"A charmer"

The four Homewood, New Jersey women are best friends living the American dream of raising a family in suburbia. They meet regularly to share their disasters (child or spousal related), but for the most part they seem contented with their lives.

The contented illusion ends when Deirdre informs her cell mates that she hates her nice spouse Paul. She explains to her amused pals, who think Paul is the poster boy for the perfect husband that she wants to restart her singing career with her former Berkley lover. Nick "Mr. Sexy" Ruby who has relocated fifteen miles to the east in New York. Finally she laments that she has had no passionate orgasms since Ruby. Her confessions lead to two of the others moaning their desires. Juliette wants another child, but her husband Cooper hesitates since their son Trey suffers from Asperger's syndrome. Anne wonders if she should leave her philandering spouse filmmaker Damien. Supermom of four, Lisa refuses to reveal to her buddies or her too busy husband Tommy her desire to write a book for fear they will laugh at her "How to Live" tome.

This is an interesting look at family life in suburbia starring four wonderful women, who share fears, disappointments, and dreams with one another that they find difficult to disclose to their spouses. The story line rotates the lead role between the four women using alternating chapters so that fans receive four subplots that tie together through their friendship. BABES IN CAPTIVITY is not a lighthearted chick lit romp, but instead is a fabulously deep character study that compassionately captures the ambivalence and conflict of motherhood and marriage vs. personal dreams.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted August 15, 2004

Summary

They've satisfied their biological clocks. They met six years ago in a mom's group. Deirdre, Juliette, Anne, and Lisa are each living The Dream in the suburbs outside of New York City: beautiful wedding, big house, picture perfect family. What more could a woman want? Plenty, though none of them has ever admitted it. Out loud, anyway. It all starts with Deirdre....When she learns that her ex-lover, musician Nick Ruby, has moved back East, she confides in her girlfriends that she regrets her lost singing career, and her lost love affair with Nick. And since there doesn't seem to be a "what's next" in her life, she's more than a little curious about "what if...?" So what's that ticking sound? Deirdre's confession -- and her plan to revive her dreams and make them reality -- has a startling ripple effect. It turns out none of the four is as happy as she seems: Anne fears her marriage is in jeopardy. Juliette desperately wants to have another baby but can't. And Lisa's facing decisions that her life -- literally -- depends on. The doors swing wide when these babes start breaking out...but at what price? There's no satisfaction guarantee for any one of them, but taking chances together sure beats going it alone.