DOMESTIC VIOLETS

Author:  Matthew Norman

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  70

From Goodreads:

(NetGalley site down at the moment)

Tom Violet always thought that by the time he turned thirty-five, he'd have everything going for him.  Fame.  Fortune. A beautiful wife. A satisfying career as a successful novelist. A happy dog to greet him at the end of the day.

The reality, though, is far different. He's got a wife, but their problems are bigger than he can even imagine. And he's written a novel, but the manuscript he's slaved over for years is currently hidden in his desk drawer while his father, an actual famous writer, just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His career, such that it is, involves mind-numbing corporate buzzwords, his pretentious archnemesis Gregory, and a hopeless, completely inappropriate crush on his favorite coworker. Oh . . . and his dog, according to the vet, is suffering from acute anxiety.

Tom's life is crushing his soul, but he's decided to do something about it. (Really.) "Domestic Violets" is the brilliant and beguiling story of a man finally taking control of his own happiness--even if it means making a complete idiot of himself along the way.

Without a doubt, there was some snarky humor in this book, especially in the office setting, which caused many-a-smirks.  However, in general, I didn't love it or hate it.  Unfortunately, I did sense the ending from the beginning and felt a little let down by the lack of spunk for the last third (or less).  

The storyline, again, had some good points and some not so good points, as well as, the characters.  I simply was in the "Land of Whatever" and just plodded along.  I was more drawn to the idea of getting back to some humor than anything else.  So . . . a "just okay" read for me, but at the very least my curiosity about this book has been satisfied.     

My thanks go to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.