The Stepmother

by
Carrie Adams

( 7 )

Pick Up In Store

Paperback

$11.72

BN.com price

$14.99 List Price (Save 22%)

Eligible for FREE SHIPPING details

Usually ships within 24 hours - Same Day delivery in Manhattan details

Marketplace (New and Used)

from

$0.01

$14.99 List Price (Save 100%)

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

All (54)

Used (39)

New (15)

Page 1 of 6

Showing 1 – 10 of 54 (6 pages)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

Better World Books

Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(50891)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good

Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

Buybreak

Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(359)

Condition: New

New Book, Unread, Tight Binding, May have some shelf wear or remainder mark. Prompt shipping, buy with confidence.

Ships from: Deer Park, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

OwlsBooks-TRM

Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(22568)

Condition: Good

Giving great service since 2004: Buy from the Best! 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship! Find your Great Buy today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

Discover Books Ltd.

Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(3584)

Condition: Good

Some wear on book from reading, some spine creases, wear on binding and pages, we guarantee all purchases and ship all items via USPS mail.

Ships from: Sumas, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

GreatTimeBooks

Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(551)

Condition: Good

Used book in average shape. Quick shipping, friendly service. Your satisfaction is guaranteed! BN

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.99

(Save 93%)

BookHolders MD

Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(3582)

Condition: Good

Reprint Good [ No Hassle 30 Day Returns ] Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks Pub Date: 3/16/2010 Binding: Paperback Pages: 368.

Ships from: College Park, MD

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.99

(Save 93%)

Bobbie's Books

Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(23)

Condition: Good

2010 Trade paperback Good. No dust jacket as issued. Ex-library. Ex-library, but in very good shape Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 350 p. Audience: General/trade.

Ships from: East Wenatchee, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.99

(Save 93%)

Alibris NV

Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(20386)

Condition: Very Good

2010-03-16 Trade Paperback Very Good Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 352 p.

Ships from: Sparks, NV

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.99

(Save 93%)

Got Books ma

Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(11921)

Condition: Very Good

2010 Paperback Item is in very good condition.

Ships from: Wilmington, MA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$1.00

(Save 93%)

oncesoldtales

Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(2447)

Condition: Acceptable

An acceptable used ex-library copy. Library markings. Pages are somewhat worn. Cover worn with some creases. Worn edges and corners. Binding somewhat weak and cracked.

Ships from: Kent, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)

Page 1 of 6

Showing 1 – 10 of 54 (6 pages)

Overview

Bea Frazier hoped she'd rediscover her incredible self after divorcing Jimmy. But being home alone with three daughters brings her demons back with a vengeance. The only solution is to reunite her family. The trouble is, her ex is about to marry someone else.

Tessa King has finally found true love, but her knight in shining armor comes with three sullen daughters and an ex who doesn't seem nearly "ex" enough. After years of singledom, what does Tessa have to do to finally live happily ever after?

As the two women negotiate carpools, puberty, and family loyalties, each finds it almost impossible not to fall into the old ...

See more details below

All Available Formats + Editions

$0.01

$11.72

Paperback

$0.01

$11.72

The Stepmother Pub. Date: 3/16/2010 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
$0.01

$24.99

Hardcover

$0.01

$24.99

Stepmother Pub. Date: 3/3/2009 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Want to read this on your NOOK? Request as NOOK Book from the publisher

Thank you for requesting this book as a NOOK book from the publisher.

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

Advertising

Overview

As the two women negotiate carpools, puberty, and family loyalties, each finds it almost impossible not to fall into the old cliché of the bitter first wife and the wicked stepmother. But if Bea and Tessa are brave enough, they just may find a friend where they once saw an enemy. . . .

