorite scarf, sabotaging the charity function, and even changing her appearance to look more like Grace. As Grace's suspicions about Beth grow, Ted starts to question Grace's mental health. Green tackles serious issues such as emotional abuse and overprescribing of drugs while still managing to keep the pages turning at a rapid rate.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Bestselling Green's latest, jumped started with a hefty print run, will be actively promoted on all platforms.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)