Jess Lawson, a forty-five-year-old healthcare consultant, wife, and mother of two, has spent most of her adulthood fostering the illusion of having a perfect life. Her impending empty-nest syndrome as her youngest child prepares to start college is troubling enough, but when her doctor husband, Arthur, announces his intention to take a prestigious new job on the other side of the country—and … relocate without Jess—her world quickly crumbles. Amid their acrimonious divorce, revelations about Arthur’s infidelity come to light; and at work, instead of the revitalized career Jess is hoping for, she uncovers surprising financial corruption that threatens a scandal for her client—and the well-being of the many unsuspecting patients and physicians they serve. Ultimately, this superwoman is forced to acknowledge that her put-together veneer can’t hold up under the weight of these new burdens. She also, however, refuses to wallow in victimhood. So what now?
A smart, relatable story for every woman who’s gone bold to sort out her next chapter, A Better Next shows how—with a little soul searching and a supportive circle of friends and colleagues—it’s possible to redefine happiness and establish a liberating, new normal at any stage of life.
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A beautifully written story about what happens to a family when a marriage breaks down. It is an emotional read, filled with heartache, as the main character Jess, navigates an empty nest, a crisis at work and a philandering husband. This plot is so relatable, and the characters are real and believable, I couldn’t put this down—it’s the type of book that will resonate with many readers. Jess, of course, picks up her life and moves on and what rings true in the end is the value of friendship. Give this book to your best friend!
Clever, engaging, and sparkling, A BETTER NEXT is a skillfully written, thought-provoking story of resilience with a strong female protagonist (and her friends) at the helm. And without male-bashing, it points to the antagonist in her life as an important teacher. After all, some of life’s most meaningful lessons are learned that way.
A Better Next by Maren Cooper is a well-written story that will likely be relatable to a great many women who’ll find resonance in its story of personal and professional evolution before, during, and after divorce.
Falling squarely into the “women’s fiction” genre, it details a year-or-so in the life of Jess Lawson, a wife, mother, friend, and business woman, who is stunned to discover that both her work situation and longtime marriage are on shaky ground, status that comes to full implosion in the chapters to come. The ensuing chaos this throws into her life is met with a mix of expected heartache, flummoxed uncertainty, and admirable resilience, resulting in a protagonist we can both identify with and admire.
While my reading taste tends more toward more dramatic fare, I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with Jess and her cadre of strong female friends, who provide her with unwavering support and affection. And despite the not unfamiliar emotional treachery of her husband’s infidelity, she maintains warm, loving relationships with both her grown children, giving her the foundation to rebuild and reset what’s ultimately most important to her.
I also appreciated Cooper’s dive into an industry – healthcare consultancy and medical practices – that I know nothing about it… it’s clear she does! I found the details and sense of realism and authenticity in the various issues and politics of that part of the story to be fascinating, compellingly arcane enough that I had to reread certain sections to fully grasp the issues at hand. But I always enjoy learning a thing or two about a world or a profession that’s new to me when reading a novel, so that aspect of the story was quite interesting.
While the ending came up a bit faster than expected, it’s also possible the “leave them wanting more” tenet was at play, because I did want to know more about where Jess was headed before we left her. But, then again, I’ll always prefer a less buttoned-up conclusion that realistically reflects life’s unknowns and unpredictabilities than one that involves riding off into sunsets!
A very enjoyable read I heartily recommend.
The author has written an intense yet honest appraisal of a life changing event. Our protagonist Jess has lived in a bubble of denial for so long she’s morally shattered to find her partner has been philandering all their married years. I found it hard to believe at first considering her strength of character -She’s a powerful woman-who does it all -successfully on the home front and in her business world .I guess having blinders on makes her more human. Having chosen Arthur -during her formative years-stunted her growth as a woman. His narcissistic behaviour was totally repugnant to her friends/ colleagues and to me as an outside observer. You really want to give Jess a shake and say -really???? Her trying to hold it together for the sake of her family -is admirable -yet shows how much she had abdicated to him. I found in Jess a force to be reckoned with yet also a woman that seemed a bit too analytical -worried about what others think-and not yet true to herself-
The book was a bit long, the main character needy and not very much likable.
Marian Keyes’ Break is a very similar story but a superbly told one.
Seemed to have an abrupt ending
A Better Next..
Beautifully written and inspiring, A Better Next by Maren Copper is the story of Jess Lawson. For Jess life is a juggling act and she has all the balls in the air; work, marriage, motherhood, friendship.. suddenly thwarted by a cheating husband, a scandal at work and her youngest preparing to fly the coop; all the balls scatter. Her friendships are priceless and her story is engaging. I loved the way this novel was written, easily read and relatable.
For those that have experienced any level of adversity, you need to pick up A Better Next by Maren Cooper! 45-year old protagonist Jess Lawson tackles mid-life divorce, empty-nesting, and a career-related scandal throughout this story. Needless to say, readers join Jess in learning how to take charge of one’s life even while feeling as though the world is turned upside down. Tribulations are never easy to navigate, which Cooper beautifully reminds us in her easy to follow prose.
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours for the opportunity to read and review A Better Next!
Maren Cooper, Author of “A Better Next” has written an emotional, intense, suspenseful, intriguing and dramatic novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Domestic Suspense. The timeline for this story takes place in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated.
Jess Lawson is a 45-year-old, wife, mother, and works hard as a health consultant. She is at the stage of her life when her children will soon be at college. It comes as quite a surprise to find out that Arthur, her doctor husband is looking to change locations for his job, without her.
Jess is forced to deal with the consequences and fall-out with her children, her job and herself. In the healthcare field, there is competition, and many men don’t take her seriously. Something seems off at her job, and she is faced with the stress of dealing with something that might be illegal.
Although Jess might feel like her world is crumbling, she has to find a way to deal with all the various circumstances the best that she can. I appreciate that the author discusses the difficulty but the possibility of starting over and that it is never too late to do that. The author also discusses the importance of family, friends, emotional support, love and hope. I would recommend this thought-provoking book.