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Testing Kate
No one is better than Kate Bennett at playing by the rules–because no one has quite her knack for running into bad luck. Orphaned while in college, Kate handled her loss by graduating with honors and acquiring a secure job and a dependable boyfriend. But now, with her thirtieth birthday around the corner, Kate decides it’s time to shake things up. She quits her job, breaks up with her long-term boyfriend, and U-Hauls it across the country for her first year at Tulane Law School. Too bad nothing in the Big Easy is quite so easy….
Before she knows it, Kate finds her life turned upside down by a notoriously sadistic professor, a larger-than-life new boss–and two interested men who are sure that she’s The One…. But can either of the men in her life really know Kate, when she’s just getting to know herself? In a year of self-discovery, the most important lesson Kate may learn is that to change your luck, sometimes you have to change your mind–including what you thought was your dream.
Before she knows it, Kate finds her life turned upside down by a notoriously sadistic professor, a larger-than-life new boss–and two interested men who are sure that she’s The One…. But can either of the men in her life really know Kate, when she’s just getting to know herself? In a year of self-discovery, the most important lesson Kate may learn is that to change your luck, sometimes you have to change your mind–including what you thought was your dream.
321 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
17 people are currently reading
798 people want to read
About the author
Whitney Gaskell
13 books184 followersGrowing up, Whitney Gaskell always wanted to become a writer. Then for some unknown reason, she went to law school. TABLE FOR SEVEN is Whitney's eighth book. She also writes the Young Adult GEEK HIGH series under the name Piper Banks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
January 23, 2018
Not bad, I did enjoy this one, it just drug things out a bit for me. I have never been to law school so I don't know if the experiences depicted are true to life (Socratic Method) or not, but the one law school professor is the stuff of nightmares. Kate was an okay character, I just didn't love her. I think my big issue though is the end when Kate goes off to her happily ever after it felt really out of the blue to me. Seemed as if Gaskell was using a bit of her own life (nothing wrong with that) as inspiration for this fictional character.
Kate is going to law school in New Orleans at Tulane Law School. Orphaned when she was in college, Kate decides to pack it up to head to law school after breaking things off with her long-term boyfriend. Kate quickly joins a quirky group that all are in law school. The people in the group are Nick (potential love interest), Jen (only married woman in the group) Addison (a tool, sorry he is), Lexi (who Kate feels diminished next to since Lexi is attractive, but then Kate is happy to notice she has thin lips) and Dana (a 19 year old law student).
I honestly didn't like any of the group that is depicted. Nick sleeps with anything with a pulse and I was just grossed out by him. Jen has an affair. Addison is a tool as already mentioned. Lexi and Dana are barely in this except to throw some drama in the book.
Most of the book though is Kate wondering what to do when her law prof seems out to get her and whether she should get back with her ex or move on to someone else. At least she has some self awareness about how she is always dating and not secure enough to just be alone. The reason why I did like this book and ended up giving it three stars was that even though this was chick lit, it was fairly messy. And even though I didn't care for most of the characters due to their actions in the book, Gaskell does a good job of moving the story along.
The writing is okay, I was baffled by most of the law trivia and other things mentioned. I should have just messaged Moonlight Reader about any questions I had while reading.
The setting of the book is New Orleans, but I really wanted more depictions of the city. This was written before Katrina occurred, so I wanted to know more about New Orleans besides Mardi Gras (beads were thrown, Kate was over it) and wanted to read more about the French Quarter, jazz, etc. I guess you can't expect to read about a lot of that since Kate is in law school and working. But I was still disappointed.
The ending was okay, I didn't feel a thing about any of Kate's love interests though, so that's probably why.
Kate is going to law school in New Orleans at Tulane Law School. Orphaned when she was in college, Kate decides to pack it up to head to law school after breaking things off with her long-term boyfriend. Kate quickly joins a quirky group that all are in law school. The people in the group are Nick (potential love interest), Jen (only married woman in the group) Addison (a tool, sorry he is), Lexi (who Kate feels diminished next to since Lexi is attractive, but then Kate is happy to notice she has thin lips) and Dana (a 19 year old law student).
