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Trophy Life
A refreshingly honest, laugh-out-loud novel about losing the life you always wanted…and finding the life you were meant to have.
For the last ten years, Agnes Parsons’s biggest challenge has been juggling yoga classes and lunch dates. Her Santa Monica house staff takes care of everything, leaving Agnes to focus on her trophy-wife responsibilities: look perfect, adore her older husband, and wear terribly expensive (if uncomfortable) underwear.
When her husband disappears, leaving Agnes and their infant daughter with no money, no home, and no staff, she is forced to move across the country, where she lands a job teaching at an all-boys boarding school in the Bronx. So long, organic quinoa bowls and sunshine-filled California life. Hello, processed food, pest-infested house, and twelve-year-old-boy humor—all day, every day.
But it’s in this place of second chances (and giant bugs), where Agnes is unexpectedly forced to take care of herself and her daughter, where she finds out the kind of woman she can be. Ultimately, she has to decide if she prefers the woman and mother she has become…or the trophy life she left behind.
Authentic and sharply witty, Trophy Life is proof that granny panties and mom coats might not be the answer to everything; they’re simply comfortable (if slightly unattractive) reminders of what happens when one life ends…and real life begins.
For the last ten years, Agnes Parsons’s biggest challenge has been juggling yoga classes and lunch dates. Her Santa Monica house staff takes care of everything, leaving Agnes to focus on her trophy-wife responsibilities: look perfect, adore her older husband, and wear terribly expensive (if uncomfortable) underwear.
When her husband disappears, leaving Agnes and their infant daughter with no money, no home, and no staff, she is forced to move across the country, where she lands a job teaching at an all-boys boarding school in the Bronx. So long, organic quinoa bowls and sunshine-filled California life. Hello, processed food, pest-infested house, and twelve-year-old-boy humor—all day, every day.
But it’s in this place of second chances (and giant bugs), where Agnes is unexpectedly forced to take care of herself and her daughter, where she finds out the kind of woman she can be. Ultimately, she has to decide if she prefers the woman and mother she has become…or the trophy life she left behind.
Authentic and sharply witty, Trophy Life is proof that granny panties and mom coats might not be the answer to everything; they’re simply comfortable (if slightly unattractive) reminders of what happens when one life ends…and real life begins.
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First published April 9, 2019
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May 19, 2019
In Trophy Life, Agnes, a Santa Monica mom to Grace and wife to Jack, is blindsided when her husband doesn’t show up for their scheduled massages one evening. Jack lives by his schedule, so Agnes knows something is wrong. Jack has disappeared and Agnes receives bizarre but firm instructions from his business associate, Don, to travel to New York and accept a middle school teaching job at a boarding school for boys. She does so, despite numerous lingering questions.
Trophy Life is about Agnes’ journey into this new chapter, far from her previous pristine California life. She tries to get a grasp on her often disobedient, adolescent students, deal with nosy and overbearing coworkers, and be a decent mom to Grace while living in their new, non-luxurious home. She is also desperately missing Jack.
Overall the story was cute and entertaining, despite being somewhat predictable. I thought Agnes was relatable and it was nice to see her grow as a person as she tried to come to terms with, and accept, her new life. Even so, I wanted her to take more of a stance on several things throughout the story - The students, her coworkers, her best friend, Beeks, and Jack. I felt like Agnes was kind of a pushover and I’m not sure I’d consider Beeks to be a “best friend” based on some of her commentary, but hey, that’s just me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Trophy Life is about Agnes’ journey into this new chapter, far from her previous pristine California life. She tries to get a grasp on her often disobedient, adolescent students, deal with nosy and overbearing coworkers, and be a decent mom to Grace while living in their new, non-luxurious home. She is also desperately missing Jack.
Overall the story was cute and entertaining, despite being somewhat predictable. I thought Agnes was relatable and it was nice to see her grow as a person as she tried to come to terms with, and accept, her new life. Even so, I wanted her to take more of a stance on several things throughout the story - The students, her coworkers, her best friend, Beeks, and Jack. I felt like Agnes was kind of a pushover and I’m not sure I’d consider Beeks to be a “best friend” based on some of her commentary, but hey, that’s just me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 14, 2019
Agnes is fortunate to have the dream life that most women desire. Her loving husband, Jack, is successful and generously provides for her and their infant daughter, Grace. She lives on the beach in Santa Monica and spends her days practicing yoga. She also has full-time help to run her home and care for her daughter. She has lots of flexibility to spend time with her friends and family.
This happy life comes to an abrupt halt when Jack doesn't arrive for their usual couples massage. Agnes is informed by Jack’s best friend that he has business troubles and will be away for an undetermined amount of time. She also learns that her house and cars are being repossessed and there is no money to pay the staff. While their finances are in flux, a job has been secured for Agnes in New York City. She will teach at an all-boys middle school and will receive a modest housing allowance. Confused and angry about her husband’s dishonesty, she is forced to move forward and make some important decisions about her life.
This is a debut novel by Lea Geller. ”Trophy Life” is an enjoyable story covering motherhood, friendship, and self-discovery. While reading this book, you can’t help getting pulled into Agnes’ world and all the obstacles she must overcome.
This happy life comes to an abrupt halt when Jack doesn't arrive for their usual couples massage. Agnes is informed by Jack’s best friend that he has business troubles and will be away for an undetermined amount of time. She also learns that her house and cars are being repossessed and there is no money to pay the staff. While their finances are in flux, a job has been secured for Agnes in New York City. She will teach at an all-boys middle school and will receive a modest housing allowance. Confused and angry about her husband’s dishonesty, she is forced to move forward and make some important decisions about her life.
This is a debut novel by Lea Geller. ”Trophy Life” is an enjoyable story covering motherhood, friendship, and self-discovery. While reading this book, you can’t help getting pulled into Agnes’ world and all the obstacles she must overcome.
May 1, 2019
Oh my goodness, I loved this refreshing story! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Agnes Parsons hasn’t had much to worry about. She has a home in Santa Monica with staff who take care of everything, and she simply has to look good and keep her much older husband happy.
Until one day her husband disappears, and Agnes is all alone with an infant daughter with no staff…and no money.
Agnes has no choice but to get a job teaching in a boys’ boarding school in the Bronx. East coast living teaching twelve-year-olds is quite the contrast to California dreamin’.
As hard as the transition is on her, and with lots of humor, Agnes finds herself in these difficult circumstances. She sheds the trophy wife and becomes a real person who’s a proud mom.
And then she has to choose between her new life and her trophy one.
Agnes’ story felt so real! Like my best friend was telling me a story about someone she knows. The storytelling is clever and funny and always entertaining. You get to witness Agnes come-of-age here, and it’s a beautiful reckoning. Agnes was super likable, even if she wasn’t that relatable, especially in the beginning. She was human and fallible and that always connects me to characters.
Overall, I had so much fun witnessing Agnes’ transformation and wondering what’s next for her. This book is about resilience of spirit, finding oneself at any age, and that it’s never too late to right a ship that’s meandered off course.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Agnes Parsons hasn’t had much to worry about. She has a home in Santa Monica with staff who take care of everything, and she simply has to look good and keep her much older husband happy.
Until one day her husband disappears, and Agnes is all alone with an infant daughter with no staff…and no money.
Agnes has no choice but to get a job teaching in a boys’ boarding school in the Bronx. East coast living teaching twelve-year-olds is quite the contrast to California dreamin’.
