Review: The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner

Ruth Saunders has only wanted one thing - to write and create her own television show - a sitcom about a young woman, who lives with her grandmother as she tries to break into the food business in Miami.  


It's a story near and dear to her heart, because, it's essentially how Ruthie and her grandmother ended up living in  LA - so she could be a writer.  Unfortunately, now that her dream is happening, our heroine is finding out Hollywood is not all it's cracked up to be.  


At it's core, The Next Best Thing is a story about how a woman deals with her dream as it begins to crumble and it is amazing.   Weiner created such a rich and vulnerable character in Ruthie, that I could not resist falling in love with her.  


Although not perfect, we see Ruth making due with what she has.  She's not an LA perfect 10, but she's made her body strong through swimming and yoga.  A few setbacks derailed her career, but our lady keeps working, even writing college essays and online dating profiles to pay the bills.  So to see her success backfire is heartbreaking, but to see Ruth learning from it and keep swinging is what truly makes this book beautiful.  


Thank you Jennifer Weiner.  I loved every moment of it!