I honestly didn't like any of the group that is depicted. Nick sleeps with anything with a pulse and I was just grossed out by him. Jen has an affair. Addison is a tool as already mentioned. Lexi and Dana are barely in this except to throw some drama in the book.
Most of the book though is Kate wondering what to do when her law prof seems out to get her and whether she should get back with her ex or move on to someone else. At least she has some self awareness about how she is always dating and not secure enough to just be alone. The reason why I did like this book and ended up giving it three stars was that even though this was chick lit, it was fairly messy. And even though I didn't care for most of the characters due to their actions in the book, Gaskell does a good job of moving the story along.
The writing is okay, I was baffled by most of the law trivia and other things mentioned. I should have just messaged Moonlight Reader about any questions I had while reading.
The setting of the book is New Orleans, but I really wanted more depictions of the city. This was written before Katrina occurred, so I wanted to know more about New Orleans besides Mardi Gras (beads were thrown, Kate was over it) and wanted to read more about the French Quarter, jazz, etc. I guess you can't expect to read about a lot of that since Kate is in law school and working. But I was still disappointed.
The ending was okay, I didn't feel a thing about any of Kate's love interests though, so that's probably why.
April 19, 2009
boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring!
February 27, 2008
Another god-awful chick lit book. This book came my way as part of the detritus of a swap meet and I can see why the original owner passed it on. I, too, will be shuffling it out the door (though not to anyone I know or like).
Gaskell has only the most rudimentary of writing skills; her book is a prime example of why I usually cringe when I see the first person POV. Even when I was skimming, the story seemed to plod along very slowly. The dialogue is generally unconvincing as speech and the author frequently has characters reciting their background information to each other instead of finding subtler ways of introducing them.
The final death blow is the subject matter: main character Kate is a 1L at Tulane. Anyone who has been to law school will find the depiction of the law school experience about as accurate as in Legally Blonde.
Gaskell has only the most rudimentary of writing skills; her book is a prime example of why I usually cringe when I see the first person POV. Even when I was skimming, the story seemed to plod along very slowly. The dialogue is generally unconvincing as speech and the author frequently has characters reciting their background information to each other instead of finding subtler ways of introducing them.
The final death blow is the subject matter: main character Kate is a 1L at Tulane. Anyone who has been to law school will find the depiction of the law school experience about as accurate as in Legally Blonde.
July 14, 2008
"Testing Kate".
More like "Testing Ummi"!
This book gave me headaches!
More like "Testing Ummi"!
This book gave me headaches!
December 11, 2011
Forgettable.
Read
March 3, 2012I was bored at the end
June 23, 2008
The basic message here is you shouldn't be afraid to follow your dreams and your heart, to admit when you're on the wrong path and have the courage to change. Only really it's encouraging our adrenaline-powered generation to drop what has lost the power to excite and move onto something else. What's wrong with steadily content and comfortable?
I'm all for getting out of a rut, but there is a line between making life better and just making it different. I liked Graham and for all Kate's annoyance at his quirks it was just the natural pitfalls of any relationship overtime. You don't throw away the nice steady guy for the uncatchable one. His pursuit may be exciting, but his quirks will bother you too and soon enough he'll be on to the next chase. At least Graham whimmed through hobbies, not women. What is it with girls that nice guys bother them and the jerks they can't live without? How could you consider a guy who aims to hurt?
I'm not saying which, if any, of the guys she ended up with. Because you don't know until she knows. The book doesn't follow a predictable romantic pattern. I'm just saying she never should have considered upgrading her love life. I didn't mind her change in career, I just didn't buy into the romantic fizzle of her relationship.
