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    Then Came You: A Novel
    Then Came You: A Novel
    Then Came You: A Novel
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    Then Came You: A Novel

    Written by Jennifer Weiner

    Narrated by Jenni Barber, Aya Cash, Annalynne McCord and Karen Ziemba

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner takes readers into the heart of women’s lives in an unforgettable, timely tale.

    Jules Strauss is a Princeton senior on a full scholarship who plans on selling her “pedigree” eggs to help save her father from addiction.

    Annie Barrow, a struggling Pennsylvania housewife, thinks that carrying another woman’s child will help her recover a sense of purpose and will bring in some much-needed cash.

    India Bishop, thirty-eight (really, forty-three) and recently married to the wealthy Marcus Croft, yearns for a baby for reasons that have more to do with money than with love. When her attempts at pregnancy fail, she turns to Jules and Annie to make her dreams come true.

    But each of their plans is thrown into disarray when Bettina, Marcus’s privileged daughter, becomes suspicious that her new stepmother is not what she seems...

    Told with Jennifer Weiner’s trademark wit and sharp observations, Then Came You is a hilarious, tender, and timely tale that explores themes of class and entitlement, surrogacy and charity, the rights of a parent and the measure of a mother.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJul 12, 2011
    ISBN9781442340671
    Author

    Jennifer Weiner

    Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one books, including The Summer Place, That Summer, Big Summer, Mrs. Everything, In Her Shoes, Good in Bed, and a memoir in essays, Hungry Heart. She has appeared on many national television programs, including Today and Good Morning America, and her work has been published in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, among other newspapers and magazines. Jennifer lives with her family in Philadelphia. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com.

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    Reviews for Then Came You

    3.5/5

    357 ratings36 reviews

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    • 5/5
      good aplecation very very good all this books very niece
    • 5/5
      Jennifer Weiner is a fantastic storyteller.
    • 3/5
      I love reading things by Jennifer Weiner. She's a quick easy read that is fun chick-lit. I read the whole book on an airplane. somehow she pulls me right in with her books.
    • 4/5
      I particularly liked the way Weiner told the story from four different points of view. All of the women were real, three dimensional characters. I was a little disappointed by her last couple of books, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this.
    • 3/5
      This was a quick, easy read about four women brought together through a surrogate pregnancy. The chapters alternate with each woman's POV. It all wraps up nice and neat in the end. Not one of her better books but still better than most chick lit.
    • 3/5
      This was my first Jennifer Weiner book. I am not sure what I was expecting. This was a book about women for women (at least in my opinion). It explores issues of surrogacy, donorship of eggs, motherhood, relationships, and independence.
      The story involved four women/girls and how their lives ended up being irrevocably intertwined. Jules is a college student with both money and identity issues. Annie is a young married mother with two children who has significant financial issues and a conservative husband. India is a women with abandonment issues who wants nothing more than to be financially independent and doesn't count on falling in love with her current husband. Bettina is the daughter of India's husband. She is deeply suspicious of India's motives and protective of her father.
      I enjoyed the story. I could relate to each of the women in different ways, and ended up caring for all of them. I was glad the story ended as it did even though it felt to me that it could never happen that way in the "real world".
    • 3/5
      The perfect literary "palette cleanser". It is an intriguing story with characters you will love and hate, and a very satisfying ending. Chick lit at it's best.

      Will definitely read more by this author. Recommended.
    • 3/5

      India (not her real name, you know) is an up & coming Gold-digger & "Trophy Wife" who wants to seal her position by having a baby, only she can't so she goes to a Fertility Clinic buy some eggs and hires a surrogate.

      Jules is a college student in need of $$$$ in order to help "heal" her father of his addiction by paying for his rehab, so she agrees to sell her eggs to the Fertility Clinic.

      Annie is a young mother of two, whose husband is back from the Middle east & had been layed off from his job, she needs $$$ to help support her family, so she agrees to surrogate for India w/ Jules's egg.

      Bettina is the spoiled daughter of India's husband, who is out to prove India is a fraud....

      All four of these women come crashing together after baby girl, Rory, is born!

      This book has been on my TBR for about 4 months now and once I picked it up I read it in one day. This is not great literature, nor are parts of it credible, but other parts (the 4 women's life stories) are. I enjoyed it for what it is, a nice Happy-Ever-Ater story.
    • 3/5
      I was quite surprised how eager I was to finish reading this book. It takes a village to raise a child and this was an interesting example of it in present times.

