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Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters
A year after she is elected mayor of a prosperous Colorado city, Gwen's career and life are fully on track, all according to plan. So why is she in such a slump emotionally and physically? New conflicts keep boiling over in city government, and her earlier allies no longer support her. She and her boyfriend have an ideal relationship, which she finds inexplicably dissatisfying. Without telling her, he decides to take a new job that has him traveling out of state every week. Suddenly unexpected developments turn everything topsy-turvy, and Gwen is forced to re-examine her carefully-planned life.
- GenresFiction
235 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 17, 2017
About the author
Amy Rivers
15 books156 followersAmy Rivers is an award-winning novelist, as well as the Director of Northern Colorado Writers. She was recently named 2021 Indie Author of the Year by the Indie Author Project. Her psychological suspense novels incorporate important social issues with a focus on the complexities of human behavior. Her forthcoming novel, STUMBLE & FALL, is the second book in the A Legacy of Silence series. Amy was raised in New Mexico and now lives in Colorado with her husband and children.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 2, 2017
DID KEEP ME GUESSING
Interesting idea of a young, female mayor and some of the work it entailed. I would have liked to read more about her work. On one hand the main character Gwen is business like and very capable and on the other suffers from raging hormones due to her condition – I kept wanting to kick her into getting it all together. Maybe if her mother had been nicer she would have done it for me! A fun read and I enjoyed it.
Interesting idea of a young, female mayor and some of the work it entailed. I would have liked to read more about her work. On one hand the main character Gwen is business like and very capable and on the other suffers from raging hormones due to her condition – I kept wanting to kick her into getting it all together. Maybe if her mother had been nicer she would have done it for me! A fun read and I enjoyed it.
March 9, 2017
We first met Gwen in Amy River's previous book Wallflower Blooming which introduced us to Gwen while highlighting her cousin Val's life and her work to help Gwen get elected as mayor. Gwen is sure that once she reaches her goal of becoming mayor of a Colorado city, the path will be clear for her plans to be a future governor of Colorado. That's before she is faced with a colleague who is trying to cause problems, a workload that is overwhelming and a boyfriend who no longer meets her expectations. Her boyfriend, Jason, works for the same town and after conflict of interest charges keep getting brought up, he decides to take a job that has him travelling most of the time. To top it all off, her cousin Val has an upcoming wedding and Gwen is the maid of honor and has all of the extra work involved with a wedding adding to her already strenuous work load. Then something happens that make Gwen question the importance of all of her other stressing problems and she has to make a decision on how to deal with the unexpected changes in her life.
I definitely enjoyed this book. Despite some of the lighter moments, there are problems in this book that every working woman has to address. I loved the main character, Gwen, and her cousin Val and enjoyed their relationship with each other. The reminded me of people that I know in my everyday life. Gwen is a definite type A driven personality but has to make a lot of changes when life throws her a major change.
I definitely enjoyed this book. Despite some of the lighter moments, there are problems in this book that every working woman has to address. I loved the main character, Gwen, and her cousin Val and enjoyed their relationship with each other. The reminded me of people that I know in my everyday life. Gwen is a definite type A driven personality but has to make a lot of changes when life throws her a major change.
March 2, 2017
I loved "Wallflower Blooming", so I just knew that I would feel the same way about this book. I recommend reading Wallflower Blooming first, so that you know all the characters already, however, this could be read as a standalone book.
This book focuses mainly on Gwen and Jason, where the first book focused on Val and Gwen. Gwen is filled with raging hormones and anxiety and does not know what is happening. It is taking its toll on her relationship with Jason. Many of us can relate to the unexpected happening in life. It doesn't always go the way we planned. Gwen is about to undergo a dramatic change in her life.
This book is filled with witty moments and at times I had to chuckle because I related to what was happening. It is also filled with life changes, love and relationship issues. This too , I am sure most people could relate too.
The characters of Gwen and Jason are well developed, the secondary characters not so much. I feel that is because they were more developed in Wallflower Blooming, which is why I recommend reading that book first.
This is a fast and easy read and I read it in one day. The flow of the story is meticulous and you will have to keep reading this book to see what happens. I know that I did. Put up your feet and enjoy another wonderful book by Amy Rivers. She knows how to spin a tale!
