Reviews (38)

Great premise - but a little lacking
Despite a growing rift in their friendship, college pals (and now career gals) embark on a girl's only vacation in Europe. Casey is about to settle down in a new law firm and with her longtime beau, John; Kat is a bit of a ho, out to have a really good time (despite the living conditions and lack of privacy); and Lindsey wants to trio to spend time together.

Casey knows that the three have grown apart, and that things are not that great at home with her boyfriend, new job, or her family. Instead of spending time with her best buds in Rome, Casey spends the day with and Italian paramour. She realizes that she misses the romance of the beginning of a relationship, and that she and John are in a rut.

While in Greece, the gals clash as Lindsey chases after an Irish bloke who is interested in Casey, and they are caught in a compromising situation after Casey gets bad news from home. Rather than pursue the relationship further, Casey agrees to go to another island with her friends and manages to somehow find herself.

There is also a secondary story regarding Kat and her relationship with her stepfather, though it is not fully developed.

I liked the storyline - and I pride myself on guessing what is coming next. This is one of those times where I was not right, and it was kind of nice to be surprised. I did not like the ending at all.Far too ambiguous - not the epilogue most readers are hoping for to wrap things up.

Possibly the worst book ever
Normally, I am a big fan of Red Dress Ink chick-lit books.This was a huge disappointment.
The concept was cute (last-hurrah holiday prompts overworked law student to contemplate life - if only someone else had written it!) but the characters were never really developed, the progression of the story was predictable... which happens in a lot of chick lit, but this lacked any clever dialogue or anything to make up for it.
If you need a travel chick lit book, go for Backpack, Wanderlust, or Bridget Jones the Edge of Reason over this one.

Reviews (29)

Excellent story about love, betrayal and forgiveness
Lizzie Ford is an agony aunt (an advice columnist for those of us in the states) and host of a popular radio call in show. After meeting many Mr. Wrongs, she thinks she finally gets it right when she meets and falls from Matt Baker. Of course, what Lizzie does not know is that Matt is in a loveless marriage, either too complacent or too lazy to end it with his wife, Rachel.

Upon discovering Matt's deception, she tries to break things off with him, but she is in too deep. Things get further complicated when she discovers that her new pen pal (who starting writing for advice on how to save her marriage) is the same woman married to Matt. Also complicating matters is that her best friend Clare is a recent divorcee, whose husband could not be faithful.

What makes this more compelling than most novels about infidelity is that we identify more with the mistress than the wife. Rachel's motivation to keep the marriage going stems more from the need not to fail than love itself.

It takes a lot of anguish to find out what happens, but it is worth it in the end.

Someone Needs to Hire a Copyeditor...
I agree with the other reviews here that this novel was poorly written and edited. It was difficult reading because there were so many typos and some sentences didn't make sense. These mistakes distracted from the book, and neither the writing nor the plot were enough to make up for it.That being said, the main character is likeable, but the novel was a struggle to finish. A lot of ground that has been (better) covered by (many) other authors. I hate to write a bad review, but I cannot recommend this book, it was a disappointment!

Reviews (60)

I shouldn't even rate this book
I should not even rate this book because I have cheated.I did not read it.Well, I read up to page 14, but I was whined about what a pathetic book this was at every other sentence which led to my boyfriend literally ripping "Slightly Single" from my hands, hurling it across the room, and motioning to the bookcase for me pick something that would salvage the brain cells that Wendy Markham had not annihilated.

In short, this so-called "novel" contrives to be hip while writing in such a manner that everything has mundane yet overly described features (she says, bitterly, typing out the words of her amazon review with disdain, noticing that her short fingernails need a good manicure.....)Ick.

Funny in parts, but too insecure to "stick"
Tracey is way too much in "need" of a man.This is not a book that I would recommend to my bookworm girlfriends.Its one saving grace is that just when I was about to put it down and give up on it, I would come across something hilariously funny and actually laugh out loud.But all in all the book was pretty disappointing.

Definitely Not on My Top 10 List
Unlike the many books I've read recently Slightly Single is defintely not one I will share with my girlfriends.

The book really brought me down. Not the funny, feel good, "chick lit" I usually enjoy.Very little plot, just day to day in the life of a gal with little self esteem and pined for a guy who had little or no affection for her.