      At first I was really unsure about all of the characters because they were so bitter, harden and messed up in their own ways. And suddenly with a baby in the mix, they are all tossed together and agree to help raise the baby (Rory). Like it is a little far fetched (like Bettina actually raising Rory since she was the forever spoiled heiress who has trust issues with men) and frankly predictable as to what the ending will be.

      India is the trophy/gold digger wife who is intent on having a child of her own and constantly questions whether or not she loved Marcus. Bettina is Marcus' daughter who is so frigid and spinster like for a 20 year old with huge trust and family issues. Annie is the lonely and neglected 20 year old mother of 2, with ambitions that her husband Frank doesn't have the time or energy to foster. Jules has a hard time dealing with her dad's addiction and her potential blossoming relationship with Kimmie. Most of the time the ladies are so over dramatic and miserable. Well misery sure loves company!

      This was a good and quick read but not exactly memorable as most of the times there's not much going on with the characters as they remained a little one dimensional in the beginning and they felt very similar in terms of characterization. Plus they weren't very likeable for the most part, until maybe like more than half way through the book.
    • 3/5
      Then Came You by Jennifer WeinerGold digger India snares billionaire Marcus Croft. They hire Prestine Jewels to carry the eggs for a child.They each have goals and things don't go as planned. Lot of controversy surrounding surrogate mothers, who the eggs really belong to, etc.Jewels lives with her parents and siblings and knows the 20K would come in handy to help her father-one last attempt. So much controversy as things don't go planned or who actually does own the eggs, and the child they produce?I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 1/5
      Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner is the story of the women who make parenthood possible through egg donation and surrogacy. There is Jules Strauss, a Princeton senior who is recruited for her eggs; Annie Barrow, a blue collar working mother who sees surrogacy as a chance to make some well needed money; and finally India Bishop a 43 year old gold digger who decides she wants (but can't have) a baby with her new and wealthy mate.The novel jumps between these women, after introducing each one. I listened to the book on audio and different readers were brought on to read each of these sections. I've found that I don't like multiple narrators. One person doing all the performance seems to be better and less disjointed. I find it's easier to gauge the ebb and flow of a novel and the interplay between character with only one reader (even when the book has multiple points of view).But I must also say that I was completely put off by India. She is everything I'm not and I just wasn't interested in seeing her take possession of a child as she does everything else. Children aren't things.
    • 5/5
      This was adorable. I loved all the characters and the complex story that brought them all together. Will write an actual review later
    • 5/5
      "Awesome!!!!! Jennifer is a great writer with humor and characters you fall in love with. Twist of fate of 4 different gals and how they connect and come together! "
    • 4/5
      This book did not disappoint. It is the story of women who desperately want children, do not want children, and who give birth to children with relative ease. The story links with all the characters were fascinating. Sometimes the hardest decisions made for various reasons do come back to haunt a person.
    • 3/5
      A stronger work from Weiner that I enjoyed more than some of her more recent offerings. Good in Bed is her best work by far and, although this one was enjoyable, it wasn't an overwhelming favorite.
    • 3/5
      better than the usual chick lit.
      Very clever plot twist and crisis.
      something to think about too.
      resolved nicely, but not brilliantly. I think that they all sailed into the sunset a little too easily.
    • 3/5
      As I said...in the beginning of my reading, that I love Jennifer Weiner for the realistic, funny, witty yet not perfect female heroine that she created in "Good in Bed" or "In Her Shoes". If I want to read a book with a different voice in each chapter, weaved into an unbelievable, trying-too-hard-to-make-it-sound-believable story that is very similar to a hundred other ones, I don't have to buy her books...I'd read Jodi Picoult or Diane Chamberlain.

