Tempting Fate

December 9, 2013
New York Times bestselling author Green (Family Pictures) returns with the story of Gabby, a 43-year-old Englishwoman living in Connecticut with her husband, Elliott, and their two teenage daughters, Alana and Olivia. Ever since she left England and her unpredictable mother, Gabby has prided herself on being surrounded with tranquility, one of the defining characteristics of her happy and long-standing marriage. During a girl’s night out with her friends in New York City, she encounters an intriguing younger man, Matt, at a bar. Gabby is flattered by his unexpected attention, but reminds herself that “once tonight is over she will once again be a middle-aged suburban housewife, caught up in the pots and pans of life.” Afterward, Gabby tries to return to normalcy, feeling safe since Matt lives far away, in California, but her intentions soon fall by the wayside. Green skillfully depicts a woman trapped between contentment and temptation, crafting an insightful look into married life and middle age.

November 1, 2013
An affair threatens a woman's marriage, yet it also forges unexpected bonds that transcend the narrow definition of family. At 43, Gabby is certain the best years of her life are behind her. Eighteen years of marriage to Elliott, a highly successful gastroenterologist, have given her two lovely daughters and a secure future, but she's feeling anything but sexy. While her friends dress to the nines for a girls' night out, Gabby dresses simply, hoping to camouflage the more womanly curve of her hips. As her friends desperately chat up older men, Gabby finds herself drawn into a deeply flirtatious conversation with a gorgeous man 10 years her junior. Matt listens avidly to her thoughts, making her feel desirable and even beautiful. Soon, several martinis as well as the witching hour have passed. Although Gabby hasn't been literally unfaithful, as her friendship with Matt intensifies over the coming weeks, it is only a matter of time. Their one night of passion splashes cold water on Gabby's face: How could she risk her marriage and family for a fling with a man who may appreciate her but could never build a life with her? Her infidelity, however, can't stay hidden for long. The next year is fraught with anxieties and epiphanies, as her marriage falters and her daughters struggle to forgive her. Green (Family Pictures, 2013, etc.) charts a broad emotional terrain, ranging from frustration and desire to shame and resignation. Gabby's transgression may detonate a bomb in her personal life, yet out of the wreckage emerges a love more flexible, more tolerant and more inclusive. A Scarlet Letter for the 21st century.

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Starred review from November 15, 2013

In another complex story of a marriage, Green (Family Pictures) introduces fortysomethings Gabby and Elliot, a couple apparently comfortable with each other and the status quo. The course of their lives changes in one night when Gabby goes out with her girlfriends. As her friends flirt and drink, Gabby tries to pass the time until she meets Matt, who is much younger than she and very handsome. The two hit it off, and as Gabby moves on from that night, she finds herself thinking about Matt. They start to exchange mildly flirtatious emails that turn more intense. Elliot has recently made a permanent decision that affects their marriage, and Gabby begins talking more to Matt than to her husband. VERDICT Green once more proves her skill at exploring the complexities of the human heart. This is a sure bet for her fans and new readers who enjoy well-written women's fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 9/16/13; 150,000-copy first printing; library marketing.]--Kristen Stewart, Pearland Lib., Brazoria Cty. Lib. Syst., TX

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2013
Popular chick-lit author Green (Family Pictures, 2013) tackles another hot issue for women in her new outing: temptation outside of marriage. Gabby Cartwright is a happily married mother of two who meets an attractive man a decade her junior while out for a night with her girlfriends. Gabby has an instantaneous and powerful connection with Matt, an entrepreneur with a successful website. Though nothing happens the first night they meet, Matt begins e-mailing Gabby, and she finds herself looking forward to his messages and responding in the middle of the night while her husband, Elliot, sleeps. Though Elliot is a devoted husband and loving father, Gabby hasn't quite forgiven him for having a vasectomy and denying her the third child she's been longing for. Given the book's title, readers might have an inkling of what to expect when Elliot goes to a conference out of town, leaving Gabby on her own for the weekend, but Green takes things in interesting directions as she deftly explores the aftermath of Gabby's rash, impulsive decision, making her latest a captivating cautionary tale. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A substantial initial printing, author appearances, book-club call-ins, and many other media and online promotions will mobilize best-selling Green's large, social-media-stoked fan base.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)