Book Review & Blog Tour: Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom by Elsie Love

Elaine Jackerson has found herself in quite a predicament. Her husband, Bob, is sleeping with his secretary, her daughter is experimenting in the backseat with random boys, and her eight year old wants nothing to do with her.
In an attempt to get herself out of her midlife rut, Elaine joins the Herschel Grammar School PTA. Little does she know, Suni Calverson, the current president has handpicked her to be the newest member of the group. As soon as the ink is dry on the signup sheet, Elaine is thrust into a world that she never knew existed. A world where the PTA gets things done with blackmail, bribes, threats and quite possibly guns.
After stumbling across her husband and his secretary humping in his office, Elaine turns to the only friends she has: Suni and her henchmen. They convince her to let them “take care” of Bob. Elaine agrees to the plan, as long as no one dies. Unfortunately for Elaine, Suni has other plans. Before Elaine can sleep off her Mojitos, her children have been kidnapped and Bob has disappeared. Afraid that Elaine will go back on her word, Suni forces her onto a plane to hide out in a posh suite in Las Vegas that belongs to the famous French landscape photographer Gerard Ilg.

I. Love. This. Book. I love Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom by Elsie Love. And what killed me that as I lay in bed every night with my Kobo, reading, I would drift off to sleep, when all I really wanted to do was scroll to the next page and see what would happen to our protagonist Elaine 'Lanie' Jackerson. When I first started reading this short novel, which is just perfect for summer reading at 208 pages, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to connect with the main character because of where she was in her life, and where I am in mine. However Elsie Love writes so smoothly and without effort that you can't help but get sucked in to the novel, and wrapped up in the characters lives.

Lanie Jackerson is nothing but a hot mess, under appreciated by her daughter, manipulated by her husband, and bullied by her new 'friends' in the PTA. You can't help but root for her, hoping that she'll morph from a Caterpillar to butterfly, and give her husband a swift kick in the balls, and the wallet, should she file for divorce. What makes this novel so delicious is that what appears to be your typical 'woa-is-me' story about a neglected housewife who has lost herself is that it is actually a cleverly disguised 'who-do-you-trust.' A smug husband and obnoxious teenage daughter makes you realize how difficult it can be to be a woman and mother, and not lose yourself in the role of wife and mother. The only bright spot in Lanie's life seems to be her young son whom is equally supportive of his mum as well as embarrassed of her appearance and the nickname she has graced him with.

What is friendship, and what is false friendship? How do you know someone likes you for you or is being a phony? When Lanie gets involved with the PTA ladies she quickly has to figure out who is friend and who is foe while staying true to herself. This is something we all have to deal with in our lives. With more than one love interest for Lanie once she's hiding out in Sin City...you can't help but wish for a happy ending for her...as you hope she never goes back to her loser and abusive husband.

Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom by Elsie Love is so fun I have informed my own mother she must read this novel now. And I urge you all to do the same. I very much look forward to Elsie Love's next books. You can purchase Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom in either e-reader format of soft cover book at Amazon, Smashwords or on Elsie's own web site.This is book review # 7 for the Chick Lit Plus 2011 Challenge. Remember it's never to late to start to read.