Reviews (128)

Humorous look at love in the new millenium
Jane is an assistant editor for a boutique publishing company. In order to secure a promotion, she is forced to edit the memoirs of her childhood nemesis, Natasha, whose only claim to fame is that she bedded a celebrity.

Currently single and not too happy about it, she suddenly finds herself in need of a date for her cousins wedding, since she has been lying about having a boyfriend to escape set ups by her Aunt Ina. She has he friends set her up on a series of blind dates, most ending in disaster. Until she meets Dr. Timothy Rommelly.He meets all her criteria, has the perfect pedigree (and brownstone near the park), and knows that her family will be really impressed with him. But is Tim all that he is cracked up to be?

Along the way toward her own voyage of self-discovery, she manages to bury the hatchet with Natasha, and be there at a time when Natasha really needs a girlfriend. And who knows, she just might find Mr. Right here she least expects it.

It is a humorous and wry look at the current dating pool. It was made into a TV-movie on the Family channel, and translated really well to the screen.

Not a mushy, "happily ever after" romance
Much to author Melissa Senate's, credit, SEE JANE DATE is not the typical mushy, happily ever after type of romance novel.

I purchased this book for one reason, because the fictional heroine went to my high school. Though she's a generation younger than I am, her fictional life of place and career are not altogether different than my real one.

While I didn't expect much from this novel, having bought it for this most personal of reasons, I was pleasantly surprised as the plot unfolded. Senate's story is engaging, and very believable. What single woman has not desperately sought a date for a special black-tie occasion? That is a main subplot of this book, as the heroine prepares to attend her perfect cousin's perfect wedding to the perfect man. The struggle that dating then becomes is the book's unifying motif, to funny effect.

Along the way, Senate explores some life lessons. She leaves her readers with the important theory that it is important to know who one is oneself, rather than creating a phony persona in the hope of connecting with a dream man; that until a woman is comfortable with herself, she cannot be comfortable in a relationship. As Senate sees it, it all comes down to basic self-worth.

The setting of this book almost rises to a character, so good is the sense of place that Senate creates both of Manhattan and of what it is like to have a job on a top magazine peopled by backstabbing co-workers.

SEE JANE DATE is not the usual "chick lit." It is far better.

Reviews (26)

Unsual and well written
I found this to be a very unsual and involving read - my only criticism of it being that it was a little on the short side.But Cassie Hayes's involvement with the ageing writer she goes to edit, had me gripped from the start - and there were some very nice quirky touches, like his housekeeper's terrible cooking, with far too much chilli - yet he was too polite to say, and Cassie's relationship with her dad - beginning to show the effects of Alzheimers, was touchingly done.I had no idea how the storyline would progress so I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't predictable at all.Above all I liked it for its intelligent, unusual humor and have been recommending Orloff to my book club.

Better than I expected!
I thought this was one of Red Dress Ink's best efforts so far.The heroine, Cassie, was a hoot.So many of the chic lit books are only about the endless pursuit for the perfect man.But Cassie was actually trying to run away from involvement and commitment.I found this book to be a page turner--couldn't wait to see if love would catch up to her in the end.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Slight let-down after reading Diary of a Blues Goddess
I had such high hopes for this book after I read Diary of a Blues Goddess, that I would, inevitably, be let down.Perhaps reading other reviews of this book tainted my opinion somewhat as well.I found myself looking for flaws that other reviewers had commented on.

Reviews (37)

Good, but I have read some that are better (3 1/2 stars)
What happens when your boyfriend of 2 years moves across the country because of a job? Do you follow him, break up with him, or obsess about him?

Emma Carter never had a chance, or a choice. Her boyfriend goes to California to be a script-doctor, possibly sell a screenplay, and leaves her, the newly titled "ex girlfriend," all by her lonesome in New York.

While surrounded by other couples who seem perfectly happy to be together, Emma plays it off and pretends that everything is wonderful between her and Derrick. People continually ask about her relationship status (like her mother who is on her third marriage) and want Emma to get married too.

