I've wanted to read Gigi Levangie's The Starter Wife since I read an interview with the author in the Guardian and just thought she sounded fascinating. Plus then, of course, there was the TV adaptation of the book starring the wonderful Debra Messing. Well, I finally got around to reading it and it was worth the wait.
Gracie Pollock is married to studio head, Kenny. She's a Hollywood wife, with a Hollywood house, Hollywood friends and a Hollywood beauty maintenance programme. She's not happy, but even so she's shocked when Kenny summarily dumps her just before their tenth wedding anniversary, i.e. he "Cruised" her - ended the marriage before the date at which he'd have to pay maintenance.
At first Gracie is devastated. She hasn't just lost her husband, she's lost her entire lifestyle, because no-one in Hollywood is interested in a former "Wife of...", but thanks to the generosity of one of her "real" friends, she and her daughter are able to move, temporarily, to Malibu and start to rebuild their lives.
I really enjoyed this book. I could quite happily have read it in one sitting, so it would be a perfect plane or holiday book. It's got problems - the fact that the lead character is called Gracie and she has a gay friend named Will (and I was already picturing Gracie as Debra Messing), pulled me up every now and then. Also Britney Spears plays quite a major role in the book, which is unfortunate given her recent problems.
Some aspects of the plot (particularly Gracie's love interest) are also pretty unrealistic. But none of that really troubled me, because The Starter Wife is well-written, funny, and packed with Hollywood gossip (all the more credible because Gigi Levangie is married to Hollywood heavyweight Brian Grazer (producer of The Da Vinci Code, 24, and one of Time Magazine's 's 100 Most Influential People in The World).
Rating: 4/5
Like this? Try You'll Never Nanny In This Town Again by Suzanne Hansen