Trophy Life | Lea Geller | Lake Union Publishing | Book Review

Trophy Life by Lea Geller

Book Summary:

“For the last ten years, Agnes Parsons’s biggest challenge has been juggling yoga classes and lunch dates. Her Santa Monica house staff takes care of everything, leaving Agnes to focus on her trophy-wife responsibilities: look perfect, adore her older husband, and wear terribly expensive (if uncomfortable) underwear.

When her husband disappears, leaving Agnes and their infant daughter with no money, no home, and no staff, she is forced to move across the country, where she lands a job teaching at an all-boys boarding school in the Bronx. So long, organic quinoa bowls and sunshine-filled California life. Hello, processed food, pest-infested house, and twelve-year-old-boy humor—all day, every day.

But it’s in this place of second chances (and giant bugs), where Agnes is unexpectedly forced to take care of herself and her daughter, where she finds out the kind of woman she can be. Ultimately, she has to decide if she prefers the woman and mother she has become…or the trophy life she left behind.

Authentic and sharply witty, Trophy Life is proof that granny panties and mom coats might not be the answer to everything; they’re simply comfortable (if slightly unattractive) reminders of what happens when one life ends…and real life begins.”

My Rating:

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My Review:

Trophy Life is a fun and entertaining read that had a lot more depth than I initially expected. I was thinking that Agnes might be vapid or unrelatable but she was anything but. This book covered motherhood, friendship, disappointment, self-discovery and finding your own path in life.

When Agnes was “forced” to make her own way after 10 years of living “the good life” she (slowly) rose to the challenge and I couldn’t help but root for her along the way. This book was quite funny and Agnes was endearing as she navigated her way through the highs and lows of her new path in life. It was surprisingly relatable and I loved the powerful moments Agnes had her daughter Grace and how much she learned from the rambunctious group of middle school boys she was teaching.

I also enjoyed the “cliffhanger” of what happened to Jack and it was a great addition to the story. I thought this was such a great book to curl up with on the couch on weekend afternoon. Although I would consider it an easy read there was a lot of meaningful lessons with Geller’s storytelling and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future!

A big thank you to Lea Geller for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.