With "Sex and the City" type characters, Jade, who jumps in and out of every bed in New York and happy to do it, Rebecca, who seems the perfect girlfriend (and she hopes) soon to be wife, and Alyssa, who should be happy in her relationship but is starting to fall for her veterinarian instead, Emma is heartbroken and feels that she will never find love again. Or, will she?

I gave it as many stars as I did because the author captured what it feels like to be heartbroken over a guy, and broken up with when you didn't see it coming. How everyone else seems more happy than you are and you just need to be with someone again!! I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter and the "confessions" sprinkled throughout the book.

I didn't give it more stars because it seemed rather formulaic at times. Emma never seemed happy with herself on her own. (Of course, being heartbroken may do that to you) but there were some added subplots (with work and her alcoholic dad) that didn't seem to make it that muchmore interesting. At times it became predictable and I wanted to finish it.

All in all, it was pretty good and I will read Lynda Curnyn's books again.

Loved it...
Maybe it was because I was in the midst of a break-up, but I read this book to my best friend/roommate and we loved it!I jumped right in and read it within days.HIghly recommend!

Reviews (148)

More juvenile than Sweet Valley High
I don't usually write reviews, but this book was unusually disappointing. Actually it was revolting.The narration sounded like a 15 year old valley girl (yes, I read Sweet Valley High in my early teens) interested only in boys, yet I believe she was in her late 20's (I'm 28 so I believe I was the intended age group.)It's no wonder this book was immediately available while "Reinventing Mona" was on hold for 4 people when I reserved it at the library.I don't know if this book ever gained any substance because I gave up when "Reinventing Mona" came in.I think I probably forced myself through about 40 pages."Annoyingly neurotic" is quite the understatement.Is this all 20 something single women can be?Is this all their lives are about?I'm sorry, I think a woman should have some hobbies, skills, real friends, a real life, talents, self respect, maturity, personality, something besides desperation for a man.There's a reason this book only got 3.5 stars out of 150 reviews.

Captivating cover art; refreshing storyline
Jackie is an editor at a publishing house specializing in romance novels. After getting dumped via email by her long-time boyfriend Jerry, she goes on a quest to serial date until she can find a new man in her life to take his place.

She dates just about every Tom, Dick and Harry with some very hilarious results, while sounding off on her dating misfortunes with her girlfriends.The one male voice of reason, Jerry's best friend, Andrew, suddenly becomes more appealing to Jackie as she continues her quest for fulfillment... then Jerry re-enters the picture, and she is in a tailspin all over again.

Yes, Jackie is very self absorbed. But that is one of the things that makes her mis-adventures so humorous and poignant. The author really manages to capture her manic and emotional behavior.

The ambiguous ending, left me wanting one just more chapter. But I am finding this a common practice in the Chick Lit movement.

Editorial Review

He says: "A one-night stand. No complications. Just another chalk mark on the board. A bit of harmless fun." She says: "You have no idea how much I hate being on my own."

They are Jack and Amy, two twentysomething singles living in London, and the central characters in Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees's joint effort, Come Together.Jack is an artist who scrapes out a living by day working part-time in a gallery and prowls the bars by night looking to "pull." Amy is a temp with dreams of becoming a fashion designer. When the two meet at a party, they spend the whole night talking; both enjoy the conversation, but while Amy starts thinking that Jack "could well be my perfect man," his thoughts run along more basic lines--he wants to see her again because "I haven't had sex for over a week and you haven't had sex for over six months. Because, Amy, we therefore have a mutual need. And, yeah, because I fancy you, too."

Reviews (4)

The He Said / She Said Team Is Back
Without a doubt - Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees know how to do the "HE SAID / SHE SAID" thing.They hit a home run with "Come Together" and "Come Again" - and without a doubt .... "The Boy Next Door" is a good follow-up to their major success.True - it's not better than their previous work (that would take a lot) but it's a really nice try.

This childhood love story of Mickey and Fred is really sweet and refreshing.Mickey and Fred grew up next to each other and experienced all their first together.They thought nothing would ever bring them apart.Well ---- cut to 15 years later and they aren't even "friends" anymore.Of course - circumstances bring them back together and that's when the fun starts.This is a warm and charming love story that really lets you into the minds of both main characters, and you have the good fortune to have them written by each member of the opposite sex.

Nice follow-up effort for these two great and talented writers.Cheers!

