Author: Judith Keim

Publisher: Lake Union publishing

Source: NetGalley

TL:DR Review: Tiffany Wright is trying to rebuild her life after leaving her abusive, alcoholic husband at the end of Fat Fridays. However, Beau (like his parents), doesn’t know when to quit and installs a “minder” next door. When tragedy strikes, Tiffany stands up for herself against the all-powerful Wright family. Meanwhile, Carol Ann hits the stupid stick again and Lynn/Grace is rejected by the only person she truly loves, her daughter.

Verdict: Better than the prequel but definitely chick-lit. Darker themes and outcomes this time but still a beach read.
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I can’t believe I’m about to write this, but here goes: this sequel will frustrate the hell out of you.

It’s not frustrating because of the material: Alcoholic husband, overbearing and obnoxious in-laws, unplanned and somewhat unwanted pregnancy, great girlfriends, and a sexy guy next door. No, in the hands of other writers, this has been fodder for GOLD. That’s what makes this sequel so disappointing. Sassy Saturdays takes this material and goes, meh.

Let me level with you now: This entire post is nothing but spoilers.

Sassy Saturday’s picks up a few months after the end of Fat Fridays. Suki’s now engaged to Cam (would’ve loved to see that proposal). (spoiler) Betsy has moved to Miami with her girlfriend (that was Betsy’s big secret). Carol Ann is still looking for love in all the wrong trousers (and getting robbed in the process). Lynn, now known as Grace, is trying to reconnect with her daughter. Lynette is the newbie, a single mother of two teenage boys.

Let’s start with the first spoiler: Beau ends up dead. Yup, killed himself on a mountain climbing expedition in Peru. So I’d say the last third of this book involves the fall-out from his death, a death I cared so very little about. Fat Fridays had established Beau as a man who kowtowed to his parents. I did, however, appreciate the way Keim portrayed Tiffany’s confusion and grief. She loved the memories of the man she met and married and mourned the man he’d become. That felt real.

Tiffany’s need to protect her daughter from her in-laws felt very real. After all, look at what they’d done to their own child. The Wright’s threats to sue for custody felt very real. Keim did an excellent job portraying Tiffany’s in-laws as the sort of people who would use every trick, underhanded or not, to get their way. The custody threats definitely had a David vs. Goliath feel to them.

However, I was over the Wrights showing up whenever they pleased and bullying their way into Tiffany’s home. No ma’am. Time to set some boundaries.

Second spoiler: Kevin was planted next door by Beau. Why? No earthly idea and it was never really explained. Beau hired Kevin to look after his interests and, if something happened to him, to ensure his parents didn’t abuse Tiffany. However, why did Kevin need to move next door? Was he just in the market for an apartment? Couldn’t he do his job from wherever he was? Kinda convenient that he ended up next door just when Tiffany needs him. I appreciated that Kevin didn’t become a love interest. He might morph into that later but he felt kinda shady until his real role in Beau’s life was revealed.

OK, that’s enough about Tiffany. Let’s get to the two interesting stories in this book: Carol Ann and Lynn. I’ll start with Lynn who, at the end of the last book, had just taken bullets for Suki thanks to the random appearance of her ex-husband. Now that Lynn, now known as Grace, is on the mend, she contacts her cousin to reestablish contact with her daughter.

Her daughter rejects her, saying the story of stalking and abuse sounds unlikely and far-fetched. Turns out, Lynn/Grace’s cousin has poisoned her daughter against her and is now moving to adopt the girl. Lynn/Grace is blindsided and upset. I, personally, could see the daughter’s side of it (you left me!) and Lynn’s (I kept you safe!). The cousin’s rationale eludes me: Your cousin, who has been on the run from her dangerous ex and hid her daughter with you for just that reason, contacts you and tells you he’s now dead and you respond, “A likely story.”

Who makes that up? No, seriously, who makes up that kind of story? She ended up in the hospital because the man tried to kill her friends! I can’t wait to hear the rationale on that.

