Pretty Little World

In a desperate attempt to keep things the same, they change everything. Now there’s a secret behind the row-house walls of Emerson Street.

I want to share an amazing story with your today. It talks about family, friendships, and the lengths one might go to hold on to everything. The story is by authors Elizabeth LaBan and Melissa DePino and is entitled PRETTY LITTLE WORLD.

“Elizabeth LaBan and Melissa DePino pack Pretty Little World full of gourmet meals, marital scandal, inquisitive neighbors, and friendships whose bonds are sorely tested. The result is a skilled, funny, and highly engaging examination of family, love, and marriage in the City of Brotherly Love. This book is a win.” — Meg Mitchell Moore, author of The Admissions

          On a cozy street in Philadelphia, three neighboring families have

become the best of friends. They can’t imagine life without one another—until one family outgrows their tiny row house. In a bid to stay together, a crazy idea is born: What if they tear down the walls between their homes and live together under one roof? And so an experiment begins.

Celia and Mark now have the space they need. But is this really what Celia’s increasingly distant husband wants? Stephanie embraces the idea of one big, happy family, but has she considered how it may exacerbate the stark differences between her and her husband, Chris? While Hope always wanted a larger family with Leo, will caring for all the children really satisfy that need?

          Behind closed doors, they strive to preserve the closeness they treasure. But when boundaries are blurred, they are forced to question their choices…and reimagine the true meaning of family.

In PRETTY LITTLE WORLD, authors and real-life friends and neighbors Elizabeth LaBan and Melissa DePino present a snapshot of a modern family with a sentimental yearning for community. Bucking the trend of an increasingly fragmented society more accustomed to isolation than cooperation, the friends create a shared space that's as practical as it is idyllic—six adults to keep you company, six pairs of hands to pick up the slack with the kids and the housework. But before long, love, lies, and lust collide, and their "pretty little world" gets rocked by reality.

◊ PRETTY LITTLE WORLD

◊ by Elizabeth LaBan and Melissa DePino

◊ Paperback: 320 pages, $14.95

◊ Genre: Women’s Fiction, Humorous, Domestic Life

◊ Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (January 17, 2017)

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 1503941027

◊ ISBN-13: 978-1503941021

◊ eBook: $3.99

◊ ASIN: B01HBKAYOI

Author Elizabeth LaBan

Elizabeth LaBan is the author of The Tragedy Paper, which has been translated into eleven languages, The Grandparents Handbook, which has been translated into seven languages, and The Restaurant Critic's Wife. She lives in Philadelphia with her restaurant critic husband and two children.

Author Melissa DePino

Melissa DePino lives in Philadelphia and is a founding partner and principal of Leapfrog Group, a marketing communications firm specializing in non-profits.

In her spare time, she reads voraciously, writes fiction, practices yoga, and enjoys live music.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to keep an eye out as I’ll be sharing my review of this tantalizing tale in the days to come. What do you think of taking down the walls between homes and living as one family? Do you see more benefits or problems with the plan?