I See Life Through Rosé-Colored Glasses

The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman #9

by Lisa Scottoline, Francesca Serritella

In I See Life Through Rosé Colored-Glasses, the bestselling mother/daughter pair is back with another hilarious and heartfelt collection of essays about the possibilities and pitfalls of everyday life.

Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella’s delightful essays are sure to strike a chord with every woman. Their nine book series is among the best reviewed humor books published today, and has been compared to the late greats Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron.

Can you hear me now --
Please put the lid down --
Trick question --
Do me a favor --
Christmas with the flying Scottolines --
Ad that stole Christmas --
Very Happy New Year --
Lost and found --
Happy birthday to me --
To boldly go

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Essays, Chick Lit, Memoir, Biography

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 10, 2018

About the author

Lisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and Edgar award-winning author of 33 novels. Her books are book-club favorites, and Lisa and her daughter Francesca Serritella have hosted an annual Big Book Club Party for over a thousand readers at her Pennsylvania farm, for the past twelve years. Lisa has served as President of Mystery Writers of America, and her reviews of fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She also writes a weekly column with her daughter for the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled Chick Wit, a witty take on life from a woman’s perspective, which have been collected in a bestselling series of humorous memoirs. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in English, and cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she taught Justice and Fiction. Lisa has over 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries. She lives in the Philadelphia area with an array of disobedient pets and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 rose’-colored stars to I See Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses! 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷 (*I know this is not rose’, but it was as close as I could get! 😊)

Short and sweet review of this one- I loved it!

I know I have at least one book from this series languishing on my shelf, and when I read a review from my friend, Stephanie, I had to read this book asap.

I started I See Life late last night and almost finished it in one sitting. From the first story I was laughing out loud. It is that funny.

Lisa Scottoline is a well-known author, and she has joined efforts with her daughter, Francesca Serritella, to write a series of essays with a book published each summer, just in time to take on vacation. Let me tell you, it has been the perfect vacation read.

I am close with my mom, and I talk to her every day. Lisa and Francesca have the same tight relationship. My mom and I have our own silly banter, and so do Lisa and Francesca. They consider their pets their family; we do, too! All of that to say, I found the writing completely relatable. Besides the funny anecdotes, there are also heart-tugging stories.

I am more of a novel reader. I do not read many short stories, and I have not been drawn to collections of essays, but this book is in a league of its own. I See Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses is amusing, entertaining, heartwarming, and completely uplifting.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. I See Life Through Rose’-Colored Glasses is available now.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

[Karen R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect book to read sitting in my hammock over the beautiful 4th of July holiday - so much fun and no deep concentration required!

Francesca Serritella’s alternating short stories complement her mother Lisa Scottoline’s as she infuses her individual style and contemporary perspective into life experiences. The storytelling from generational perspectives, unique observations and journaling over a broad scope of topics are quite clever. The ladies poke fun at themselves and at each other yet nothing is ever said in a mean-spirited way. It is obvious they have an incredibly close relationship. I am envious of their large family of Italian relatives (Lisa is the youngest of nineteen children). As Lisa describes her family, they are 'like in an Olive Garden commercial but not as well dressed'. A refreshing read, perfect to bring along to the beach.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We take real life and make it funny."--Lisa Scottoline

Philadelphia lawyer turned courtroom/thriller novelist Lisa Scottoline has also been writing "true stories and confessions." I thought it was about time I read one of her humor books, which she co-authors with her daughter Francesca Serritella. I picked up I See Life Through Rose'-Colored Glasses through NetGalley.

My husband and I began reading Scottoline's novels for their Philadelphia locale. We kept reading for her characters and plotlines. I followed her on social media and discovered her humor writing. I looked forward to that laugh-out-loud moment her posts always brought.

Like the snake in the toilet news story that had her horrified. She writes, "Now, this is where I reveal that I go to the bathroom to pee approximately thirty-five times a day. Seventeen of those are at night." The only thing worse than worrying about finding snakes when you lift the toilet seat lid is, well, there is nothing worse.

Scottoline's 'true stories' are written in her own voice, with a wallop of self-depreciation and a no-holds-barred admittance of the plight of being a woman 'of a certain age' and the indignities of aging. The stories "chronicle our lives" as mother and daughter she writes, looking "at the upside of ups and downs."