This book focuses mainly on Gwen and Jason, where the first book focused on Val and Gwen. Gwen is filled with raging hormones and anxiety and does not know what is happening. It is taking its toll on her relationship with Jason. Many of us can relate to the unexpected happening in life. It doesn't always go the way we planned. Gwen is about to undergo a dramatic change in her life.
This book is filled with witty moments and at times I had to chuckle because I related to what was happening. It is also filled with life changes, love and relationship issues. This too , I am sure most people could relate too.
The characters of Gwen and Jason are well developed, the secondary characters not so much. I feel that is because they were more developed in Wallflower Blooming, which is why I recommend reading that book first.
This is a fast and easy read and I read it in one day. The flow of the story is meticulous and you will have to keep reading this book to see what happens. I know that I did. Put up your feet and enjoy another wonderful book by Amy Rivers. She knows how to spin a tale!
February 21, 2017
This review is also posted on Book by Book.
Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters tells a sweet story of dealing with life’s unexpected surprises. Together, Gwen Marsh and her boyfriend, Jason, experience several changes and challenges personally and professionally, and the ensuing chaos and emotional turmoil spark many moments of drama.
Yet, as much as I appreciated the control-freak-learning-to-let-go plotline, I didn’t wholly enjoy Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters—mainly because I never liked Gwen. For most of the book, she’s fixated on her own problems and feelings without considering or communicating well with Jason. Page after page, she frustrated me with her behavior, which didn’t allow me to feel connected to her character—and made me feel a bit sorry for Jason. None of the supporting characters feel developed beyond their roles, positive or negative, relating to Gwen or Jason, and by the end, I (unfortunately) only felt relieved to be done with Gwen.
Now, while I don’t necessarily recommend this book, I will say that it has received several favorable reviews, and an interested reader could enjoy reading it, if so inclined. (Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters takes place after the story of Wallflower Blooming, offering the same setting and characters, but can be read easily on its own.)
Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a copy of Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters tells a sweet story of dealing with life’s unexpected surprises. Together, Gwen Marsh and her boyfriend, Jason, experience several changes and challenges personally and professionally, and the ensuing chaos and emotional turmoil spark many moments of drama.
Yet, as much as I appreciated the control-freak-learning-to-let-go plotline, I didn’t wholly enjoy Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters—mainly because I never liked Gwen. For most of the book, she’s fixated on her own problems and feelings without considering or communicating well with Jason. Page after page, she frustrated me with her behavior, which didn’t allow me to feel connected to her character—and made me feel a bit sorry for Jason. None of the supporting characters feel developed beyond their roles, positive or negative, relating to Gwen or Jason, and by the end, I (unfortunately) only felt relieved to be done with Gwen.
Now, while I don’t necessarily recommend this book, I will say that it has received several favorable reviews, and an interested reader could enjoy reading it, if so inclined. (Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters takes place after the story of Wallflower Blooming, offering the same setting and characters, but can be read easily on its own.)
Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a copy of Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
February 1, 2017
I loved “Wallflower Blooming” so I grabbed “Best Laid Plans” – theoretically a sequel to the first book, but it can easily be read as a standalone – as soon as I could. This time the story concentrates on Gwen, Val’s cousin, who realizes that the elections was actually an easy part, and being a mayor of Cambria while trying to juggle a fragile personal life and being sabotaged by former colleagues is definitely no easy feat. On top of it, when her relationship with Jason is on the verge of a break-up Gwen finds out that she’s pregnant and for the first time has to face the reality when even the best laid plans go down the drain…
Gwen with her emotions all over the place is a very believable character and is very easy to relate to. Her musings about being a good parent when she for one never had a loving family and also about the hardships of combining a successful career and taking care of a child I’m sure will resonate with many female readers. A great women’s fiction, written with humor but about serious and relevant matters. Five stars.
Gwen with her emotions all over the place is a very believable character and is very easy to relate to. Her musings about being a good parent when she for one never had a loving family and also about the hardships of combining a successful career and taking care of a child I’m sure will resonate with many female readers. A great women’s fiction, written with humor but about serious and relevant matters. Five stars.
March 15, 2017
Favorite Quotes:
I bought this ring for you six months ago… when you drove me crazy, I wondered if it would stay buried in my sock drawer forever.
You look good in love, cousin.
