In a world where therapists look like the Real Housewives of Equinox, where friends dispense Xanax like Pez, and where a woman’s status is directly linked to the how few carbs she eats…can one Hollywood wife take back her life? Agnes Murphy Nash is in big trouble. When she returns home one evening only to find the locks changed on the gates of their mansion, the security guard breaks the news: … guard breaks the news: her famous producer husband has filed for divorce. And he’s not going to play fair. Trevor Nash wants custody of their tween daughter, Pep, but only for the sake of appearances. And Agnes can’t let him win.
With the help of her ex-con sister, a Hollywood psychic, a ballsy female lawyer, and a host of friends and “frenemies,” Agnes realizes that when he changes the locks, she needs to change the rules. But a crisis can lead to opportunity, and for Agnes, this gigantic betrayal brings her to a crossroads that will have her asking herself what she really wants out of life, who she really wants to be, and which man she really loves.
Told with Gigi Levangie’s sparkling dialogue and wit, Been There, Married That is a drop-dead hilarious battle of wills that will make you laugh out loud, cringe, and keep turning the pages to see what crazy disaster will happen to Agnes next…and how she’ll rise from the ashes.
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Smart, fast, sexy, and ALIVE.
This book had a chance to go to couple of different ways. It could be totally out there with a bunch of airheaded people or maybe it could actually have some meaning, even if you have to look very deeply for it. Although this is not my typical genre, I found I actually did enjoy reading it. And I think it hit right in the middle of airheads and deep meaning.
I think this book could be one that makes fun of the rich and famous. But what I liked about it was it’s strong female lead character. When Agnes Murphy Nash finds herself in a situation, she quickly finds a way to take herself out. Yes, there are antics and jabs at Hollywood life, but Agnes Murphy Nash remembers what’s important- family.
4 big fluffy ’s
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook in return for my honest opinion.
#BeenThereMarriedThat #NetGalley #GigiLevangie
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Been There, Married That
By: Gigi Levangie
*REVIEW*
Named “One of PopSugar’s “22 of the Best Books Winter Has to Offer,”” Been There, Married That seems to be polarizing. Let’s begin by defining the word satire according to the Oxford Dictionary:
“the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues”
To place this definition within context, Been There, Married That is a satire, and it fits this definition perfectly. Numerous reviews dislike the book because it’s disjointed, confusing, ridiculous, off putting, weird, etc. I don’t disagree with all of this. The story is disjointed and a bit hard to follow. Agnes, Trevor, the lawyers, friends and family are indeed ridiculous, lavish and over the top about everything. The entire story is exaggerated, but it becomes more coherent in the latter half. The characters are quite stupid and not relatable at all. Their posh lifestyle is offensive and disgusting to all of us normal people. Despite all of these issues, I like this story. I appreciate the satirical current running through it from beginning to end. Is it all over the place and crazy? Yes, because it’s supposed to be this way. The author cleverly uses humor with modern day one liners, zings and cultural references that make no sense because in actuality, that is exactly how stupid and pathetic pop culture has become. The use of exaggeration is also well done to show how these people live. It’s a wake up call to see reality as reality. Don’t buy into the disillusionment you are bombarded with everyday. It’s a messed up world with upside down priorities, and Been There, Married That highlights this in just the right way. Reading this story is a bizarre and at times, uncomfortable experience. As satires go, this is one of my favorites ever. I recommend keeping an open mind and giving this book a chance. Deceptively appearing as a romcom on the surface, this story is eye opening, compelling and thought provoking about the culture we have accepted for far too long. I can’t wait to read more from Gigi Levangie!
A wild and crazy story that will make you choke on laughter. Agnes is having a mid life crisis. As her body changes, her husband changes and so does her daughter. She tries to find humor in all the craziness as everything around her tries to fall apart. Surrounded by some like minded friends and her sister and father she sets out to change her destiny.
Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Grazer is a completely dramatic and wild story about Hollywood wife Agnes whose husband decides he wants a divorce. This book is filled with rich people behaving pretty badly and I would say it is almost an extreme take on a Real Housewives installment. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, but it was one crazy ride. There are a lot of completely ridiculous moments that I’m sure will turn a lot of readers off, but I loved every minute of it. It is definitely a great distraction from the real world, and I found myself not able to stop listening to it because I couldn’t wait to see what these crazy people would do next.
The audiobook was really well done and narrated by Amy McFadden. McFadden made Been There, Married That quite the listening experience, and I loved her narration for Agnes. She put just the right amount of desperation into her voice, and I couldn’t have asked for anyone better. There are so many cringe-worthy moments, but I was also thoroughly entertained by the disaster that Agnes’ life becomes. I really liked her sister even though she had her own issues, and although the majority of the characters aren’t very likable, I didn’t have any issues with that. I really enjoyed looking into a Hollywood couple’s life and since it’s nothing like my actual life, it was a nice respite from the real world. I would recommend Been There, Married That to anyone who doesn’t mind unlikeable characters and loves a bit of crazy in their books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This one sounded like it would be fun – I enjoy stories that stories that poke fun at the rich and famous, especially when they’re written with the voice of experience. It does have its moments, and maybe at another time in my life (or in the world!) I would’ve liked it a lot more. But while there were the occasional parts that were fun, most of the characters were so far over the top that it was hard to really enjoy them – too much rolling of my eyes got in the way of fully engaging in their stories. And it felt a bit disjointed at times – I had too many “Wait – how did we get here? What did I miss??” moments – although of course that might’ve been a consequence of my not being fully engaged. I did enjoy the parts I could relate to – including aging bodies and teenaged daughters and the attending joys of both. Mostly I came away happy that my life has been so unencumbered by the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I can imagine lots of people loving this one, it just wasn’t a great fit for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Martin’s Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
Let me start with I really like this author and her writing style and appreciate anyone who can actually sit down and craft a novel. I’ve read other books she has written and enjoyed them. Then I read the blurb about this one and was quite please to be able to read an advanced copy. I started reading and realized that I have been there and read this again and again only I liked them more. Many authors write what they know, but this was so exaggerated and over the top that I just couldn’t get into it. The main characters and many of the ancillary ones as well were shallow, obnoxious and had nothing about them that made me care or want to know what was next for them. It took multiple times to actually get into it and move beyond the first few chapters. I kept waiting for it to get better so I could enjoy this book and yet though it could have been enjoyable, funny and entertaining it wasn’t. It takes itself way too seriously, there is not a single character has even a single endearing quality that makes you root for them or even just like them a little tiny bit. Agnes and Trevor are married. She is a wife, mother and author in her own right. Trevor is one of the Hollywood power guys. They are happily married or so Agnes thinks. One day Trevor decides he wants a divorce. He “doesn’t like conflict” so he changes the locks and hires a security guy to keep her out and taser her if necessary. WTH?? He is every stereotype of crazy rich entitled powerful man (idiot). All out war begins. They literally draw a line down the center of the house. Umm Brady Bunch redux. It is in fact her home too and he has no legal right to do anything like this, but does because he’s a rich white guy who thinks he can get away with it. He even meets with every decent divorce lawyer in town so she has no access to decent council. There is a special place in hell for him, but honestly she would probably live next door or down the block. This book takes each and every stereotype we hear about the upper echelon and magnifies them to ridiculous proportions. I struggled to finish this. Parts of it got a little better in the later part of the book, but it wasn’t really worth it for me. This had so much potential to be really funny and satirical. It missed the mark in my opinion.
(2.5 stars rounded up)
Been There, Married That is a hilarious and incredibly messy book. Every time I sat down to read it, I was taken back to days when I would drink wine and eat delicious food with my friends while watching Real Housewives. Agnes and the other characters are vapid and unlikeable. Think Schitt’s Creek’s Rose family with zero redeeming qualities and no character growth.
This unrepentant horrible state of the characters often made me laugh out loud. I’ve always been a fan of biting, sarcastic humor and Levangie definitely delivers. I think many of us enjoy poking fun at the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. So I laughed and experienced schadenfreude so why only 2.5 stars?