As hard as the transition is on her, and with lots of humor, Agnes finds herself in these difficult circumstances. She sheds the trophy wife and becomes a real person who’s a proud mom.
And then she has to choose between her new life and her trophy one.
Agnes’ story felt so real! Like my best friend was telling me a story about someone she knows. The storytelling is clever and funny and always entertaining. You get to witness Agnes come-of-age here, and it’s a beautiful reckoning. Agnes was super likable, even if she wasn’t that relatable, especially in the beginning. She was human and fallible and that always connects me to characters.
Overall, I had so much fun witnessing Agnes’ transformation and wondering what’s next for her. This book is about resilience of spirit, finding oneself at any age, and that it’s never too late to right a ship that’s meandered off course.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
May 6, 2019
authentic. Engaging. Refreshing.
Lea Geller’s debut was witty and heartwarming. A fun story with some depth. A lovely tale about second chances and finding out who you really are.
Agnes is living the good life. A beautiful home, a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, a staff to take care of said beautiful daughter and days full of yoga and lunches with friends. Then one day Agnes‘s husband Jack does not show up for their couples massage, something is wrong. Soon Agnes finds out that Jack is in financial trouble and hiding out waiting for the dust to settle. Meanwhile he advises Agnes that she needs to pack up and head across the country and take a job as a middle school teacher in the Bronx. So Agnes packs up her car along with her baby Grace, and heads across country. She starts the journey out with organic fruit and ends it with cheese puffs. When she gets to the Bronx she finds herself living in a small townhouse and teaching mischievous boys. A far cry from her yoga filled days, but this is only temporary, isn’t it?
Agnes wasn’t always likable and I didn’t necessarily find her relatable, however I did find her authentic. At times I found Agnes so exasperating. First of all she moved all the way across the country without even questioning the why of it. Then she came across so ungrateful for having a furnished place to live in and a job. At other times I found Agnes terribly endearing. I loved how she sampled all the toddler food on her road trip across the country. She even sampled those meat sticks, then she put them in a casserole and brought them to a potluck, yuck! Then there was the interaction with the boys in her classroom. She really found a great way to relate to 12-year-old boys and their 12-year-old boy humor. Loved the bit about the Christmas tree, so touching. Simply put this was a delightful story about a woman trying to figure out what kind of life she really wanted to live. 8/10
*** thank you Lake Union for my copy of this book ***
Lea Geller’s debut was witty and heartwarming. A fun story with some depth. A lovely tale about second chances and finding out who you really are.
Agnes is living the good life. A beautiful home, a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, a staff to take care of said beautiful daughter and days full of yoga and lunches with friends. Then one day Agnes‘s husband Jack does not show up for their couples massage, something is wrong. Soon Agnes finds out that Jack is in financial trouble and hiding out waiting for the dust to settle. Meanwhile he advises Agnes that she needs to pack up and head across the country and take a job as a middle school teacher in the Bronx. So Agnes packs up her car along with her baby Grace, and heads across country. She starts the journey out with organic fruit and ends it with cheese puffs. When she gets to the Bronx she finds herself living in a small townhouse and teaching mischievous boys. A far cry from her yoga filled days, but this is only temporary, isn’t it?
Agnes wasn’t always likable and I didn’t necessarily find her relatable, however I did find her authentic. At times I found Agnes so exasperating. First of all she moved all the way across the country without even questioning the why of it. Then she came across so ungrateful for having a furnished place to live in and a job. At other times I found Agnes terribly endearing. I loved how she sampled all the toddler food on her road trip across the country. She even sampled those meat sticks, then she put them in a casserole and brought them to a potluck, yuck! Then there was the interaction with the boys in her classroom. She really found a great way to relate to 12-year-old boys and their 12-year-old boy humor. Loved the bit about the Christmas tree, so touching. Simply put this was a delightful story about a woman trying to figure out what kind of life she really wanted to live. 8/10
*** thank you Lake Union for my copy of this book ***
May 5, 2019
Uniquely authentic, laugh-out-loud, rejuvenating, and with depth and heart that just warms the soul, Lea Geller’s Trophy Life is that rare novel that spans from light to emotional and back within a single scene. I absolutely loved this book!
See my full review on PhDiva.blog!
This book blended these emotional raw scenes with fantastically humorous commentary, giving it a lot of depth that you may not have guessed at. The cover projects rom-com, but don’t mistake this book for any sort of a love story. This is a story of a woman realizing who she is as a person, a wife, a mother, and a friend.
At the beginning, Agnes has it all! A great husband whom she has fantastic sex with, sunny California weather, organic food, a sweet daughter, and two full-time staff that help with the majority of the child care, cooking, and cleaning.
But Agnes is not necessarily who you think she is. She isn’t spoiled or entitled. Agnes’s parents died when she was young, and she grew up with no money and no family. It is no wonder that when Agnes meets Jack, she loves the stability of their life! She knows what others think of her, but she never wants herself or her daughter to go hungry like she did as a child.
When Jack disappears, Agnes is forced to step out of her comfort zone. All the way to the Bronx where she teaches English at an all-boys private school. These boys are on their last chance. This is a last resort school for them, and they need to straighten up if they hope to get into high school.
I absolutely loved seeing the story of Agnes and the boys she grew to love unfold. I laughed out loud at her underwear hijinks—she’d only worn thongs for Jack. I got frustrated along with her when the demands placed on her go too far. And I teared up when she missed her husband, fought with her best friend, or had a touching moment with a student.
This is a book at its core about finding out who you are. Agnes is on a road to self-discovery, and I’ll admit there were a few wrong-turns along the way. What I loved most about Lea Geller’s novel was that she allowed Agnes to be flawed. Agnes at times was unlikeable, and other times she was so loveable I wanted to reach through the pages and hug her! But at all moments, Agnes was a very authentic character.
I received a physical copy from the publisher, and an audiobook with my kindle unlimited subscription. Opinions are my own.
See my full review on PhDiva.blog!
This book blended these emotional raw scenes with fantastically humorous commentary, giving it a lot of depth that you may not have guessed at. The cover projects rom-com, but don’t mistake this book for any sort of a love story. This is a story of a woman realizing who she is as a person, a wife, a mother, and a friend.
At the beginning, Agnes has it all! A great husband whom she has fantastic sex with, sunny California weather, organic food, a sweet daughter, and two full-time staff that help with the majority of the child care, cooking, and cleaning.
But Agnes is not necessarily who you think she is. She isn’t spoiled or entitled. Agnes’s parents died when she was young, and she grew up with no money and no family. It is no wonder that when Agnes meets Jack, she loves the stability of their life! She knows what others think of her, but she never wants herself or her daughter to go hungry like she did as a child.
When Jack disappears, Agnes is forced to step out of her comfort zone. All the way to the Bronx where she teaches English at an all-boys private school. These boys are on their last chance. This is a last resort school for them, and they need to straighten up if they hope to get into high school.
I absolutely loved seeing the story of Agnes and the boys she grew to love unfold. I laughed out loud at her underwear hijinks—she’d only worn thongs for Jack. I got frustrated along with her when the demands placed on her go too far. And I teared up when she missed her husband, fought with her best friend, or had a touching moment with a student.
This is a book at its core about finding out who you are. Agnes is on a road to self-discovery, and I’ll admit there were a few wrong-turns along the way. What I loved most about Lea Geller’s novel was that she allowed Agnes to be flawed. Agnes at times was unlikeable, and other times she was so loveable I wanted to reach through the pages and hug her! But at all moments, Agnes was a very authentic character.
