Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Thank Goodness for Good Old-Fashioned Entertainment

Got another chic lit for you! I get out all this variety (books written by men :)) but my first priority will always be frothy junk where the girl gets the guy and nothing else much happens - I don't even know why I apologize, except it does make for more boring reviews, I guess… Anyway, this latest one is Busy Woman Seeks Wife, by Annie Sanders.   Never heard of the author, but her other book is Goodbye, Jimmie Choos, which I think i may have heard of… not sure though.

So this looked like a piece of promising chic lit based on the cover, but you never know with these things.. especially because this one was a working woman one and those can always get way too involved or they can mess up their jobs or whatever else.  This one definitely had that potential, with a ton of mess ups at work, but (spoiler alert :)) it all works out (getting a bit ahead of myself there…)  

I've been reading this for a while so I'm forgetting what my initial reaction was, but give me some artistic license and I'll say I had a few qualms (no, I really did :)) First of all, I found a few (really just one or two) of the characters annoying, and specifically the main guy Frankie's sister Ella seemed really entitled and in need of some stern let down (well I can be harsh with fictional characters :)) And there were a LOT of other stories involved, with Alex (main girl)'s mother and her best friend Saff and her husband… and of course the overhanging work issue.  And *that* of course makes me hugely nervous, because side plots are usually at best completely uninteresting and at worst downright depressing. 

Having presented the unpromising beginning, I can now segue into the big "but" :) First of all, the truth is that the writing was light, cute, and fast moving from the beginning, so I was hopeful even in my hesitation.  And I was right to be hopeful, as the light and feel good tone continued throughout.  I think every single character was likable and came with their own set of talents, and I totally rooted for everyone.  I feel like the book pretty much struck a good balance with all the stories, with a lot about Frankie and Alex but not letting their part get stuck with too much back and forth.  And of course, everything was resolved satisfactorily in the end.  Actually, almost too pat, not that I ever complain about that :) But there was point when I was like…okay, a little too much… but that was only for a second :) Then I got back to enjoying this nice happy story, with - wait for it :) - not too much tension! Numero uno for a good book. 

And I almost forgot numbero uno for a good chic lit - *plenty* from the guy's pov! Man, I love a good chic lit… just when I thought the genre was dead :) (though this one isn't new or anything, so maybe the genre is dead… too bad, because it's fun :))

Verdict: 4/5
Food: hmm… so it's my favorite wider genre, but when all is said and done 1) it's pretty silly stuff and 2) it's not regency romance ;) So I'd have to give it ice cream, but not haagen dasz (is that too high rating? I feel like my food creativity is nowhere these days… might be the utter lack of food I am experiencing on this trip… :)) but anyway, yes let's call it Green's vanilla or something - good, great, treat, but not that hg pralines and cream

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