Only second best...
I have to admit, I didn't love this one as much as "Come Together." The dual writing styles were still very well done. There just wasn't the spark that the last novel had.
The story was engaging, but there were times when it dragged. However, the suspence that lead up to the characters' history was effective. Also, the characters were interesting. I thought that Rebecca could have been built up more.
Overall, if I had read this first, I would have thought it was great. However, because I have "Come Together" to compare it to, it didn't quite meet my expectations.

A Husband and Wife Team
Mickey is divorced, has a young son and runs a flower shop.Fred is getting married soon.

But fate throws them together and everything changes.

Up to their mid-teens, Mickey and Fred lived next door to each other.They were the best of friends - knew everything about each other.They were getting closer every day and knew their lives would be spent together.

But all that changed when with no warning, Fred and his mother disappeared and Mickey was left without a word.

Reviews (75)

Found Lacking
I had great anticipation going into this book, what I found, however, was disappointment. While I liked the main `heroine', Charlotte, who felt to me like she had real fears and beliefs. I found that Roman was not as likeable. He seemed flat without any realistic characteristics. Throughout the book, although there were ups, there were also downs. Their whole relationship in the book seemed based more on a physical plain than on love or substance.It never really felt like a real relationship.

As for the other characters, they were all delightful and enjoyable, especially the owners of the diner, the town vagrant, and Beth. Not to mention the Chandler brothers mother and her `beau'. I was hoping Beth would be a main character in either one of the next books in the trilogy or have her own book. It appears that won't happen, but you never know.

While it was enjoyable at times, and I'm sure others will love it, I found it lacking for me.

Disappointing.
I just got around to reading this book long after it was talked about by Kelly Ripa.What a disappointment!I expected more after all the hoop-la.The characters are likeable (thus the 2-stars), but there is no plot.The whole thing is shallow.I wish I had not bought the trilogy before reading the first one.

Reviews (40)

Great read!
I really enjoyed this book.This book is great for the beach or a rainy or lazy day.The characters kept me wanting to read more.I read the first book in the trilogy (The Bachelor) and can't wait to read the third book.

Thoroughly Fun
After reading the first book of the Chandler trilogy (The Bachelor), I wasn't expecting much. So much to my surprise that I found myself thoroughly enjoying this encounter with the middle brother.

Both Rick and Kendall are entertaining characters that you can feel their struggles and fears and love. I absolutely loved the antics of Kendall, alone and with her sister, and I felt the struggle as she tried to help her sister, Hannah. Also the couple `living in sin' were really fun and quirky characters.

I found myself zipping through this book, which was a welcome surprise, since I had to force myself a few times to get through the Bachelor.

This is the quirkiest of the trilogy and by far the most enjoyable. A solid 5 out of 5.

Reviews (26)

Great Hero, Not So Great Heroine
Concluding the trilogy with the oldest Chandler brother was an eventful read.

Chase was the brother I was most looking forward to. So since I like going in order, needless to say, I was a little impatient to get to the Heartbreaker. While I can't say it was worth the wait, it wasn't a complete disappointment.

Chase was as I expected plus a lot more. As in the first book with the hero, I found I could not like the heroine that well, Sloane. Although I enjoyed her story, I didn't like her too much, and could not see her with Chase at all. Again it seemed more sex than substance. While I could tell he cared for her, I thought she would be better suited for another type of guy.

All in all it was a good story with a great hero.

Fun, Light and Intriguing!!!
This is a fun, light and intriguing story.
A young woman, daughter of a future Presidential candidate, overhears a conversation that involves her background and her birth.She is fraught with emotion and takes off to discover what the facts are.She becomes involved with a young man who has decided that it is time for him to live his own life and to stop being a"caretaker" for others.
As it turns out, the young man is also an independent journalist who has taken on the job of keeping an eye on someone as a personal favor.......he has no idea that it is the young woman he has just met at a bar the week before.
What follows is an unexpected dangerous search, leading to near tragedy and throwing these two people into a whirlwind of danger and deception.......and pushing them closer and closer to each other.

