Rating: 
Summary: Immersed In It.
Review: It has been a long time since I have read a book that had me relating to all the characters. I don't have any kids, and have no plans for them in the near future, but I could relate to all three of the women in this book. This book is definitly not about the actual kids, but about the women and how their lives are affected by them. What woman hasn't had a crush that just changes your life, even thought the fantasy is purely in your head? And the slap in the face by reality when they find out that is was really one sided. There are many women who have had a scare of being pregnant, and sometimes it's not a scare, but the real thing. And how that alters your life forever no matter what you decide to do about it. I recommend this book to all women, of all ages to read, because it gets you into the heads of women in three different stages of life: trying for a baby, an accidental pregnancy, and life after having the baby.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre-ville
Review: I struggled through this overly-long, completely humorless novel in an effort to understand why other readers enjoyed it so much, but I could never figure it out. The book is filled with boring, utterly unoriginal scenes and cliches. But worse, the author ignores the most important rule of entertaining writing -- show don't tell. I read Jane Green's Mr. Maybe, which offered at least a few snappy lines in spite of its ridiculous ending and tendency to ramble. But her foray into Mommy Lit is a witless failure. Don't bother.
Rating: 
Summary: intriguing entertainment
Review: This book is told in three parts -- Julia, who has lived with mark for 4 years and desperately wants to get pregnant, and resentfully blames him; Maeve, who accidentally gets pregnant although she has never wanted children; and Sam, who is married and pregnant. Each chapter is intertwined, as the women have known each other to some degree beforehand (Sam and Julia are best friends in London; Maeve meets Julia at a wedding, etc.) Each chapter analyzes a different aspect of wanting children and being pregnant, of choosing a life partner or just plain figuring out your life. It's really well-done. My only complaint is this is the second of Ms. Green's book that repeatedly calls the American accent "crappy", even though the author chooses to live in the USA and in fact, her children will have those same accents. And I suppose sounding like one of the Spice Girls is "so desperately bloody fantastic." It's just rude and adds nothing to the plot, and makes readers lose respect for her.
Rating:
Summary: Love and marriage, love and marriage...
Review: Jane Green's latest take into the "chick" genre ventures where very few do--right into Babyville. The concept of this book is entertaining--different sections highlighting the three main women in the novel. What I found most disappointing was that just when I was really sympathizing and caring about the character...poof! We were on to the next section of the book. The novel begins with Julia, who is desperate to have a baby with her partner, Mark. This story line touches on some serious topics- infertility, abortion, marriage- but as stated earlier, once Julia leaves for New York and her "time" is up, that's really the last we see of her. The story moves on to Maeve, the fiery redhead who takes Julia's place and then some, and finally to Sam, who is the most realistic of the characters. Sam's struggle with post-partum depression is a true eye opener, but again, I felt that she was sold short being at the end of the novel when things find a way to nicely fit together. This is a step up from Green's last two novels, and I recommend it. She takes on the topic of self-concept and creates characters readers can truly understand and learn from.
Rating:
Summary: da baby book
Review: This book is really good. Jane Green is a very good writer and her descriptions of her characters are really precise and really good. she makes you feel like you know the people in the story in person. its like you really know real people that are the same as the people in the story. like you know real people that are like the characters. she wrote this book like he had these problems in her life. this a very good book.
Rating:
Summary: Very realistic and well written
Review: I am in my mid 30's and have 'lost' quite a few of my best friends to babyville - once there is a pregnancy, it seems our friendship slides a bit and once the kids are born, it is on a different level altogether. When i bought this book, i thought it was going to be a book all about how wonderful motherhood is, and that if you are not interested in having children, there was something wrong with you -- I was pleasantly surprised that this book was not as 'pro baby' as I expected! It was quite realilstic about what a new addition does to a relationship, and to friendships and careers. I enjoyed this book a lot and read it in a weekend! could not put it down!! Jemima J was great, and I thought this was just as good if not better!
Rating: 
Summary: Ode to Female Friendships
Review: Babies, babies everywhere! Motherhood hits some of us like an illegal tackle in a professional football game. We lie gasping for air on the field as we scramble to gather bottles and pacifiers and soiled diapers. Not every woman is trained for the unexpected challenges. In Babyville, the idea of motherhood is viewed differently by three women. Julia thinks a baby is the answer to her sour relationship with her boyfriend. Samantha daydreams about something other than her role as mommy and wife. And, Maeve is a career girl with her thoughts seemingly aimed away from babies altogether. As life unfolds, the three women learn about the unpredictable nature of the world. They look back over the prior year and are floored by how much life has changed them. In the end, Julia gets a pleasant surprise, Samantha removes her blinders and Maeve unexpectedly changes her outlook. Jane Green has penned an interesting book about female friendships that will seem familiar to most readers. She has a knack for capturing the nuances of friendships between women who, at the same time, are experiencing what life throws at them. This book carries a strong message about loyalty and integrity.
Rating:
Summary: Jemima J still rules!
Review: I have not been impressed with Green's books since reading Jemima J, which I loved! Babyville was a pleasant surprise for me. It's light fun and will have you laughing. The words will touch any woman's heart regardless if you have children, don't have them or never want them. If you are married, single or pondering having an affair....there's something in Babyville for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!!!
Review: At first, I was afraid of picking up this book. Jane Green usually writes about single girls living their lives, not married women wanting babies, but I knew that she wouldn't do me wrong! There are three parts to this book: simply, Julia, Maeve, and Sam. These women couldn't be more different! Julia, has a live-in boyfriend and wants a baby with him, because she wants to patch up their relationship unknowingly. Maeve, on the other hand, couldn't be farther away from wanting that commitment, but she ends up pregnant instead! Sam, Julia's best friend, has the husband and baby, and looks perfect from the outside, but the inside story is way different. This author shows that she knows what it's like to have the baby: postpardum depression, weight gain, feeling like you have lost your own life BB (before baby) and your own identity! She also knows that women can have a life as well as a family! Don't be put off by the 400 something pages, I did not get bored once! Also, I was afraid that once I finished with the womans "story," that we would never see them again in the book, never know how everything turned out. I was wrong! Apparently, these three women are all interconnected, and that was great how she wove them all together! Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Jane Green is back!
Review: And better than ever! After reading, and falling in love with, Jemima J., I bought and read everything written by Jane Green. While I thought Bookends and Mr. Maybe were OK, they were no where near Jemima J., so I was a little hesitant when purchasing Baybville. I didn't need to worry. Babyville is not Jemima J. Ms. Green introduces us to a new phase in life and writes it so well that I saw the first year of my motherhood life when reading Sam's story. In fact, I had to put the book down a few times because Sam's feelings, her frustrations, her fears, brought everything that I felt during that time back. (My husband asked me to keep this book around and re-read Sma's story every time a "baby urge" strikes -- we have a 4 year old and a 2 year old). I couldn't relate to Julia's story, although I understood the frustration for both her and Mark. I could relate to Maeve a bit more, but thought that story was a little too neat -- nothing ever works out that well in real life, but this is a book, after all. I highly recommend this book to anyone whose had children or is thinking of having children. Jane Green doesn't pull any punches, describing both the good and the bad of having children. It's comforting to know that everything parents feel -- isolation, fear, resentment, overwhelming love, etc. -- is normal!
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