I should preface this review by saying this was a book that I randomly plucked off the shelf at the library, because it's summer time and I wanted light reading. I have not read the first book (didn't even realize there was a first book until about halfway through the novel).Perhaps it takes reading the first book to understand the characters better. Ed was sweet, thoughtful and moral, and yet it was so incredibly irritating how thick he was. Not in the big relationship questions sense, more so his inability to understand any point a person was trying to make unless it was phrased in the form of a metaphor or analogy . And dear lord - the analogies. SO MANY. I'm a fan of a good analogy, but it seemed as it was the only way these people could communicate with one another. It was a literary device that got really old really fast to me.I feel like a could complain about a number of things, but part of me wonders if it's because I'm a woman, and one could argue this book is presented from a male perspective, hence there being inherent differences of opinion. Despite all the ridiculously sexist, outlandish, horrible shit that would spew out of Dan's mouth, he made some (few) points that weren't 100% false, which was irritating, but well-played.Anyway, overall it was an entertaining read to pass the time, but didn't grab me, and didn't leave me with much of a desire to read the first book. Matt Dunn's Ex-Girlfriends United is a funny tongue-in-cheek look at a guy who's trying to get his best buddy to change his caddish ways. It's not too difficult to start the process--by apologizing to his exes--especially when they've rated him badly on a website, but how much does the process stick with the guy?I expected this to be more about Dan (the cad). After all, it's Dan's ex-girlfriends who've torpedoed his chances at adding to that loooooooooong list... Instead, it's more about Eddie, who starred in Dunn's previous novel Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook, and his confusion about his current relationship when his ex-girlfriend shows up out of the blue. Wanting him back, of course.There's angst, which I'm not used to from guys. There's denial, which I am. And there's humor, which makes everything better. I wasn't enamored with Dan, and Eddie was a bit too wishy-washy for my liking. But I did appreciate this addition to the chick-lit/contemporary romance genre, as you hardly get much that's written from the guy's point of view.
What do You think about Ex-Girlfriends United (2008)?
I didn't find the book enjoyable read, I found it hard to get into.
—dany86
