Emily Liebert

 Click here to schedule a visit or Skype session with Emily for your next book club meeting.

Perfectly Famous

1. “‘There can’t be any . . .’ She paused, careful to select the least offensive word. ‘Issues’” (page 5). Ward’s publicist, Gwen, hints that there have been problems with previous book signings. How does this set the stage for the chapter and the book as a whole? After the big plot twist reveal, go back and reread the first chapter. How has your perception of it changed now that you know how it ends?
2. Bree’s best friend, Maggie, is a psychologist. How do you think that affects their friendship dynamic? Do you think overall it is a positive thing? How do Bree’s conversations with Maggie help drive the plot?
3. Analyze the two main female characters, Bree and Ward. How are they different, and how are they similar? Do they complement each other in any way? Why is Bree so drawn to Ward’s disappearance in the beginning? Does Bree see herself in Ward on some level?
4. Discuss the male characters. Many of them who appeared caring, helpful, and harmless at first turn out to be just the opposite. Why do you think Liebert decided to develop her male characters this way? Do you think it was a purposeful decision? Which character ends up being a surprise hero?
5. Examine the mother-daughter relationships in the book. How is Bree’s relationship with her mother similar to the relationship she has with Chloe and how is it different? Do you think incorporating many scenes with Chloe—who is the same age as Stevie—is meant to highlight Ward’s loss? How is Ward’s relationship with Patricia different from Bree’s relationship with her mother? Do you think Bree and Ward’s relationships with their mothers mirror their interactions with their daughters in any way?
6. Bree becomes entangled with two very different men: Scott, who is reliable and kind, and Evan, who is mysterious and passionate. What is it about Evan that makes Bree so smitten with him? Do you think her attraction is rooted in the fact that he’s helping her find Ward or does she actually like his personality? Do you think she is really attracted to the danger after her life of being a stay-at-home mom?
7. “Remarkable how one tragic incident can change your entire outlook” (page 169). Ward is describing how Patricia never used to be suspicious of others until the Stevie inci- dent. Do you think it’s true that one moment can impact everything? Has there ever been a moment—either good or bad—that completely changed the way you look at the world and those around you?
8. What were some of the clues that foreshadowed the twist about what really happened to Stevie? Were you completely taken by surprise or were there moments when you were able to piece it together? If so, what were those moments?
9. Discuss Ward’s decision regarding Stevie’s safety. Do you think it was the right choice for the time or do you think it ended up causing more damage, stress, and complications? What do you think you would have done in Ward’s situa- tion? Would you have gone in a similar direction?
10. What are some of the tools that Emily Liebert uses toward the end to increase the pacing of the book?
11. When did you begin to suspect that Christopher and Evan were the same person? How does Liebert hint at it before- hand? Go back and analyze the parts where Bree brings up Christopher’s name in Evan’s presence. Are the clues easier to spot now that you know the truth?
12. In the flash-forward at the end, Bree and Ward have almost reversed roles. Bree is now the star author signing the book she and Ward cowrote. Discuss how—in some ways—everything has come full circle by the end.
13. Talk about the very last scene. How does it change the way you interpret every interaction that Ward had with Alex? Does it make you question Evan’s involvement at all? Do you think Ward should have been more cautious of Alex when she found out that he was at the same bar as Stevie on the night she was attacked?

Click here to schedule a visit or Skype session with Emily for your next book club meeting.

Pretty Revenge

1. Both Kerrie (Olivia) and Jordan (Jordana) assume new, invented identities to move on from their pasts. Discuss each woman’s reasoning for assuming a new identity and how these reasons are similar or different.
2. Early in the book, Kerrie shares something her Nana used to say: “Senseless revenge will whip its neck and snap you on the bottom.” Discuss the different revenge plots in the novel. Do you think Kerrie’s reasons for revenge against Jordana are sensible? By the novel’s end, do you think she succeeds in her revenge?
3. As part of their work in the marriage concierge business, Jordana and Kerrie see their fair share of different relationships and arrangements. Describe what marriage and love look like in their industry. Of the couples and marriages represented, do any seem happy or healthy to you? Which ones? Why or why not?
4. Financial security is a major motive for Jordana, which is juxtaposed with her role in serving clients for whom money is no object. Discuss the different levels of wealth among the characters. Do you agree with Jordana’s determination for financial security? Why or why not?
5. Jordana says that “happiness isn’t always a choice.” Do you agree with this sentiment? Why or why not?
6. As a group, discuss what a marriage means to you. If you are married, what defines your relationship with your partner? Do you have an overbearing mother/mother-in-law like Caroline? When planning your wedding, did you find yourself anxious over everything like Alexa? If you are not yet married, describe the relationship you hope to be in and what you value in a partner.
7. When Kerrie comes clean and admits her reasons for being in New York to Sara, the two devise a plan. Discuss Sara’s willingness to be involved and her desire to return to work. Can you relate to her trouble finding work in her early years of motherhood? Has anyone in your book group taken time off to build or care for their family? Consider the pros and cons of giving up work to become a stay-at-home parent and vice versa.
8. Further to the above, mothers and motherhood are represented in many forms in Pretty Revenge. As a group, compare and contrast the different family dynamics and relationships that exist. Is Caroline similar to Sara? Is Jordana’s mother similar to Caroline? Discuss how the characters view their parents or the act of parenting.
9. Kerrie’s past with Jordana is finally revealed in Chapter 26. Are you surprised by what happened between them? Do you think Jordana is responsible for Kerrie’s grandmother’s death? Why or why not?
10. Considering the dual nature of decisions and their impact, there are always two sides to every story and every memory. What do you think about Jordana’s decision to take the ring and money? Do you think Kerrie would have seen things differently if she were older, and if her grandmother had survived?
11. Why do you think Jordana’s mother is so insistent on having her reunite with her father? Do you think Jordana is right to want to avoid it? Are you surprised when Jordana and her mother reconnect in the final scene?
12. At the end of your discussion, consider Pretty Revenge in the context of other popular female-driven thrillers, like Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

Click here to schedule a visit or Skype session with Emily for your next book club meeting.

