The Stepmother

by: Carrie Adams

Published by: Harper

Reviewed by Sarah Nagle

At first glance, The Stepmother would appear to be another chick-lit novel, albeit one with a British setting and two close-to-forty protagonists.

Entertainment lawyer Tessa King, the “Godmother” of Adams’s debut novel, has now found her dream man, but he comes with the stuff of nightmares – three daughters and a bitter ex-wife. Tessa attempts to win the girls over with alternating doses of treats and tough love, but actually living with James and finding that she will end up doing more than her share of chores is putting a big strain on the relationship. But there’s more going on here than merely Tessa’s attempt to create yet another blended family; the author alternates Tessa’s viewpoint with that of Bea, the ex-wife who initiated the divorce and now fears she may have made a big mistake.

There are many sides to the story here, and the author deftly explores each one with empathy and balance. Bea’s reasons for divorcing were never fully revealed to James; the three daughters have needs of their own which have been brushed aside by the grownups, and it becomes painfully apparent to Tessa that just because one marriage has ended doesn’t mean that dysfunctional behaviors won’t continue into the next one. Throw in Tessa’s aging parents, a network of friends and family members who need just as much support as they give, and the daily grind of school runs, and conflicting work priorities, all for putting on Tessa perhaps more pressure than the new engagement can handle.

Writing with typical British elegance and just a touch of detachment, the author doesn’t make the book’s ending an easy choice, nor the most obvious one. There will be both healing and difficult times ahead, along with the stresses of everyday life, for those in Tessa’s and Bea’s ever-expanding web of families and friends. But if their saga is to be continued to a third book (please!), they are so much the better for their traumas in this one.

The author’s clear, empathetic eye makes this a superior tale of blended families, second chances, and painful honestly among people who are in it for the long haul.

Armchair Interviews agrees.