Her daughter Francesca writes about being a 21st c thirty-something female in NYC. I loved her "Can You Hear Me Now?" about her mother's struggle with technology--WiFi, phones, Face-Timing. Yep. We have a thirty-something son who we rely on as our personal technology service rep.

"The Ad That Stole Christmas" is about a Match.com ad makes singles feel bad about, well, being single during the holidays. But as her mother knows, the worst thing is not ending up alone, it is ending up with people who make you feel alone.

Scottoline is an animal lover and I enjoy seeing her rescued dogs laying on quilts on the couch. "Animals make us human" she states. "Lint rollers can only do so much," Scottoline admits, and the evidence is apparent on their clothing.

Oh, I do know about that. Our Shiba Inus shed 9 months out of the year, and the other three they exploded fur. We did not have dust bunnies, but dust puppies, and they rolled on the hardwood like tumbleweeds. I once found my dachshund's wiry hairs woven into my brassiere. Francesca writes about deciding to cut her dog's hair herself, which she discovers is not for the faint-hearted or neatnick.

The stories are brief and I like reading them one a day, like a vitamin pill, a daily laugh or chuckle to maintain good health.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Lisa Scottoline and have been for a long time. I look forward to the mother-daughter collaboration each year. I used to listen to them and, personally, I think they're funnier in that format. But, these books are a hoot whether reading or listening.

This book was particularly interesting since Lisa brought up aging and all the various "issues" (and I use that word humorously) that getting older brings to our bodies and our minds. I laughed so hard at some of them because they were all so true! Francesca's humor is also great, especially when she writes about her animals. Pip sounds like a wonderful dog! And men, I'm not so old that I don't remember problems in that area. I only cried once, but it was completely appropriate and still makes me sad.

Needless to say, I have encouraged my friends to read/listen to it. One friend in particular will fall over laughing!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review!

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to the cover of this book and thought for sure I would love it. I love anything by Lisa Scottoline and this book is made of short stories by her and her daughter. This book fell short of keeping me entertained. It just didn’t hold my interest. DNF at 20%. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this complimentary book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Paula Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading these stories. They are such fun to read and they are about things that really happened to them. Some of them are laugh out loud funny. One was very sad about one of Lisa's dogs, I cried. I always enjoy these books, it's a nice change. Sometime I will have to try their audiobooks. Lisa and her daughter Francesca do the recordings themselves. I received this ARC through NetGalley.

[Liza Fireman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never read anything by Lisa Scottoline, so I thought it is about time. Since it was also on the list of humor books for the Choice Award, it was perfect for me.

Bottom line, there were some funny moments. More bottom line, there weren't enough funny moments. The stories did not keep me entertained, and yes, I am a tough cookie. Not a huge fan of humor books I guess. And they need to be more witty, or have a point such as The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer or The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian by W. Kamau Bell.

I loved the cover, and I am in the last few years a fan of rose, especially sparkling (since red wine now gives me headaches :( so unfortunate). The stories, not as much, they were more like grape juice. Lisa and her daughter Francesca did a reasonable job, but these situations are fine and not more. Here is a quick example:
“I hear nothing. Are you there?”
“Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?” I repeat while running around my apartment, none of which she hears.
“Do you know that I can’t hear you? You. Cut. Out,” she’ll say louder, although I hear her perfectly.
Meanwhile, I’m getting more and more aggravated changing locations and repeating, “can you hear me now?” so that by the time the reception finally returns, I sound like, “ARGH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?”
“Hey, don’t yell at me, I didn’t do anything!”
“Ugh, Mom, I know, I wasn’t yelling at you—”
“Well, that’s not a very nice tone! It’s not my fault the service is bad, don’t get mad at me, be mad at the phone.”
“I AM MAD AT THE PHONE!”
“BUT YOU’RE YELLING AT ME!”

2 stars. and let's keep trying. And I do plan to test another book by the very popular Lisa Scottoline, just in case that this is not reflecting the rest of her work.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snake mating balls! Unusual holiday benefits of steroids! The cheap high of the Container Store’s false promises!

We’ve all been there. Okay, maybe not...but we all agree that life is funny especially when someone else is fending off its slings and arrows. Just like life, I See Life through Rosé Colored Glasses has no easily discernible plot. It just kinda rolls over everything in its way. Most of the stories here are only a few pages long making them a perfect choice for grocery queues and doctor’s waiting rooms (and much less frustrating than the high levels of Candy Crush).

