“A heart-wrenching page-turner told with warmth and humor.”—People Magazine (Pick of the Week) “A rich testament to the power of second chances.”—Women’s WorldA Publishers Weekly and USA Today Bestseller!From the New York Times bestselling author of Good Luck with That comes a new novel about a blue-blood grandmother and her black-sheep granddaughter who discover they are truly two sides of … black-sheep granddaughter who discover they are truly two sides of the same coin.
Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London. The regal old woman came from wealthy and bluest-blood New England stock, but that didn’t protect her from life’s cruelest blows: the disappearance of Genevieve’s young son, followed by the premature death of her husband. But Genevieve rose from those ashes of grief and built a fashion empire that was respected the world over, even when it meant neglecting her other son.
When Emma’s own mother died, her father abandoned her on his mother’s doorstep. Genevieve took Emma in and reluctantly raised her–until Emma got pregnant her senior year of high school. Genevieve kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back…but Emma took with her the most important London possession: the strength not just to survive but to thrive. And indeed, Emma has built a wonderful life for herself and her teenage daughter, Riley.
So what is Emma to do when Genevieve does the one thing Emma never expected of her and, after not speaking to her for nearly two decades, calls and asks for help?
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Any Kristan Higgins is an automatic buy for me. I began this book thinking I knew what the story would be–but good golly moses, it was SO much more. I couldn’t put it down, and by the end, I was a sobbing, tear-covered mess–but I was happy and satisfied with the ending. This is a family epic of the best sort, with realistic, compelling characters and stories that are both heart-breaking and yet . . . hopeful. You must read it to fully understand. I will be digesting it and remembering it for a long, long time.
I’ve privately dubbed this author’s ability to explore tragedy and difficult relationships while maintaining great humor “the Higgins Magic!” This book is no exception. What I found most interesting with this story is that it examines how, very often, the impressions we have of a person based on their behaviors and choices aren’t always accurate.
I love stories about broken people, and this one is chock full of them. If you’ve read any of this author’s books, you know you can count on heartwarming humor and a large cast of fully developed characters. You also know you will end up feeling the satisfaction of seeing characters you care about overcome their demons in a hard-won manner. At its heart, this is a complex, emotional tale about family, forgiveness, and acceptance. That last one is the best, because sometimes (often, actually) we have to learn to accept things that cannot be changed (or even forgiven) and still make peace and move on (as Emma does with her father).
I don’t know exactly what the author wanted us to feel about Genevieve, who at first glance seems almost evil, but I LOVED her. Not sure what that says about me (LOL), but I completely empathized with her grief and understood how and why she became so hardened as a younger woman. I’m not saying she made good choices, but I understood quickly that she was actually a fiercely loyal person (she never fired that awful cook, cares for her “friends,” etc.) with a great capacity for love (which is why she was so devastated and hard). She also had the best zingers…I laughed repeatedly anytime she was in a scene because her chemistry/banter with every character sizzled. Emma might be the protagonist of this story, but Genevieve was my personal favorite.
You’ve read the blurb, so I don’t need to explain who Emma is or why she’s mistrustful of her grandmother. Emma is an over-anxious yet plucky character who does what needs to be done with relative good cheer and optimism. She is the antithesis of Genevieve, yet can learn something from her grandmother, too, so she doesn’t become a doormat.
I don’t like to leave reviews that give spoilers, so I will just say that I am satisfied with the way Emma’s relationships with Jason, Clark, Jamilah, and Miller progress and resolve. Riley (Emma’s daughter) seems to be the glue that helped bind the characters, which is natural as the welfare of a child tends to make grownups put aside their personal issues, and her relationship with Genevieve really helped her put the bullying into a perspective I think would’ve been missing if she’d only had her mother to rely upon.
Once I picked this up, it was hard to put down! I highly recommend you go preorder this one so you have a wonderful late-summer book to enjoy.
***ARC received and I elected to leave this review***
I adored Life and Other Inconveniences! My fave Kristan Higgins women’s fiction novel thus far! Strong women, a bit of a mystery, a whirlwind of a child named Tess (you have to read her to believe her), and a cantankerous old lady who finally learns some life lessons. I loved how the women in this family all came together – and the realistic portrayals of their menfolks.
OMG! Life and Other Inconveniences wrecked me, I cried, laughed, hysterically laughed and cried hysterically. I think this is my favorite book of all time. So many emotion, such a wonderful book. Everybody should read this book. The three generations of woman stole my heart. I loved Emma, her daughter Riley and Genevieve. The story, both heartbreaking and beautiful stole my heart. The ending was shocking and I didn’t see it coming. All I can say is when I turned the last page I was in tears. This Author is amazing and I can’t wait to read more of her work.
I give Life and Other Inconveniences 5 stars for its brilliant read.
I would recommend this book to Fiction Fans.