I received a physical copy from the publisher, and an audiobook with my kindle unlimited subscription. Opinions are my own.
June 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this novel. Agnes’ parents died when she was young, and after years of foster care and working as a preschool teacher, overnight her life changed when the very wealthy Jack Parsons fell in love with her and whisked her away from constant worry about money. For years she had nothing to do but workout, get her hair done, and get massages. She even had people helping her with her newborn daughter. So when Jack disappears from their sunny California home and she’s instructed to take the baby across the country to New York to work at a private middle school for troublesome boys, she has no choice, thinking Jack will soon return to return them to their previously easy life. A life that doesn’t include a rodent-invested apartment and days spent with boys with behavior problems.
How Agnes changes over the months teaching makes for a rewarding and heart-warming read.
For more reviews, please vist http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
How Agnes changes over the months teaching makes for a rewarding and heart-warming read.
For more reviews, please vist http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
December 13, 2019
Agnes Parsons has been living a pampered life of a Californian trophy wife. All she has to do is look the part and adore her older husband Jack. The rest is organised by her house staff, including taking care of her baby girl Grace. When Jack disappears, his business associate informs Agnes that while she has no money and no house, a teaching job in a New York middle school for boys has been secured and that is where she has to move. Shocked with this sudden turn of events and such a drastic change in her life situation, Agnes agrees and sets out on a journey across the country. She will have to learn to stand on her own feet and take her own decisions, look after her daughter and herself, and, finally, when Jack does re-appear she will have to question her future with him.
At the beginning Agnes is passive and naive in an exaggerated way, but there is so much growth and development in her character. I loved her relationship with baby Grace and how she manages to become a competent and caring teacher.
It was a lovely, enjoyable read. I would really like to read another book by Lea Geller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC provided in return for an honest review.
At the beginning Agnes is passive and naive in an exaggerated way, but there is so much growth and development in her character. I loved her relationship with baby Grace and how she manages to become a competent and caring teacher.
It was a lovely, enjoyable read. I would really like to read another book by Lea Geller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC provided in return for an honest review.
April 11, 2019
3 Stars!
Agnes is living the good life in Santa Monica, CA. She is married to a wealthy investment manager, Jack, and they have a one year old, Grace. Agnes can have anything she wants and she can spend her time doing yoga and going to nice lunches while her nannies take care of Grace. One day, Agnes gets a call that she must leave CA and go teach middle school in the New York Bronx. She doesn't know much detail except her husband, Jack, is in big trouble with his investors. She doesn't even know where her own husband is because he's in hiding.
Agnes gets to the Bronx with little to nothing because she had to sell all her stuff. She is now teaching middle school boys English with kids who are troublemakers. They're those kids who's parents are so rich but the kids have bad behavior issues but must stay in private school due to their parents wishes. These boys are tough but Agnes is brought back to her roots as she did not grow up rich. All this time she just wants to go home but Jack is barely communicating with her and she is sacrificing everything for him. So what do you do if your own husband asks you to do something illegal? Does how much you love someone make a difference in your decision?
This was a cute story overall however I found myself getting frustrated with the main character the entire time. Maybe it's because our lives don't run parallel at all but there's something about a weak female character that drives me nuts. The entire story the husband clearly had control and she basically dropped everything and everyone for this man who treated her terribly. For being her husband I felt that he was very aggressive at times both with physical gestures and the way he spoke to her. He spoke down to her a lot. I was waiting for the moment in the middle of the story when she was going to tell him off but I never got that satisfaction.
I think that this story could be relatable to people who are in similar situations. My own marriage is extremely 50/50 and I just could not relate to Agnes. The parts I did love about this were 1. When she stood up and got close with her boys. She was the only one who tried to understand them and help them and I loved that. 2. When she bonded with Grace. Since before Agnes had to move, she had a nanny and never spent as much time with Grace. Losing everything made her focus more on her child and she got to experience things with Grace that she may never have with a nanny. Those were truly bright spots in the book.
Thank you to GetRedPR and Lake Union for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.
Maybe this was nothing. Maybe something came up at work and he really was just running late. But Jack didn't run late. Jack never ran late. I thought about what Lynne said about missed payments and unreturned phone calls, and an awful, familiar feeling that I could not shake off started moving up through me.
Agnes is living the good life in Santa Monica, CA. She is married to a wealthy investment manager, Jack, and they have a one year old, Grace. Agnes can have anything she wants and she can spend her time doing yoga and going to nice lunches while her nannies take care of Grace. One day, Agnes gets a call that she must leave CA and go teach middle school in the New York Bronx. She doesn't know much detail except her husband, Jack, is in big trouble with his investors. She doesn't even know where her own husband is because he's in hiding.
Agnes gets to the Bronx with little to nothing because she had to sell all her stuff. She is now teaching middle school boys English with kids who are troublemakers. They're those kids who's parents are so rich but the kids have bad behavior issues but must stay in private school due to their parents wishes. These boys are tough but Agnes is brought back to her roots as she did not grow up rich. All this time she just wants to go home but Jack is barely communicating with her and she is sacrificing everything for him. So what do you do if your own husband asks you to do something illegal? Does how much you love someone make a difference in your decision?
This was a cute story overall however I found myself getting frustrated with the main character the entire time. Maybe it's because our lives don't run parallel at all but there's something about a weak female character that drives me nuts. The entire story the husband clearly had control and she basically dropped everything and everyone for this man who treated her terribly. For being her husband I felt that he was very aggressive at times both with physical gestures and the way he spoke to her. He spoke down to her a lot. I was waiting for the moment in the middle of the story when she was going to tell him off but I never got that satisfaction.
I think that this story could be relatable to people who are in similar situations. My own marriage is extremely 50/50 and I just could not relate to Agnes. The parts I did love about this were 1. When she stood up and got close with her boys. She was the only one who tried to understand them and help them and I loved that. 2. When she bonded with Grace. Since before Agnes had to move, she had a nanny and never spent as much time with Grace. Losing everything made her focus more on her child and she got to experience things with Grace that she may never have with a nanny. Those were truly bright spots in the book.
Thank you to GetRedPR and Lake Union for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.
April 8, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5
I know there are going to be a lot of people that will LOVE Trophy Life by Lea Geller but unfortunately I didn't love it as much as I was hoping to.
What it's about: Agnes Parsons did not have the best childhood, her parents died when she was young and she had to bounce around from foster home to foster home without much to call her own. So when she gets the chance to marry a man older than her, but who is stable and has lots of money to provide for her, she obviously takes it. She also loves him, but lets face it - a stable home, lots of money to spend, a nanny, and a cook isn't bad either. But now, 10 years later, her husband doesn't come home one day from work and she discovers they no longer have all the money she thought they did. Agnes is then told that she is going to be a middle school teacher at a boarding school in the Bronx, which means moving across country with their six-month-old daughter Grace. By herself. At least she has her friend Beeks in NY. . . What follows is Agnes' finding her place in NY away from her trophy life, and figuring out just what kind of person she really is.
The biggest issue I had with Trophy Life is that Agnes really didn't get a backbone until the last few pages of the book. She went along with everything her husband said even though there were a ton of obvious red flags that everything was NOT on the up and up. I just can't connect to a character that would move across the country without question, just because her husband (who has gone MIA) tells her to. Plus she just seemed really dense which drove me nuts.