Some Women

1. Do you identify with Annabel, Piper, and Mackenzie? Which aspects of their struggles spoke to you most?
2. If you could be friends with just one of these three women, who would it be and why?
3. Annabel receives an unwelcome surprise from her husband, Henry, in the first chapter. How did this make you feel?
4. Mackenzie appears to have it all. Did this make her less likable in the beginning?
5. Piper is a single mom trying to balance her personal and professional lives. Do you think she takes Todd for granted?
6. Did Piper and Mackenzie do the right thing in offering to help Annabel on her “mission?”
7. CeCe Mead is a force to be reckoned with. Did you love to hate her? Or just hate her?
8. What are your feelings on Max? Did Piper treat him fairly given their history?
9. Do you think the book portrayed an accurate picture of friendship, motherhood, and romantic relationships?
10. Was the ending satisfying? If you could write a sequel, what would happen?

Click here to schedule a visit or Skype session with Emily for your next book club meeting.

Those Secrets We Keep

1. Who do you relate to most? Sloane, Hillary, or Georgina. Why?
2. Do you think Sloane’s marital issues were solely a result of losing her sister? Should Eddie have been stronger in standing up to her?
3. Do you feel that Sloane was being selfish?
4. Was Sloane too hard on Georgina? Or was Georgina entirely at fault for being a deadbeat friend?
5. Does Hillary’s secret change your opinion of her? Do you understand her predicament?
6. Does Georgina’s secret change your opinion of her? Do you understand her predicament?
7. Do you love Luke? Hate him? Love to hate him?
8. Do you think Sloane should have left Eddie for Luke?
9. What are your thoughts on Aunt Annabel? What was her role in the story?
10. Will Georgina and Sloane’s relationship stand the test of time?
11. Do you think Greg should have forgiven Hillary or left her? Do you think they should have children?
12. Should the ending have been more resolved—tied up with a pretty bow?

Click here to schedule a visit or Skype session with Emily for your next book club meeting.

When We Fall

1. Why do you think Allison and Charlotte are drawn to each other at first—what characteristics make them similar/different?
2. What are your thoughts on Allison and Charlotte’s different parenting styles?
3. Do you think Allison and Charlie’s friendship is inappropriate? Can men and women really be friends without romance getting in the way?
4. Do you think Charlie had real romantic feelings for Allison?
5. What is your impression of the sibling relationship between Charlotte and Elizabeth? Whose side are you on?
6. Did you find yourself disliking any of the characters along the way?
7. Do you fault Charlie for holding onto the secret about Jack for so long?
8. Were you rooting for Allison and Dempsey? Charlotte and Charlie? Allison and Charlie?
9. Do you think friendships, like Allison’s and Charlotte’s, can really be patched up after such a major falling out?
10. Is there a real life Sabrina in you know?
11. What do you predict will happen with Allison, Dempsey, Charlotte, Charlie, and Elizabeth? Sabrina? What would you like to see happen?

Click here to schedule a visit or Skype session with Emily for your next book club meeting.

You Knew Me When

1. Who do you most relate to: Katherine, Laney, or Luella? Why?
2. Laney is a wife and mother with a job she hates. Katherine is a career woman with no husband or children. Do you think a woman has to choose one over the other? Can women “have it all” or is it impossible to really balance both?
3. Katherine is perceived as “bitchy” in her role as boss. Do you think women in power positions have this stigma attached to them, while men in power positions do not? If so—as a society—what can we do to combat this?
4. How do you think the loss of Katherine’s mother at such an early age impacted her development/the choices she made? Do you think her father handled it the right way?
5. Why do you think Laney and Katherine were drawn to each other as kids? They had such different personalities and different goals. Do you think Laney controlled Katherine? Or do you think she was just the friend Katherine needed to move forward after her mother’s death?
6. When Katherine and Laney have their falling out after college, do you think Katherine was wrong to pursue her dreams in NYC and leave Laney behind? Or do you think Laney was being selfish by expecting her to stay and pass up an opportunity?
7. Why do you think Luella took to Katherine over Laney? Why do you think she was so intent on helping her move away from a life in Vermont that she seemed content with?
8. Do you think Laney was being ridiculous/immature holding onto such a strong grudge against Katherine for all those years? Or do you think she was justified?
9. Did you want Grant and Katherine to end up together or did you feel that Katherine was abandoning a career she’d worked so hard to build?
10. Do you think Katherine will be content with her new life in Vermont with Grant? Do you think she and Laney will be able to run a business together and remain best friends?
11. What do you predict will happen with Laney, Katherine, and Grant in the future? What would you like to see happen?