Thursday, August 16, 2012

Review: More Like Her by Liza Palmer

More Like Her
by Liza Palmer

Why did you choose this book? the cover caught my eye
When did you read this book? June 2012
Who should read this book? fans of chick lit
Source: library ebook
Here is a synopsis of More Like Her  from Goodreads, where it rates 3.61 stars.

What really goes on behind those perfect white picket fences?

In Frances's mind, beautiful, successful, ecstatically married Emma Dunham is the height of female perfection. Frances, recently dumped with spectacular drama by her boyfriend, aspires to be just like Emma. So do her close friends and fellow teachers, Lisa and Jill. But Lisa's too career-focused to find time for a family. And Jill's recent unexpected pregnancy could have devastating consequences for her less-than-perfect marriage.

Yet sometimes the golden dream you fervently wish for turns out to be not at all what it seems--like Emma's enviable suburban postcard life, which is about to be brutally cut short by a perfect husband turned killer. And in the shocking aftermath, three devastated friends are going to have to come to terms with their own secrets . . . and somehow learn to move forward after their dream is exposed as a lie.

My Review 

I have mixed feelings about this one. The synopsis sounded interesting, and right away the prologue really got my attention immediately. It starts out with a 911 call from a school with a shooting in progress. But then the story starts and it moves pretty slowly.

Frannie is a speech therapist at a prestigious private school. Her best friend, Jill, is also on staff there, as is her ex, the live-in boyfriend who dumped her after two years. There is a new teacher on the staff, Lisa, a confident, out-going woman. There is also a new head mistress, Emma, who seems to have it all. She is beautiful and talented, has a beatiful house and is married to a perfect husband. However, when he meets Frannie, he is cold and condescending. Despite that, Emma and Frannie begin to develop a friendship.

Jill’s husband is a contractor who happens to have the contract for a school project, so he is at the building every day, along with his crew of young, attractive engineers. Frannie, recovering from her broken relationship, has eyes for one of them. Lisa, rapidly becoming a best friend to Frannie and Jill, also shows an interest. So we have some romance developing here.

In addition, we know from the synopsis that Emma is about to die. But we really aren’t sure who makes the call and who else is shot. The book doesn’t spent much time on the actual shooting, but instead tells the story of the events leading up to the shooting, and of the characters efforts to cope after the shooting. Romances are budding at the same time, and Frannie is learning to ‘be herself’, instead of trying to be who she thinks others want her to be. While following Frannie is interesting as she learns who she is, the story is a bit of a disappointment after the build up of the synopsis and the prologue. The suspense I expected just wasn’t there.

My Rating:  ★★★  3 Stars

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