Absorbing and touching, humorous and honest, The Stepmother reminds us that there is always another side to the story.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Adams follows up 2006's The Godmother with a perceptive chick noir, once again debunking the notion that everything's smooth sailing once you've found the love of your life. Tessa King (heroine of Adams's first novel) has finally nabbed hers: James, an older man with three charming daughters from a previous marriage. These daughters-including daddy's girl extraordinaire, 14-year-old Amber-don't seem so lovely once stepmother-in-waiting Tessa has to deal with their dirty school uniforms and petty jealousies. Nor did Tessa sign up for the emotional baggage of James's ex-wife, Bea, who broke James's heart. With all the angst, how's a girl supposed to plan the perfect white wedding? Meanwhile, Bea-who shares narration duty-still has a torch burning for James and has buried years of regret and guilt under binge eating and, soon, compulsive drinking. Family dramas and crises bring Bea and Tessa together with surprising results. Particularly refreshing are Tessa's and Bea's co-starring roles, which allows Adams to explore in sometimes painful detail how the real work begins once you've got the diamond ring. Fans of Marian Keyes and Emily Giffin will enjoy Adams's engrossing second outing. (Mar.)

Library Journal

Bea, a divorced mother of three daughters, is overweight, drinks too much, and has issues with her mother. Tessa, a successful lawyer, is single, pushing 40, and beautiful. Unfortunately, they are both in love with the same man, Bea's ex, Jimmy, whom Tessa calls James. The names are just the beginning of the differences in their relationships. When James introduces Tessa to his daughters, the little girls are easygoing, but the 14-year-old seems a bit difficult. Tessa has great friends and amazing parents to ask for advice, and by taking their advice, using her godchildren as foils, and bribing the kids, she manages to earn their grudging respect. Meanwhile, Bea's life is sliding downhill rapidly. When disaster strikes, the whole family pulls together to work things out-but that leaves Tessa out in the cold. Or does it? Alternating between Tessa's and Bea's viewpoints, this fun sequel to The Godmother is a well- written, punchy fairy tale of a story. Highly recommended for all public libraries.
—Stacy Alesi

More Reviews (3) Fewer Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

In this sequel to The Godmother (2007), British author Adams coasts from chick lit to mother-hen lit. Although Bea, 42, chose to break up her marriage to Jimmy, she still loves him. While they were married Bea worked as a journalist, but, with her mother's financial help, she has been able to stay home with her three daughters since the divorce. Everyone with whom Bea has remained close, including Jimmy and his family, considers her a perfect mother, but overweight Bea is desperately lonely and unhappy. Just as she finds the courage to tell Jimmy she wants to try again, she learns about Tessa, Jimmy's new love (Tessa calls him James). In her late 30s, Tessa is a slim and relatively glamorous record-company lawyer, but she's also devoted to her friends' children and less secure than she might appear. She assumes Bea is a superwoman/mom and struggles mightily to find a place for herself in James/Jimmy's children's lives. The younger two are emotionally open but 14-year-old Amber, torn by her mixed loyalties to her parents, resists. At first Bea wins readers' sympathies and Tessa seems the interloper, but the roles become less clear cut as Tessa genuinely embraces the children while Bea embraces a "miracle diet" which consists of eating nothing while drinking to unconsciousness. Amber, who has begun an innocent romance with Tessa's 17-year-old godson Caspar, covers for Bea until a crisis in Tessa's parents' lives brings Bea's secrets out into the open. Tessa learns the truth behind Bea's divorce: post-abortion guilt, offered as a less-than-convincing excuse for Bea's alcoholism. Newly self-sacrificing Tessa sends James/Jimmy back to an already reformed Bea to sort out their relationship onceand for all. Not to worry, he is quick to realize that there is "love" and then there is "in love."The platitudes and occasional preaching go down pretty smoothly thanks to Adams's sharp but good-natured wit. Agent: Dorian Karchmar/William Morris Agency

Booklist

“Adams injects her romantic soap opera with large dollops of pathos, culminating in a fairy-tale ending to this enjoyable and uplifting read.”

