Been There, Married That: A Novel

Been There, Married That is a book about the trials of being married to a Hollywood producer by Gigi Levangie. Or is it a warning? Before I get started, let me say here, I'm old. There's lots of Hollywood speak and slang and hashtagging going on in the beginning of this book, at times I had no idea what the author was trying to convey. I'm also a bit stubborn, I don't think I should have to use urban dictionary as a translator. Agnes is married to Trevor with a teenage daughter. This is basically the story of her divorce. It's mildly funny is some spots. I liked a few of the characters, not so much the rest of the cast. The dialog was easier to read in the last third of the book, but like I said, if you're old like me, you'll need that urban dictionary for the beginning. Been There, Married That is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 Stars – Rounded So – I went in expecting a War of the Roses (the film) sort of vibe – with a power struggle between a wronged wife and her producer husband putting her to the curb with a series of changed locks, cancelled credit cards and no answers. Agnes isn’t particularly happy with the changes in her circumstances, so she digs in and decides to “fight back” in some unusual and often futile ways. For me, the tone and pacing of the book threw a wrench into the works – and Agnes was far too mercurial – from actually funny moments to highly juvenile and spiteful steps – the back and forth here was enough to give me whiplash. And the dance that the author did with the point of view, from a hybridized first person that was so close to in the moment (with a nasty habit of sharing EVERY thought that comes through) and this made the entire read a difficult one. Sifting through relevant to irrelevant isn’t a reader’s job in fiction – it is the editor’s – and here I think that the editor let the story down. Because it started out fairly smart and witty – and until you get to see that Agnes is petty, her husband even more so, even the teenager is full of “whatever” – there isn’t anyone to root for, let alone actually connect to. Sadly the premise WAY outshone the product here, and that is always a disappointment. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

This is the first book I’ve read by Gigi Levangie and when I started, I wasn’t sure what I was reading. I felt like Agnes was taking me on a schizophrenic journey without a real direction. Her marriage is falling apart in the world of Hollywood but as all the signs were pointing to this destruction, she wasn’t really acknowledging the reality of the situation. There are a lot details about the world of a Hollywood producer’s wife but I was frustrated that she wasn’t taking charge of her life before her husband did. Trevor is a self-involved, selfish man and when he doesn’t get his way, he plays dirty. Now, by the end of this crazy tale, I ended up enjoying the journey. Agnes showed real growth when she was forced to fight for her daughter. She finds out who her true friends are while building a career for herself to support her daughter. I’m glad I kept reading because the payoff for me was worth it to see her discover herself.