Thanksgiving 1969, and Mrs. Maxine Hortence Simmons is about to make her move for world domination. Well, not world domination exactly, but to topple ultra-bitchy Mrs. Evelyn Rollins to become the top doyenne of the cream of Palm Springs country-club society ... But her grand plans are foiled when her airline-executive husband, Douglas, announces he’s leaving her for his 20-year-old pregnant secretary, ... McDaniel has an insatiable eye for detail and is very good at capturing early 1970s period details, like avocado-toned appliances, mirrored walls, and busy wallpaper. Her writing is laugh-out-loud funny at times, which is no easy feat. How many books make you snort? This one did. The story is narrated by scheming, vain Maxine; gentle-hearted, conflicted Robert; and precocious 12-year-old Charles. Each voice is distinctive and deftly conveys the personality of the character ... However,...while the book is an entertaining read, there is just too much of it ... Still, due to its pert and adroit prose and action-packed plot, Juliet McDaniel's Mr. and Mrs. American Pie is a fun, breezy book that keeps the reader chuckling right up to its happy ending.

Mrs. Maxine Hortence Simmons is the perfect Palm Springs housewife. So when her husband, Douglas, tells her he’s leaving her for his pregnant girlfriend, she self-medicates and is soon dancing on her perfect Thanksgiving table, spilling cranberries on a Hearst, and ending up in the pool with the turkey ... McDaniel’s debut is the perfect blend of salty and sweet, combining 1970s culinary horrors like ham and bananas hollandaise with a motley crew of fakers learning what family really means.