I also thought this book wasn't near as funny as it was made out to be. There is definitely humor don't get me wrong, but I was expecting to be laughing a lot when reality was more of a few chuckles every now and then. It had a lot of potential but just feel flat for me.
Final Thought: I really think that if I could have made some sort of connection to Agnes I would have liked this book a whole lot more. Every time she whined about her new life in New York I wanted to tell her to put on her big girl panties and deal with it, she isn't a child. Overall, I did really like the story though and would definitely read more by Geller. This is a debut novel and I hope I will like her second much better. I will say that I would still recommend this book to people that like lighter reads and anyone that likes the sounds of the synopsis. I have seen a lot of people that love this one, but just not me.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I know there are going to be a lot of people that will LOVE Trophy Life by Lea Geller but unfortunately I didn't love it as much as I was hoping to.
What it's about: Agnes Parsons did not have the best childhood, her parents died when she was young and she had to bounce around from foster home to foster home without much to call her own. So when she gets the chance to marry a man older than her, but who is stable and has lots of money to provide for her, she obviously takes it. She also loves him, but lets face it - a stable home, lots of money to spend, a nanny, and a cook isn't bad either. But now, 10 years later, her husband doesn't come home one day from work and she discovers they no longer have all the money she thought they did. Agnes is then told that she is going to be a middle school teacher at a boarding school in the Bronx, which means moving across country with their six-month-old daughter Grace. By herself. At least she has her friend Beeks in NY. . . What follows is Agnes' finding her place in NY away from her trophy life, and figuring out just what kind of person she really is.
The biggest issue I had with Trophy Life is that Agnes really didn't get a backbone until the last few pages of the book. She went along with everything her husband said even though there were a ton of obvious red flags that everything was NOT on the up and up. I just can't connect to a character that would move across the country without question, just because her husband (who has gone MIA) tells her to. Plus she just seemed really dense which drove me nuts.
I also thought this book wasn't near as funny as it was made out to be. There is definitely humor don't get me wrong, but I was expecting to be laughing a lot when reality was more of a few chuckles every now and then. It had a lot of potential but just feel flat for me.
Final Thought: I really think that if I could have made some sort of connection to Agnes I would have liked this book a whole lot more. Every time she whined about her new life in New York I wanted to tell her to put on her big girl panties and deal with it, she isn't a child. Overall, I did really like the story though and would definitely read more by Geller. This is a debut novel and I hope I will like her second much better. I will say that I would still recommend this book to people that like lighter reads and anyone that likes the sounds of the synopsis. I have seen a lot of people that love this one, but just not me.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
April 9, 2019
I thought that this was a cute story, and it did have more to it than just the tale of a trophy wife. I liked that we got to see Agnes in a different light from where she started, and found myself really pulling for her. She was a likable character, and there were some sweet moments, especially seeing the relationships form between Agnes and her middle school students that she ends up teaching to support herself and her daughter. .
January 5, 2019
This was a fantastic read with much heart and more depth than I expected from its description. It will be relatable for any woman who has ever had to "go it alone" and forge a new path when life doesn't turn out as she'd expected. We might think that the story of a "trophy wife" would be vacuous, but the character of Agnes learned much about herself and others as she reinvents herself within a life she didn't ask for and makes tough choices about love and rightness. Highly recommended!
August 27, 2019
Between 2 and 3.
I enjoyed the parts of the story that involved the boarding school, and in particular, Agnes's interactions with the boys.
However, the story line involving Agnes, her husband, her marriage, and their financial situation was exasperating. I didn't feel an ounce of sympathy or empathy for Agnes, who had managed to get herself into this situation by being dense and choosing to remain ignorant and who whined a lot and didn't grow up until the last few pages.
From the description, I also expected some humor, but apart from a couple of mild chuckles, I didn't find anything funny.
This being a debut novel, I want to mention that the writing itself wasn't a problem at all, and I would try another book by Lea Geller. I just couldn't get over my dislike for the protagonist (and the majority of the other nasty characters) in this story.
I enjoyed the parts of the story that involved the boarding school, and in particular, Agnes's interactions with the boys.
However, the story line involving Agnes, her husband, her marriage, and their financial situation was exasperating. I didn't feel an ounce of sympathy or empathy for Agnes, who had managed to get herself into this situation by being dense and choosing to remain ignorant and who whined a lot and didn't grow up until the last few pages.
From the description, I also expected some humor, but apart from a couple of mild chuckles, I didn't find anything funny.
This being a debut novel, I want to mention that the writing itself wasn't a problem at all, and I would try another book by Lea Geller. I just couldn't get over my dislike for the protagonist (and the majority of the other nasty characters) in this story.
April 3, 2019
Don’t let the fun and bright cover fool you, this book had more depth than I anticipated from first glance. Sure, it’s light and has plenty of laugh old loud moments, but it’s also brutally honest and feels refreshingly authentic.
Agnes is living the dream, she has a gorgeous house in Santa Monica, an adoring husband and a sweet baby daughter. Her only “job” is to look good for her husband, their hired help takes care of the rest and when her entire world gets flipped upside down and she is forced to get a real job, teaching unruly middle school boys no less, she gets a rude awakening, and fast. To start with I didn’t think much of Agnes, she seemed vapid and self absorbed but there is much more than meets the eye with this woman. Over the course of the book she undergoes quite the transformation and I was rooting for her hardcore by the end.
This is told over the course of one year as she navigates life as a single mom who’s future is in limbo as she struggles to figure out what her next steps are. While I did like her quite a bit, her boys, (the students she teaches) stole my heart. They’re a group of misfits that have been labeled as troublemakers by the adults in their lives and she seems to be the only person who truly cares about these kids. They were also rotten little stinkers who cause mischief at every opportunity making for some hilarious scenarios.
Recommended when you want a read with that great balance of light hearted fun and subtle depth, especially for anyone that has ever had to start over in their own life!
Trophy Life in three words: Refreshing, Genuine and Funny
Agnes is living the dream, she has a gorgeous house in Santa Monica, an adoring husband and a sweet baby daughter. Her only “job” is to look good for her husband, their hired help takes care of the rest and when her entire world gets flipped upside down and she is forced to get a real job, teaching unruly middle school boys no less, she gets a rude awakening, and fast. To start with I didn’t think much of Agnes, she seemed vapid and self absorbed but there is much more than meets the eye with this woman. Over the course of the book she undergoes quite the transformation and I was rooting for her hardcore by the end.
This is told over the course of one year as she navigates life as a single mom who’s future is in limbo as she struggles to figure out what her next steps are. While I did like her quite a bit, her boys, (the students she teaches) stole my heart. They’re a group of misfits that have been labeled as troublemakers by the adults in their lives and she seems to be the only person who truly cares about these kids. They were also rotten little stinkers who cause mischief at every opportunity making for some hilarious scenarios.
Recommended when you want a read with that great balance of light hearted fun and subtle depth, especially for anyone that has ever had to start over in their own life!
Trophy Life in three words: Refreshing, Genuine and Funny
March 16, 2019
Agnes is a California trophy wife whose life as she knows it comes to an abrupt stop when her husband fails to show up to their weekly massage date. Agnes is told by her husband’s confidante that she has to move to the Bronx to teach middle schoolers at a boarding school and wait to hear from her husband. Agnes goes from her gilded life to a mice infested condo at the school. Her life turns completely upside down. The story of Agnes’ journey of awakening is told with humor and authenticity and I loved every minute of it. I was laughing out loud throughout the book. Trophy Life is the author’s debut book and I look forward to many more from her.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 1, 2019
What happens when your Trophy Life becomes nothing but strife? This is the situation Agnes Parson is facing when her husband Jack gets himself into financial troubles and goes into hiding - WITHOUT her! Jack sends Agnes to The Bronx to teach in a middle school that his friends runs.
