Ten years after five girls shared university accommodation and promised one another that they’d always keep in touch, Erin, now a widowed actress, invites the group to her beach house before she sells it.
None of them have kept in close contact over the years. For example, teacher Beth hasn’t told them that she has MS nor has Tara revealed she’s been in rehab.
On the flight over, bestselling author Alex bumps into a great guy called Aiden but he turns out to be someone else’s date for the reunion weekend. And Becky begins to realise that her overly critical girlfriend isn’t the best date either.
This was an endearing story about reconnecting again, as the women find out that a lot has changed but some things stay the same. An epilogue winds things up ten years in the future.
Nora runs a cafe, has a teen daughter and is resolutely single. Then a friend gifts her a stay at a retreat for her 40th birthday. Sounds lovely except it’s for people needing a romance reboot and Nora has no interest in finding a man.
Amid the meditation and yoga and the cosmic ordering and speed dating sessions, Nora meets another sceptic, Will, who confesses he’s only there to write a magazine story. But as both feel the spark, maybe Nora is about to look at love – and her life – differently.
With a relatable heroine, an interesting ensemble cast and some instructive life coaching lessons, this was a fun read that I raced through.
Single mother Cat Buchanan has had one awful date after another. The only silver lining is she gets paid to write about her misadventures in her anonymous dating column.
But even that’s getting a bit tired and her editor is demanding something new and refreshing. All out of ideas, she flippantly suggests a dating book, The Rules of Engagement, that fellow colleague Leanne has thrust on her and swears by and before she knows it, she’s following the rules set out by its anonymous author Guy Wright, a man Cat comes to despise for his dating views.
Bolouri’s writing is fresh and funny, with just the right amount of naughtiness and chutzpah.
Her characters are relatable and believable, the good, the bad and the ugly, and in Cat’s best friend, Kerry, Bolouri has created a formidable and fun wingwoman that everyone will be wanting as their new BFF. In fact, she somewhat outshines Cat, who can come across at times as rather too bitter and sardonic.
The drama could have been ratcheted up a couple of notches, but where this book excels is in its humour and making Cat’s situation – the highs and the lows – perfectly vivid for the reader. A great chick lit book that’s worth a read. (JC)
Even though it's been ages since Phoebe found her boyfriend, Alex, in bed with another woman, she still hasn't moved on with her love life. Now it's New Year and she's ready for a fresh start.
Phoebe resolves to make - and keep - just one resolution this year - to improve her sex life. With the help of her best friend Lucy, she devises a list of ten things she always wanted to try, from having a threesome to role play.
Now she just needs to find a guy - or guys - willing and able to assist her mission. As Phoebe details her journey in her diary, she discovers that having no-strings-attached sexual encounters doesn't necessarily bring fulfilment and happiness.
This is a funny and well-written tale but with plenty of raunch, it's not for the faint-hearted. From a chick lit perspective, with her dull job and lack of other interests, it would have been nice to see Phoebe occasionally focus on other aspects of her life. Perhaps that can be her goal for the next year ...