      I will not buy anymore of her books if she does not bring back the unique style that she used in "Good in Bed".
    • 3/5
      This was an audio read for me, while clearing out the attic, which is a ghastly task. Interesting premise, and a real twist on the usual book about a group of women. These gals had no history together, but played a part in the surrogate pregnancy/birth of a baby, whose biological father had the misfortune of dropping dead before the child was born. (that's not a spoiler -- it says it on the back of the book.) Interesting characters, life dilemmas, and story progression. I had no problem keeping the women separate in my mind.
    • 4/5
      Thanks to Tara who asked me why not read a good chick lit again. Good tip. If you read too many depressing books it is not good for you. You need to change it up some times. Well I do.
      I enjoyed reading this book. I've always loved books that is about the lives of various women so this one was right up my alley. It did not disappoint. So far only 1 book of Jennifer Weiner did just that but that was because after I had bought it I discovered it was mystery not a chick lit and I do not like mystery. It is about 4 women and how their lives intertwine because of a baby.
    • 4/5
      For at least the first half of this book, I wondered if maybe this was the last Jennifer Weiner book I would read, not because it was bad, but I felt I recognized several of the characters from past books and I thought it might be predictable. Then I got involved as the action picked up, and now I wish I'd read the book with my bookclub to talk about it. Perhaps it's because the novel starts out as typical chick lit, and turns becomes something different - a way for four isolated women to find ways to connect and find happiness, and a book that shows that modern families come in all shapes and sizes.
    • 3/5
      Then Came You is the story of 4 women, brought together by the circumstance of infertility. Each chapter is told from their various POVs, something I'm actually not too fond of. I am a reader who loves the 1st-person, but only when it's done correctly. Multiple 1st-person POVs make it difficult to keep up with whose head you're in and that's a little pet peeve of mine. I think it would have been better executed in the 3rd-person. But I digress.

      The plot is genuinely unique. Not many others have the balls (ovaries?) to write a fictional piece on such as sensitive a subject as infertility, especially when her core demographic are women in their 20's through 40's. I enjoyed the progression of a child through all of their lives, and how neatly it comes together. But then, therein lies the problem, too.

