Earthly Pleasures: A Novel

By Karen Neches

When Skye Sebring, a hospitality greeter inside the pearly gates of Heaven, meets lawyer Ryan Blaine during his brush with death after a motorcycle accident, she falls so deeply in love that she follows him back to Earth, a world with strange customs she knows nothing about -- until she discovers that all of life's lessons can be learned from the lyrics of five Beatles songs.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743292480
• ISBN13: 9780743292481
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.4" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Totally Fun Chick-Lit Version of Heaven

Multiply storylines in this totally fun chick-lit version of Heaven. Who would have thought that God is a woman who sounds just like Bette Midler. Where all of life's lessons can be found in the lyrics of 5 Beatles songs and where you can watch the lives of earthlings on TV including hot Hollywood actors in the shower. I didn't know that Heaven could be such a hoot, but with Skye Sebring as a greeter in the Hospitality Department of Heaven you just never know what she and her friends will be up to next. Skye is summoned to her cubicle one day to meet Ryan Blaine, known to his friends and ex-presidential father as Bad Boy Blaine for his handsome playboy ways. When Ryan is whisked back out of Skye's office as quickly as he appeared Skye uses the Early Pleasures TV channel, think Reality TV - Heaven style, to see what is going on with Ryan. This fun romp takes a couple of twists, mostly involving Ryan's wife Susan who herself had a brush with death, and looks surprisingly like Skye. But with Susan's strange behavior after her accident and Ryan's memories of Skye, things turn on a dime when the Hot Dog Hag makes a startling discovery. Sounds confusing, but Neches weaves the multiple storylines, some that I haven't even mentioned here, in a delightful way that keeps you turning the pages and laughing way into the night.

Earthly Pleasures IS a pleasure to read!

Welcome to Heaven. Use your Wishberry to hustle up whatever you want. Have an online chat with God. Visit the attractions such as Retail Rapture, Wrath of God miniature golf and Nocturnal Theater, where nightly dreams are translated to film. You can also see souls being born! Your greeter might just be Skye Sebring who advises her newly dead clients on what to expect now that they're expired. Heaven is so different from Earth where chaos reigns. Unfortunately for Skye, she's been chosen to live her first life. She's been ordered to attend Earth 101 classes, which teach all of the world's greatest philosophies through five Beatles songs. Skye has no interest in Earthly pursuits, until Ryan Blaine briefly becomes her client after a motorcycle accident. Just as they are getting to know each other, he is revived and sent back to Earth. Skye follows Ryan's life via the TV channel "Earthly Pleasures," but discovers he has a wife as well as a big secret. Why is he calling a show for the lovelorn to talk about the lost love of his life? Earthly Pleasures is by far one of the most enjoyable books I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. I laughed so hard all the way through this masterpiece. Neches gives us a wonderful version of life after life that'll keep you entranced all the way to the end. Definitely a keeper for me! Armchair Interviews says: Karen Neches also writes under the name Karin Gillespie and is a national bestselling author of several other books.

entertaining offbeat whimsical tale of love

Skye Sebring works in Heaven's Hospitality Department where she is a Greeter welcoming newcomers. However though she performs her work with enthusiasm, her favorite pastoral pastime is watching the reality TV channel Earthly Pleasures. However everything changes for couch potato Skye when she greets former playboy Ryan "Bad Boy" Blaine. However he was brought to Heaven prematurely as he survives his near death experience; he returns to earth with little recall of his short visit except for remembering Skye. She feels the same way as if they were connected once before so she follows him back to earth. Meanwhile his wife Susan plans a giant wedding bash to overcome her shame of their sudden nuptials. As the heavenly triangle begins to unravel, Skye searches for her link to Ryan who investigates Susan odd behavior while she arranges the wedding of the year. This is an entertaining offbeat whimsical tale of love that readers who enjoy something different will appreciate. The story line is fast-paced as the three protagonists untangle their tangled relationships that affirm love can move heaven and earth. Karen Neches provides a delightful debut that will have her fans clamoring for more. Harriet Klausner

Faith, hope and love, love, love

I stayed up all night finishing this, too! And I haven't been a teenager in years: I remember when the Beatles were cutting edge, saw them on Ed Sullivan as a small child, and played the entire album "Meet the Beatles" incessantly at camp in 3rd grade. Karen has hit this one out of the park. "Earthly Pleasures" is sweet, funny, witty, surprising, culturally relevant, but most of all, the story is about goodness, which seems to be largely ignored these days. The story delivers, using humor, grace and clever imagination. I just bought copies to give for Valentine's gifts for my daughters, sisters and mother!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

"All you need is love, love. Love is all you need." -- Lyrics to a very famous song by The Beatles. This is the fifth easy lesson of the world's five greatest philosophers. The first four are also Beatles songs. I laughed when I read this but I think that Karen Neches has something there. The story of EARTHLY PLEASURES is about an angel--or soul--named Skye Sebring, who is a hospitality greeter inside Heaven. She greets and helps orientate the souls of the newly departed. The objective of many of the angels in heaven is to get back down to Earth, but not Skye. She loves being in Heaven and working with the newly departed. I would, too. The citizens of Heaven have Wishberrys which grant their every wish, can make their own schedules, and they are very peaceful. But in walks Ryan Blaine, the son of a former president of the United States. He comes into Skye's blissful life and now she is obsessed with him. He can't stay in Heaven and returns to his earthly body. Now how is Skye going to be with him while she is in heaven and he is on Earth? This was a light read but oh so fun. Heaven is a funny place to be yet exactly where many of us would like to one day end up. But the fun thing about this book is that it has so many characters that tie into each other and you don't know it until you are about three-quarters of the way through the story. I also couldn't predict the ending. I had a general idea, but there were so many surprises that I was blown away. I want you to know that I stayed up late (for me) on a school night to finish this book, so that in itself tells you how much I enjoyed it. Remember that all anyone needs is love! Reviewed by: Marta Morrison