First, I love Lisa Scottoline’s thrillers. The only reason I requested this book was because I was curious. I always assumed that mystery/thriller writers are rather glum and constantly thinking of original ways to murder people (hopefully only characters but who really knows). However, this book was hilarious! It reminded of the Erma Bombeck “families are so wacky” style of books from my youth combined with Dave Barry’s “Florida citizens are crazy” books. Except containing large Italian Catholic families that are both wacky and crazy. Despite being nothing like any of those adjectives, it is easy to relate to—or unfortunately relive—many of the scenes from the book.

Btw, I just refuse to use FaceTime or Skype, even at work—problem solved! Again, this book is gloriously absurd and, I know this is judgey Lisa, fully earns 5 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several of these essay books by Lisa and Francesca and I enjoy them. They are a collection of short anecdotes (newspaper column-type) of their lives. This book highlights many humorous moments in their lives and allows you a peak at various areas such as their love life, pets, jobs, friends etc. The authors poke fun at themselves and at each other yet nothing is ever said in a mean-spirited way. It is obvious they have an incredibly close relationship. Throw in the jokes and jibes that come with a large Italian family, body changes, wardrobe malfunctions, technology and phobias and everyone will find something in this book that they can identify with and laugh at themselves. These are great books that I would recommend to other mothers and daughters so they can see the other side of the coin. Because each story is a short chapter this is a great book for busy people because they can pick it up and read a story in between their busy tasks. Women will definitely enjoy this book and probably all the others this mother/daughter team has written. I am definitely going to continue reading these humorous books so I can laugh at both my and their lives. We need that. The publisher, St. Martin's Press, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read and enjoy, the rating, ideas and opinions are my own.

[The Geeky Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ninth offering in The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman series by mother-daughter duo Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella hit the shelves in July 2018. Filled with hilarious essays about everyday life, this book is guaranteed to provide a delightful diversion from your worries.

I See Life Through Rosé-Colored Glasses is the first book I’ve read in this series—in fact, I was completely unaware of its existence prior to reading this book. I had no expectations as a result, but it didn’t take long for me to realize I’ve been missing on some seriously fun reading!

Each essay is short and most are laugh-out-loud funny. I don’t think I stop smiling (and laughing!) while I read this book. When I was younger, I adored reading books by Erma Bombeck, and I can tell you that the comparison to Bombeck’s books (mentioned in the blurb) is merited.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone who finds themselves in need of a light-hearted read. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. As for me? I need to carve out some time to read the rest of this series—I just wish it hadn’t taken so long for me to discover it.

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.

[Diane Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, witty, relatable. What a great read... take your time and devour each story. Such love in this family you can feel it through the pages.


Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early release of this book.

[Liza Fireman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never read anything by Lisa Scottoline, so I thought it is about time. Since it was also on the list of humor books for the Choice Award, it was perfect for me.

Bottom line, there were some funny moments. More bottom line, there weren't enough funny moments. The stories did not keep me entertained, and yes, I am a tough cookie. Not a huge fan of humor books I guess. And they need to be more witty, or have a point such as The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer or The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian by W. Kamau Bell.

I loved the cover, and I am in the last few years a fan of rose, especially sparkling (since red wine now gives me headaches :( so unfortunate). The stories, not as much, they were more like grape juice. Lisa and her daughter Francesca did a reasonable job, but these situations are fine and not more. Here is a quick example:
“I hear nothing. Are you there?”
“Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?” I repeat while running around my apartment, none of which she hears.
“Do you know that I can’t hear you? You. Cut. Out,” she’ll say louder, although I hear her perfectly.
Meanwhile, I’m getting more and more aggravated changing locations and repeating, “can you hear me now?” so that by the time the reception finally returns, I sound like, “ARGH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?”
“Hey, don’t yell at me, I didn’t do anything!”
“Ugh, Mom, I know, I wasn’t yelling at you—”
“Well, that’s not a very nice tone! It’s not my fault the service is bad, don’t get mad at me, be mad at the phone.”
“I AM MAD AT THE PHONE!”
“BUT YOU’RE YELLING AT ME!”