But for all her flaws, I liked Kate, even found her lovable in her uncertainty. And she wasn't by far the most flawed character. Jen was annoyingly meddlesome and flimsy I didn't like her nor did I feel bad for her self-created problems. Lexi was self-centered but insecure and shallow. Now that I think of it, most of the characters were shallow and didn't deeply care for each other. Maybe I just didn't relate to these chain-smoking, gossipy, competitive, immoral, never remorseful only self-pitying characters. But they are the backdrop and the Kate you could sympathize with.
This is not your typical chick lit (other than the seeming requirement of sex and f words in modern lit). The writing was fairly good and I enjoyed the story. The "yeah right" plot twist of many novels were avoided (even if Hoffman's second blunder was a risk no intelligent law professor would make). The end doesn't seem an obvious course and you let Kate discover the path she thinks is right for her through all her mistakes. A good quick read better than much light reading out there.
I'm all for getting out of a rut, but there is a line between making life better and just making it different. I liked Graham and for all Kate's annoyance at his quirks it was just the natural pitfalls of any relationship overtime. You don't throw away the nice steady guy for the uncatchable one. His pursuit may be exciting, but his quirks will bother you too and soon enough he'll be on to the next chase. At least Graham whimmed through hobbies, not women. What is it with girls that nice guys bother them and the jerks they can't live without? How could you consider a guy who aims to hurt?
I'm not saying which, if any, of the guys she ended up with. Because you don't know until she knows. The book doesn't follow a predictable romantic pattern. I'm just saying she never should have considered upgrading her love life. I didn't mind her change in career, I just didn't buy into the romantic fizzle of her relationship.
But for all her flaws, I liked Kate, even found her lovable in her uncertainty. And she wasn't by far the most flawed character. Jen was annoyingly meddlesome and flimsy I didn't like her nor did I feel bad for her self-created problems. Lexi was self-centered but insecure and shallow. Now that I think of it, most of the characters were shallow and didn't deeply care for each other. Maybe I just didn't relate to these chain-smoking, gossipy, competitive, immoral, never remorseful only self-pitying characters. But they are the backdrop and the Kate you could sympathize with.
This is not your typical chick lit (other than the seeming requirement of sex and f words in modern lit). The writing was fairly good and I enjoyed the story. The "yeah right" plot twist of many novels were avoided (even if Hoffman's second blunder was a risk no intelligent law professor would make). The end doesn't seem an obvious course and you let Kate discover the path she thinks is right for her through all her mistakes. A good quick read better than much light reading out there.
July 16, 2007
a one-night book, it isn't bad. it doesn't resort to the traditional chick-lit tropes, nor does it shy away from perceived failures for the characters. it is about growth, and it doesn't have a story-book ending, which i appreciated. i didn't really care for the whole deal with Professor Satan, nor did i care so much about kate's love life, as much as i liked reading her reactions to the people around her - she very much seems to be a character that really doesn't have a lot of agency - in fact, deciding to go to law school simply because she thought it would give her some stability - is so emblematic of her. and i appreciate that, because i think more often than not, we allow ourselves to get caught up in things, or convince ourselves this is the "right path" and we refuse to deviate.
the characters are all basically charicatures of themselves, but you let it slide for little moments, like dana coming back with a braided head, and the mention of jen's freckles.
what gaskell lacks in plot and character development, she makes up for in the fact that she allows her heroine to be real - very, very real - and gives her the ability to grow that she deserves, without making it seem fanciful and "this would never happen in real life."
also, i finally know why making law review is so important, though i still fail to understand what it does.
the characters are all basically charicatures of themselves, but you let it slide for little moments, like dana coming back with a braided head, and the mention of jen's freckles.
what gaskell lacks in plot and character development, she makes up for in the fact that she allows her heroine to be real - very, very real - and gives her the ability to grow that she deserves, without making it seem fanciful and "this would never happen in real life."
also, i finally know why making law review is so important, though i still fail to understand what it does.
May 30, 2014
This book has to be one of the worst fiction novels I have ever read. It's just so predictable and does the one thing that I hate in a book and that is OVER DESCRIBING! I don't really need to know about every object in the room or exactly where she is going I just want to know what happens.
