What would constitute an offer you can't refuse?

Is it money, glory and fame, mercy for a loved one, promises of everlasting passion...

For Lauren (whose gone by Lola since she was little) it's the first and she has to give up the last to get it. Mrs. Tennant, her boyfriend's mother, corners her at work and offers an outrageous sum of money for Lola to break up with her son. Naturally, Lola is hurt, furious, and promptly refuses. She loves Dougie with all her heart! They've made plans to be together forever! Mrs. Tennant, cool as a cucumber, sits patiently while Lola rants and raves and promises to tell Dougie everything. It becomes clear she's not getting through to Dougie's mum, and so Lola hops out of the car and takes the bus home.

Rattled and in need of comfort she calls her friend, who offers some practical advice for a teen. This is advice Lola doesn't want to hear and tries to call Dougie up at his hotel where he's staying while sorting out his housing for university that year. The woman behind the desk says he's gone out with a guy and two girls confirming the friend's words from before. Still Lola is determined to wait until she sees Dougie again to do anything rash. She loves him, they can get through this... but then Lola runs into her Dad upstairs and everything changes in an instant. Lola must do the impossible and give up the love of her young life to accomplish it.

Ten years later, Lola runs into Doug and his family again through some bizarre happenstance. Doug is shocked and angry; immediately distancing himself from Lola. When he finds out about the money shortly thereafter he's beyond angry. Lola in his eyes is scum. All Lola wants is to win him back... if only she could tell him why, but her sense of honor refuses to allow her this easy escape. She made a promise and she's going to keep it, even if it means losing Doug all over again.

I found Lola at 27 to still retain most of the naive 17 year old girl she'd been. She should have been more grownup I felt. I know it wouldn't be the same book if she'd come right out and told Doug why she took the money, but this was a point of contention for me. She stalks him too, not in the 'I'm outside your window watching you shower type' of stalking, but in the 'whenever I found out where you are or will be going I try to be there too' way. The older Doug showed no signs of weakening his resolve to ignore/hate Lola until the very end of the book, making the reunion a bit too hasty for me. It wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped.

There were times in the beginning of the book I was hoping Lola would fall in love with the second love of her life... the next door neighbor Gabe. He showed signs of knowing how she thought, what motivated her, did things for her (like sit and watch awful chick flick movies) and keep her in the front of his thoughts. Lola was also devastated with the idea of never seeing him again when he after a girl in Australia (it ended poorly, he came right home). In the end he's just a great male friend for Lola.

Overall I'd give it 3.5 to 4 stars.

Originally posted 2009-03-27 05:47:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Categories:

3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, ARC, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, Estranged, Executive, Great Britain, M-O

Tags:

cucumber, dad, desk, fame, happenstance, heart, Jill Mansell, lola, love, old girl, outrageous sum, passion, promises, rants, rash, sense of honor, sum of money, two girls, upstairs