“But if I’m going to do something stupid, it’s always more fun to do it with a friend.”

Some books are just fun. They grab you from the beginning and take you on an outrageous ride. This book was exactly that. Fun.

I think it’s safe to assume that we all, or at least most of us, have stumbled upon a situation in our lives, where the solution required more money than we had or could get. An accident, or an illness, or an unexpected bill. Somewhere, somehow, we’ve all been blindsided.

For Annie, it’s when her son gets diagnosed with autism. For Sarah, it’s infertility. Two women, friends who were brought together over a love of books years previously in college, now faced two vastly different, yet similarly insurmountable problems.

This premise seems poised for some strong women’s fiction where you need a box of tissues on the ready. Yet, the author takes us instead on a hilarious adventure where they put their entrepreneurial skills to work and cleverly manage to raise the cash.

At least, that’s what Sarah thinks. The truth, well, that’s a little on the shady side.

What I really liked about this book was the clever dialogue on how money is valued in certain spectrums of life. Not just how the wealthy are revered, but how they interact with each other.

The book centers on Annie and Sarah. But there is a rich cast of characters from the bookclub in which the crimes have been perpetrated against.

This bookclub is made up of rich women, and through each chapter we get a glimpse of their own internal struggles. These women are wonderfully complex and I found it interesting to watch their struggles with having money versus the other struggle of needing money. In particular, when one of “their own” faces financial struggles herself.

The most interesting character in this aspect, was Kim, a housewife who used to teach. After her husbands company launched to the stratosphere of uber-successful, she stayed home with their kids. “The changes were gradual but but huge. The balance of power in our marriage shifted… every time Andrew success at work, he gets another piece of armor… every time I give in to him, I take off a piece.” This revelation of how power can work within a marriage was insightful. Women feel pressure all the time to be the perfect mom, the perfect wife, the perfect everything. Kim was a compelling character because she was not satisfied to simply be arm candy. She wanted a partner. She wanted to be valued in her own right. I really enjoyed following her storyline and watching her develop.

In the end, the shady aspect of their new business turned out to be illegal, which sends the entire charade spiraling out of control.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, and fun, and an overall enjoyable read. Within the humor you will find woven in a myriad of thought provoking social issues. The complexity of female relationships, both with each other and their spouses. The struggle women face with infertility. Women’s struggles with identity, motherhood, careers, and aging. Issues of drug abuse and alcoholism.

This book is the exact right blend of real and raw laced with sharp wit. If you want to laugh at life, and be reminded that we all have our struggles to bear, this book is for you.