Over describing -crazy as it seems- makes it hard to imagine the environment accurately!
Over describing -crazy as it seems- makes it hard to imagine the environment accurately!
June 17, 2021
'Testing Kate' is a heartfelt book revolving around the life of Kate Bennet, a newly enrolled student at the Tulane University of Law. Kate has always been surrounded by bad luck wherever she goes, and finds herself dealing with a whole new heap of bad luck as she starts her new journey in life at school. Whilst Kate deals with patching up her relationship with her boyfriend, Graham, Kate finds that there may be more to her love life than just sticking with a secure relationship just for the sake of it when she meets Nick Crosby, her new best friend at University.
I loved the main message in this book that teaches you that you don't always have to stick with the secure path that'll set you up in life; it's okay to take risks if it means that you're going to be happy.
I also loved how well written each of the characters was, particularly Professor Hoffman. Although he did have an upsetting backstory, Whitney Gaskell made sure not to make this an excuse for his poor mistreatment of Kate. It was satisfying for Hoffman to deal with the consequences of how he had treated many of the students which made for a positive conclusion.
The ending was really adorable and sweet, and it was nice to see a happy conclusion to the story as it summed up all of the events throughout the book really well.
Sometimes I did find it hard to connect with Lexi in some parts. I wasn't sure if I liked or disliked her which made it a bit confusing for me, but I think maybe this was all to do with her overall character development.
I was very close to giving this book five stars as I enjoyed the majority of the book, but I found that the pace of the book was quite slow at the beginning, and it wasn't until I neared the middle of the book that it started to pick up the pace a bit more and become more exciting.
After reading Testing Kate, the first of Whitney Gaskell's books that I've read, I would be interested in reading more of her works as she is very engaging and makes the story very exciting. I would recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with their choices that they have made in their life, as it provides some valuable life lessons that everyone should hear.
I loved the main message in this book that teaches you that you don't always have to stick with the secure path that'll set you up in life; it's okay to take risks if it means that you're going to be happy.
I also loved how well written each of the characters was, particularly Professor Hoffman. Although he did have an upsetting backstory, Whitney Gaskell made sure not to make this an excuse for his poor mistreatment of Kate. It was satisfying for Hoffman to deal with the consequences of how he had treated many of the students which made for a positive conclusion.
The ending was really adorable and sweet, and it was nice to see a happy conclusion to the story as it summed up all of the events throughout the book really well.
Sometimes I did find it hard to connect with Lexi in some parts. I wasn't sure if I liked or disliked her which made it a bit confusing for me, but I think maybe this was all to do with her overall character development.
I was very close to giving this book five stars as I enjoyed the majority of the book, but I found that the pace of the book was quite slow at the beginning, and it wasn't until I neared the middle of the book that it started to pick up the pace a bit more and become more exciting.
After reading Testing Kate, the first of Whitney Gaskell's books that I've read, I would be interested in reading more of her works as she is very engaging and makes the story very exciting. I would recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with their choices that they have made in their life, as it provides some valuable life lessons that everyone should hear.
October 19, 2024
Strong 3.5 stars. This was such a quick read. This is about a girl named Kate who goes to Tulane Law School. We follow her and her friend group, a teacher who is out to get her, her ex boyfriend who comes back into her life, and her journey to self discovery. There is an AWFUL professor who picks on her on the first day and immediately dislikes her. He is an easy to hate character throughout the book. She is in the same classes as a guy who lives in her building, Nick, and they are good friends. We explore the When Harry met Sally trope in that relationship. The other friends in the group kind of got muddled together, but theres one who is married and not sure she wants to be, one who has mental health issues, etc. Honestly, this book felt to short to tackle so many big issues and I wish the author would've made the same point in a less traumatic way (trigger warning- suicidal thoughts). I didn't love the romance/ slight love triangle between Kate, Graham and Nick, but I much prefer women's fiction over romance. Overall I really enjoyed the reading experience and would recommend if you're wanting a pretty straight forward, easy read.
