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Girls With no Plan
Maya and Una are typical twenty-somethings living in Zagreb, Croatia: they have a ton of friends, spend their days at thankless jobs, their nights dancing and drinking with friends, and going home to their cramped apartments. They meet plenty of men, but none who can really capture these flirty girls’ attention. When they’re invited on a trip to Brussels by the same man, they jump at the offer. Soon they find themselves in the middle of a bachelor party, wondering why they were even invited. Luckily there’s a wedding, and some familiar guests, who just might make the trip worthwhile.
243 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2017
About the author
Maya Berger
7 books148 followersMaya Berger grew up in a middle-class family with a younger sister, her dentist mother and physician father. For the first eighteen years of her life, she lived in a socialist system. She spent the last year of high school in Hawaii and learned how people lived and worked in capitalist countries. After high school she returned to Croatia, where the war was just ending and the country was becoming an independent republic and a capitalist country. At that time Croatia (a small country on the Adriatic in which big productions houses come to shoot Game of Thrones and Star Wars scenes, also the home of Nikola Tesla’s ) began to change slowly, and Maya is still waiting for her country to become a smaller version of the country she once had the privilege to live in – the USA.
She earned her degree in economics and specialized in marketing. She worked as a product manager in three companies before her health problems appeared, which made her change her profession and become a Pilates instructor and Pilates studio owner. She had to overcome many obstacles ( she battled chronic pain for years and was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis ) to get pregnant, become a mother, and then be the mother she always wanted to be. She felt the need to share her path with other women who found themselves in a similar position.
Maya now lives in Zagreb, Croatia with her husband and their daughter. In addition to teaching Pilates, she promotes Croatia as a tourist destination and she loves to write. In her spare time she plays with her baby girl, Luna, and talks to her husband. She loves to travel, swim, ski and play tennis, and, of course, use every chance she gets to read as many books as she can get her hands on.
Due to her child’s deep gaze and what Maya sees as “silent talks” with the living-room Buddha statue, Maya feels that Luna is a special baby, full of positive energy. But motherhood is challenging and Maya does her best to lead a balanced life – go to work, write, socialize, heal, spend time at the Adriatic seaside where she feels free and unburdened, and be with her family. To ease her pain and restore energy, Maya combines Western medicine with alternative methods. Her pain is relieved and her relationships with others have improved, but she will continue searching for an even better balance and an even better path to self-betterment.
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https://mayabergerauthor.com
She earned her degree in economics and specialized in marketing. She worked as a product manager in three companies before her health problems appeared, which made her change her profession and become a Pilates instructor and Pilates studio owner. She had to overcome many obstacles ( she battled chronic pain for years and was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis ) to get pregnant, become a mother, and then be the mother she always wanted to be. She felt the need to share her path with other women who found themselves in a similar position.
Maya now lives in Zagreb, Croatia with her husband and their daughter. In addition to teaching Pilates, she promotes Croatia as a tourist destination and she loves to write. In her spare time she plays with her baby girl, Luna, and talks to her husband. She loves to travel, swim, ski and play tennis, and, of course, use every chance she gets to read as many books as she can get her hands on.
Due to her child’s deep gaze and what Maya sees as “silent talks” with the living-room Buddha statue, Maya feels that Luna is a special baby, full of positive energy. But motherhood is challenging and Maya does her best to lead a balanced life – go to work, write, socialize, heal, spend time at the Adriatic seaside where she feels free and unburdened, and be with her family. To ease her pain and restore energy, Maya combines Western medicine with alternative methods. Her pain is relieved and her relationships with others have improved, but she will continue searching for an even better balance and an even better path to self-betterment.
Show Less
https://mayabergerauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 31, 2017
Maya Berger has become one of the author’s whose work I follow quite closely. Girls with No Plan is my second book from this author and I was not disappointed to read.
