Hanging by a Thread

by Karen Templeton

Hanging by a Thread by Karen Templeton released on Oct 25, 2004 is available now for purchase. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373250762
• ISBN13: 9780373250769
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Red Dress Ink
• Length: 407 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A lot of heart

Hanging by a Thread is a rare thing in chick lit. It gives the reader a lot of credit. The heroine isn't perfect and unlike the others in it's genre which follow a formula, this one doesn't. Ellie works a dead end job in fashion dreaming of a more glamorous life. Not so far away from her job in Manhattan she has a 5 year old daughter, Starr and a grandfather who she affectionally calls Leo whom she lives with in Queens. Ellie works hard and her life isn't all that complicated until the life she settled for starts giving her complications. Her two best friends Luke and Tina begin to have marital problems. Ellie's worst fear is realized when someone she's close to dies and she gets to the bottom of some old family secrets. Ellie is put in some not so shining positions in this book such as she's in love with a married man, there's some question as to the paternity of her daughter, but her razor sharp wit and good heart help her through. Don't pass this one up. Not your average chick lit.

Hysterical!!!

This book is so funny I found myself laughing out loud without realizing it and folks would turn and stare at me. If you want an easy read, a good heartwarming story, and an absolutely great laugh, read this one.

unconventional story, enjoyable read

This is not your average "girl meets boy" chick lit. Ellis is independent yet sheltered. She knows what she wants, but is scared to go after it. By the end of the book she is learning to go after what she wants as she emerges from her cocooned life. Her grandfather's death, something she had feared for a long time coming actually became the catalyst for Ellie to finally start *living* her life instead of just simply drifting along. The romance was a tangle, and definitely not a situation most writers would put their characters into for fear of alienating the reader. I felt that it made the character seem more *real* though, because real life IS messy that way. It made it seem that much more believable. I wish that the romance could have come sooner in the book, but it would have made Ellie seem like an unsympathetic character so I understand why they author had to wait it out until nearly the end. Altogether I really enjoyed "watching" all of the relationships Ellie had (with her family members and friends) evolve. Plus there were some really fun "twists" to the story!

Not for readers looking for "fluff": 4 1/2 stars

A guest review by Mary K. Bryson Heroine: Average By day, Ellie Levine is a middle-level designer's assistant on Seventh Avenue. By night, Ellie is a single mother living with her Grandfather in Queens, still neighbors with the people she's known her whole life. Independent in her vintage fashion and career determination, Ellie is stylish, educated, and witty. She is also resigned to staying in Richmond Hill, since she can't afford to move her family to the city, and really, deep down, home is where all her childhood friends and neighbors are. Themes of motherhood, fatherhood, truth and honesty, friendship and romantic love, and a whopping dose of city chic add up to a second-chance romance, difficult relationship choices, and a surprising career path. Despite an edgy and sarcastic voice, Ellie is sincere and shows integrity of character-although it doesn't spare her from getting caught in a web of well-intended deception with her two best friends. Karen Templeton writes about single motherhood, a young woman's creative ambitions, and romantic confusion while balancing the everyday ordinary reality of Queens with the fantastic flash of New York City. Ellie's life drastically changes, and change certainly isn't always easy. What worked for me: Ellie's voice and her relationship with her daughter are endearing, as is her satisfying tendency to fight back when pushed. Compassionate and normal, she is the perfect heroine to root for as she faces the issues of both the big city and the close-knit community. What didn't work for me:     My only real beef with this book is that Red Dress Ink opted for a stick-insect cartoon heroine on the cover, when Ellie describes herself on the first page, in the first paragraph, as "short, pudgy," not able to fit into a size 8 by a long shot and short enough to eschew flats forever. As she puts it, "without heels, I look like I'm standing in a hole." Overall:        Red Dress Ink has published another great addition to the Chick Lit genre. Warning: Readers should be aware that this is not a cotton candy coated romance. Characters deal with hard issues from dealing with affairs and unwanted pregnancy to sexual molestation between five-year-olds. The situations are not clean cut and the characters face difficult decisions, which add to quality and reality of this novel, but may not meet all Chick Lit fans' expectations. If you liked "Hanging by a Thread" you might also enjoy "Lucia, Lucia", "Separation Anxiety", "Love at Large", "Inappropriate Men", "Coffee and Kung Fu", "What a Girl Wants", "Blushing Pink", "Getting Over It", "Bridget Jones's Diary", "Good in Bed", "Last Chance Saloon", "Jemima J." and "Having It and Eating It".