This book drew me in with the words ingeniously played on the front cover,"If you haven't found the one..." This is a definite must read for my fellow romantics who are complete suckers for happy endings. The whole plot revolves around the lives of different characters, it somewhat had a Love Actually movie feel to it and I absolutely adore it! Jill Mansell did a splendid job transitioning from one character to another without causing confusion. It had the perfect blend of some light melodramatic scenes, broken hearts, witty banters, unlikely couplings, your local dbags and those surreal declarations of love. I finished this book in one night because I tend to get emotionally invested and this book wouldn't have let me sleep until I read what happens by the end.**SPOILERS AHEAD**- Good style of writing – quirky, quick-witted, no excessive or redundant expletives; and no tasteless/pointless smut scenes. - I did not like Johnny from the start. He was such an arse; but eventually he grew on me a little. But only AFTER he apologised about that dreadful fiver incident. Just because it happened years ago does NOT make it okay. The nicknaming, the endless insults on her academic reaching - it was bullying.- It was the opposite with Tom. I loved him at first, but then he turned into such an insensitive git who never once caught up on the awkward tension in the house, as he was so wrapped up in his own self-regard he couldn’t be bothered to see how explicitly depressed his wife was. - Abbie’s situation upset me so much it made me physically ill. I was envisaging an upcoming drug overdose.- I wanted Patty to get hit by a bus and die a slow painful death while realising the huge mistake she made and actually showing remorse for her poor choices in life.- But, y’know, a get-away in Portugal equally sufficed. - At least her daughter became less of a complete twat and actually apologised.- Ash and Fia’s story was tedious and rather pointless; which is a shame because Ash happened to have been my favourite out of the lot.- Johnny and Cleo’s story arc was undeveloped, which was why I couldn’t find myself to care as much as I should do about the two people I root for in romance books. Maybe if Mansell wasted less time with Fia and actually focused on evolving the bantering dynamic between her protagonist and Johnny maybe that terribly soppy ending would’ve worked on me.- Overall, it was alright. Will I pick another of her books? Maybe.
What do You think about Versier Me Dan (2010)?
Quick, but predictable read. I enjoyed the characters and their stories.
—Bubby
Very cute but overly corny. Stupid ending.
—babycakes
