Review: And One Last Thing by Molly Harper

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger.Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.
Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.
Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing? (Chick Lit / Romance)

Review:
And One Last Thing is for all the women out there who have given up their identity and careers so that the men in their life can shine. After finding out that her “devoted – upstanding” husband is bonking the secretary, Lacey acts on her revenge fantasy. She then has to find a way to let it go and find a life for herself and trust that love doesn’t always mean losing oneself.
Unfortunately this book will be relatable to so many women. Lacey does what I think most people would want to do after a betrayal – shine a light on the cheater. It would seem obvious that once everyone knows what a jerk her husband has been that her friends and family will rally to her side. But the reality is human nature usually dictates that we take the path of least resistance and most people choose the side of the professional man that they have to continue doing business with rather than the dutiful wife who may be shining too harsh of a reality in their eyes.
Lucy leaves town and hides and I have to say even though that may be the wimpy thing to do, I would have done the same thing in her case. Yes, how she revealed her husband’s affair was over the top – in a mass email newsletter – but man is this town harsh and judgmental!
While she’s hiding out she meets her neighbor, Monroe. He is not into drama or divorcés – at all. He’s your basic scruffy, loner, manly man treating her like crap until he begins to see she’s not looking for a rebound guy. He discovers that she is an intelligent, funny woman and they form an unlikely friendship that of course develops into more.
There comes a point in their relationship that she has to make a choice. There is an entrepreneur who would like to use Lacey’s experience as a way to empower women who have been in similar experiences. They would pay Lacey to write them their own mass emails to get even with their cheating boyfriends and husbands. It would be very lucrative for Lacey and help justify what she did to her husband. Monroe of course thinks she needs to move on and be a serious writer like him. Lacey is torn between agreeing with him and being unsure if she’s letting a man dictate her life again.
This story is a combination of light chick-lit with humor, and a story about empowerment and finding oneself. I really liked Lacey and could understand the internal struggles she went through. I’m not too sure about Monroe. There was nothing wrong with him, he’s just not my type of guy – a little to gruff for me but they made a good couple and I rooted for their relationship to make it.
The star of this book is Lacey’s gay brother Emmett. He’s a good brother for one. When Lacey is wallowing in self-pity he arrives on the scene with chocolate, ice cream, movies and liquor. When she needs a swift kick in the pants, he does that too. I actually ended up wanting to know more about him than anyone else in this book. I know a lot of these books have spin offs involving the family members (like a Nora Roberts series for example) but I’m guessing the reality is that since Emmett is gay this isn’t going to happen. It’s a shame because he has a lot of layers and his own relationship issues to explore.
Liked: The message that you can be in a relationship with a man but still retain your independence.
Nitpick: Not a huge fan of Monroe and as with the chick-lit genre in general, it sometimes went over the top but not too bad.

Rating: 3 out of 4 Not bad if your looking for a fun escapist "I am woman - hear me roar!" type of read.

Author's website: http://www.mollyharper.com/ 
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