Not exactly beach reading, but I recommend Uncommon Arrangements, by Katie Roiphe. It follows the real life marriages of 7 couples living in England from in the early 1900s. For those unfamiliar with Roiphe, she's widely regarded as anti-feminist because of her views on date rape on campus, which she regards as hysteria. See: The Morning After.
Although the book itself is an examination of the institution of marriage, it's relevant to anyone struggling with the "juggle". The women in Uncommon Arrangements are torn between the tradition of domesticity which characterized woman's role in the Victorian era, and the modern role of a woman as a writer or an artist. These progressive women try to import their modern values into human relations and romantic love, with varying results.
Uncommon Arrangements is thought-provoking and serious, but it's hardly a chore to read. Roiphe makes it dishy and compelling. Again, I highly recommend it.
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