Watching Agnes learn to rely on herself again, something she hadn’t done since meeting Jack, is an interesting story, however, the highlight of Trophy Life for me was the relationship Agnes formed with her middle school students and learning not only to rely on herself but to be someone others could rely on too.
I received an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Watching Agnes learn to rely on herself again, something she hadn’t done since meeting Jack, is an interesting story, however, the highlight of Trophy Life for me was the relationship Agnes formed with her middle school students and learning not only to rely on herself but to be someone others could rely on too.
I received an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
April 11, 2019
3 1/2 stars
Agnes and Jack Parsons seem to have it all - the beach house, expensive dates, and a house staff to take care of all of their needs. Then one day Agnes goes to their usual sushi spot where they planned to have dinner but Jack never shows. Quickly Agnes realizes that she is on her own with their infant daughter, no money, no home, and no Jack.
Agnes is given a job teaching at an all-boys boarding school in the Bronx with a pest-infested home. A far cry from her outlandish life in Santa Monica. However, Agnes starts to feel a connection with her 12-year- old students and will do anything to help them succeed. In doing so, Agnes discovers the woman she can be and the strength she never knew she had.
But when everything with her husband finally comes to a tipping point, Agnes must decide whether to continue this life that she now knows or go back to the trophy life she left behind in Santa Monica.
I liked the main character, Agnes, when it came to her students. Yes, there were times when I wanted to shake her and scream “Be mad! Be angry! Be pissed!” because she had every right to be but still I enjoyed watching her find her own way. Trophy Life is a fun read!
Thank you Get Red PR and Lake Union Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Agnes and Jack Parsons seem to have it all - the beach house, expensive dates, and a house staff to take care of all of their needs. Then one day Agnes goes to their usual sushi spot where they planned to have dinner but Jack never shows. Quickly Agnes realizes that she is on her own with their infant daughter, no money, no home, and no Jack.
Agnes is given a job teaching at an all-boys boarding school in the Bronx with a pest-infested home. A far cry from her outlandish life in Santa Monica. However, Agnes starts to feel a connection with her 12-year- old students and will do anything to help them succeed. In doing so, Agnes discovers the woman she can be and the strength she never knew she had.
But when everything with her husband finally comes to a tipping point, Agnes must decide whether to continue this life that she now knows or go back to the trophy life she left behind in Santa Monica.
I liked the main character, Agnes, when it came to her students. Yes, there were times when I wanted to shake her and scream “Be mad! Be angry! Be pissed!” because she had every right to be but still I enjoyed watching her find her own way. Trophy Life is a fun read!
Thank you Get Red PR and Lake Union Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
June 22, 2022
this book is absolutely amazing, i love it, I highly recommend it, very good book
June 29, 2019
I was looking for a fun, breezy read (actually, an Audible listen) and thought this would fit the bill. I kept reading and re-reading other's reviews describing it as razor-sharp and hilarious, but I found it anything but. The writing was plodding and dull, but it was the main character, Agnes Parsons, that I disliked the most. I am not sure what Geller's intent was in writing this book, but if it was to fulfill every last stereotype of a trophy wife, then she succeeded. Agnes is the trophy wife in question and her back story was that she had grown up poor and her parents had died in a car accident when she was in middle school. She had bounced around in different foster homes before going to college and then becoming a preschool teacher. In her early 20s, she met and married her wealthy husband, Jack, in Santa Monica and they eventually have a baby, Grace.
When Jack goes missing, clearing out their bank accounts, he sets her up with a job as an English teacher at a junior boarding school in the Bronx for rich, troubled middle schoolers. I get that Agnes's history was a set-up for her marriage to Jack, but for someone who had grown up poor and in difficult circumstances, she sure seemed completely incompetent and incapable. Before she and Grace left for the Bronx, she had never taken Grace out by herself without her nanny. She had never cleaned her house. She had never grocery shopped or prepared a meal or done anything remotely domestic, which I found hard to believe given that she had gone to college and presumably had to fend for herself during those years. Other than her brief stint as a preschool teacher, she had also never worked outside the home and seemed completely unqualified to teach middle school English.
Agnes, Jack, the middle school students, Agnes's neighbor, Stacey Fig, and pretty much all of the other characters were complete stereotypes and not well-developed or complex or interesting. The only character who was mildly believable and sometimes funny was Agnes's high school friend, Beaks, a harried working mother of four boys, but I couldn't figure out why she put up with Agnes, other than the fact that sometimes you get stuck with friends you have had since you were young because you have a history together.
Agnes was neither a good friend nor a good mother nor a good teacher nor a particularly good person. It seemed like the only thing she was good at was being a cardboard cutout wife to Jack. She didn't seem to have any interests or thoughts outside of her marriage.
Another note on the Audible version of this book--the reader was terrible. She sounded like Siri or Alexa or some high quality robo-voice--so much so that I wondered if her cadence was intentional to make Agnes sound like a complete Stepford wife. I don't know if my thoughts on the book would have been different had I read it or had the reader been different.
When Jack goes missing, clearing out their bank accounts, he sets her up with a job as an English teacher at a junior boarding school in the Bronx for rich, troubled middle schoolers. I get that Agnes's history was a set-up for her marriage to Jack, but for someone who had grown up poor and in difficult circumstances, she sure seemed completely incompetent and incapable. Before she and Grace left for the Bronx, she had never taken Grace out by herself without her nanny. She had never cleaned her house. She had never grocery shopped or prepared a meal or done anything remotely domestic, which I found hard to believe given that she had gone to college and presumably had to fend for herself during those years. Other than her brief stint as a preschool teacher, she had also never worked outside the home and seemed completely unqualified to teach middle school English.
Agnes, Jack, the middle school students, Agnes's neighbor, Stacey Fig, and pretty much all of the other characters were complete stereotypes and not well-developed or complex or interesting. The only character who was mildly believable and sometimes funny was Agnes's high school friend, Beaks, a harried working mother of four boys, but I couldn't figure out why she put up with Agnes, other than the fact that sometimes you get stuck with friends you have had since you were young because you have a history together.
Agnes was neither a good friend nor a good mother nor a good teacher nor a particularly good person. It seemed like the only thing she was good at was being a cardboard cutout wife to Jack. She didn't seem to have any interests or thoughts outside of her marriage.
Another note on the Audible version of this book--the reader was terrible. She sounded like Siri or Alexa or some high quality robo-voice--so much so that I wondered if her cadence was intentional to make Agnes sound like a complete Stepford wife. I don't know if my thoughts on the book would have been different had I read it or had the reader been different.
did-not-finish
May 12, 2019DNF after chapter 16 of the audiobook - none of this story makes any sense - WHY WOULD SHE DO WHAT JACK SAYS?? And why is she so snobby when she grew up without money? And what school would hire her? Not for me. Or maybe I just hated the narration? Either way, I’m moving on.
April 26, 2019
There's that common quote that people like to say that money can't buy happiness - but I mean, who here wouldn't be happier if they had a million dollars to buy every book they wanted? I mean, I'd be happier with a new car, a few new wardrobe staples, or a bathroom updated to lose the ugly pink 1950's tile...
