I recently got my hands on an ARC copy of the List by debut novelist Carmen Shirkey. ARCs are one of the best things about being a reviewer, because you get a chance to see behind the scenes. My ARC had five chapter twenty-threes, and this lovable quirk fit right in with the heroine (though I'm pretty sure the real copy has only one chapter twenty-three). How does having five chapter twenty-threes tie in with a heroine who has a penchant for type-A list making? Because the novel is about the heroine learning to loosen up and let her hair down when it comes to finding Mr. Perfect and life in general (though to a lesser extent.)
The tagline of the novel is Can Perfect be Put on Paper? The heroine, Candace Saunders, has had a series of dates that could make most women hang up their stilettos and refuse to leave their apartment again. The beginning sort of reminded me of Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter where the heroine is met while on a bad first date with a new potential Mr. Right. Every bad date ends up adding qualifications to the on-going list she has made for the position of her Mr. Right. Some are funny like not a vegetarian and others are pretty standard like not an ass, but just as funny.
In the spirit of Catherine from Wuthering Heights
great guys. One is nearly Mr. Perfect and is checking off more on her list as days go by and the other screams Mr. Not Perfect. Candace is about to fall and fall hard... but will she do it with the right one?
It's a light read and certainly a happy one. I can picture it being made into a movie and featured alongside How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Rating: 4 Stars
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This post was written by...
Keira – who has written 1034 posts on Love Romance Passion.
Keira's favorite type of heroes are blind, scarred, and tortured... yes, she understands those should be separate, but all 3 at once is also nice! She enjoys historical romances best and adores audio books because great narrators turn books into auditory/mental movies (and she loves her romantic dramas like Pride and Prejudice/North and South!) Learn more about Keira in My Instant Turn Ons, Offs, and Ifs.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Unfortunately, the print version has 5 chapter 23s as well. Originally a mistake, I kind of like the quirk.
Thank you so much for the review! I’m glad you liked it.
I can’t wait to read this book! I’ve been reading great feedback and this review confirms it..I’m getting my copy asap! Can’t wait to read it.
This book sounds like a lot of fun!
Haven’t we all made ‘the perfect man’ lists?
My list? Well I get made fun of for my list!
)
He has to be:
Tall, but not too tall
Smart, but not too smart
Good looking, but not too good looking
Fit, but not too fit
(Can you tell why I get made fun of yet?
The list goes on and on, many of them with the “but not too’s”
I was at a bar once and was telling a friend my list when the guy next to me turned around with a grin and said “sweetheart, there ain’t no guy like that. Can I buy you a drink?” My friend and I burst out laughing and I accepted that drink!
Now mind you this is an ever changing list and that not all or perhaps any of the points ever need to be met…
I would love to find a man who doesn’t drink except for on special occasions, doesn’t smoke, has good personal hygiene, treats me well, gets rid of spiders for me, prefers quiet evenings reading or otherwise occupied, loves to swim and bowl, is active, pursues work and life with enthusiasm, loves to travel, tells me he loves me for no other reason than that he thought it right then, tries new experiences, takes my breath away, is a fantastic lover, whose greatest ambition in life was to meet me and sweep me off my feet.