October 13th, 2009 — 4 Stars, ARC, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, Entrepreneur, Mistaken Identity, S-U, United States of America
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
and Bella from the The Twilight Saga
, soon after the disastrous date with Mr. Sex Addict, Candace meets two 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
and Runaway Bride
. Totally different themes but same spirit and certainly as entertaining. I love how it took a common idea that many women have (the list) and turned it into a sweet parody of that idea. So in the spirit of the novel I must ask... what's on your list?
Rating: 4 Stars
Originally posted 2009-02-13 05:17:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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March 25th, 2009 — 2.5 Stars, Book Review, Great Britain, Jane Austen, P-R, Regency, Time Travel, United States of America
Emily Albright is a 29 year old romantic whose first love was Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This love affair started when she was 12 and no man has ever reached the bar that Mr. Darcy set. Of course if you were to look at her string of pathetic dates, you would agree with me when I say who in their right mind would want them? After a disastrous date with Mr. Hair-Plugs, Emily decides never again. She's tired of dating the worst of lot and refuses to put herself through another Dutch pizza date.
When Stella, her best friend and coworker hears this, she is shocked. Determined to put Emily back on the horse she insists that they go on a 18-30 vacation to Mexico. With images of wet T-shirt contests, drunken frat boys, and too much tequila in mind Emily grasps for an excuse to not go. A brochure to Jane Austen's England catches her eye and the idea is born. Better still there's an opening for the week of New Year's the time of the trip to Mexico and Emily leaps on the idea.
What follows is a story written with humor on par with a Stephenie Plum novel...delicious and wickedly witty. My one complaint with the tale is Spike and I'll explain. Spike is the only other young person on this tour and he's there to write a report on the incredible sexy Mr. Darcy, the one man all women would date and hop into bed with given the chance. Spike is set up to be a modern day Mr. Darcy, but let me tell you he is far from the dashing figure cut by the broodingly reserved Mr. Darcy. Spike has a flabby belly, is only kinda cute, and his style of clothing is far from impeccable. Same goes for his manners.
Meanwhile Emily has the incredible chance of meeting the real Mr. Darcy in a series of out of time experiences. Getting her in own way, she finds herself cross with Mr. Darcy for his 19th century mannerisms and breeding and feels self-conscious and foolish by her own 21st century idiosyncrasies. Instead of explaining to him that she's an American from the 21st and that from her perspective things have changed from style of dress to turn of phrases and what is considered good manners, she leaves him in the dark and always takes his silences as negative non-comments. The truth of the matter is, he finds her American "19th century" ways a breath of fresh air and falls in love with her. When he says as much Emily contridicts him and thinks to herself that the fantasy of Mr. Darcy is not as good as the reality of Mr. Darcy.
What an incredible nit-wit! She throws away the good catch because she can't be bothered to speak plainly to Mr. Darcy. I find it hard to believe that any woman greeted with a flesh and blood Mr. Darcy would not make the effort to be on the same page with him. Sure she thought he was a period actor for a time but when she discovered the truth Emily should have persevered to explain why she thought he was not telling the truth. Even if he thought she was crazy he would have come around, after all he loved her for her American ways already. So for the ridiculously stupid move on the heroine's part I have to rate the story below average, because I just can't reconcile myself to Spike the modern Mr. Darcy Emily Albright wanted.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Originally posted 2008-11-24 07:44:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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