CHICK LIT MEMOIR
Romance is my Day Job - Patience Bloom (2014)
In this memoir, Patience Bloom fell in love with Harlequin romance novels as a teenager, and is now a Harlequin editor. This book tells the story of her love life, from when she was a teenager right up until she found her Mr Right. I was intrigued by the concept of how a romance editor handles her love life but this book just wasn't for me. Although this is a true life story, I couldn't connect with Patience, and as the story is told from her perspective, I found it trying to continue at times. Even the most mundane details of her everyday life were chronicled, as well as the more interesting plot points, and the story suffered as a result of this unnecessary detail. There were a lot of references to other romantic heroes and heroines, and a lot of boyfriends to keep up with, it all got a little confusing. The structure of the book helped somewhat as there was a new chapter for each new chapter of her life, but overall this just didn't appeal to me. (LO)
Who better to tell a true-life story about love that a romance book editor? Patience Bloom's Romance Is My Day Job is a memoir about finding love - at last. The summary says: "Haven't we all wondered why real-life romance isn't more like fiction? Harlequin editor Patience Bloom certainly did, many times over. As a teen she fell in love with Harlequin novels and imagined her life would turn out just like the heroines' on the page: That shy guy she had a crush on wouldn't just take her out - he'd sweep her off her feet with witty banter, quiet charm, and a secret life as a rock star. Not exactly her reality, but Patience kept reading books that fed her dreams. Years later she moved to New York City and found her dream job, editing romances for Harlequin. Every day, her romantic fantasies came true - on the page. Patience was an expert when it came to fictional love stories - editing amazing books, she learned everything she could about the romance business. But her dating life remained uninspired. She nearly gave up on love. Then one day a real-life chance at romance made her wonder if what she'd been writing and editing all those years might be true. A Facebook message from a high school friend, Sam, sparked a relationship with more promise than she'd had in years. But Sam lived thousands of miles away - they hadn't seen each other in more than two decades. Was it worth the risk? Could love and romance conquer all? As with the novels Patience edited for years, listeners will have to wait until the very end to find out."