My Review:
I struggled with this book as unfortunately, the author employed several of my least favorite tropes and an unlikable protagonist in Gwen. I had found the first book in this series to be far more entertaining. For most of this installment, Gwen was a prissy self-involved shrew; I found her exasperating and exhausting. Gwen was the type that needed to save up for that very important surgery – you know the one - to remove that foreign object that seems to have gotten wedged up her posterior. I felt such sympathy for the poor beleaguered Jason; he had the patience of a saint. However, this may just be that my personal preference leans strongly in favor of a higher ratio of positive emotional tone to a story to find it entertaining. Thankfully, there were also a few more interesting story threads that brought in a bit of flavor and intrigue to the tale.
I bought this ring for you six months ago… when you drove me crazy, I wondered if it would stay buried in my sock drawer forever.
You look good in love, cousin.
My Review:
I struggled with this book as unfortunately, the author employed several of my least favorite tropes and an unlikable protagonist in Gwen. I had found the first book in this series to be far more entertaining. For most of this installment, Gwen was a prissy self-involved shrew; I found her exasperating and exhausting. Gwen was the type that needed to save up for that very important surgery – you know the one - to remove that foreign object that seems to have gotten wedged up her posterior. I felt such sympathy for the poor beleaguered Jason; he had the patience of a saint. However, this may just be that my personal preference leans strongly in favor of a higher ratio of positive emotional tone to a story to find it entertaining. Thankfully, there were also a few more interesting story threads that brought in a bit of flavor and intrigue to the tale.
February 5, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is a follow up to Ms. River's book "Wallflower Blooming" although Gwen , Val's cousin, is the center of attention in this story.
Gwen is the elected mayor of a Colorado city and she is majorly stressed. She's a Type A, a perfectionist and things aren't going as planned; at work or in her personal life. There's chaos at work, she's stressing over Val's upcoming wedding to John, Jason pressuring her to move in and then there's the unexpected surprise. Can she handle anything else?
Witty and just a fun read. The characters deal with everyday true life situations and as we know, they aren't always pleasant or easy to cope with: Life is not a bowl of cherries. This book is just good clean fun!
This is a follow up to Ms. River's book "Wallflower Blooming" although Gwen , Val's cousin, is the center of attention in this story.
Gwen is the elected mayor of a Colorado city and she is majorly stressed. She's a Type A, a perfectionist and things aren't going as planned; at work or in her personal life. There's chaos at work, she's stressing over Val's upcoming wedding to John, Jason pressuring her to move in and then there's the unexpected surprise. Can she handle anything else?
Witty and just a fun read. The characters deal with everyday true life situations and as we know, they aren't always pleasant or easy to cope with: Life is not a bowl of cherries. This book is just good clean fun!
December 23, 2016
“In BEST LAID PLANS & OTHER DISASTERS Amy Rivers unfolds relatable characters struggling to sort out complex issues. Relationships are never easy, and in this tightly woven tapestry of real life challenges each character must roll with the punches and redefine their goals going forward. It will suck you in, hold you tight and keep you on edge as you turn the pages to discover their hard-pressed solutions.”
December 27, 2016
Witty, warm, and compulsively readable. Rivers has deftly created lovably flawed and relatable characters you don’t want to miss. I highly recommend this book!
May 23, 2017
Gwen Marsh has been elected mayor of the beautiful Colorado town of Cambria. Her life is right on track. She has the job she has dreamed of for years, and an amazing and handsome boyfriend. So why does she feel so exhausted and irritable?
When things at work become exceedingly difficult, due in part to the efforts of a co-worker, and her boyfriend, Jason, decides to take a new job that requires a lot of traveling, she finds herself becoming even more frustrated. When an unexpected turn of events throws Gwen on a whirlpool of emotions, she is forced to concede that not everything goes according to our plans.
I highly enjoyed this second installment in the Cambria series by Amy Rivers.
The plot line is very interesting and realistic. I was happy to find that, though the main character is a politician, this book does not attempt to sway readers on political issues. When politics are breached it is more generalized.
I was also happy to see Val and John, the two main characters from the first novel, return, especially since Gwen was present in the first novel. Seeing all of the characters together again was great.
I also enjoyed watching as the characters dealt with realistic problems both at their work places and in their everyday life.
I also enjoyed that this was a clean romance. I like romances but my favorite ones are the ones that focus more on the nonsexual aspects of the relationships. I believe this is because there is so much more to a real relationship.