But of course - money can also be the root of all evil - fostering greed, and indulgence, and sometimes money can be the reason your husband just leaves you high and dry one day.
Such is the case with Agnes. She came from nothing - so she's not much of Trophy Wife, but she sure is living the Trophy LIFE with her rich and handsome adoring husband Jack. She wants for nothing, spending her days lazily visiting with friends of equal status, comparing yoga pants, and drinking smoothies and watching their nannies mind after their children.
But when Jack suddenly disappears one day, Agnes is forced to return to a life of no money, no childcare and no where to live. She moves from sunny CA all the way across the country to the Bronx to start a new life, on her own, teaching troubled privileged boys at a boarding school. And reality sets in. She must learn to be her own woman, and may finally discover the woman she's meant to be and create her own path to happiness.
I loved the turn this took, suddenly and abruptly and the way Agnes was forced to buck up and put her big girl panties on (quite literally! Fancy expensive things be damned!) and stand on her own two feet. I rooted for her to find her own path and screamed at her to get her damn sh*t together! No-one needs a man to make it in life - and she certainly has come from a place where hard work and second chances are the only way she's going to survive. She just needs to get back to who she really is deep down, and realize that the trophy life woman she used to be isn't going to help her get anywhere,
It's hard to review this one without giving away too much - where did Jack go? Did he disappear because he had to? Is he desperately trying to find his way back to Agnes? Will she ever see him again? But all will be explained and it's a terribly fun ride and journey getting there - and I really enjoyed it.
But of course - money can also be the root of all evil - fostering greed, and indulgence, and sometimes money can be the reason your husband just leaves you high and dry one day.
Such is the case with Agnes. She came from nothing - so she's not much of Trophy Wife, but she sure is living the Trophy LIFE with her rich and handsome adoring husband Jack. She wants for nothing, spending her days lazily visiting with friends of equal status, comparing yoga pants, and drinking smoothies and watching their nannies mind after their children.
But when Jack suddenly disappears one day, Agnes is forced to return to a life of no money, no childcare and no where to live. She moves from sunny CA all the way across the country to the Bronx to start a new life, on her own, teaching troubled privileged boys at a boarding school. And reality sets in. She must learn to be her own woman, and may finally discover the woman she's meant to be and create her own path to happiness.
I loved the turn this took, suddenly and abruptly and the way Agnes was forced to buck up and put her big girl panties on (quite literally! Fancy expensive things be damned!) and stand on her own two feet. I rooted for her to find her own path and screamed at her to get her damn sh*t together! No-one needs a man to make it in life - and she certainly has come from a place where hard work and second chances are the only way she's going to survive. She just needs to get back to who she really is deep down, and realize that the trophy life woman she used to be isn't going to help her get anywhere,
It's hard to review this one without giving away too much - where did Jack go? Did he disappear because he had to? Is he desperately trying to find his way back to Agnes? Will she ever see him again? But all will be explained and it's a terribly fun ride and journey getting there - and I really enjoyed it.
April 15, 2019
Trophy Life by Lea Geller follows Agnes, a SoCal wife to Jack and mother to Grace. While Agnes once had a tough childhood, once she met and married Jack her biggest troubles involved what green smoothie have for breakfast and which yoga class to take. On a Tuesday towards the end of the month, Agnes goes to her regularly scheduled couples massage to meet Jack and then go out for sushi. There’s just one problem. Jack never shows…
Jack vanishes along with his money. It appears he got into some trouble and had to go dark. Agnes is left with none of her financial or material comforts as she must figure out how to care for her and Grace. She ends up moving and teaching at a boys school in the Bronx. Her entire world is turned upside down as she tries to figure out what kind of woman she really is as she adapts to her new normal.
I loved this one. It’s a nice light read that you can fly through. Though I found myself frustrated with Agnes at times for some of the decisions she was making, I recognize it was all part of her overarching journey. Overall I really enjoyed watching Agnes transform into her new life and you’ll feel all the tings right along with her. If you want a quick story to make you laugh, cry and love - this ones for you! // ☕☕☕☕
Thanks to @suzyapprovedbooktours for providing me with a copy to review and having me on! All opinions are my own!
Jack vanishes along with his money. It appears he got into some trouble and had to go dark. Agnes is left with none of her financial or material comforts as she must figure out how to care for her and Grace. She ends up moving and teaching at a boys school in the Bronx. Her entire world is turned upside down as she tries to figure out what kind of woman she really is as she adapts to her new normal.
I loved this one. It’s a nice light read that you can fly through. Though I found myself frustrated with Agnes at times for some of the decisions she was making, I recognize it was all part of her overarching journey. Overall I really enjoyed watching Agnes transform into her new life and you’ll feel all the tings right along with her. If you want a quick story to make you laugh, cry and love - this ones for you! // ☕☕☕☕
Thanks to @suzyapprovedbooktours for providing me with a copy to review and having me on! All opinions are my own!
April 13, 2019
I've written this review for Really Into This
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
BOOK REVIEW: TROPHY LIFE BY LEA GELLER
Reading Trophy Life, I anticipate hijinks, hilarious mom moments & the beloved “you’re better off without him vibe”. After reading it, I realize Lea Geller digs deeper & creates a story about someone truly rediscovering who they are & more important, who they want to be.
SECOND CHANCES
I swear, expectations are half a book. Looking a the bright cover & reading the synopsis, I’m expecting a Shopaholic type read. I’m ready to meet a rich girl/mom & ready to see her fall on her face after her money is ripped away from her. Even more, I’m ready to see her get back up again after falling.
With Trophy Life, Lea Geller writes an original second chance type of novel. This story is much deeper and more inspiring than I ever thought it would or could be. Yes, there are times I want to scream at Agnes. But that’s what happens when we watch someone find his/her way, correct? As we see Agnes struggle, we see her grow as a person. Striped from her luxury lifestyle, she’s able to re-evaluate every single thing in her life. As I think about that now, it’s freeing in many ways. She’s able to start completely over & create a life she is proud of.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! Lea Geller writes an inspiring read that may make you rethink your own life & decisions. Trophy Life is fun, insightful & enjoyable.
Special thanks to Lea Geller, Lake Union Publishing & Get Red PR for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
BOOK REVIEW: TROPHY LIFE BY LEA GELLER
Reading Trophy Life, I anticipate hijinks, hilarious mom moments & the beloved “you’re better off without him vibe”. After reading it, I realize Lea Geller digs deeper & creates a story about someone truly rediscovering who they are & more important, who they want to be.
SECOND CHANCES
I swear, expectations are half a book. Looking a the bright cover & reading the synopsis, I’m expecting a Shopaholic type read. I’m ready to meet a rich girl/mom & ready to see her fall on her face after her money is ripped away from her. Even more, I’m ready to see her get back up again after falling.
With Trophy Life, Lea Geller writes an original second chance type of novel. This story is much deeper and more inspiring than I ever thought it would or could be. Yes, there are times I want to scream at Agnes. But that’s what happens when we watch someone find his/her way, correct? As we see Agnes struggle, we see her grow as a person. Striped from her luxury lifestyle, she’s able to re-evaluate every single thing in her life. As I think about that now, it’s freeing in many ways. She’s able to start completely over & create a life she is proud of.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! Lea Geller writes an inspiring read that may make you rethink your own life & decisions. Trophy Life is fun, insightful & enjoyable.
