There’s a Word for That Book Review

There’s a Word for That is a contemporary novel by Sloane Tanen. When Martin Kressler and Bunny Holter end up at the same rehab clinic, that sets off a series of events. No one in either family will come through the experience unscathed.

Henry Holter was immortalized in a book series written by his mother. Janine Kressler is still recognized over twenty years later for a role that she played in a television series as a child. They have a lot in common besides the fact that both of them have parents that are in rehab. While Marty and Bunny rekindle an old friendship, Janine and Henry start a romantic relationship. Can each of them escape their old habits and insecurities to nurture a new, enduring relationship.

The characters in There’s a Word for That are older than the typical age for romance novels. Henry and Marty are in the 70s while Janine and Henry are in their 40s. Tanen explores the jealousies and betrayals that can exist within a family. In this story, each person needs to face and transcend these challenges. While each person starts off immature and caught in insecurity, they evolve into a more forgiving, caring, connected individual. Love shines not only in the romantic form but also between and within families. Despite the unrepentant greed of one of the characters, it’s quite a hopeful story that may actually make you cry.

Final Thoughts on There’s a Word For That

I thought this book was a bit fussy with several storylines: the rehab center, the gardener, the romance, the relationship between sisters, the relationship between parent and child. It initially seemed like a lot to keep track of but it isn’t actually because the characters are from two families.

I typically prefer strong female characters and so I was initially frustrated by the women in this novel. I thought that Janine in particular was blind to her father’s character defects. However, as the novel went on, I realized that she was not entirely blind to her father’s flaws. She saw him and loved him anyway. She also shows herself to be a bit stronger than she initially seemed. Although she’s 41 years old, in a lot of ways, this is a coming of age story where she faces many choices and opportunities and has to decide what she wants. We’ve seen that she has some skills and she is also beginning to realize that she doesn’t have to live the small life she’s been living to this point.