I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good, clean romance novel, and/or anyone who read book one, “Wallflower Blooming.”
I received my copy of this novel from the author for the sole purpose of providing and honest review. I also have permission from the author to use the cover artwork image featured above.
See more of my reviews at stephanietiner.weebly.com
When things at work become exceedingly difficult, due in part to the efforts of a co-worker, and her boyfriend, Jason, decides to take a new job that requires a lot of traveling, she finds herself becoming even more frustrated. When an unexpected turn of events throws Gwen on a whirlpool of emotions, she is forced to concede that not everything goes according to our plans.
I highly enjoyed this second installment in the Cambria series by Amy Rivers.
The plot line is very interesting and realistic. I was happy to find that, though the main character is a politician, this book does not attempt to sway readers on political issues. When politics are breached it is more generalized.
I was also happy to see Val and John, the two main characters from the first novel, return, especially since Gwen was present in the first novel. Seeing all of the characters together again was great.
I also enjoyed watching as the characters dealt with realistic problems both at their work places and in their everyday life.
I also enjoyed that this was a clean romance. I like romances but my favorite ones are the ones that focus more on the nonsexual aspects of the relationships. I believe this is because there is so much more to a real relationship.
I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good, clean romance novel, and/or anyone who read book one, “Wallflower Blooming.”
I received my copy of this novel from the author for the sole purpose of providing and honest review. I also have permission from the author to use the cover artwork image featured above.
See more of my reviews at stephanietiner.weebly.com
February 18, 2017
My introduction to Amy Rivers' writing, was Best Laid Plans and Other Disasters. As the title suggests, life is complicated for main character Gwen Marsh. She has a lot on her plate. She is the first woman mayor of Cambria, Colorado, the upcoming maid-of-honor in her cousin Val's wedding, going through a rough patch with her boyfriend, and to top it all off, she hasn't been feeling well. Rivers has written a flawed character whose life is veering from the direction she thought it would take. This book is entertaining and at 224 pages, can easily be read in one sitting!
January 29, 2017
The cover of this book, and a review quote in the description, led me to expect a laugh-aloud comedy. Instead, Gwen’s problems are serious and challenging. It kept me reading because the book is very well-written and, in one way or another, if not as a mayor, we’ve all been there: that moment when everything to which we looked forward with confidence falls apart. I can’t say I took to Gwen’s fiancé, Jason, but then, her attempts to deal with what happens to her don’t make her easy to be around: just endlessly fascinating,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2018
Slow read and I almost ditched it half way through. The story line had so much potential if the author did not stretch out the story line so much. This is a book about how mother’s don’t have to choose between motherhood and their careers. We can have it all with the right support.
March 1, 2017
When life throws a curveball, hit it back!
Gwen Marsh has finally achieved one of her dreams of becoming mayor of the town of Cambria, Colorado. Just a stepping stone on the way to the Governor’s mansion. But when she finds out that she is pregnant, things begin to fall apart. The city manager is making her job miserable with her boyfriend Jason who worked in the city finance department. Then Jason took a new job that required a lot of travel and they have been fighting a lot lately. Plus his new flawless looking coworker appears to have a thing for him. What else could go wrong? Oh, wait! Her estranged mother has suddenly appeared in town two weeks before her cousin Val’s wedding. If she can get through the next two weeks, hopefully motherhood will be a snap!
I enjoyed this book much more than the previous, Wallflower Blooming. I think that Rivers writing has improved and the story line flowed a lot better. Plus, the tension between Gwen and Jason was a lot more believable as were the city politics. Gwen is an exceptional woman who can accomplish anything that she puts her mind to and I believe that motherhood will be no exception to her. She experienced a lot at once, but don’t we all know that storms come when least expected. The book was also left open for Val to possibly be pregnant as well. I wonder if we will get to continue on with these interesting characters.
There is some implied sexual content and mild language in the book. I would recommend this to mature young adults and up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Gwen Marsh has finally achieved one of her dreams of becoming mayor of the town of Cambria, Colorado. Just a stepping stone on the way to the Governor’s mansion. But when she finds out that she is pregnant, things begin to fall apart. The city manager is making her job miserable with her boyfriend Jason who worked in the city finance department. Then Jason took a new job that required a lot of travel and they have been fighting a lot lately. Plus his new flawless looking coworker appears to have a thing for him. What else could go wrong? Oh, wait! Her estranged mother has suddenly appeared in town two weeks before her cousin Val’s wedding. If she can get through the next two weeks, hopefully motherhood will be a snap!
