When Life Gives You Lululemons: A Devil Wears Prada Novel

This books has Drama and it’s Hilarious. Fun, not a heavy read. I learned a few things too. Really enjoyed it!

Just as fairytales have darkness in their midst, often novels with whimsical titles have a wee bit as well. Such is the case with Lauren Weisberger’s book WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS. That’s not to say that it isn’t a riot, because it is. in Greenwich, three women come together, each with different backgrounds, each strong in their own right. Each struggling with something. One, something major.Karolina, a former model, married to a senator, soon to announce his run for president. Arrested for drunk driving, but she isn’t drunk, while with her son and his friends. Her world is turned upside down. Shunned by her friends, torn from the child she loves, and the husband whom she thought loved her. If you read THE DEVIL LOVES PRADA, you will remember Emily as the sassy assistant to the evil Miranda Priestly. She is now in LA running her own gig but itching for some East Coast action. Her business is struggling or rather being taken over by millennials who promise but don’t deliver. Miriam, Emily’s good friend, a Harvard-educated power-house corporate attorney, who has had enough and wants to try her hand as a stay-at-home suburban mom with her three young kids but didn’t realize the major adjustment it would entail such as making new friends and fitting in with head-to-toe every day Lululemon clad fellow moms whose main occupation is vaginal reconstructive surgery and lots of day drinking.Is Greenwich ready for a visit from Emily? There is some serious upheaval ahead, major damage control to be done, and wardrobe adjustments to be made. But loads of fun and keen observations behind the dark underworld of the suburbs. If you’ve been reading psychological thrillers that have left you breathless, this book is a breath of fresh air.

You may recognize this author from her novel The Devil Wears Prada which was later turned into an amazing movie. I admit I have only seen the movie, and haven’t read the book. Though, now I AM planning to go back and read the other two books in the series! This fast paced book can stand on its own, but fans of Emily from The Devil Wears Prada will appreciate seeing her in this book, as well as the appearance of a few other familiar characters. Miriam, is a high powered NYC attorney who has recently transitioned to the suburbs and life as a SAHM. She is the center of the story and her friendship with Emily and former super model Karolina results in a book that takes an honest look at motherhood, aging, and marriage. What started as a visit to the ‘burbs to lick her wounds as her celebrity stylist business slowly begins to shatter, results in Emily learning that perhaps she CAN soften a bit. When Karolina’s life and marriage publicly implodes, all she wants to do is hide. Miriam refuses to let her do so and between her detective skills and Emily’s connections they drag her back into the life she deserves. Weisberger mixes in a poignant look at motherhood and a hilarious peek into what really goes on behind closed doors in the ritzy suburbs, resulting in a book that you won’t want to put down!

If you're looking for the Great American Novel, this isn't it. If you're even looking for The Devil Wears Prada, this isn't it. It is what it's supposed to be - a light, fun, completely predictable, unrealistic read. No where close to The Devil Wears Prada, but dramatically better than Revenge Wears Prada.

My Thoughts: Sometimes you find a book that fits perfectly with your current head space, and that’s exactly what When Life Gives You Lululemons did for me. I’d been traveling a lot, had finished a book that left me with a bit of a hangover, and had DNF’d several books in a row. I decided to go with a light and breezy summer read since nothing else was working. Ahhhhh! Weisberger’s latest Emily Charlton novel was just the ticket. I dove into it and finished four days later with a smile on my face. Was it deep or philosophical? No way! It was a fun story of three thirty-something women supporting each other and finding new paths as they dealt with kids, men and careers, all while facing down the big 4-0. The ending was neat and tidy, the characters a bit cliched, the drama over-the-top, but somehow these flaws were easily forgiven because When Life Gives You Lululemons got my summer reading back on track! Grade: B

I really enjoyed this story of 3 friends who help one in their group overcome a false report of a DUI. I have only read one other book by this author and don't always like her writing--some of it is too sexy for my taste, but this one concentrated more on the importance of friends standing by when one is embattled and not only standing by, but trying to help . It was also funny in places and I liked the outcome where the falsely accused person was cleared, the lawyer woman who was trying to be a suburban housewife discovered she could work and care for her family, and the former employee(Emily) of the boss) in The Devil Wears Prada discovers, to her dismay that she is pregnant--one of the funniest parts of the book. I recommended this book to one of my daughters who is a fan of Lauren Weisberger, the author.

All the feminine/superficial concerns, comments, activities and actions of the main characters that typically would turn me off and make me chuck the book before to finishing the first chapter... didn't. Kudos to the author for making the characters multi-dimensional, and interesting. Great character development!I read a lot of mystery, police procedural stuff - Michael Connelly and James Lee Burke are two of my favorite authors. Both create complex characters but they show a understanding of what created even the worst monsters and shows a modicum of sympathy for them. Their stories have action and hold your attention right to the end.I see a lot of those qualities in the authors writing.

ottimo

I typically read books about WWII, North Korea, the middle east, and slavery in the southern US. Every now and again I need a light read to give myself a bit of a break from all the heavy reading I do. This book was perfect. Emily, Miriam and Karolina's lives will leave you laughing and hoping for all good things to happen. They are friends the way girls should be friends and their lives have many of the same types of problems we all have. They are relatable characters. I loved it!

Exactly the right Book for a holiday read. Fun, witty lots of characters to love and to hate... Miranda and Emily are back

The story in itself wasn’t extremely bad, but the ideas it conveys are sick. Made me feel very bad about myself, as I am not meager, rich or popular, and as I am over 20 it seems according to that book yhat I am too old to be, attractive.

From the author of “The Devil Wears Prada” this is a fun chick-lit, contemporary fiction of three thirty-something women supporting each other and finding new ways to deal with kids, men and careers, all while facing down the big 4-0. “When Life Gives You Lululemons” got my summer reading groove on and I spent most of it chuckling or madly swiping.Karolina, a former model, married to a senator, soon to announce his run for President is arrested for drunk driving, while with her son and his friends however she isn’t drunk. Her world is turned upside down. Shunned by her friends, torn from the child she loves, and the husband whom she thought loved her.Emily the former sassy assistant to the evil Miranda Priestly, is now in LA running her own business. Miriam is Emily’s good friend, a Harvard-educated power-house corporate attorney, who has had enough and wants to try her hand as a stay-at-home suburban motherhood with her three young kids but didn’t realise the major adjustment it would entail such as making new friends and fitting in with head-to-toe every day Lululemon clad fellow mothers whose main occupation is vaginal reconstructive surgery and lots of day drinking. Emily comes to visit to help Miriam only to find her friend Karolina in trouble...This book was fun & captivating from start to finish. In upscale Greenwich these three women come together, each struggling with something and make for a hoot of a story. Lauren Weisberger has done it again!