St. Martin's Griffin Saving Grace

Could this have really happened? Grace married to bestselling author Ted loves cooking and is having a happy life in their beautiful farm house on Hudson river. Although Ted is a difficult man with a volatile temper, this is efficiently kept in control by his long time assistent Ellen. But then Ellen leaves and mousy, rather timid, Beth takes her place. In the beginning Grace is quite happy with Beth as she is also helping Grace organize the household and her charity activities. And she certainly does not see her as a threat regarding her husband's affection. In fact, Beth seems a goodsend and Grace cannot praise her enough. Until slowly, things start to change. Grace has always been disorganized but is she as forgetful as she suddenly seems? Has she been changing the date of an important charity event without remembering and has she given her favourite silk scarf to Beth, the scarf given to her by Ted? Slowly it all turns into an almost psychological thriller. Believable? Well, I think so. As indicated in the book, Beth may be a sociopath which I think is very likely. Trying to destroy someone else's life and even steal it, is frightening and Beth does it all cleverly. Succeeding in having Grace diagnosed bipolar, treated by a psychiatrist, tried hospitalized..... Sociopaths/psychopaths can be very convincing, charming and powerful, much more so than their victims. As the story unfolds it may seem a bit predictable, but no more so than this being an altogether enjoyable and interesting read. Some reviewers have complained about the recipes at the end of many of the chapters and I agree that these could have been gathered at the end of the book. However, whenever they appear, they refer to the previous chapter where each recipe has been prepared in the story. Grace is a compulsory cook, has always been, it's her greatest joy, so as such the recipes are a great part of her life. This was my first Jane Green novel and I prompte ordered several more. Very much recommended!

Loved this book! Grace Chapman and her husband, Ted are a "power couple". Ted is an award winning author whose books are known worldwide. Grace is known as his beautiful wife who is always at his side. They are the perfect couple with the perfect marriage. However, things are not always what they seem. In private, Ted is very demanding. He has highs and lows especially when he is writing. Grace and Ted have an assistant who has been with them for years. She has always been one step ahead of Ted and keeps his life on course so that he is not as temperamental. However, Ted's assistant, has to leave her job with him because she has family matters that require her to move. Ted becomes so demanding and abusive to Grace that she has to leave the house and drive for hours just so that she is not around to become the brunt of Ted's temper. At a book awards ceremony, Ted and Grace meet with a young woman who has been an assistant and is looking for a new job. They hire her and soon she is taking care not only of Ted's work but she helps Grace too. This book takes the reader on one wild ride. The new assistant is not exactly what she has made herself out to be. Grace and Ted's marriage becomes threatened. If you like suspense and a well written book with well conceived characters, then this book is the one for you.

In wonderful shape, and was not missing anything. Delivered in a timely fashion.

This review is getting an extra star for the recipes. If you do not care about the recipes, consider it two stars... This book reads like a Lifetime movie. Grace is married to a foul tempered man with horrible mood swings. His capable assistant has been able to keep him bearable, just. Unfortunately, her mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer and she has resigned in order to be a caregiver. Just as Grace is at her wits end, her daughter introduces Grace and Ted (the aforementioned grouch of a hubby) to Beth. Beth just happens to be a personal assistant looking for a job. Not only that, she is plain looking (except for a fabulous smile), dresses in dowdy clothes and is a bit overweight. No threat there! Grace has Beth come for an interview. Beth wants to not only help Ted, but also Grace. Could it get any better? Beth loves to be kept busy. Even her references (their cell phone numbers might be out of date, but their email addresses will definitely work!) are glowing. Beth starts off with a bang. Ted loves her because she is intelligent. She has read all of his books. She hates all the authors he hates. She loves everyone he loves. She really knows her stuff. She is great at organization. She helps Grace organize various things, and really cares about Grace. So much so that she mentions to Ted her concerns about Grace's mental stability. Not every assistant would be that caring. Beth is more than just an assistant, she is more like part of the family. Grace offers to give some of her old clothes to Beth. Beth is so grateful! Beth has been losing weight, but hasn't had the money to get a new wardrobe. Thankfully she now has a lot of really flattering clothes to suit her new figure. But wait, did Grace give her that scarf? Grace got it from Ted as a gift... she better clear this up and make sure she didn't put it in the pile for Beth by mistake. Ted and Beth have many business lunches in the city. This never happened with his old assistant, but that had nothing to do with Beth's new figure, new hair (MUCH more flattering), new stylish clothes, or the winks and nods he is getting from his colleagues. It is because his former assistant wasn't really the 'lunch in the city' type. Beth is so considerate, she speaks to Ted about her concerns about Grace as they come up. Eventually, Ted comes to the conclusion that Grace should seek help from a professional. Grace is put on medications which give her various side effects including weight gain and extreme sleepiness. Now Grace does not fit in her own clothing and no longer enjoys any of the things that used to make her happy. No matter, Beth can fill in for her! That is what a good assistant does. If you are thinking that Grace does not seem to be the brightest bulb, that thought crossed my mind more than once while reading this book. On the bright side, the recipes look good, and I am planning on trying at least one. :)

I really used to enjoy Jane Green books. They were never great literally works but the stories were enjoyable and, on some level, I felt that I could identify with the characters in the book. Sadly this is no longer the case. Jane Green novels of late are just so poor. Saving Grace is no exception; on the surface Garce has the 'perfect' life. She's married to Ted Chapman a brilliant author, loved by all, but a man who terrorises his wife behind closed doors. But Grace is also a well respected & successful food writer who seems to hand over the reins of her life with such ease to complete strangers with disastrous consequences. And so the sorry tale unfolds....will Grace actually be saved & be able to reclaim her life? Quite frankly I don't care. The story is full of clichés the entire plot is weak, the characterisation is poor and many of the scenarios are totally implausible, not to mention random recipes at the end of some chapters that serve no purpose at all. The book is more flat soufflé than gourmet feast. Buy your indigestion tablets now!