It tells the story of two girls, living in Croatia and sharing their life's' ups and downs. It’s a very light reading: from relationships to jobs to family, to parties, you can find everything in here. This book reflects on the uniqueness of women’s friendship and how beautiful and strong it is. Although situated in Zagreb, it really is a story that could be located anywhere in the world. And it’s not just about Maya and Una. This is a story that could belong to everyone. It truly is a great little adventure that will make us giggle and maybe even shed a tear or two. It will certainly make you miss your best friend, as you go down your own memory lane. If you don’t know what to get to your best friend this Christmas, look no further! This is it.
The author has a very nice literary style, where the story flows very coherently. Great!
It tells the story of two girls, living in Croatia and sharing their life's' ups and downs. It’s a very light reading: from relationships to jobs to family, to parties, you can find everything in here. This book reflects on the uniqueness of women’s friendship and how beautiful and strong it is. Although situated in Zagreb, it really is a story that could be located anywhere in the world. And it’s not just about Maya and Una. This is a story that could belong to everyone. It truly is a great little adventure that will make us giggle and maybe even shed a tear or two. It will certainly make you miss your best friend, as you go down your own memory lane. If you don’t know what to get to your best friend this Christmas, look no further! This is it.
The author has a very nice literary style, where the story flows very coherently. Great!
November 13, 2017
Maya Berger's "Girls with No Plan" is certainly an amusing, exciting adventure! I really enjoyed that the book featured two female characters from Croatia, honestly, I'm not sure I've ever read another chick lit book that was even partly set there or featured characters from that area. Probably the best thing about this book is the friendship and how it deepens and sustains Maya and Una through many ups and downs in their lives and romantic escapades. I did feel like both characters were a bit on the wild side, but to be honest, I was always a "good girl" who never really partied, drank much, or did any of the other wild, fun stuff that many college age girls and boys get up to. I did cringe a bit at the part where they talked about drunk driving, but I know it is a reality that happens more often than we probably like to think. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and felt like I was kind of "living vicariously" through Maya and Una's crazy antics, which is a fun but safe way to experience a wild night or two!
November 7, 2017
Chick-Lit Fun - Living Life Without A Plan!!
“I’m not sure that’s the smartest thing to do,’ said Una. ‘Why? I was invited, you were invited, he said it was OK! What could go wrong?’ Maya was eager to go on the trip. ‘Everything can go wrong.’ Una was slightly upset. ‘We don’t even know them that well.’”
Maya and Una are really great friends, living in Zagreb, Croatia. Enjoying life, working jobs they hate, partying and oh the cute guys! Barely out of their teens, ready to see what life offers and conquer the world, all without a plan or even a net, except to have loads of fun. Then when the two girls are invited to go to Brussels by Levi and Marko, a couple of the guys they really don’t know very well, the question arises should they throw caution to the wind and accept or miss what could be a great trip and give in to their hesitations and decline? Oh a life with no plans!
What an exciting find! I was captivated and intrigued by the cover with the two best friends and I fell in love with the story from page one. This is the second book I’ve read by Maya as I have found I love her writing style, so carefree and well written, drawing her readers in. I found this to be no exception with it’s light, easy read to be the perfect chick-lit escape. This is one story that will have women of all ages reliving the escapades of their own youth, or the carefree days they are enjoying now. No matter the stage of life, Maya Berger is one new author not to be missed.
“I’m not sure that’s the smartest thing to do,’ said Una. ‘Why? I was invited, you were invited, he said it was OK! What could go wrong?’ Maya was eager to go on the trip. ‘Everything can go wrong.’ Una was slightly upset. ‘We don’t even know them that well.’”
Maya and Una are really great friends, living in Zagreb, Croatia. Enjoying life, working jobs they hate, partying and oh the cute guys! Barely out of their teens, ready to see what life offers and conquer the world, all without a plan or even a net, except to have loads of fun. Then when the two girls are invited to go to Brussels by Levi and Marko, a couple of the guys they really don’t know very well, the question arises should they throw caution to the wind and accept or miss what could be a great trip and give in to their hesitations and decline? Oh a life with no plans!
