by Lisa Becker
Synopsis:
Literally, it’s a series of emails. It looks like this:
From: Character’s name here – date here – time here
To: Character’s name here
Subject: insert topic here
And of course the
body of the email would be here. This
is the first time I’ve seen such a format for a book. Interesting! The emails are
not extremely long and get straight to the point in most cases (there are a few
where you just want to know about the date or something and you first have to
read through the “How was your day?” reply, but those are few). They are easy
to follow the conversation and what is being discussed. Actually, there was one
or two times that I wanted to go back to reread a section to get the gist of
something better and it was easy to remember where the conversation was.
I have to laugh and admit that this is exactly what my BFF and I do. We email each other while at work to catch up on our days, upcoming events and vent out our frustration and stresses. This is one of the reasons why I liked this book. It reminds me of my BFF and our almost 20 yrs relationship. The same goes for Renee and her friends. They have all known each other for years and Renee is their common thread.
With it being
written as threads of emails back and forth, you’re definitely not getting your
traditional information. It’s similar to the first person point of view in that
you’re getting thoughts and the story from their perspective only. However, in
this case, we’re getting some of the details, seeing Renee, our heroine; go
through the emotional ups and downs of not only dating but “online” dating and
having her BFFs providing her with pointers, advice and hilarious suggestions.
I believe we can all relate to this to one extend or another.
The synopsis provides us with a glimpse of the
relationship dynamic between Renee, Mark, Shelley and Ashley. As you read through their emails (yeah, you
sort of feel like a voyeur, intruding in their world. But, you quickly begin to
feel more like one of the fiends and that they are now sharing the emails and including
you in the thread) you get the chance to see their true colors and like with
any group of friends, there’s always a little bit of tension, a little bit of
judging and even some jealousy.
For those that may
not know how online dating services work, you select a service provider, create
a profile (all about you) and its posted on a database that only member of the
service provider have access to. If someone is interested in getting to know
you based on your profile, they send you an email. I laughed out loud and giggled several times
as I read. The emails sent to Renee by some of the guys were either funny, far
fetch, so not her type (based off of what she was looking for in a
relationship) and she even got a “Crazy” one!
However, this book wasn’t just about emails, but it was about Renee
putting herself out there and taking a chance. Some of the guys that wanted to
get to know Renee were so much better on paper, while others lead to a 2nd
and even a 3rd date.
Here’s a glimpse:
Renee emails Shelley asking if she should go through with Mark’s idea of using
an online dating service. Below is part of Shelley’s email reply:
“At the very least,
you’ll have eligible men taking you to swank restaurants. Hmmm. A whole host of
hot and horny single men that I can review, chat with, judge and mock – all
while sitting in my office looking busy.”
Yes, my BFF and I
have done the above. From the dating, to the chatting to the judging (don’t
judge us, you know we all do it!) and yes, all awhile, looking busy at the
office.
For those of us who
are about to turn 30 or in our 30s will understand the following. Renee to
Shelley:
“But you have to
promise – I mean promise on a box of cupcakes and a jar of anti-wrinkle
cream – that you won’t tell anyone.”
I just laughed out loud. Never have I had
someone promise on a box of cupcakes and a jar of anti-wrinkle cream!! Hahahah.
I so will now!!!
This is a quick read
and with such a different format/perspective it’s definitely a “palate
cleanser” if you’ve been sucked in by a particular genre and want a break for
it.
Rating: 3 Stars - Really Liked It
Review Originally Posted at Reading Between the Wines Book Club.
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