Editorial Review

Reviews (205)

Bloody funny tale
This was one of the greatest books I have read in a long time. The hot romance with Libby and Nick to the romantic sweet relationship of Libby and Ed. Just goes to show that every woman should follow their heart and search for that Mr. Maybe that turns into Mr. Right on the button. Sometimes you just have to over look the little things. Libby is a spunky character with lots of class. This is one book that you wont be able to put down til you find out who is prince charming

Irritating, shallow main character and dull, plodding story
I'm pretty surprised by the many positive reviews of this book.I loved the first few chapters, and after that, the main character, Libby, became a real monster.I can understand where she's coming from, in terms of wanting to marry someone who treats her very well, but her shallowness and greed are really over the top.They would make more sense in a character who was kind of ditzy or too young to understand what she's really doing, but she comes across instead as knowing exactly what she's doing and being willfully shallow.I just despised this character, and found her to be cruel and offensive.Her treatment of Ed, the rich boring guy who gives her everything, is appalling, especially the scene at the country ball when they are in bed.Her entire attitude towards her relationship with Ed was pretty offensive, given that she essentially runs the relationship as if she were a whore, being paid for her services.I think this relationship could have been written in a much smarter, funnier, and more modern way, but Jane Green really misses the boat with her characterization of Libby.I found most of the other characters (with the exception of Libby's mother...I guess we know where Libby gets her horrible behavior and crass ideas from...) to be well-rounded and likeable, so it's strange that the main character is so poorly drawn.

I loved Jemima J, and I was in love with this book as well for the first few chapters, but after that, it really took a wrong turn.The chapters with Nick in them are fun, lively, sexy, and interesting, like great gossip, but unfortunately, about three-quarters or more of the book are about Libby and her "relationship" with Ed.Worse than being offensive, this part of the book was just plain boring: repetitive, pointless, dull.I could put up with an offensive main character if at least there was something juicy or fun going on.Instead, we get a couple hundred pages of Libby being irritated with a boring rich man.

Editorial Review

Reviews (14)

The most unapologetic hedonist since Samantha Jones...
This book is witty, cheeky, entertaining, and really, really smart for something obviously conceived as fluff. I especially liked Kate-the most unapolgetic hedonist since Samantha Jones.Don't object to her"selfishness" as some of the other reviewers do, since it is self acknowledged and fairly harmless.For me,it was refreshing to see a woman so fiercely attached to her freedom - sexual and professional - and her sheer enjoyment of life, the kind of behavior fictional male characters get away with all the time.I thought the characters had very distinct voices too.Broad but amusing.And I especially liked the mutually bratty co-dependent dynamic between Kate and her best friend Violet.Thought it was funny and rang true for two people who've been friends since childhood. The locales are great too, and would love to see this as a movie.My only problem?The email format always seems to limit storytelling, but the story that gets told here is far more original and inventive than The Boy Next Door, and it's better handled than all the others I've come across so I'd recommend this if you're looking for a light, smart, breezy comedy. I can't wait to read Chris Dyer's new book.

don't waste your time reading about this selfish brat
Kate, the heroine of this novel, is apparently the most exciting
and desirable woman in the world. She is, in fact, breathtakingly selfish, loathsome, and immature. I was hoping that the two men would dump her and she would get her comeuppance. Then Jack and Miles could run away together to an ashram and Odette could kidnap Kate and dump that shallow brat into a war zone. Miles, the whiny walking disaster, is annoying with his frequent use of "do," as in "do tell me" and "do let me know." That plus "shan't" make him sound about
eighty years old. I don't think Brits sound like that! Jack is too good for Kate (but he and Miles are hot together) and Odette is a much more interesting character than Kate. We know that all Kate cares about is a four-star hotel lifestyle, so the
ending is fairly predictable.

To read about a truly fearless, independent, and adventurous female writer, find a book about Nellie Bly. To read a better written and funny book in the e-mail format, read "e" by Matthew Beaumont, and don't waste your precious time and money on this book.

Reviews (128)

I love it
Even though I am 13 I loved the book so much and I wish that every other person could read it to.

Just couldn't get into it...
I just couldn't get into this book. I kept reading and reading until I could read no more. The entire book takes place in email format...emails from the main character's friends, co-workers, boss, etc. Maybe it gets better as it goes on but I couldn't get more than 25% through before I had to put it down.

