This too forever too read. i keptfaling asleep. The characters were not as engaging as some others i have read about. ( )

Slow start to the book--but it picked up later on. Hard to translate from Britishease initially. ( )

#54, 2004

I received this as a manuscript from Harper Collins' "First Look" program. What a fantastic read! It's chick lit, more Jane Green than Helen Fielding, but I enjoyed it more than any of Green's books (and I've read them all, save the newest one). The main character is flawed but definitely loveable, and is able to see through her flaws to great degree, and laugh at herself. What I loved about this book that seems to be often lacking in this genre is a sense that the main character has really, substantively, *changed* over the course of the book. It's not just about her "getting her man," (and maybe losing weight or getting a makeover to do so), but we see her face some deep emotional issues from her past, and it's very clear that she really has grown and changed after she struggles through. Maybe I'm not being fair to say this is missing in other books, but I got a very strong sense of it in this one. This might be because I could relate to some of her issues (particularly with intimacy; although the circumstances of her childhood were not particularly similar to mine), and I felt the book went far deeper into exploring these issues and feelings than most books of this type tend to do. At the end of the books, she's stronger and has learned some valuable things about herself and her family, and I finished this book feeling very satisfied. It was funny and touching and smart. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys chick lit - it's undoubtedly the best in the genre I've ever read. ( )

Maxted's books are chick lit books with "issues." The heroine in this one (and one of Maxted more likable ones) has commitment issues that stem from parental issues. Her ex-husband's also got some issues, some trust issues. Can they overcome their baggage and find a happy ending? Well, it is a chick lit book, so you can probably make an educated guess. ( )