The manuscript needs a heavy editing session and restructuring. Flow is not a word I would associate with this read. Readers are thrust into scenes and jerked away before we are able to settle and absorb any of the critiques that could have made this an exceptional read. The stream of consciousness style filled with one-liners is exceedingly difficult to follow.
Overall, I was disappointed that Agnes’s story fell below the mark. After closing the book I was irritated that readers didn’t end up with a substantial critique, lesson, or perspective to take away from 336 pages. I enjoyed it enough to keep picking it up and laughing, but structurally it was a mess of short stories loosely linked. I’ll try Levangie’s work again in the future to see if this was an aberration but I won’t be rushing to pick anything up ahead of my TBR.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie was my first read by this author and tells the story of what seemed like the perfect Hollywood marriage on the outside, but not so much on the inside. One day Agnes comes home to find herself completely locked out in every way. Trevor, her husband, is apparently done with her and will do whatever it takes to get rid of her. What follows is a story that depicts the fallout of their marriage.
Happy reading.
I was really intrigued with this cover and the blurb of this book. At times this book was hard to follow. The writing didn’t always flow. I have never read this author before and am sad I didn’t like this book as much as I was hoping to. I might go back later and try and reread this book.
Too much of a good thing…
The synopsis of this book sounded like so much fun! I think there was a lot of potential for a fantastic story here. For me, the book had a lot of quirky humor and sassy, snarky dialogue, but it came across as a bit too much of a good thing turning into a not-so-good thing. I’m not sure if it was the “fakeness” of the Hollywood relationships aspect, but I had a really had time relating to anything that was going on here. Everything just seemed way too over the top; from the characters to the dialogue, to the shallow, entitled behavior and superficial pettiness of all involved. I admit I was laughing at some of the clever wit, but was at the same time rolling my eyes (or worse) at the truly horrible people and their self-centered and annoyingly poor life choices. I wanted to like it more than I did, but it was too scattered for my taste.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC copy of this book, for which I’m voluntarily providing an honest review.
My general rating rationale:
3 – Perfectly fine story, perhaps some minor editorial errors. Entertaining. Typically with this rating I feel like there could have been MORE – be it believably/relatability, character development, internal dialogue, explanations or depth, richness to the overall storyline, etc. May lose a bit of engagement here and there but always finish reading.
4 – A very good book. Engaging, with well-developed characters, a great plot, relatable scenarios; keeps you invested to the last page. Would recommend to reader friends.
5 – Can’t say enough amazing things, loved the characters, fabulously detailed plot, a quick hook, intense investment in both story and characters (including supporting characters) throughout the book. Will tell anyone who will listen that they should read it.
Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Grazer is the first book I have read by this author. I really wish I had liked it more. I will try to read one of her earlier books to give this author a fair chance. I fell in love with the gorgeous cover and really was hoping for a good story. This was a fun and entertaining read during the last half of the book but the beginning…. the writing was all over and had me confused as to what was going on. It seemed to me the humor was just too much and forced it did not flow well. The mood swings between joking around and snarky were just over the top. This book actually took me several attempts to finally finish it. I was not engaged with the characters I thought they were shallow and mindless. The only character that I could relate to was Agnes’s sister Fin she was the only one that did not come across as a caricature If you love snarky one liners and the show Real Housewives this is the book for you as for me this was not my cup of tea. I would not be opposed to reading another book by Gigi Levangie Grazer again in the future.
This tongue in cheek novel will have you laughing out loud at times. Agnes tries to enjoy the lavish party thrown to celebrate her 48th birthday. She lives an almost enviable life married to Trevor, an Oscar winning producer in Hollywood. They have a tween daughter Pep with ADHD and very temperamental.
Agnes realizes that her marriage is rather unconventional with her husband feeling neglected. He resorts to having a “bed buddy” with whom to snuggle to assist his sleep. Clearly, the writing is on the wall that this marriage is in trouble. Although they have not been communicating effectively Agnes is not prepared for what happens next.