Finally, Carol Ann. Oh, Carol Ann. Poor, deluded, I-wanna-be-loved-and-a-man-will-make-everything-better Carol Ann. You just want to slap her.

Hard.

In Fat Fridays, she let herself get sweet-talked out of all the money she’d saved to buy a house. Her kind, comforting, super-understanding boss Ed helped her out of a jam. Instead of appreciating what’s in front of her face, she’s back at it again, this time on a cruise. She comes back from the Caribbean minus her money and jewelry and with someone’s child. She’s too embarrassed to report the theft (and rape, which she rationalizes) and slinks home. Her momma’s not raising grandchildren so out the house she goes!

After all the advice the women of Fat Fridays have given her, she still thinks salvation is found in some man’s pants and I get it: she was raised in an emotional desert. She wants to know someone loves her. She wants to feel loved and any man who says I love you will do. She would prefer a man who is also rich or at least on his way to being rich.

I hope she understands this: babies don’t love you. They need you, they want you, they can’t live without you, but love you? Nope. You love them. They need you to survive.

Overall, Sassy Saturdays is a meatier update to the series, but mostly because you’re fully invested in Tiffany and Carol Ann (and Lynn/Grace to a lesser extent).
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Overall Opinion: Darker themes, frustrating as hell.

Would I read it again? If waiting in a doctor’s office, sure.

Would I buy it for someone? Since you need the prequel to understand it, probably not. ( )

Sassy Saturdays by Judith Keim
Book #2: Fat Fridays Group Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:

**DO NOT READ REVIEW IF YOU HAVEN’T READ BOOK #1, FAT FRIDAYS!!!**

Sassy Saturdays picks up right where Fat Fridays left off, and man is this one a wild ride of crazy emotional. A roller coaster doesn’t really have much on this read 

Sukie: Sukie is delightful as ever and now that she’s got her man and her life is on a seriously happy path, she’s in a much better position to help the other girls in the FF’s group. Though she didn’t start the group, or even bring them together, Sukie has become the backbone of the group and always ready to help her girls.

Betsy: Betsy’s story continues to be a mixed bag with her love life being squared away, but her family life beyond her lover being a hot mess. With her son continuing to fall under the sway of his pathetic, homophobic wife and her grandkids so far out of her reach, Betsy has no choice but to bide her time and pray things will get better.

Tiffany: This book is Tiffany-heavy and I was so glad for it! At the end of Fat Fridays, Tiffany’s life was a horrible mess, and it only gets marginally better in this book. Tiffany is learning to live on her own (well, almost ) in the wake of her separation from her husband which means supporting herself and living on far less money than she’s used to. As if life weren’t hard enough, her husband is acting incredibly weird, her new next door neighbor knows a great deal about Tiffany and her husband, and her in-laws are making very real threats that terrify Tiffany and have her calling on her FF friends on a very regular basis.

Lynn: Though the threat to Lynn’s life is now gone, she still has a long way to go toward reclaiming what was once hers. Lynn is unbelievably strong, but that strength is sorely tested when she discovers her daughter wants nothing to do with her. Though she shares little, even with her FF friends, they know she’s hurting and are by her side no matter what. With that knowledge, Lynn is able hatch a plan that will take some time, but will hopefully see the return of her beloved daughter to her life.

Carol Ann: WOW!! I don’t even know where to go with this one. I truly disliked Carol Ann in the first book, and I dislike her even more now. Carol Ann is one of the most ridiculous characters, and I found myself actually enjoying her getting exactly what she deserves. Her attitude, her disposition, her actions, everything about Carol Ann is off-putting.

The Bottom Line: With the exception of Carol Ann, I absolutely enjoyed this book! As I said in the beginning, it is a crazy, roller coaster ride of emotions that will damn-near give you whiplash. Ultimately, Sassy Saturdays is about the bonds of love and friendship and how those things know no bounds. With the exception of Carol Ann, the FF women are strong and capable, kind and caring, intelligent and witty. These women personify what it is to have true friendship and that is what I find most appealing in these books. As is clear by the end of this read, there is a great deal more story to tell for each of the FF women! ( )