I enjoyed this book much more than the previous, Wallflower Blooming. I think that Rivers writing has improved and the story line flowed a lot better. Plus, the tension between Gwen and Jason was a lot more believable as were the city politics. Gwen is an exceptional woman who can accomplish anything that she puts her mind to and I believe that motherhood will be no exception to her. She experienced a lot at once, but don’t we all know that storms come when least expected. The book was also left open for Val to possibly be pregnant as well. I wonder if we will get to continue on with these interesting characters.
There is some implied sexual content and mild language in the book. I would recommend this to mature young adults and up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
March 10, 2017
Amy Rivers loves writing stories about regular, sassy women getting into particular situations – more often that not, situations so funny, readers might just pee their panties. In her latest novel, BEST LAID PLANS & OTHER DISASTERS (BLP&OD) (Wooden Pants Publishing), Amy’s once again in fine form.
Amy’s previous novel, WALLFLOWER BLOOMING(WB), featured BFF, Val. She’s not only a PR Diva and cousin, to Gwen Marsh, the heroine in BLP&OD, but helps Gwen get elected mayor of a wealthy Colorado city. In BLP&OD, Cal’s back. Let the fun begin!
A year into her position, type-a, perfectionist, Gwen is waking up to the fact that being the Mayor of Cambria may look good on paper, but it’s anything but easy. All eyes are watching and waiting for her to make a mistake. In fact, her colleague Karen is trying to sabotage her.
Her boyfriend Jason wants her to move in and she’s not too sure, making things a little rocky between the two. Then he gets a new job and has to leave home for days at time, leaving Gwen with a chronic stomach-ache, which turns out, Gwen is preggers. She begins to wonder how becoming a mother and getting married will compliment her career plans to become the next Governor of Colorado?
Soon she learns Jason is cozying up to a new co-worker, Alex. A local schoolboy has a crush on Gwen. Val’s planning her own wedding, and steps in to help Gwen with her nerves about becoming a mother. But Gwen and Jason continue to have relationship problems.
Amy River’s real talent is creating relatable, flawed loveable characters, that despite no matter what mess they find themselves in, readers hope for the best. One lesson that’s clear in BEST LAID PLANS & OTHER DISASTERS, is don’t lock yourself into any future plans, you might miss the unexpected surprises!
Amy Rivers was born and raised in southern New Mexico and currently resides in Colorado with her husband, kids and cat. She has a Master’s degree with concentrations in Psychology and Politics, two topics she loves to incorporate into her personal essays and novels. Amy has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses, Novelty Bride Magazine, ESME.com and Splice Today. Her first novel, WALLFLOWER BLOOMING, was published in August 2016. BEST LAID PLANS & OTHER DISASTERS is available now.
Amy’s previous novel, WALLFLOWER BLOOMING(WB), featured BFF, Val. She’s not only a PR Diva and cousin, to Gwen Marsh, the heroine in BLP&OD, but helps Gwen get elected mayor of a wealthy Colorado city. In BLP&OD, Cal’s back. Let the fun begin!
A year into her position, type-a, perfectionist, Gwen is waking up to the fact that being the Mayor of Cambria may look good on paper, but it’s anything but easy. All eyes are watching and waiting for her to make a mistake. In fact, her colleague Karen is trying to sabotage her.
Her boyfriend Jason wants her to move in and she’s not too sure, making things a little rocky between the two. Then he gets a new job and has to leave home for days at time, leaving Gwen with a chronic stomach-ache, which turns out, Gwen is preggers. She begins to wonder how becoming a mother and getting married will compliment her career plans to become the next Governor of Colorado?
Soon she learns Jason is cozying up to a new co-worker, Alex. A local schoolboy has a crush on Gwen. Val’s planning her own wedding, and steps in to help Gwen with her nerves about becoming a mother. But Gwen and Jason continue to have relationship problems.
Amy River’s real talent is creating relatable, flawed loveable characters, that despite no matter what mess they find themselves in, readers hope for the best. One lesson that’s clear in BEST LAID PLANS & OTHER DISASTERS, is don’t lock yourself into any future plans, you might miss the unexpected surprises!