Agnes comes home one night to find she’s locked out of her gated community. She thinks this has to be a terrible mistake and proceeds to climb over the gate while arguing with security. She soon learns that her husband wants a divorce. Just as she settles into a guest room she is approached by Dorette to go over blueprints that will essentially create a map so that her soon to be ex husband doesn’t have to see her.
This book is loaded with the hilarious inner musings of Agnes as she evaluated her new reality. She begins to evaluate her past and how she ended up in this gossipy celebrity life. She ultimately decides how to save herself as well as her daughter from an unsettling Hollywood life.
Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Grazer is a book that not everyone will love, and some may not even like it, I didn’t love it either, but I did like it, a lot. I wouldn’t say I loved the first thirty to forty pages- they made me crazy. The one-liners were coming so fast and furious; my head was spinning. The writing style was a bit all over the place too, the author would jump scenes, and I would have to go back and figure out where I was, thinking I must have missed something. However, once I got used to the writing style and past the first thirty pages, the writing seemed to settle down. The book got super funny, and I began to embrace the crazy.
This book is pure satire and perfectly aimed at Hollywood. So, if you love all things Hollywood and you think the sun rises and sets on actors, directors, and producers, you probably will not like this book. I happen not to take Hollywood very seriously, and I think, for the most part, this book perfectly describes Hollywood and the people who are immersed in the Hollywood lifestyle.
“You’re never alone living in a ten-thousand square foot “house” (I know; it’s counterintuitive.) Because staff. Staff is everywhere you want to be; one can’t fart without applause.”
Grazer inventively infuses this book with pop culture, out of bounds one-liners, and all the things that are wrong with Hollywood and delivers them with outrageous humor. Some may say this book is over the top, but so is Hollywood.
Been There, Married That is written from the first-person point of view of the main character Agnes Murphy Nash. Most, but not all, of the characters in this book, are spoiled, annoying, self-centered, and narcissistic, totally Hollywood. I liked the main character, Agnes, I felt that she had a remarkable sense of humor, and I enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book. Agnes was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth; she is a writer who doesn’t take herself too seriously. Her husband, Trevor, is a Hollywood producer. He is a typical Hollywood, spoiled, narcissistic, and he wouldn’t know true happiness if he tripped over it. So, of course, he blindsides Agnes with a divorce. Been There, Married That is Agnes and Trevor’s divorce journey.
“How could we be so lucky?
I loved him.
I loved him until I couldn’t stand him.”
Along the way, we meet a unique cast of characters. My two favorites are Pep and Fin. Pep is Agnes and Trevor’s daughter, who somehow is relatively well adjusted. The way Agnes describes her daughter is hilarious…
” Even Pep, our tween with ADD, ADHD,
and recent DOATM (Disgust of All Things Mom) …”
I would have enjoyed a bit more from Pep. Fin, what can I say about her? She is downright crazy, insane, and so much fun!
This book is kooky, maniacal, insane, and all over the place, but its depiction of Hollywood is perfect. Been There, Married That points out all that is wrong with Hollywood, but more importantly, it also points out how the outrageous behavior of Hollywood culture spills over into real life. This is not the way everyday people live their lives, and in my opinion, nor should it be. Hollywood treats people like they are expendable and only worth what a person can get from another person. For a group of people who consider themselves “woke,” I believe they need to take a long hard look in the mirror.
I am defiantly in the minority of people who enjoyed this book, but I can honestly recommend this book. It gave me a good laugh. It is crazy and all over the place, but at the end of the day, it is a reasonably accurate portrayal of Hollywood and the direction our society is going.
** Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published**
*** I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion.
My Rating:
3.5
Favorite Quotes:
So hard to make cogent arguments against a smart tween while driving in LA; I needed to concentrate on swearing and shaking my fist at all the illegal left turns.
We all knew, deep inside, our kids were probably growing up to be entitled, overeducated blobs. We were raising hothouse flowers, unequipped to climb a fence or fry an egg or spend five minutes bored… “When the revolution comes,” I said, “our kids will be food.”
Lip filler lemmings… I’d tell them to jump off a cliff into the Pacific, but we all know silicone floats.
