Crazy to Leave You

A Novel

By: Marilyn Simon Rothstein

Narrated by: Dara Rosenberg

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

“A heartfelt, delicious story.”—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

From the author of Husbands and Other Sharp Objects comes a witty, bighearted novel about the happy accidents that lead to love and second chances.

Forty-one years old, the last of her friends to marry, and down to a size 12, Lauren Leo is in her gown and about to tie the knot. There’s just one thing missing: the groom. With one blindsiding text, Lauren is unceremoniously dumped at the altar.

In the aftermath, her mother is an endless well of unsolicited advice (Stay on your diet and freeze your eggs). Her sisters only add to the Great Humiliation: one is planted on Lauren’s couch while the other is too perfect.

Picking her heart up off the floor, Lauren turns to her work in advertising as she gathers courage to move on and plan her next step. She should know by now that nothing in life goes according to plan. What lies ahead is the road to self-acceptance and at long last feeling worthy. With a new way to measure love and success, Lauren chucks her scale—and finds a second chance in the most unexpected place.

©2022 Marilyn Simon Rothstein (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Brilliantly narrated by the vocal storytelling talents of Dara Rosenberg. This…will have a special appeal to fans of contemporary women's friendship/domestic fiction.”—Midwest Book Review

“A fun, well-paced jaunt.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This fast-paced and entertaining story will appeal to those who like tales of women succeeding on their own terms.”—Booklist

Crazy

I really enjoyed this. It was a sweet and clean romance! Worth the read.

So fun

I just love a book that lifts you up and makes you laugh. This does both.

great

The funny story is about Lauren Leo a fortyish woman who is single and her mother keeps criticizing her for her size 12 never accepting her and always creating a reef between her and her sisters.

Crazy to leave you is a story that will make you laugh and cry so hard I really enjoy the characters so much, especially the main character Lauren she was hilarious and I love how she was able to put he mother in her place after many years enduring her constant criticism about her weight

I feel like this story was about redemption and finally accepting herself for whom she was even if her mother didn't like her Lauren was beautiful and kind and smart

the narrations by Dara Rosenberg where great.

it was a good book I enjoy it and laugh so much at the craziness of Lauren.

Loved this!

This was a great book! Loved the story and the characters. Marilyn knows how to tell a good story!

very relatable

such a funny relatable story with wonderful narration. I wish Dara Rosenberg narrated all the books! she didn't sound like she was reading. I felt like I was there going through her life with her! I loved this book and will listen again.

Crazy to Leave You

Cute story and interesting take on generational issues and body dysmorphia as well as anxiety and gender roles with a little bit of romance thrown in!

Very relatable

I found Crazy to Leave You by Marilyn Simon Rothstein on my search for Hanukkah books. This isn’t a Hanukkah book but it does feature a 41-year-old Jewish heroine who was just left at the altar.

Lauren was a very relatable character for me. She struggled to get down to a size 12 for her wedding dress, then she gets dumped and goes and binges. Her relationship with food and with herself is so like mine, perhaps because I also have two perfect sisters and a perfect mom who is obsessed with my weight (but my mom is nicer).

“From then on, I dieted, surviving on four organic egg whites for breakfast, green salad—no dressing—for lunch. Dinnertime, I grilled a six-ounce fillet of salmon—illegally on my tiny terrace overlooking a schoolyard in Manhattan. I searched five states for six months looking for the perfect wedding gown. I was so full of pride to finally fit into a size 12, I would’ve worn the tag down the aisle instead of the actual dress.” (Quote taken from Goodreads)

Lauren's fiancé Eric was such an immature brat that I’m glad he left her at the altar, it gave Lauren a chance to finally discover her own self worth, but it took some time and growth to get there. Lauren was an advertising executive (another relatable moment…that was my career for 25 years), and she had to drive to see clients, but when she hurt her wrist, her boss hired a driver for her.

Her conversations and banter with her driver Rudy were always the light spots in this book, and his personality helped Lauren lighten up and see the world differently. I loved watching Lauren grow and see that her “perfect” sisters both have their own issues. The family dysfunction was so real, as were all of the characters. I felt like I knew a few of them! (6 degrees of Jewish separation…is that true with book characters?)

Likes:
•Very relatable characters.
•Reading about a Jewish family.
•Lauren’s growth of a backbone.
•Dealt with so many issues, like diet culture, body shaming, sexism, and toxic relationships.
•Shows how toxic someone can be when they harp on your weight because they “care about your health.”
•The references of sleepaway camp.

Dislikes:
•It kind of felt like the book didn’t know where it was going for a bit, but then again neither did Lauren.
•Lauren seemed way younger than 41, she was very immature at times.
•I felt like the romance could have been stronger. As it is, it's more women's fiction, though I enjoyed the romance.

The Narration:
Dara Rosenberg was perfect. She knew just how to get that Jewish feel across, and her narration absolutely added to the book.

The Down & Dirty:
Crazy to Leave You by Marilyn Simon Rothstein was a fun listen for me. I found Lauren and her whole Jewish family to be very, very relatable, though some might be put off by her obsession with her weight. The book tackled a number of tough issues while remaining a light, fun read. I will definitely be picking up some of the author's other books after reading this.

Rating: 4 Stars, 0 Heat, 5 Narration

Should be required reading for every young woman!

This was a fantastic look into the life of a true people pleaser! Many of us, especially young women, really do live our lives this way, especially in ethnic families. I think the lessons to be learned from this book are abundant! The story not only shows why ppl need to find their voice, it shows what can be accomplished once one does!!
It also is a great example of the ties of sisters and the need to retain those ties thru thick and thin for our entire lives.

What a great and refreshing book this was!! The performance was also fantastic! Stick with it, it will make you feel good!!

loved it

I really enjoyed reading this author.  I look forward to reading more books by this author in the near future.

where's the ending

I feel as though this book didn't have an adequate ending, and I couldn't tell if she was saying the words in her head or out loud half the time