Seating Arrangements (Maggie Shipstead)

      
  Meet the Van Meters: Biddy, Winn, Daphne and Livia.  They are at their summer place on an island off New England and we get to see how dysfunctional a family is. It's basically a yuppie story about what your priorities are and Wen's isn't really his daughters wedding or his wife but getting into a particular club.  Also maybe sleeping with his daughter's bridesmaid. We also see how Livia, who was broken up with by her boyfriend who is the son of Winn's "rival" tries to drown her hurt with finding her next boyfriend in the form of the future groom, Greyson's brothers. *the names of the other characters-Sterling, Fee etc. are almost too much.

Okay there are a lot of characters that are all rich and it's a satire, really but an entertaining satire on life in a summerhouse with the wedding as a backdrop and lots of booze to keep the questionable behaviors going. I loved it. Didn't know if I would but the writing was great and it was a quick paced lighter read than I tend to be drawn to. I enjoyed it a lot and the only complaint I have was that the ending seemed a little untidy. I was left thinking that there should be a follow up. It wasn't a cliff hanger or anything but it kind of ended abruptly.