Another Piece of My Heart

I have Jane Green's early books on my keeper shelf but haven't read any of hers for a while.

I plan to rectify that.

I absolutely LOVED this book!
It's purely character driven, with an intriguing cast and their dilemmas keeping me turning the pages rapidly.

From Emily, the flawed teenager who develops into a young woman, to Andi, the main character, a 40-something woman desperate to have a child, their emotions are real and empathic.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The first part of the book sets up Andi as the perfect, understanding heroine and Emily as the devil stepdaughter. The second part is largely told from Emily's POV so the reader comes to feel a small amount of empathy for the tough childhood that led to the horrible behavior. Meanwhile, Ethan comes across as weak-willed and passive until almost the end of the book, making it difficult to understand why his wife and daughter would fight over him. Several secondary characters are briefly explored, then dropped. Frankly, the character I felt the most empathy towards was the younger sister, Sophia, who had to be the perfect, rational one in the family. She is going to need some serious therapy when she grows up.

Despite the many weaknesses, I found Another Piece of My Heart to be a quick, compulsive read. I haven't really loved any of Jane Green's books since she left behind Chick Lit for Women's Fiction, but I keep picking up her books anyway, hoping she'll regain her former excellence.