Happily Ever Madder: Misadventures Of A Mad Fat Girl (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s very funny and compulsive. I immediately connected with the main character and could not wait to find out what happened, and was keen to read on to find out what misadventures she got herself into. Happily Ever Madder is actually the sequel to Diary of a Mad Fat Girl, but I have not read the first book.This novel reads well as a stand alone book because the author does a great job of making sure that the reader is up to date with all the goings on, and fills in the gaps where necessary. I liked the writing style; it’s fluid, and easy to read. It’s written in the first person from the perspective of the main character Graciela ‘Ace’ Jones. The narrative style is like someone telling you a story about what happened to them, and makes it all the more intriguing, almost like reading someone’s diary.In this novel, we meet Graciela Jones—or as she is most commonly known to her friends: Ace Jones—at a point where she has just moved from her home town of Bugtussle, Mississippi, to Pelican Cove, Florida. She has moved there to start up an art gallery, a life-long dream, and also to start her new life with her fiancé, Mason. They plan to marry. We are told that Ace is a straight-talking woman who can sometimes get into trouble because of this, and she has vowed to herself that she will change her ways and try to be nicer. Unfortunately, the people she meets in Pelican Cove are not very nice, and this leads to trouble. Her art gallery is not doing as well as she would like, and her relationship with her fiancé is being tested.There are so many realistic and true-to-life characters in this book, and some wonderfully eccentric characters. It’s an entertaining read. Ace Jones is a likable character and I found it very easy to sympathise with her problems. Her network of friends are all very interesting, and the interaction between them was realistic. This is the type of book where everyone will find a character they can relate to.This is a must read book for chick-lit fans; it’s basically a romantic comedy. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to get lost in a good story. Reviewed by Maria Savva as a reviewer for Bookpleasures.com **I received this book for free via goodreads on 9/9/12.** I never read the first book in this series and that may have put me at a disadvantage. I felt that there was a lot unwritten that may have been answered if I had read that first book. For instance, the heroine of the story, Ace Jones, is said to be a Mad Fat Girl... She's trying to be nicer. Only, as a first time reader, I would have liked to know why/how she was mad in the first book because in this one she seems like a whiner. She whined about not being accepted in the well to-do community. She whined about how her devoted fiance started paying more attention to work instead of her, (although she did the same thing before the story takes place). She whines about having this fabulous fiance and not being able to do a hunky redneck. She whines about how she got her art gallery set up but there aren't enough customers. Poor Ace. She definitely loves her dog, Buster Loo... who is in this book more than any dog should be. It's repetitive... get up, walk dog, go to work, go get lunch (the number of times she eats out would chalk up why she is fat-- not judging), go back to work, get off, go walk dog, then either go with girlfriends to whine about Lenore Kennashaw or go eat (take out for the most part) with her fiance at his work. There is a brilliant story of a woman (Kennashaw) who lives as judge and jury of the community (despite living beyond her means) who rubs Ace the wrong way by being an overbearing bitch. That story, however, was left unresolved after Ace's prank goes awry and leaves her relationship shattered. I finished the book wanting so much more. That being said, however, I read it in ten hours and didn't want to put it down. I liked it. On a side note... she makes two dinners and while they are amazingly involved dinners she later says she went on a "crazy cooking spree" and I couldn't help but laugh. That is NOT a spree.
What do You think about Happily Ever Madder: Misadventures Of A Mad Fat Girl (2012)?
I enjoyed this book, but was disappointed by the ending.On to the 3rd book in the series.
—sarah055336
Good read. Fast moving. Can't wait to read the next one.
—Khazzard89
Another fun beach read that made me laugh out loud.
—sarkar