Amy Rivers was born and raised in southern New Mexico and currently resides in Colorado with her husband, kids and cat. She has a Master’s degree with concentrations in Psychology and Politics, two topics she loves to incorporate into her personal essays and novels. Amy has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses, Novelty Bride Magazine, ESME.com and Splice Today. Her first novel, WALLFLOWER BLOOMING, was published in August 2016. BEST LAID PLANS & OTHER DISASTERS is available now.
March 8, 2017
You maybe remember me reviewing another book by Amy Rivers called Wallflower Blooming at the very end of last year, so when I saw that there was a follow up, I jumped right on board! At the end of Wallflower Blooming, Gwen is elected mayor and she meets a guy and that kind of set the wheels for this book to be born.
For me, Gwen is SO hard to like, and that's probably because she's just everything I'm not. She's driven, she's bossy, she's popular, she's a go-getter. She's in a relationship with Jason which was a bit hard for me to get into at first because in the first book I got the impression Gwen was more of a "love 'em and leave 'em" type gal but relationship Gwen is what's being sold here. Things are going along swimmingly until Gwen finds herself on the verge of breaking up with Jason, being a mayor isn't as easy as she planned, former allies aren't playing along, she's feeling restless and moody, and of course there's a reason for it all- which is her own personal disaster. (And no, I'm not spoiling it though I'm certain you can guess what it is.)
The two books are certainly stand alone worthy but they are similar in that Val in the first one and Gwen in this one have complicated family history. Gwen struggles with her ability to navigate her new course because she doesn't have a terrific familial history and doesn't know if she can succeed without having a model to follow. It's a witty book (I won't go as far to call it funny, but there are moments where I had admittedly chuckled to myself), and I think a lot of female readers are going to be able to relate to it. It's a solid follow up to Wallflower Blooming, but I have to emphasize you do not need to read the first one to enjoy this one, but if you have read that one you'll enjoy visiting the characters from the book again.
For me, Gwen is SO hard to like, and that's probably because she's just everything I'm not. She's driven, she's bossy, she's popular, she's a go-getter. She's in a relationship with Jason which was a bit hard for me to get into at first because in the first book I got the impression Gwen was more of a "love 'em and leave 'em" type gal but relationship Gwen is what's being sold here. Things are going along swimmingly until Gwen finds herself on the verge of breaking up with Jason, being a mayor isn't as easy as she planned, former allies aren't playing along, she's feeling restless and moody, and of course there's a reason for it all- which is her own personal disaster. (And no, I'm not spoiling it though I'm certain you can guess what it is.)
The two books are certainly stand alone worthy but they are similar in that Val in the first one and Gwen in this one have complicated family history. Gwen struggles with her ability to navigate her new course because she doesn't have a terrific familial history and doesn't know if she can succeed without having a model to follow. It's a witty book (I won't go as far to call it funny, but there are moments where I had admittedly chuckled to myself), and I think a lot of female readers are going to be able to relate to it. It's a solid follow up to Wallflower Blooming, but I have to emphasize you do not need to read the first one to enjoy this one, but if you have read that one you'll enjoy visiting the characters from the book again.
January 17, 2017
Nothing ever happens as planned ...
What a great book. I really like the character, Gwen, who is one of those planners, her career and her life are on track, so she thinks. Well, things get turned upside down for Gwen. This is a fun story and I enjoyed being able to watch as Gwen tried to fix things in her life. I personally think that Gwen is too good for Jason, but that's just me. I liked sitting on the couch with Val and Gwen during a gab session or sharing secrets. No one's life is perfect, not even those who seem like they have everything. Great story.
What a great book. I really like the character, Gwen, who is one of those planners, her career and her life are on track, so she thinks. Well, things get turned upside down for Gwen. This is a fun story and I enjoyed being able to watch as Gwen tried to fix things in her life. I personally think that Gwen is too good for Jason, but that's just me. I liked sitting on the couch with Val and Gwen during a gab session or sharing secrets. No one's life is perfect, not even those who seem like they have everything. Great story.
March 3, 2024
DNF at 35%. I liked the premise of a book centering on a woman mayor but the execution fell flat for me. The writing style is primarily 'tell, don't show' and most of it is dialogue or narration of thoughts. The ease of reading is accessible for all audiences. It's simply written.
