Emily Carmichael (1)

After having some time to think it over I still come out conflicted on my feelings for the book. On the one hand the Emily Carmichael is a very engaging and witty writer. I was drawn into the story in a snap. She has a wonderful flair for building a scene (such as the first skiing scene). I swear that was a replication of my first time on skis!
On the other hand there was not one character that I liked. Practically everyone was mean to one another; either thinking snarky thoughts about one show more another or going about behind peoples backs. There was not one person that I could say I respected. Also the whole "love" situation was such a mess. We are supposed to be rooting for Joey and Ben to get together but a pretty substantial way into the book we have Ben almost fu**ing Alicia in a car...and wanting to (which for some reason made it worse for me). There is too much time spent trying to put Ben and Alicia together that for the longest time I figured that they were just going to have an open marriage.
And don't even get me started on the vapid Piggy/Lydia...let me just say she got her just desserts.
I could go on about the things that I don't like, but I feel that is unfair to Carmichael's superb writing style. So in summation, I found this to be an engaging read, but would I read it again... No.
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Original Review: Boy I'm not really sure how to feel about this....I'm going to process for a little bit then come back and review it fully. show less

rabck from bookstogive; Magdalena dances her Spanish heritage type dance at the Lady Luck Saloon, where Lord Christopher finds her. He's convinced that she's the heiress of the ranch that his brother was cheated out of, and if he can make her a lady, marry her & then leave her behind when he goes back to England, he will revenge his brother's death and save his family's finances. Only Magdalena has different ideas for Christopher, including marrying for keeps and making him love her.

From BackCover:
IT TAKES A HEAVENLY DOG TO MAKE A HELL OF A MATCH

Right before her untimely death, Lydia Keane made one terrible mistake--she had an affair with her best friend Amy's husband. Barred from the afterlife until she makes amends, Lydia has been ordered back to Earth for one final mission: to find Amy a new husband. But there is just one small catch: Lydia must rely on her smarts rather than her centerfold body--because she has been reincarnated as a mangy stray dog!

Although Lydia show more was always an expert matchmaker, she never had to play Cupid while trapped in the body of a furry mutt. But if she wants a chance to rest in peace, Lydia must figure out a way to find Amy the most handsome bachelor in town--and pray that woman's best friend can spot true love. show less

#26, 2004

K saw this, and asked if it was a self-help book - LOL. No, it's not. ::grin:: C picked this one up at the used bookstore, and since it was cheap and looked decent, I bought it, hoping it would be an enjoyable bit of fluff. And it was. The story starts out with a woman who has just been murdered while out on a date with her best friend's husband. (The husband was also killed). In order to atone for the sin of committing adultery with the husband of her best friend, this unfortunate show more - although not particuarly likeable - woman is given the chance to be "reborn" on earth, as long as she promises to help her friend find the "perfect husband." Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? Well, there is a catch . . . the friend is reborn, alright - but as a dog. :D It was a fun book, an easy read, and it had an interesting plot. My only criticism is that the whole thing was pretty predictable - I was able to figure out the "mystery" part of the plot very early in the book, and pretty much everything I expected to have happen did happen. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, there can be comfort in an easy, non-stressful and unsurprising read. I enjoyed it, anyhow. I'm going to BookCross and release this one, so if you're interested, comment here and I'll be happy to send the book your way. show less