Parenting Magazine

“[A] terrific novel...In The Stepmother, by Carrie Adams, Bea has to learn how to accept her ex’s soon-to-be second wife while she struggles to get over him, deal with her daughters, and get a life.”

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780061232664
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 3/16/2010
Pages: 352
Sales rank: 700,643
Product dimensions: 5.20 (w) x 7.90 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Meet the Author

Carrie Adams is the author of The Godmother, which is being adapted for film. She lives in London with her husband and three children.

Read an Excerpt

The Stepmother

A Novel

Chapter One

Crunchy Nut

I was surrounded by laughter but, for once, couldn't even pretend to join in. I wanted to place one of my daughters on my lap and hug her tightly, but I had taught myself not to do that. At eight, even my youngest considered herself too old for such public displays of affection. On our own at home was fine, but that wasn't when I needed her protection. I felt a hand land on my shoulder, and I automatically formed a smile as I turned.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done," said the woman looking down at me.

"I'm happy to help," I replied.

"Everyone tells me you've been amazing."

My eight-year-old beamed. If her headmistress said I was amazing, I must be doing something right.

"I am so looking forward to this," the imposing woman said as she took her seat. The nerves tightened. My nine-year-old, sitting on the other side of me, had not noticed the giant presence of her principal, because she was too busy craning her neck to search the back of the room. Ever since we'd sat down, she'd been keeping a vigilant eye on the entrance. I eased her shoulders round to face the stage. "He'll be here," I said, glancing at the empty seat. "Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," she said, immediately turning back.

The lights dimmedand an awed murmur rose up from the assorted parents, siblings, and extras, and dissolved into a hush. Four worried chestnut-colored eyes sought mine in the gloom of the darkened assembly hall.

"He'll be here," I said again, taking their hands, and, as the first note drifted up from the piano, he was.

"Daddy!" squeaked the girls, bouncing off their chairs.

Jimmy eased his way along the narrow aisle with such charm that no one other than me seemed to mind. He even stopped to kiss a particularly good friend of ours, and shook some of the other dads' hands. "Sit down," I mouthed at him.

He leaned over and kissed me, then both of the girls. "Sorry," he said. "Meeting went on."

I put my fingers to my lips and pointed toward the stage. The thick green velvet curtains were being drawn back to expose the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen, New York, where girls dressed as boys clicked and hissed and spat at one another, marking out the infamous territories between the Jets and the Sharks.

Then the aggression left the stage and there was our eldest daughter. She peered out at us through an invisible mirror, examining her reflection as intensely as everyone else was now examining her. Was it my imagination or did a collective gasp ripple through the audience? She looked phenomenally beautiful. Older and more self-possessed than her fourteen years—how was it possible that we had a fourteen-year-old child? I stared at Amber, moving around the stage as easily as liquid, my brain leaping ahead to her next line before she'd finished delivering the one she was on. I was impressed, mesmerized, and terrified in equal measures. As for Amber, I could tell by the hem of her dress that she was as steady as a rock.

She looked beautiful. Did I say that already? Her dark red hair was pulled off her face with a white ribbon, her long, slender body still startling inside the neat, sensible dress of a good Catholic. She had skin the color of milk, but when she opened her mouth to sing, the London girls' school faded away and we fell into the world of a Puerto Rican on the eve of her first dance.

Jimmy reached over our nine-year-old and gazed into my eyes. He squeezed my hand hard, but then our middle daughter took ownership of her father and placed his hand firmly in her lap. I looked down at mine and watched as the warmth slowly left my skin and my fingers returned to their perpetual cold.

At the interval, Jimmy and I were thickly showered with compliments by our parental alumni—some genuine, some tinged with green, and some downright barbed. Why is it that I always remember the barbed ones?

"You must be so proud. When Talullah won her scholarship I made sure she stayed grounded by insisting she make her bed every day. It worked a treat, you should do it with Amber so it doesn't all go to her head."

"She already makes her bed," I replied, confused.

"Oh," said the woman, equally confused.