February 28, 2017
Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters is a quick read and while it follows the same characters from Wallflower Blooming, it is entirely possible to read and enjoy this book without having first read its prequel. The fun, fast pace is perfect for a long afternoon, and is the kind of story you can read with friends and use as a springboard to discuss some of the political topics the author broached.
Read my full review here: http://wp.me/p4cJzL-3fi
Read my full review here: http://wp.me/p4cJzL-3fi
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February 21, 2017Book review: Best Laid Plans and Other Disasters by Amy Rivers. US: Wooden Pants Publishing, 2017. 224 pp.
Best Laid Plans is the second book of a trilogy. The first book focuses on Val, a young career woman, who is asked to assist her cousin Gwen in her mayoral campaign. As the book ends, Gwen appears to have successfully landed not only a dream job but also a dream relationship.
The second book continues Gwen’s story. A year into her term of office, she is experiencing problems both with the job and with the relationship. Then Gwen is forced to grapple with issues raised by a surprise pregnancy.
I feel that the second novel is meatier than the first. It is successful in drawing us into Gwen’s world. Nevertheless the novel’s view of that world seems slightly romanticized. All of Gwen’s problems are successfully resolved by the end of the novel, which seems a little bit easier than what would happen in real life.
Best Laid Plans is the second book of a trilogy. The first book focuses on Val, a young career woman, who is asked to assist her cousin Gwen in her mayoral campaign. As the book ends, Gwen appears to have successfully landed not only a dream job but also a dream relationship.
The second book continues Gwen’s story. A year into her term of office, she is experiencing problems both with the job and with the relationship. Then Gwen is forced to grapple with issues raised by a surprise pregnancy.
I feel that the second novel is meatier than the first. It is successful in drawing us into Gwen’s world. Nevertheless the novel’s view of that world seems slightly romanticized. All of Gwen’s problems are successfully resolved by the end of the novel, which seems a little bit easier than what would happen in real life.
February 20, 2017
I received this book as a giveaway winner; I did not pay for this book.
This book is full of anxiety. The author chose to end most chapters with an unsettling issue. The tension and anxiety of the characters made this a horrible read for me. The characters were underdeveloped and not a good fit. There was no 'ah ha' point to reading the book, you will not gain anything by reading it.
The characters kept keeping information from each other which caused petty arguments. The main couple didn't want to be together after a year but stayed in their unsettling situation.
I ready about half of it and quit at an obvious typo. The book is so small that I decided to finish it in hopes that something did happen. Nothing happens, nothing matters; this book is not worth your time.
Note: If you notice a high rating of this book, be aware that the author gave herself 5 stars.
If you want light hearted reads: Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke are very good. The characters are developed as well as the setting.
This book is full of anxiety. The author chose to end most chapters with an unsettling issue. The tension and anxiety of the characters made this a horrible read for me. The characters were underdeveloped and not a good fit. There was no 'ah ha' point to reading the book, you will not gain anything by reading it.
The characters kept keeping information from each other which caused petty arguments. The main couple didn't want to be together after a year but stayed in their unsettling situation.
I ready about half of it and quit at an obvious typo. The book is so small that I decided to finish it in hopes that something did happen. Nothing happens, nothing matters; this book is not worth your time.
Note: If you notice a high rating of this book, be aware that the author gave herself 5 stars.
If you want light hearted reads: Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke are very good. The characters are developed as well as the setting.
July 3, 2017
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Book two in a series and sometimes I say you can skip around in a series and start on book two or twenty-two, but in this instance, I say start at the beginning, so if you haven't read book one - Wallflower Blooming then stop reading and go start there!
Gwen is one of the youngest mayors in the United States and after a contentious election season, she is hoping to move into easier waters, but sometimes the drama doesn't end once an election ends. Not only does Gwen have professional drama in this book, her personal life also takes a few tumbles.
Book two in a series and sometimes I say you can skip around in a series and start on book two or twenty-two, but in this instance, I say start at the beginning, so if you haven't read book one - Wallflower Blooming then stop reading and go start there!
Gwen is one of the youngest mayors in the United States and after a contentious election season, she is hoping to move into easier waters, but sometimes the drama doesn't end once an election ends. Not only does Gwen have professional drama in this book, her personal life also takes a few tumbles.
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