December 31, 2022
This story is about a young lady who goes to law school for all the wrong reasons and stays in a relationship for the wrong reasons. When her boyfriend asks her to marry him and she is harassed by a sadistic professor will she change her perspective for all the right reasons?
I wasn’t sure about this book when I started it. But I quickly gained interest. The characters are interesting and the plot lines move at a nice pace. I liked how it ended though I wouldn’t have minded if the sadistic professor got a little more of what he had coming to him!
I wasn’t sure about this book when I started it. But I quickly gained interest. The characters are interesting and the plot lines move at a nice pace. I liked how it ended though I wouldn’t have minded if the sadistic professor got a little more of what he had coming to him!
October 13, 2017
Fairly functional romance.
September 30, 2019
It started as an interesting book.. however i was hoping for a stronger ending..
July 27, 2020
The first half was slow, but I enjoyed the second half.
August 28, 2020
Easy summer read. One of the books you find left on shelves in corridors in seaside apartment blocks. Relaxing and not asking for too much attention.
October 30, 2020
A nice light read with a happy ending.
January 26, 2022
This book was brilliant! Honestly I was actually laughing so hard at most of the story and what the characters were saying.. absolutely brilliant writing!
July 19, 2023
Nothing life changing, but a quick read and an entertaining distraction.
February 20, 2025
Gave up. So boring
November 21, 2019
A simple one day read.
No major breakthrough story but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
I liked it.
No major breakthrough story but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
I liked it.
January 8, 2009
Hmm... so after reading this I totally understand the lukewarm reviews this book has received. It's not bad -- there are moments where it's actually quite engaging -- but there's something that prevents it from ever getting to the next level that it could have gotten to.
Kate, the narrator, is kind of flat. I had trouble identifying with her. She's super wishy-washy. Nick seemed more interesting but maybe because I have an ex named Nick I just wasn't wild about that character either. :) I definitely didn't care for the professor storyline. It seemed very unrealistic even though I am sure all kinds of shady things happen in law school. The supporting cast of characters -- Lexi, Jen, Addison, Dana -- also didn't really do much to help the novel. I felt like I didn't know them enough so they felt like they became caricatures.
I'd recommend this to women who are career-minded and/or anyone who is interested in attending grad school or law school specifically full-time. Although there were parts of the novel that seemed more like high school than grad school, I did have some flashbacks to my grad school experiences while reading this. You do develop this somewhat incestuous relationship with people and school becomes your life -- that the book does capture. The bottom line is that this is a pretty typical chick-lit novel.
Kate, the narrator, is kind of flat. I had trouble identifying with her. She's super wishy-washy. Nick seemed more interesting but maybe because I have an ex named Nick I just wasn't wild about that character either. :) I definitely didn't care for the professor storyline. It seemed very unrealistic even though I am sure all kinds of shady things happen in law school. The supporting cast of characters -- Lexi, Jen, Addison, Dana -- also didn't really do much to help the novel. I felt like I didn't know them enough so they felt like they became caricatures.
I'd recommend this to women who are career-minded and/or anyone who is interested in attending grad school or law school specifically full-time. Although there were parts of the novel that seemed more like high school than grad school, I did have some flashbacks to my grad school experiences while reading this. You do develop this somewhat incestuous relationship with people and school becomes your life -- that the book does capture. The bottom line is that this is a pretty typical chick-lit novel.
November 2, 2012
It's been a long time since I last read a chicklit. I was just looking for a quick and delightful read. 'Testing Kate' surpassed my expectations.
Kate Bennett is a first-year law student at Tulane Law School. After splitting up with her boyfriend Graham, she decides to take this chance and enroll to university again, where she meets Nick - her neighbor -, Lexi, Jen, Addison, and Dana.