Reviews (44)

Liked the story; not the ending
Freya, a British transplant living a vagabond existence in Manhattan and Jack, a southern trust-fund baby and would be novelist, have been best friends for years.

After Freya's latest relationship disaster, Jack lets her move in with him temporarily.Soon, the two begin getting on each other's nerves, and try to sabotage each other's new relationships.She is disgusted that he dates too young women, including one of his workshop students (with a pierced tongue no less...); he is tired of her inflexible attitude about others.

Freya is searching desperately to find a new man to take to her conniving step-sister's English wedding. After meeting a lot of Mr. Wrong's and managing to humiliate herself at almost every turn, and Jack discovering that he is going to be cut off by his womanizing father, Jack decides to take a break from his writer's block and agrees to go to England as her significant other.

While in England, Jack and Freya's relationship suddenly takes a different turn, as the two discover that they have unresolved feelings for each other that they never explored.And Jack's act of betrayal tests the limits of their friendship.

I liked the story, the secondary characters, and the fact that those secondary characters actually had something to do other than stand around in the background.One thing I did not like is the ambiguous ending.After 400 pages, I deserved more.

So Charming
I have been a big fan of chick lit since the Shopaholic series began.It's sort of my guilty pleasure.I also love pink dresses. So I am not ashamed to say that I purchased this book simply because of the pink dress on the cover.

Was I ever surprised!The book, while admittedly not containing the most complex plot, was definitely a step above chick lit.The characters were so well-developed, and I actually cared about them (as opposed to say, Cat's Meow, or even Diary of a Mad Bride, where the characters were amusing at best.)

Read it if you want a quick, highly entertaining story.PS- Jack is hot.I fell in love with him by the end.

Reviews (42)

A feel good read
I don't make it a habit to read romance novels.I was happy to find a beautiful story.Marlena's writing made me feel as if I was there.I would say being nearly 40 helps to understand and connect with her thoughts, opinions and feelings.Definately a feel good read.Loved it!!

I really can't understand people who don't love this book!
This is the best memoir I've read in years, and I'm a pretty harsh critic. I loved De Blasi's style, as well as her willingness to uncover many of her emotional vulnerabilities during the course of the book.

I'm not going to say it's perfect. There were sentences I had to read twice every now and then--clunky sentences--and sometimes there was a bit of repetition. Still, just like Venice itself with all her imperfections, the sum total of all the book's parts make it a beautiful read. (Make that a serenissima read!)

It's somehow terribly encouraging to know there are still women like Marlena De Blasi out there. She had the courage to envision a new life for herself and then go for it. I found this highly inspirational. That this romance is set in Venice only makes it all the more appealing.

Additionally, I found it compelling that she doesn't paint her relationship with her new Italian husband to be 100% rosy.

I would recommend this whole-heartedly to any Italo-philes and people who themselves may be experiencing a "mid-life change of plans."

Excuse me while I go buy all her other books.

Editorial Review

If you've ever paid off one credit card with another, thrown out a bill before opening it, or convinced yourself that buying at a two-for-one sale is like making money, then this silly, appealing novel is for you. In the opening pages of Confessions of a Shopaholic, recent college graduate Rebecca Bloomwood is offered a hefty line of credit by a London bank. Within a few months, Sophie Kinsella's heroine has exceeded the limits of this generous offer, and begins furtively to scan her credit-card bills at work, certain that she couldn't have spent the reported sums.

In theory anyway, the world of finance shouldn't be a mystery to Rebecca, since she writes for a magazine called Successful Saving. Struggling with her spendthrift impulses, she tries to heed the advice of an expert and appreciate life's cheaper pleasures: parks, museums, and so forth. Yet her first Saturday at the Victoria and Albert Museum strikes her as a waste. Why? There's not a price tag in sight.

It kind of takes the fun out of it, doesn't it? You wander round, just looking at things, and it all gets a bit boring after a while. Whereas if they put price tags on, you'd be far more interested. In fact, I think all museums should put prices on their exhibits. You'd look at a silver chalice or a marble statue or the Mona Lisa or whatever, and admire it for its beauty and historical importance and everything--and then you'd reach for the price tag and gasp, "Hey, look how much this one is!"It would really liven things up.