2 stars. and let's keep trying. And I do plan to test another book by the very popular Lisa Scottoline, just in case that this is not reflecting the rest of her work.

[Patricia Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you only know Lisa Scottoline from her Thrillers, then you are in for a treat when she joins her daughter in this humorous series of true life stories of a mother and daughter and the way they view life as two adult women in different stages of life.

From Lisa we get the stuff a lot of us are dealing with. They make the every day hilarious and you can't help but laugh along as you are saying, " Oh my lord, I thought that was just me!" Well, it isn't just you and from the built-in bra dress to the napkin on her head I laughed so hard people came over and asked what I was reading. Of course I shared.

There is nothing Lisa won't tell you. Nothing. Including her obsession with Bradley Cooper and her aversion to air conditioning. It's fun to see Francesca's view as she navigates the dating scene and tries to face time her mother.

We desperately need a laugh these days, so I would recommend picking this up and posting up by the pool!

Netgalley/St.Martin's Press   July 10, 2018

[Diane Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love a book that makes me laugh out loud. This series is the best! These two women are real, funny, raw and 100 percent relatable! Kick back, relax and just enjoy pure fun. Fantastic!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I look forward to reading this series every year. This one was definitely a laugh out loud book like the previous ones.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was delightful. Most of the stories were funny, but there were a couple that were sad. I like that this book covers a lot of topics. I liked the stories about the Grand Canyon the best. There are also stories about food and wine and gardening and pets and Lady Gaga and a lot more.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this book was the perfect antidote to several crappy months; but it's also the perfect read if you just need to escape by reading a "fun and fizzy collection of stories" as touted by Ms. Scottoline in the first essay. Pour yourself a favorite beverage, sit in your most comfortable chair, crack the book open and enjoy! Time will pass pleasantly, you will chuckle, or maybe even laugh aloud, and be glad the Scottoline/Serritella duo continues to write these essays!

[Cristina Trowbridge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little vignettes told by Lisa Scottoline or her daughter, Francesca Serritella, about everyday life, but all told with a happy ending or “up” message. Unfortunately, I didn’t find many of these stories to be very unique or with any kind of clever twist to make them special enough to put into a book. I could tell after the first couple passages (they’re each about 2-3 pages long), that I wasn’t going to enjoy the book very much, but I continued in hopes that I might find something good. I didn’t. But, the stories aren’t long and it was very light reading, and now I know what to expect. I think I’ll stick to Scottoline’s mystery books going forward.

[Nan Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

The introduction to this mother-daughter collection of essays is very good and made me want to read the rest. Sadly, the following chapters did not keep my interest, and I quit after about 15% of the book which would be about 53 pages in hard back.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nancy Rosaasen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm 50 pages in, but don't think I'll go any further despite the fact that I hate leaving a book unfinished. It's not funny, not cute, not heartwarming, rather annoying actually.

[Patsye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a hard time stopping laughing long enough to write this review! I LOVED this book. It is a great read for anyone at any age, but if you have a daughter or a mother (wink), you can relate to all of this on a number of levels. This is a series of humorous essays/columns from Lisa and Francesca, a mother and daughter team of authors who have a wonderful gift for words. They write a weekly newspaper column titled “Chick Wit”, and many of these are excerpts from that. They sound just like your best girl friends, only much funnier. The short essays alternate voices, and they aren’t on the same topics( like tag-teaming), just reflections on life in general from their respective perspectives. Lisa reviews the aging process while Francesca gives ten rules for breaking up graciously. Lisa shares lessons learned from HER mother, and Francesca tells how she made friends with the Container Store to organize her bathroom, temporarily at least. And so much more! I am now hooked and will be searching out previous books in this series. I can’t think of a better way to lighten the day than to read these essays, so I plan to keep one of their books open in the Kindle app on my phone to enjoy any time I have to sit around and wait for something. Anyone nearby will be sure to see me giggling and laughing out loud and wonder how I manage to enjoy waiting around! I can’t wait to buy my own daughter a copy of this book. It sounds just like conversations we have had (but funnier)! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. They have made me an enduring fan!

