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A middle-aged housewife who feels she missed out on fame and fortune tries to reclaim the excitement from her youth

In Aging with Grace by Greg Liberman, Grace is a middle-aged housewife who wants more in life. She wants a more successful husband, she wants to be thinner, richer, and famous. The book follows her through her daily life going to the gym trying to tone up and lose weight and trying to recapture the fame she almost had in her youth. Grace becomes so obsessed with having more that she doesn’t notice (or appreciative) what she already has: a loving husband, beauty, and friends.

Grace begins to get more dissatisfied in her marriage when her husband doesn’t get a promotion and decides to take time off to form a band. She wishes she had a more successful husband and wishes for more excitement and fame in her life. When she connects with an old friend (and bad influence), April, who is now a famous fashion photographer, she gets a second chance at a career in show business. April gives her an expensive Valentino dress, takes photographs of her, introduces her to famous actors and directors, and finds her modeling work. Grace begins to get seduced by a director named Victor, who promises her a role in his latest film. However, Grace soon learns he is psychotic and that she bears a striking resemblance to his former wife who died suspiciously. Is Victor someone to fear? Soon Grace’s life goes from mundane to high speed and dangerous.

Grace is a complex character in that she does some unlikable things concerning her husband and “friends,” yet we see the reason behind all her insecurities whether it be her cruel teenager calling her old and flabby or being used by an older man as a young adult. As mean and inconsiderate as she gets, we can also see why she gets caught up in her world of status seeking and missing the opportunities of her youth.

Aging with Grace starts off taking you through Grace’s regular everyday life and a need for more excitement and recognition, but then there is a twist as she not only find the fast track to fame, but danger. I wasn’t expecting Grace to get involved with someone so dangerous and the author does a great job of building suspense and dropping hints about Victor without revealing too much. I would like to see a follow up novel to see what happens next with Grace.

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