Unfortunately, Mackler’s first adult novel doesn’t charm the way her beloved YA books have, with awkward sex scenes that don’t quite fit and unrealistic characters and situations more reminiscent of moneyed New York than middle-class women trying to juggle it all. Still, the character development of each of the protagonists, the nod to breaking down gender norms, and a satisfying ending all point to potential for Mackler among the beach-read set.
What starts as a socially conscious novel about the plight of women becomes an increasingly lightweight romp ... There is surprisingly little social texture; these likable-enough women live in a world without racial tension or political anxiety ... Mackler knows how to shape scenes and characters but offers an oddly dated, privileged version of feminism lite.
