Meternity

March 28, 2016
At age 31, Liz Buckley has already accomplished three of her goals: living in New York, being an editor at a magazine, and learning French, which she never uses. But she’s exhausted from the pressure of her Upper East Side nemesis, Alix Stephenson: her boss at baby magazine Paddy Cakes, who has kept her from getting to the other 17 goals—which include meeting a PH (potential husband), getting married, and having kids. So when a mix-up involving a pair of comfortable maternity jeans leads Alix to believe Liz is pregnant, she decides to go with it. After all, it seems like “having a child is really the only excuse a woman can use to work regular hours or leave early.” With the help of her friends and progressively bigger memory-foam bumps, Liz plans on taking a “meternity” leave—some time off to figure out what she wants. In the midst of juggling this lie and questioning her life, she meets Ryan Murphy, who just might be the PH she’s looking for. Readers will be turning the pages and rooting for Liz, knowing that even though no baby is coming out, the truth eventually will. Agent: Emma Parry, Janklow & Nesbit Associates.

March 15, 2016

Liz Buckley is an editor at the New York City-based parenting magazine Paddy Cakes. As one of the last childless employees there, she ends up picking up the slack of her coworkers who have children. On a particularly stressful day, Liz gets sick in the office and it is mistaken as morning sickness, which she does not deny. Wanting to know how the other half lives, she goes full force with the lie, having monthly bumps made, wearing maternity couture, and brushing up on pregnancy symptoms. Dashing off to "doctor's appointments," Liz gets manicures, lives the night life (sans bump), and meets men along the way. She is looking forward to her very own "meternity," six weeks of paid leave in which she plans on figuring out what she really wants. In her fiction debut, Foye brings to life a pertinent issue that runs across all industries, which boils down to how women are treated in the workplace. What makes this story distinct is that Liz's "pregnancy" results in her being an even harder worker, earning a prestigious award and a promised promotion. VERDICT Full of moments that will leave readers in suspense, gasping at consequences, and rooting for the heroine as she finds her own meternity, this book is perfect for fans of Candace Bushnell.--Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN

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