      It's too neat, nothing (short of one incident) surprises me. Affluent woman-child in her 20's who hates her new stepmother? Check. Hard-up-for-cash mother (also in her 20's)? Check. College student trying to earn money? Check. 40-something who wants a baby? Check. Check check and check. Then Came You is told well; Weiner is good at what she does: investing you in her characters. But the story felt dry and formulaic. It simply was not the page-turner I thought it would be. I want a book that's going to grab me and make me want to stay up at night, just so I can devour the story. Then Came You was thoughtful, it was unique, it was (a little) heart-wrenching. But it was not riveting and I wish it had been.
    • 3/5
      Annie, a young married mother of two, wants to be a surrogate mother to earn money to help her husband with their ever growing pile of bills. Jules, a college student, is considering donating her eggs to earn enough money to send her father to rehab. India, a wealthy Manhattanite, want a child to secure her inheritance from her husband. Her step-daughter Bettina is out to prove that India is a gold-digger and a liar.This book alternated narration between the four above characters. These characters were well-developed - quite a bit of back-story for them was revealed in their respective narration. Eventually, all of their lives end up intersecting, somewhat unrealistically I thought. I really had a problem with the ending of this book. I thought that India was unlikeable and her choices near the end of the book seemed horrible to me. Maybe I'm too vengeful, but I was not happy with how her life turned out.I listened to the audio version of this book which in this case I think lessened my enjoyment of it. Each character was narrated by a different woman: Karen Ziemba, Ava Cash, Jenni Barber and Annalynne McCord. I thought Annalynne McCord's portrayal of Jules was awful. She sounded tired and like she was reading a list of items, not telling a story. Karen Ziemba's narration of India's story wasn't much better. Since two out of the four narrators sounded like they were reading lists, I wonder if it's more the director's fault. Either way, it got on my nerves.I liked this book enough that I'll give another of Weiner's books a try some day.
    • 3/5
      When Jules is first approached about donating her eggs, she’s dubious. Despite being a senior at Princeton with a bright future ahead of her, Jules has harbored a family secret. Her father, once an upstanding and respected teacher, was arrested for drunk driving. Since his arrest, he continues to battle his alcohol addiction. As a result, he lost his marriage and his children. Jules begins to reconsider the offer to donate her eggs. With the money she receives, she’ll be able to pay for the help her father so desperately needs.India is married to Bettina’s father Marcus. Bettina is highly protective of her father and thinks India married him for his wealth. Bettina thinks everything about India is fake, including her name. She hires a private investigator to dig into India’s past. What she finds is quite startling.Annie is a young mother of two boys. She’s happily married to Frank, although financial problems weigh them down. To help out, she decides to become a surrogate. The money will go towards their debt and monthly bills. Annie has her family’s best interest in mind, however Frank feels threatened by the money and the new relationship she’s forming with India.Told in alternating chapters, the reader is able to delve into the lives of these four women. Normally I prefer novels that are written this way, especially if there are multiple narrators. For some reason, it didn’t work for me with Then Came You. And here’s why: despite being in different life stages, the women’s voices sounded the same to me. It was hard to differentiate between the characters. Several times, I had to return to the first page of the chapter to remember which character was speaking. Despite the introspective look into each woman, I never felt connected to the characters. When India’s secret is finally revealed, it wasn’t as shocking as I thought it could be.The path that eventually leads the women to each other is bumpy. The choices each have made along the way have come with consequences. In the end, the book wrapped up a bit to neatly for me.
    • 2/5
      Oh my, the book sounded so good from the description but, it did not live up to it. Incomplete character development and a falting storyline left me struggling to finish it. The only redeeming element of the book is that Ms. Weiner does manage to tie it all together in the end. In fact her final chapter may have been her best.
    • 4/5
      Nice, easy read. I can't say that it kept me enraptured, but I was able to finish it in a couple of days. It was a breezy chick-lit book that didn't require a whole lot of extra thought.
    • 4/5
      I was surprised how much I enjoyed this Jennifer Weiner book - as her books are usually light and fluffy.This one was told from 4 different perspectives: Bettina, India, Jules and Annie - 4 women who are connected to the birth of a baby girl in some way.A fast read and enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      Then Came You, the latest novel from popular chick lit author Jennifer Weiner, focuses on the stories of four women and how they are all connected through the life of one little girl. The novel begins with Jules, a college student who donates eggs to get money to help her father. Then there is Annie, the struggling stay at home mom who signs up to be a surrogate to supplement her husband's income. India, the woman wed to a wealthy Wall Street banker, and his daughter, Bettina. These women's lives move in predictable ways until tragedy strikes, and their convinction and commitment to the child, Rory, that they have all helped created is challenged.I've read almost all of Weiner's works to date, and I've enjoyed most of them, although I'll admit that the earlier books were better than the more recent ones. I was worried that I wouldn't like Then Came You for this reason. And for the first half of the book, I didn't really like it. I felt like the characters were flat and that they all were acting in HIGHLY predictable ways. Just as I was getting frustrated with the book, the plot took a major twist, and I was suddenly right back in it. I enjoyed the book from there on out, and I came to appreciate the multiple narrator approach that was a departure from Weiner's usual style. So if you're a fan of Weiner, or even Jodi Picoult, I recommend you check out this book. Give it a chance--it's worth it!
    • 4/5
      "Then Came You" is an interesting multiple perspectives novel that explores the lives of four women involved in anonymous donor with surrogate adoption. The storyline follows the egg donor, the surrogate, the adoptive mother and the adoptive mother's step-daughter as their lives collide with the eventual birth of a child. As with Jennifer Weiner's previous novels, the characters are fully developed. Even the characters who appeared unlikeable in the beginning, eventually become likeable by the end. Though not as funny as some of her previous novels, this one explores the relationships and struggles of daughters and mothers in a deeper way. I really enjoyed this book, particularly because at one point 3/4 through the story, I really had no idea how the story would end. I do think the ending was unrealistically positive, but it made for a feel-good novel that makes you want to hesitate before jumping to conclusions about other people.
    • 4/5
      In some ways a departure, and in other ways notI’ve been a fan of Jennifer Weiner’s since her debut novel. The first word that comes to mind to describe her work is “funny.” She always seems to be able to find the humor in any situation, so clearly is was a deliberate choice to leave the funny out of her most recent novel. Then Came You looks at surrogacy from a variety of perspectives. There’s the 20-year-old college student who becomes the egg donor; the cash-strapped military wife and mother of two who acts as the surrogate; the gold-digging trophy wife who will be this miracle of modern science’s mother; and also the trophy wife’s adult step-daughter. Each of these women has very different lives, problems, strengths, and weaknesses, and each will play a vital roll in bringing this child into the world. Ms. Weiner is an accomplished story-teller, so the story goes down easy. It’s a quick, enjoyable read. I have read interviews where the author discusses some of the questions she had about the economics involved in these transactions. These are interesting questions, worthy of exploration. And these issues are explored within the novel, but gently. Story wins out over social agenda.As noted, I did find Then Came You to be a diverting read, but I will be hoping for a few more chuckles in the next novel. Still, Jennifer Weiner is among the very best at telling contemporary women’s stories.
    • 3/5
      An easy summer read with more story than I actually expected. Then Came You starts off a little slow and a little confusing. It individually tells the story of three women:** India, the trophy wife who develops into a much more likable character than that title would suggest.** Bettina, the daughter who has had to survive the abandonment of her mother.** Jules, who is trying to reinvent herself while hoping to saving her addict father.** Annie, a not-wealthy mother of two, trying to make life better for her family.The book does come together though. In the end, the book is about family and love and how family and love can come in different shapes, sizes, and ways. An overall enjoyable read.