Special thanks to Lea Geller, Lake Union Publishing & Get Red PR for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
April 23, 2019
When I try to think of how to write a review for this book, the first thing that comes to mind is, "Oh, it was cute." That's about how I would sum up this story. As I was reading it, it gave me a lot of warm feelings, a little bit of rage, and a handful of laughs. I didn't hate my reading experience, but I also am not going to be forcing this one into anyone's hands to try to get them to read it.
As a mom, I really enjoyed the parts of the story where Agnes, the main character, struggled with motherhood, but alas, those parts were few and far in between. Agnes spent most of the book living as a single mom, but the story focused more on her job and her endless pursuit of getting her husband back. The frustrating part of this narrative was that every single character in the book could see how bad her husband was except for Agnes herself, and I just wanted to reach into the book and shake her - WAKE UP WOMAN, YOU ARE NO MORE TO HIM THAN A HOT BOD AND A BABY MAMA! Instead of investing in her daughter and loving watching her grow up, she sits around agonizing about the man who left her alone after one too many shady business deals. And even though I wasn't a big fan of Agnes, I like any book thatch evoke any emotion in me, even if it is slight rage.
Trophy Life was filled with quirky characters and had a lot of wit and charm. It was a great palate cleanser after a few heavier reads, so I appreciated that about it. I will read Geller's next book just to see how she grows as an author - this was a solid debut.
As a mom, I really enjoyed the parts of the story where Agnes, the main character, struggled with motherhood, but alas, those parts were few and far in between. Agnes spent most of the book living as a single mom, but the story focused more on her job and her endless pursuit of getting her husband back. The frustrating part of this narrative was that every single character in the book could see how bad her husband was except for Agnes herself, and I just wanted to reach into the book and shake her - WAKE UP WOMAN, YOU ARE NO MORE TO HIM THAN A HOT BOD AND A BABY MAMA! Instead of investing in her daughter and loving watching her grow up, she sits around agonizing about the man who left her alone after one too many shady business deals. And even though I wasn't a big fan of Agnes, I like any book thatch evoke any emotion in me, even if it is slight rage.
Trophy Life was filled with quirky characters and had a lot of wit and charm. It was a great palate cleanser after a few heavier reads, so I appreciated that about it. I will read Geller's next book just to see how she grows as an author - this was a solid debut.
February 27, 2019
This was a delightful debut! While very humorous at parts, it was also extremely heartwarming and there was a lot of depth and character development of the main character. I enjoyed that the book was about so much more than a woman who seemingly had everything losing everything. The school subplot was especially entertaining for me. I adored the boys in Aggie's classroom and loved her relationship with them. The book had a villain, an outspoken BFF, a quirky neighbor, and a whole lot more. I recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley for my complimentary ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley for my complimentary ARC.
November 23, 2019
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
2.5 stars
This book started so slow, it took me so long to get into the story. I really thought this book wasn't my cup of tea, but unexpectedly, I really enjoyed the last 40%. In the last 40%, the pacing picked up and I felt like that was where everything was happening. I finally saw some character development and some pieces started to fall into place. It is sad because I think I really could've liked this story if it was more fast-paced during the first 60% of the book. Especially since the story itself was well-written with a nice and, for me, refreshing plot.
2.5 stars
This book started so slow, it took me so long to get into the story. I really thought this book wasn't my cup of tea, but unexpectedly, I really enjoyed the last 40%. In the last 40%, the pacing picked up and I felt like that was where everything was happening. I finally saw some character development and some pieces started to fall into place. It is sad because I think I really could've liked this story if it was more fast-paced during the first 60% of the book. Especially since the story itself was well-written with a nice and, for me, refreshing plot.
April 11, 2019
#FirstLine ~ When you're making your husband's green smoothie and forger to put the lid on the blender, and you're crouched on the counter staring up at the oozing ceiling when the housekeeper shows up and is standing under you, it's a good idea to be wearing underwear.
This book is a total treat! I loved it SO much. It was not only funny, but also deep and heartwarming. The story was so original and from the first line I was hooked. I adored the characters and found that they were fleshed out and developed supremely. I wanted to both buzz through this book and slowly savor it at the very same time. What is better than a relatable character that you cannot help but cheer for and want to be witness to their journey? To me, that is everything a good book is. Aggie is one I will not soon forget and hope to hear from again! A MUST read for spring!
This book is a total treat! I loved it SO much. It was not only funny, but also deep and heartwarming. The story was so original and from the first line I was hooked. I adored the characters and found that they were fleshed out and developed supremely. I wanted to both buzz through this book and slowly savor it at the very same time. What is better than a relatable character that you cannot help but cheer for and want to be witness to their journey? To me, that is everything a good book is. Aggie is one I will not soon forget and hope to hear from again! A MUST read for spring!
June 10, 2019
There wasn't one laugh-out-loud moment in this book for me. Am I missing something?
This book was about a woman who married a man decades her senior for the stability and family life that she never had. Oh, wait, her husband micromanages and controls her every move pretty much? Well that's okay, because she wanted to be controlled and micromanaged by her husband. Anyway, said husband gets into lots of trouble at work, so she needs to get sent away to a boarding school for delinquents in NY, to teach and to "keep her ears open" for gossip that could be used to benefit her husband. What even.
Beeks was the only person who made any sense in this book. Gavin was too much of a caricature - Jack too, I'd say.
This book was about a woman who married a man decades her senior for the stability and family life that she never had. Oh, wait, her husband micromanages and controls her every move pretty much? Well that's okay, because she wanted to be controlled and micromanaged by her husband. Anyway, said husband gets into lots of trouble at work, so she needs to get sent away to a boarding school for delinquents in NY, to teach and to "keep her ears open" for gossip that could be used to benefit her husband. What even.
Beeks was the only person who made any sense in this book. Gavin was too much of a caricature - Jack too, I'd say.
December 31, 2019
This was slow to start and was a little difficult to get into at first but once the story got rolling, I found the 'light and fluffy' contemporary I expected. I didn't find it very surprising or different to anything that I've read in women's fiction before though. For some reason (probably based on the cover) I might have thought the story and characters would be more comedic, but it was still an enjoyable and entertaining enough read.
We get a small glimpse into the 'trophy life' that Agnes leads as a young mother married to an older man in California. However, that quickly goes downhill as Agnes 'gets a feeling' that something is wrong with Jack when he doesn't show up to their pre-scheduled monthly couples massage. Honestly, I don't really understand how it happened because there was nothing to indicate that something was wrong; so to me the main conflict of the story felt like it came out of left field, but I went along with it anyway. As her life unravels, Agnes has to pick up and move East to start teaching at a private school for troubled boys and to me, that's when the story starts to get a lot more interesting.
I found myself a little 'meh' with Agnes' character at the start. I understood that her upbringing of 'not ever having enough' and constantly pinching pennies strongly influenced her willingness to accept the security in the 'trophy life' that Jack gave her. But her monologues always indicated that she felt like she never fit in and that it was too much outside of her comfort zone. After a certain point though I found myself growing more frustrated with Agnes' willingness to just accept what was happening even though she was being kept completely in the dark. I get that she believed this new life she had to endure in New York was only temporary but the more she was let down by Jack's disappearance, the more I wished she stood up for and focused on herself. It was obvious that although she got used to the trophy life, she found this new life more within her comfort zone, so what was wrong with that?