[Connie N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#9 in The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman humor series

I expect to have an entertaining few hours when I pick up one of these books, and this one was no exception. There were many smile moments, several chuckles, and quite a few LOL spots! This is a collection of short, pithy vignettes about anything and everything. I particularly like reading Lisa's stories because she and I are about the same age so we have experienced many of the same things and see life in a very similar way. I just wish I could tell a story the way she does. Daughter Francesca seems a little more reserved and offers stories surrounding her life as a millennial, which is less of a connection for me, although I love her lower-key style. So much fun--I can't get enough of these. My only problem is that the title really has nothing at all to do with the book. I kind of expected a bunch of drink-related stories about vacations or something (based on the cover art), but nada. Not a problem because the title still make me giggle, but I'm always just a bit disconcerted when I read the title. But maybe I'm just disconcerted in general...

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Lisa Scottoline and her daughter Francesca Serritella address some of the oddities and uncertainties of life with humor, sarcasm, wit, and intelligence. They speak of being pet owners and how obsessive we can be (yes, myself included!), of aging, gracefully or not so much so. They address dating - or not, and so many other topics. Sometimes the sharp edged humor hides real truths that really hit close to home. Each year I look forward to reading their collection of essays, and I am always sorry when I am finished - anxious for the next installment.

I am grateful to Lisa and Francesca for becoming a part of an annual ritual I look forward to, and I am grateful for NetGalley for the opportunity to read the stories in advance in exchange for a review. I don't want to wish my life away, but I am looking forward to next years collection already!

[Deborah Fontaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of story stories was a little hard to get into as I’m not usually a short story reader, but I am a big fan of the author Lisa Scottoline and was excited to read I See Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses. The book, at times, was relatable, humorous—laugh-out-loud funny, and a few times brought tears to my eyes. I could relate to many of the true life stories as my daughter and I are very close—best friends—as with Lisa and Francesca's mother/daughter relationship. I also enjoyed reading the stories about their beloved Mother Mary.

I have not read the other books in the series but this book stands alone.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press for sending an advanced copy for my unbiased opinion.

[Gina Torn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series of nonfiction stories by this mother-daughter duo! Every single story is either hilarious or has a life lesson. They’re relatable whether you’re 25 or 55. Some of my favorite chapters included the insurance company that mailed Ms. Scottoline an at home colonoscopy kit or Ms. Serritella’s story of the scarf she left at a club and when her male friend brought it back to her, he accidentally brought his ex-girlfriends Victoria Secrets risqué robe! 😂

I love listening to these short stories on audio because the two authors read the book themselves and the way the stories are told makes them even better. This is my 34th (!!!) book of Ms. Scottoline and I won’t stop until I’ve read them all! I love her! Highly recommend if you need a good humor story!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for an early copy of this book for review!

Another fun and exciting collection of stories from Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella. It was a quirky set of stories and I learned in this book that "quirky means adorable."

I waited a few days to start this one because I knew once I started I would want to continue to read just one more and I would get nothing else done. And that was true. I read the entire collection in just two sittings.

Lisa and Francesca talk about everything from air conditioning and home repair to Lady Gaga and watercolors to dogs...and cats..and snakes...and horses. This book has something for everyone to enjoy. There are many laugh out loud moments, a few sad stories, and plenty of times where I can see myself if similar situations.

I recommend this book to everyone!

[Mala Ashok · Rating 4 out of 5]

My relationship with Lisa Scottoline is a Love Hate one. I love her writing because it is so funny and I hate the fact that she takes whatever I experience and writes it out so funnily - before I can!! I would love to write the way Lisa (and Francesca) write except for the stories about their pets, they can have those. The stories are their (and every other woman's ) experiences of everyday life, relationships, and anything else that you and i may feel. I just love her age related stories because I'm in that cohort too. All in all a wonderful reading experience.

[Lori Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another LOL read for this mother/daughter duo. They are a winning combination in The Inquirer (Philadelphia) and these are short stories are based on their experiences. This is a great escape is you are reading a thriller that has you stressed or biting your nails or on a beach vacation. Easy to read a story or 4, then pick up a glass of Rosé! My kids and hubby stopped asking what was so funny for fear I’d read them another story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

[MB KARAPCIK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, light, relatable essays written from two different perspectives of mother and daughter. Reading a book in the series is like meeting up with relatives or friends and catching up with a few laughs along the way.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read most of these mother/daughter books and enjoyed them all. They're funny and poignant. Usually it's Lisa's chapters that I like most but this time I really enjoyed Francesca's who has blossomed into a great writer and a very mature young woman.