At her first school day, she makes the mistake of coming unprepared to class: because of the moving to her new apartment, she didn't provide textbooks and did not prepare for the reading. Even worse, the evil professor everyone talks about was the one teaching for that class. Kate is a total jink, and she gets called on by Professor Hoffman, it just turns out in disaster.
Kate was a funny and lovable character, she had me rooting for her at all times. She was trying to figure out what she wanted, and most importantly, what she needed.
Kate Bennett is a first-year law student at Tulane Law School. After splitting up with her boyfriend Graham, she decides to take this chance and enroll to university again, where she meets Nick - her neighbor -, Lexi, Jen, Addison, and Dana.
At her first school day, she makes the mistake of coming unprepared to class: because of the moving to her new apartment, she didn't provide textbooks and did not prepare for the reading. Even worse, the evil professor everyone talks about was the one teaching for that class. Kate is a total jink, and she gets called on by Professor Hoffman, it just turns out in disaster.
Kate was a funny and lovable character, she had me rooting for her at all times. She was trying to figure out what she wanted, and most importantly, what she needed.
April 12, 2008
I didnt enjoy this one as much as Whitney Gaskell's other books. It's about law students, & they mostly act like high school students, & it seems like they'd rather go out drinking than study & get good grades. I didnt like the alcoholic, gay boss, he was weird & didnt really need to be in the story, I wasnt sure how he fit into the plot. I really hated the evil professor, & I was glad he got what was coming to him. The rest of the ending wasnt that good. It was kind of disappointing because her other books were so good.
June 28, 2011
This story is about a young lady who goes to law school for all the wrong reasons and stays in a relationship for the wrong reasons. When her boyfriend asks her to marry him and she is harassed by a sadistic professor will she change her perspective for all the right reasons?
I wasn’t sure about this book when I started it. But I quickly gained interest. The characters are interesting and the plot lines move at a nice pace. I liked how it ended though I wouldn’t have minded if the sadistic professor got a little more of what he had coming to him!
I wasn’t sure about this book when I started it. But I quickly gained interest. The characters are interesting and the plot lines move at a nice pace. I liked how it ended though I wouldn’t have minded if the sadistic professor got a little more of what he had coming to him!
May 21, 2016
A fun, quick, read. About a woman who has terrible luck and her experience at law school.
What I liked:The setting: New Orleans (and Tulane University)
The group of law students (though stereotypical, each one was well painted, I thought)
The tangential historian that Kate works for
What I didn't like:The caricature of an evil law professor
The weird focus on her "bad luck"
Both of Kate's relationships.
What I liked:The setting: New Orleans (and Tulane University)
The group of law students (though stereotypical, each one was well painted, I thought)
The tangential historian that Kate works for
What I didn't like:The caricature of an evil law professor
The weird focus on her "bad luck"
Both of Kate's relationships.
December 3, 2013
A light, enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.
I liked the main character, Kate, although I found her indecision when it came to the men in her life a bit irritating (she almost came across as a tease. I'm afraid I didn't really like Nick very much for some reason - he didn't seem to have any really likeable qualities and was just a bit too forward and moody sometimes?
It's a shame Armstrong wasn't in it more and he seemed interesting and funny.
I liked the main character, Kate, although I found her indecision when it came to the men in her life a bit irritating (she almost came across as a tease. I'm afraid I didn't really like Nick very much for some reason - he didn't seem to have any really likeable qualities and was just a bit too forward and moody sometimes?
It's a shame Armstrong wasn't in it more and he seemed interesting and funny.
September 14, 2009
Needed some fluff and this one had been sitting on my shelf for far too long. Great story set at Tulane Law School where friends are hooking up and breaking up in between studying. It was everything I needed and more...perfect brain candy! I definitely think I'll be reading many more by Ms. Gaskell. Such fun!
July 28, 2008
If you want a good glimpse of what law school is like, read this book. We had our own Professor "Satan"...he didn't mark exams though...and law school is just like high school, probably worse actually because there are no sports or show choirs haha. Regardless of what ppl say about this book, from a law student's perspective, it's dead on!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews