From the author of Husbands and Other Sharp Objects comes a witty, bighearted novel about the happy accidents that lead to love and second chances.
Forty-one years old, the last of her friends to marry, and down to a size 12, Lauren Leo is in her gown and about to tie the knot. There’s just one thing missing: the groom. With one blindsiding text, Lauren is unceremoniously dumped at the altar.
In the aftermath, her mother is an endless well of unsolicited advice (Stay on your diet and freeze your eggs). Her sisters only add to the Great Humiliation: one is planted on Lauren’s couch while the other is too perfect.
Picking her heart up off the floor, Lauren turns to her work in advertising as she gathers courage to move on and plan her next step. She should know by now that nothing in life goes according to plan. What lies ahead is the road to self-acceptance and at long last feeling worthy. With a new way to measure love and success, Lauren chucks her scale—and finds a second chance in the most unexpected place.
Reviews
“Poignant and funny, Crazy To Leave You is chock full of Rothstein’s signature fast-paced, smart dialogue and brimming with wit. A heartfelt, delicious story.” —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace
“Crazy to Leave You is the funniest book I’ve read in practically forever. Lauren Leo, who’s been jilted at the altar at forty-one, is sarcastic, lovable, brave, and drop-dead hilarious—in other words, perfect. As she makes her way through the humiliation of her postwedding world, not only does she have to deal with some pretty rough dieting decisions, but she’s also got some needy sisters, a judgmental mom, a crazy work life, and waaay too many wedding presents. Plus, there’s the really big question on everyone’s mind: Is anybody ever going to love her again? Trust me: this book will have you snort-laughing from page one. Do not be drinking hot liquids while you read.” —Maddie Dawson, author of The Magic of Found Objects
“I’ve been eagerly awaiting Marilyn Simon Rothstein’s next novel, and Crazy to Leave You exceeded my expectations. From some of the funniest one-liners I’ve read in years to a cast of all-too-relatable characters, this witty, heartfelt story of one woman’s attempt to live on her own terms after her fiancé leaves her lifted my spirits and reminded me of what a gift it is to have choices—even the kind that take some warming up to. This is exactly the book we all need right now.” —Camille Pagán, bestselling author of I’m Fine and Neither Are You
“With her trademark wit and wisdom, Marilyn Simon Rothstein brings us her most delightful and disarming heroine yet in Lauren Leo, a jilted fortysomething bride who finds her superpower. Fun, funny, and smart, Crazy to Leave You will keep you turning the pages and aching to offer your own shoulder to cry on as Lauren turns her tale of woe into a tower of strength. If you haven’t yet experienced the sheer joy of a Marilyn Simon Rothstein novel, this is a perfect place to start.” —Jamie Brenner, author of Blush
Author interview with Marilyn ~
Tell us about your new novel, Crazy to Leave You.
I guess you could say I spent decades of my life researching this book about a scale-obsessed advertising executive in the world’s most dysfunctional Jewish family--not including my own, of course. Yes, I looked deep into my refrigerator, found the Dr. Brown’s Diet Cream soda, and invented the fictional character of Lauren Leo, a 41-year-old left at the altar by a man she first kissed back of Bunk 8 when she was thirteen at a sleepaway camp named after a rabbi.
My discovery of Lauren Leo was followed by her body-shaming size four mother, in-laws more irritating than vaginitis, a best friend who presents a vibrator as a something-blue wedding gift, a younger sister--so perfect she demands to be disliked--and Margo Lamour, a soap opera star. Add an old-fashioned boss who never saw a skirt he thought was too short. A scale that finds its way under water. And at last, a hot limo driver named Rudy Cohen.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you started writing.
I am pretty sure I wrote in the womb. I have been married 45 years to a man I met in an elevator. I have two daughters, two son-in-laws and three grandchildren. I would tell you how fabulous my children are but there’s not enough room here. My lifetime hobbies are reading and writing.
What are some things you enjoy when not writing?
I enjoy being with my family. I like big gatherings around the round table in my kitchen. Hours in, someone says “Shouldn’t we get up and go for a walk?” But we never do. That’s what qualified me to write a book about a woman who tosses her scale into a bath tub filled with water.
How do you start your day (a routine of sorts?)
Yoga—or is it yogurt?
Finish this: “I can’t write without…”
Beating myself up first.
If I had to spend a week on a deserted island, I would need…
The Sunday New York Times, coffee, a bagel--and a boat to get back to the mainland.
What career did you think you’d have as an adult?
I thought I would demonstrate men’s razors in Macy’s.
What is something about you that people would surprise people?
My kitten spent the night in the freezer and survived.
To connect with Marilyn~
Husbands
and Other Sharp Objects
No comments:
Post a Comment