We stood awkwardly until another "compliment" cut through the air like a missile.

"Wonderful, isn't she? You'll have a job on your hands keeping Amber's feet on the ground now," said a starched woman, whom I had tried hard to avoid. "It was quite a big decision to pick a girl from year nine. She's quite brilliant, absolutely the right choice, but I think there were some rather put-out mothers in the year above."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Jimmy got there first. "Thanks for the tips, ladies. We'll watch our backs." They tittered. Jimmy grabbed my elbow. "Let's go to the bar," he said.

"You'd better check for poison."

"Why me?" he asked.

"Do you want to sew on the name tags?"

"Can't you get iron-on ones, these days?"

"Yes. But answer me one question. What is an iron?"

The lines on Jimmy's face deepened in mock concentration. "You win. I drink first."

There were more "helpful" comments as we pushed our way through the crowd, but fortunately, since I have amassed a staggering eighteen daughter-years at this school, I know who and where my friends are. Manning the bar. Womanning the bar, I should say, because women dominate my life.

I left Jimmy happily surrounded by some, walked to the sheeted trestle table, and picked up a handful of crisps. "Hey, Carmen," I said to one of my favorite fellow maternal inmates.

Continues...

Excerpted from The Stepmother by Carrie Adams Copyright © 2009 by Carrie Adams. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5

( 7 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(4)

4 Star

(2)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

ILgirl07

Posted March 18, 2011

more from this reviewer

Cute Story

The follow-up to The Godmother but it can also be a stand-alone novel. Follows the lives of Tessa and Bea, two women who fell in love with the same man at different times of their life. Bea and Jimmy had 3 daughters together and then divorced. Tessa meets Jimmy and they get engaged. Can a stepmother ever be seen as a good person and not an evil one? Told from both sides - amusing and a quick read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
keri21

Posted February 15, 2011

One of the best books I've ever read

I loved this book. It's a great look into marriage and what happens when real life steps in and makes a mess of things. I loved some of Adams' insights into marriage, and highlighted lots of different passages. I'm the same age at the future wife in this story, and facing a story very similar to hers having just found the love of MY life. I've lately been thinking of all the things that keep a marriage together, and the things that tear one apart, so this book really resonated with me. This is one book I will definitely re-read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted April 24, 2010

The Stepmother

This was a good book but not as good as I thought it would be. I was expecting more. There were a couple parts that caused my jaw to drop but that's about it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 30, 2009

Great read

The author revisited some of the same characters from a previous book "The Godmother." It was great to see those characters developed even more! Also, the story is captivating and moves quickly. It is told from two different characters' perspectives as you read. Each time you read from one character's point of view, you get wrapped up in what they are saying and feeling. Very well written!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
janetinnovato

Posted May 16, 2009

Stepmothers - truth and/or fiction

I think every woman alive in 2009 has had some experience with this type of situation. Just the word "stepmother" conjures strong thoughts and feelings for most of us. Carrie Adams did a fine job of portraying both sides of the coin in a deliciously human way.

You feel for both characters - the "mom" and "stepmom" as well as the man in the middle - Jimmy. Their feelings are truthful and valid. Their reactions to situations - honest, no matter how painful they are to read and/or feel.

The children are the victims - as often occurs in "real life" situations similar to this story.

I would recommend this book to any one who has been a stepmother, is one now or a woman whose husband has re-married. Seeing both sides of this coin makes this a meaningful read.

A book club suggestion if most members can relate....
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted August 22, 2011

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted October 27, 2009

No text was provided for this review.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble

The Stepmother

Pick Up in Store

Overview

All Available Formats + Editions

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

Booklist

Parenting Magazine

Product Details

Meet the Author

Read an Excerpt

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

5 Star

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Your Rating:

Your Recommendations:

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

What to exclude from your review:

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

Reminder:

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Cute Story

One of the best books I've ever read

The Stepmother

Great read

Stepmothers - truth and/or fiction