“No one’s reading like they used to. Have you ever considered hosting a YouTube channel?” “Yes! A lifestyle channel,” I said. “‘ Agnes’s Spectacular Guide to Failing.’ I’ll invite people who’ve failed miserably— our advertisers will be firearms, funeral homes, and pharmaceuticals.”
“Who’s opposing counsel?” she asked. “Ulger Blecks.” She whistled. “Why is it everyone whistles when they hear his name? Is he a dog?” “A pit bull that frightens rabies.”
“Let me tell you something, dearie,” Dad said and lowered his voice, which was how I knew he was heated. “The world was a better place when we settled matters with fists rather than lawyers.” I opened my mouth to object and found that I couldn’t argue with him. I would’ve loved to have popped Ulger in the mouth, but I feared he would eat it.
My Review:
This amusing tale was shot through with clever wit and razor-sharp snark while cast with mainly vapid, vile, exasperating, entitled, arrogant, shallow, and obliviously bone-headed characters who were of the type of ilk that I would never willingly share air. The storylines had me rife with consternation and I was often simultaneously amused and intensely annoyed by the characters’ behaviors and poor choices. I will admit to being unfamiliar with many of the pop-culture references lavishly sprinkled throughout, so a considerable amount of the author’s cleverness flew right over my tiny pea-brained inhabited cranium and left me feeling more than a bit cretinous and imbecilic. The premise had such promise and the story threads had good bones with glimpses of cunning perceptiveness and sharp-edged humor that kept me reading to the end, but all in all, the odd pacing and unlikable characters consistently whittled at my enjoyment and rating.
ARC for honest review with no compensation received from Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press. 3.5 stars
Been There, Married That by Gigi Levantine is a new to me author and while it had Hollywood glamour, laughter, glitz, getting back at her ex…I had a hard time staying in the book.
That being said I will still read more books from this author!
This book took me a crazy long time to finish, and it reached a point where it was nothing more than sheer determination to make it to the end that got me there. The story certainly had potential, and the blurb pulled me right in. However, there was a breakdown in the actual delivery. I was all set for comedy, but Been There, Married That takes it so far to the extreme that it just isn’t funny. I love sarcasm and snark. and even completely over the top situations can be hilarious in the right setting, but it felt like the author was trying too hard, and it just became scattered. I really think this whole story could’ve used a healthy dose of the less is more adage. Usually, I can find something positive in a book I’ve read, but I really struggled with this one. I will say that the blurb is good, and the cover is definitely eye-catching, but that’s about the best of it for me.
This was an okay read, but I wasn’t really blown away by it. Maybe I’ve been reading too many (hilarious) romcom’s lately, or maybe I am just getting more criticizing with age, I don’t know. I just wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be. It happens…
I had a hard time getting into the story and once I did get…I had a hard time staying in it. I put it down too many times, which resulted in me not really wanting to pick it up again and that is never a good thing.
That paired with the fact that I didn’t care for either of the characters, made that this was just not the book for me.
But like I said, I did read some awesome romcom’s previous to starting this one, so the bar was pretty high…
This is really a 3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed the humor among all the bitterness, fake friends, and love of family. Agnes was in a marriage she should not have been in, and she was trying to find some normalcy. I liked her love for her daughter and her spirit to fight for her own rights. Trevor was a jerk and it was easy to root for Agnes to win. I did find all the fake smiles, behind-the-back whispers, and plain meanness irritating at times, too repetitive. I see it on a daily basis in real life and found it took away from the story.
I received an ARC through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.
I want to start out by saying that this book was not for me, if you like the satirical take on the shallow plastic life of Hollywood then I think you’ll enjoy this book . For me I felt that the humor just missed the mark., the situations were there, the set up so so and the delivery just didn’t follow through. Agnes is a writer who happens to be married to a Hollywood producer when he decides that he’s over marriage. Coming home to have her code not working on the gate, a security guard who tased her when she tried entering her house-funny right? Well the situation should have had me laughing but I found myself having more questions then finding the humor.. I had a problem with the flow of the book, it didn’t feel smooth, and seemed packed full of stereotypes, maybe a few too many storylines? I think it could be an entertaining book for some, just not me