Emma London hasn’t had it easy. Her mother committed suicide when she was eight and her father dumped her on a grandmother who was the antithesis of sweet and kind-hearted.
At eighteen, Emma became pregnant. When she refused to give up the child, her grandmother kicked her out. Emma had to dig deep for her London strength and pride to get through the next few years- thank God for Pops. Her mother’s father took her and baby Riley in and the three of them formed a tight family unit.
Everything changed with one fateful phone call– Genevieve London (Emma’s perfect patrician grandmother) was dying.
Though it goes against Emma’s instincts, she packs up Riley and they go to Gigi’s aid, only to find she’s as judgmental and rude as ever. Tempted to leave her to die by herself, it takes along time before Emma finds it in her heart to understand the woman who had such a strong influence on her life.
Favorite Lines:
You never realize it until you’re pregnant, or holding your baby in your arms, but your heart, soul and peace of mind will never be yours again. The tiny hijackers take over before they draw their first breaths, and you would do anything to keep them safe. Anything.
Higgins, Kristan. Life and Other Inconveniences (p. 7). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Parenting isn’t always a peachy-colored glow. Half the time, it’s just showing up and doing your best.
Higgins, Kristan. Life and Other Inconveniences (p. 393). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Family ties aren’t always easy, but they play an integral part in the person you become. Kristan does a beautiful job creating a tough, yet vulnerable matriarch in Genevieve and a supporting cast of characters who are sure to steal your heart (even Mac- you’ll have to read the story to see what I mean )
I give Life and Other Inconveniences 5+ lovely kisses- My favorite kind of read; #FamilyFirst
Master storyteller Kristan Higgins deftly balances humor and heart in this latest tale of a young woman navigating her relationship with a dying grandmother who long-ago abandoned her when she needed her most…another must-read from Higgins, who has long been an auto-buy for me.
4.5 STARS!
Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins was powerful, gripping, and utterly gut wrenching!
Emma London hasn’t been back to Connecticut in 17 years. Her grandmother, Genevieve is dying and wants her to come home. They haven’t talked in more than a decade, the last time they did things didn’t end well. This is the same grandmother who raised her at the age of 8 but lacked showing her any love and affection. She was always told to mind her manners and act proper. Everything changes when Emma gets pregnant at 18 and she’s kicked out and completely cut off.
Genevieve is a regal, proper, lady of society. Once a former high-end fashion designer (she reminded me of Miranda Priestly from the Devil Wears Prada), she refuses to accept dying alone, so she seeks Emma out to apologize for her past behavior and she wants the chance to meet her great granddaughter, Riley.
We get to meet this family and get to know them. It’s beautiful yet heartbreaking with a realistic feel to the overall plot. Each character’s life is intertwined. Four generations of women empowerment, growth, and change. By the last page of this book, I could honestly say I learned a lot about these characters and I was sad to say goodbye. Being from Connecticut myself, I would love to take a trip to the beautiful town of Stoningham.
Life and Other Inconveniences was my first read by this author and I can say with certainty it will not be my last. A story about life, love, loss, hurt, and lies, this book took me on a journey. You get to see a lot of family dynamics and it’s told through both main and secondary characters points-of-view. This is a very emotional novel that will make you cry a lot and Kristan conveys emotion spectacularly, executing it perfectly. Page-turning and hard to put down, I recommend this to all readers who love women’s fiction and contemporary books!!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*
A shining star, Higgins writes with heart, humor, and honesty about women’s real lives.
Deeply touching, real and raw, but infused with the love and hope that make life possible, despite everything.
I was looking for a fun, family story when this book appeared in my mailbox. Life and Other Inconveniences was just what I was looking to read. There are lessons to be learned while reading the book but it was an easy read. I didn’t have to think too hard, it was easy to follow, and I truly enjoyed the characters.
The characters weren’t all likable but that just added more realism to the story. Emma and Riley had a wonderful mother/daughter relationship. Genevieve was interesting with her privileged lifestyle but that unhappiness in her past was just too much for her to get over. The other characters in the book pulled the story together perfectly adding drama, fun, and love to the story of a granddaughter and grandmother trying to reconnect while keeping a great-granddaughter happy.
The storyline was not always easy, there is dementia, childhood abandonment, teenage pregnancy, but it was always truthful. Kristan Higgins didn’t hide the facts or keep things nice and pretty. She showed how life doesn’t always smell like roses. There are tough decisions to be made, rough happenings in life, and things just don’t always go the way you planned.
Life and Other Inconveniences is simply one if the best books I have read. I cannot recommend it enough.
This one had all the feels and so much going on—but it all worked so smoothly. I hated to leave this book. A rich, cranky grandmother, a housekeeper who doesn’t keep house, a cook who can’t cook. And the dogs….. And Emma, a heroine we can lol get behind. Riley, the cutest teen ever. Then there is tragically handsome Miller and his troubled child. I really liked this book. Kristan Higgins’ books are like seeing a pod of dolphins at the beach. They come along exactly when you need them.
Kristan Higgins does it again. This book will make you mad, it will make you sad, it will for sure make you laugh, but mostly it will tug at your heart strings. Would you forgive the person who hurt you the most by spending the summer with them when they phone you after 18years silent to tell you they are dying? That is essentially what this book is about, the cast of people are mostly all wonderful but a few you may want to strangle! I recommend this book to all who enjoy great writing and wonderful stories.
I would like to report an assault.
This book pummeled me. It poked, it prodded, it pulled every heartstring I have. It deprived me of five hours of sleep. It is depriving me of being able to read another book for a day or two, because I have to let this story sink in.
Yes, I bought it in August when it was released, but I didn’t read it. It has sat–staring at me–for almost half a year. Everyone said it made them cry at the end. I didn’t want to cry for half a year, because things were going on in my own world that were sad enough. I didn’t want the emotional challenge. So, did it make me cry at the end?
HA! It made me cry at the beginning, the middle, the end. Thank God, it also made me laugh out loud. It also has the most beautiful description of sex I’ve ever read–and it’s only two paragraphs.
So, you’ve been warned. It’s a consuming read, a very real world, very real characters, very fascinating book. Read at your own peril.
I love, love, love Kristan Higgins’ books! Her characters make me laugh and bring me to tears. When I pick up her book, I know I’m embarking on a satisfying emotional journey. Life and Other Inconveniences was no different. Thank you, Kristan Higgins, for another gem.
5 Things I liked about Life and Other Inconveniences and why writers should take note:
1. Truly multi-generational. There are POV chapters in here from teen to old and every one works—and while I haven’t experienced the symptoms the oldest character does, I found the way they played out very believable.
2. Sensible characters. This isn’t a book that relies on people misunderstanding each other, or even making dumb choices, and that’s hard to pull off.
3. The mother-daughter relationship. If books are meant to give us something that’s just that little bit more or better than we can get in our own lives, why not apply it to this usually fraught dynamic?
4. The smart, positive teen character. So often, a book with a multi-generational cast has everyone come together when the teenager screws something up and has to be rescued. This one’s different.
5. The stuck landing. All mysteries and storylines tied up at the end, but not too neatly, and with absolutely no sense of machinery clanking. This one holds up right until the final page. #goodplotsforcecharactergrowth #charactersIwanttohangwith #readingshouldbefun
Emma London is kicked out her home as pregnant teen. It particularly stings, because when Emma’s mom died when she was a kid, her dad dropped her on his own mom’s doorstop and never looked back. Genevieve, Emma’s wealthy grandmother, took her in and raised her, but she never had much love for Emma. Perhaps because Genevieve was already dealing with her own tragedies: the disappearance of her young son, followed by the early death of her husband. Still, she had time to build a fashion empire–and neglect her other son (Emma’s father). Emma hasn’t let any of her family baggage stop her. She’s built a good life for herself and her teenage daughter, Riley. But now she has a surprise call from Genevieve, asking her for help. Emma isn’t sure she can go home again, but what if it’s what’s best for Riley? And maybe even for her?
What a wonderful read! This was a great book to consume poolside this summer.
I love Kristan Higgins’ books and this one was no exception. Don’t go in expecting a light and fluffy romance, though. Sure, there are some romantic elements here and plenty of Higgins’ trademark wit and humor, but this is also a serious read that deals with momentous life events and tragedies. It’s sad, poignant, touching, and real. Because Higgins’ characters are so true to life, and because she immerses you so fully in their world, it’s easy to both laugh and cry while reading. It’s a character-driven read, and I was quickly drawn to Emma, Riley, and several others.
I definitely recommend this one, and if you haven’t picked up any of Higgins’ work, now is the time to start! 4.5 stars.
What tangled family relationships are revealed in this book. Emma has had a tragic life. When she was eight years old, her mother committed suicide and her father abandoned her to her grandmother. Her grandmother had a tragic life as well – her son Sheppard disappeared when he was seven and three years later her beloved husband died. She dedicated her life to the business that she created, leaving her second son, who would later become Emma’s father, to the care or her housekeeper. When Emma became pregnant at eighteen, her grandmother Genevieve kicked her out and she went to live with her maternal grandfather. Seventeen years later, Genevieve invites her back because she is dying and wants her help and to see her and her great grandaughter Riley. Kristan Higgins weaves a story of troubled family relationships.
The first half of this book is depressing as hell, but the second half is excellent. The characters have all gone through so much, and it got a little overwhelming! It’s a KH book though, so I knew it would be ok in the end.
Funny very realistic. Wow didn’t see that coming