What an exciting find! I was captivated and intrigued by the cover with the two best friends and I fell in love with the story from page one. This is the second book I’ve read by Maya as I have found I love her writing style, so carefree and well written, drawing her readers in. I found this to be no exception with it’s light, easy read to be the perfect chick-lit escape. This is one story that will have women of all ages reliving the escapades of their own youth, or the carefree days they are enjoying now. No matter the stage of life, Maya Berger is one new author not to be missed.
November 21, 2017
Easy Read and Certainly Different <3
Heroine-centered narratives have always been my cup of tea and Girls with No Plan is a perfect example. This is the first time I've read a book from author Maya Berger and it was certainly insightful.
What I appreciate about the story is it's raw honesty of presenting young women as bold, sometimes daring but with a vulnerability that is fragile. Maya and Una, the heroines of the story came to life in each pages and you follow their adventures with a feeling of deja vu. Culturally, I learned quite a bit how young people in that region go on with their lives, definitely different from my own culture. Yet, what crossed barriers are the themes of friendship, the endless seeking for "the One" and the travails of these characters in their quest for what will make them whole. If you like adult fiction, this is a sure favorite.
Recommendations: I would love to see the characters develop more in their own merit. Women are awesome and I know readers will appreciate more interaction between them and to see how they evolve further in the story. A longer narrative, perhaps?
Major takeaway: A true friend accepts you for who you are and what you can be. And journeys with you regardless of where life takes both of you.
Great quotes: "Of course I am happy. I just can't show it yet. It's too early for my happiness to be shown on my face - it's still hiding inside." (Una, replying to Maya)
Heroine-centered narratives have always been my cup of tea and Girls with No Plan is a perfect example. This is the first time I've read a book from author Maya Berger and it was certainly insightful.
What I appreciate about the story is it's raw honesty of presenting young women as bold, sometimes daring but with a vulnerability that is fragile. Maya and Una, the heroines of the story came to life in each pages and you follow their adventures with a feeling of deja vu. Culturally, I learned quite a bit how young people in that region go on with their lives, definitely different from my own culture. Yet, what crossed barriers are the themes of friendship, the endless seeking for "the One" and the travails of these characters in their quest for what will make them whole. If you like adult fiction, this is a sure favorite.
Recommendations: I would love to see the characters develop more in their own merit. Women are awesome and I know readers will appreciate more interaction between them and to see how they evolve further in the story. A longer narrative, perhaps?
Major takeaway: A true friend accepts you for who you are and what you can be. And journeys with you regardless of where life takes both of you.
Great quotes: "Of course I am happy. I just can't show it yet. It's too early for my happiness to be shown on my face - it's still hiding inside." (Una, replying to Maya)
November 2, 2017
I love the cover of this book, but it was the description that made me pick it up. It is a wonderful new adult story full of the carefree fun this life period offers. But along with all the partying and enjoying life to the fullest, which the two heroines, Maya and Una, engage in, this book also includes all the drudgery of having a low-paying, insignificant job, a small apartment, and the trials of finding love, which this period in one’s life also includes. It is a masterfully written book, and I had no problem picturing the story as it unfolded. I also had no trouble identifying with the two heroines, even though I’m nearing forty. A must read!
November 11, 2017
Girls finding new encounters. I am a fan of Maya Berger's memoirs, so it is interesting to see her creative side. This story follows two twenty-something friends between college and the work life in Croatia. They try to hold on to the familiar and comfortable, but find themselves in crazy, unpredictable situations. Luckily they have each other. I like the millennial coming-of-age aspect as they deal with a lot of uncertainty. On their trip to a wedding out of the country, they grow up quite a bit. Plenty of dialogue and fun, but sometimes I felt that the author told more than showed. Personal preference for me since the story itself was good.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews