Book Review: Between You and Me (Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus)

The authors of the wildly successful The Nanny Diaries have written a book that explores the darker side of fame.  Obviously using the troubled life of a pop star we all know as inspiration, Between You and Me reiterates the fact that someone who is rich and famous can also be very lonely and sad.

Logan Wade is trying to distance herself from her unhappy childhood in Oklahoma. At the spur of the moment, she finds herself accepting a job in California as her very famous cousin Kelsey's assistant. Logan hasn't seen Kelsey in a long time for a reason we don't find out about until the end; however, she has been very unlucky-in-love, and sees this job as a new start for herself. It doesn't take Logan long to see that Kelsey has a very troubled life, especially in her relationship with her overbearing parents, Andy and Michelle. As Kelsey begins to pull away from them, she makes horrible decisions in her quest for a more normal life, and Logan must desperately try to save her cousin from herself.

The main problem with Between You and Me is the unlikable main characters. They were written in such a way that I can't really say I was rooting for any of them to succeed. I also felt that the Logan/Kelsey secret was brushed over too much and resolved way too quickly. However, if you're looking for a breezy book for some light reading on the beach, Between You and Me will suffice.

MY RATING - 3

Nanny Returns (Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus)

It has been a few years since The Nanny Diaries first burst into the forefront. Not only did it become a #1 New York Times bestseller, but it was also made into a mediocre movie. It was only a matter of time before the media hounds would come begging for a sequel. Nanny Returns is a pretty good one, if not very far-fetched.

Nan (A.K.A. Nanny) Hutchinson has been living abroad with her husband for many years. They return to New York, having bought a fixer-upper. Nan tries to make a name for herself in her new consulting business by taking a job as a faculty liason in an ultra-private school. With all of this going on at once, Nan's husband, Ryan, decides that this is the perfect time to start a family.

In the middle of the night, Nan gets a visit from Grayer, the now teenage son of the dreaded Mr. and Mrs. X. from her past. He and his brother need help, plain and simple. This starts a chain of events that Nan promised herself she would never do again...get involved with the "X" family.

While Nanny Returns is enjoyable, there are too many plotlines to follow, and therefore, too many plotlines that McLaughlin and Kraus do not wrap up (my biggest pet peeve). I found myself questioning the plausibility of this story as well. Mr. and Mrs. X see their sons as too much of a burden, so Nan offers to adopt them. Seriously? Read this for escape, but don't worry if you can't make sense of things. Neither could I.

MY RATING - 3