I did enjoy Agnes' growth throughout the story although it took much longer than I feel it should've because she couldn't stop worrying about her turd of a husband, Jack. He had such control over her life that every move she made she constantly reflected on what Jack would think of it and it was never, ever positive. He really diminished her potential and it was really quite sad and frustrating to see how she was blind to it. I was really hoping to see more of how Agnes grew through teaching 'her boys', the troublemaking middle schoolers who were pretty annoying at first, but quickly won me over with their antics. I think this would've been a much more uplifting and heart warming read had it given a stronger focus to this part of the story. I also liked the growth that other minor-ish characters experienced and how they came together to support one another in the end!
Overall, it was an entertaining story that saw some satisfying growth in the main character. The ending was quite abrupt and wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be, but I'm glad that Agnes at least grew more of a back bone to stand up for herself and to reach for the life she wanted to lead. I'm glad that I gave this one a go and I'd be curious to read what Geller comes out with next!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
We get a small glimpse into the 'trophy life' that Agnes leads as a young mother married to an older man in California. However, that quickly goes downhill as Agnes 'gets a feeling' that something is wrong with Jack when he doesn't show up to their pre-scheduled monthly couples massage. Honestly, I don't really understand how it happened because there was nothing to indicate that something was wrong; so to me the main conflict of the story felt like it came out of left field, but I went along with it anyway. As her life unravels, Agnes has to pick up and move East to start teaching at a private school for troubled boys and to me, that's when the story starts to get a lot more interesting.
I found myself a little 'meh' with Agnes' character at the start. I understood that her upbringing of 'not ever having enough' and constantly pinching pennies strongly influenced her willingness to accept the security in the 'trophy life' that Jack gave her. But her monologues always indicated that she felt like she never fit in and that it was too much outside of her comfort zone. After a certain point though I found myself growing more frustrated with Agnes' willingness to just accept what was happening even though she was being kept completely in the dark. I get that she believed this new life she had to endure in New York was only temporary but the more she was let down by Jack's disappearance, the more I wished she stood up for and focused on herself. It was obvious that although she got used to the trophy life, she found this new life more within her comfort zone, so what was wrong with that?
I did enjoy Agnes' growth throughout the story although it took much longer than I feel it should've because she couldn't stop worrying about her turd of a husband, Jack. He had such control over her life that every move she made she constantly reflected on what Jack would think of it and it was never, ever positive. He really diminished her potential and it was really quite sad and frustrating to see how she was blind to it. I was really hoping to see more of how Agnes grew through teaching 'her boys', the troublemaking middle schoolers who were pretty annoying at first, but quickly won me over with their antics. I think this would've been a much more uplifting and heart warming read had it given a stronger focus to this part of the story. I also liked the growth that other minor-ish characters experienced and how they came together to support one another in the end!
Overall, it was an entertaining story that saw some satisfying growth in the main character. The ending was quite abrupt and wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be, but I'm glad that Agnes at least grew more of a back bone to stand up for herself and to reach for the life she wanted to lead. I'm glad that I gave this one a go and I'd be curious to read what Geller comes out with next!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2019
#TrophyLife
#NetGalley
#LeaGeller
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would because it had more depth than I realized.
Reading the descroptoin I thought it would be a light and fluffy chick lit sort of book. It was so much more.
Agnes went from pampered and spoiled, getting massages and what not, having a nanny who spent more time with her baby than Agnes did, having a housekeeper.............to
A middle school teacher in hiding sent to spy on the headmistress for her husband.
Agnes grew on me as the story unfolded, ex cept for some parts where,she seemed a bit too eager when she got called to meet someone. Now if it was me, I would have been too anry to go. After being in her new position, I wouldnt just jump at the chance to be at someone's beck and call. nope.
She grew as a person and a mother, and became likeable.
I chuckled each time I read "the figg".
I enjoyed this book enough to read it in 2 sittings and would recommend it to anyone wanting a deeper chick lit sort of read"
4 1/2***
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.
-back cover-----------
A refreshingly honest, laugh-out-loud novel about losing the life you always wanted…and finding the life you were meant to have.
For the last ten years, Agnes Parsons’s biggest challenge has been juggling yoga classes and lunch dates. Her Santa Monica house staff takes care of everything, leaving Agnes to focus on her trophy-wife responsibilities: look perfect, adore her older husband, and wear terribly expensive (if uncomfortable) underwear.
When her husband disappears, leaving Agnes and their infant daughter with no money, no home, and no staff, she is forced to move across the country, where she lands a job teaching at an all-boys boarding school in the Bronx. So long, organic quinoa bowls and sunshine-filled California life. Hello, processed food, pest-infested house, and twelve-year-old-boy humor—all day, every day.
But it’s in this place of second chances (and giant bugs), where Agnes is unexpectedly forced to take care of herself and her daughter, where she finds out the kind of woman she can be. Ultimately, she has to decide if she prefers the woman and mother she has become…or the trophy life she left behind.
Authentic and sharply witty, Trophy Life is proof that granny panties and mom coats might not be the answer to everything; they’re simply comfortable (if slightly unattractive) reminders of what happens
April 6, 2019
In Trophy Life, we meet Agnes, a SoCal trophy wife, who is living in Santa Monica with her much-older husband, Jack and their 6-month-old daughter, Grace. It’s a seemingly great life. All Agnes needs to do is stay thin, look beautiful and fill her days with yoga and watching the waves on the beach. She has a nanny and a housekeeper/cook. But when Jack mysteriously disappears after not showing up for their monthly couples massage, Agnes is left alone to fend for herself and Grace. Jack’s friend and accountant informs Agnes that all of Jack’s money is gone. The house on the beach, the BMW, the housekeeper, the nanny, everything—gone. Jack is in some sort of serious trouble and had to go underground, but he arranged for Agnes to have a job and housing at a private boarding school in the Bronx. A school for wayward boys who have been kicked out of other schools. Agnes is left with a couple of suitcases and old car to drive herself and Grace from Santa Monica to New York.
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Agnes is hurt, confused and angry. It’s a long fall from the life of privilege in sunny Santa Monica to teaching troubled boys. One life is over for Agnes and Grace and another begins. I liked Agnes. She came from a rough childhood to marry a wealthy man to have it all taken away from her. She is tough, resilient and she finds the inner strength to face being alone and to take care of herself and her daughter. She finds the courage to deal with her new circumstances. She reconnects with her best friend, Beeks, and meets a colorful bunch of characters as she tries to connect with a class full of rowdy middle school boys whose rich parents have plopped into boarding school in the hopes of preparing them for high school.
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I found this book to be funny, sad, and heart-warming. I do much of my reading on Sundays and I finished this book in no time. It was a really enjoyable read!
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, Lea Geller and @getredpr for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Agnes is hurt, confused and angry. It’s a long fall from the life of privilege in sunny Santa Monica to teaching troubled boys. One life is over for Agnes and Grace and another begins. I liked Agnes. She came from a rough childhood to marry a wealthy man to have it all taken away from her. She is tough, resilient and she finds the inner strength to face being alone and to take care of herself and her daughter. She finds the courage to deal with her new circumstances. She reconnects with her best friend, Beeks, and meets a colorful bunch of characters as she tries to connect with a class full of rowdy middle school boys whose rich parents have plopped into boarding school in the hopes of preparing them for high school.
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I found this book to be funny, sad, and heart-warming. I do much of my reading on Sundays and I finished this book in no time. It was a really enjoyable read!
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, Lea Geller and @getredpr for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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