Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers….the
site that aims to please readers of all ages and interests, well MOST interests
anyway. ^_^
So it’s Friday….a day typically seen as payday, the end of
the work week and to some as…DATE NIGHT.
*insert scream here* Yes,
yes….for those of you out there that haven’t found Mr. or Mrs. Right yet, tonight
could possibly be another break in your day to day schedule to take a chance on
someone else who just might be “the one”.
*sigh* A tedious task for even
the most light hearted amongst us, imagine if only for a moment if it didn’t
have to be that way. What if someone
could put one and one together and it actually equal two? All you had to do was supply all the info
about yourself and submit to a myriad of psychological tests and POOF….a few
months later, your perfect match is by your side. Too good to be true? Perhaps…or maybe, given the right
circumstances, it’s just what the “love” doctor ordered. Today’s book of choice is…
By
From the publisher…
Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, close friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share her life with, however, she just can't seem to get it right. When her latest relationship implodes, and her best friend announces she's engaged, Anne impulsively calls what she thinks is a dating service—only to discover that it's actually an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. Anne initially rejects the idea, but the more she learns about the service, the more she thinks: Why not? After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world; maybe it could work for her.
Arranged marriage.
Sounds like something from the Stone Age, right? Surprisingly (or not), it is something
practiced in some cultures of the world to this day. Does it result in a fairytale happy ever
after? Yes and no as Anne discovers on
her journey of self discovery and what really happens when you let all the
pieces fall.
This was my first time reading Ms. McKenzie’s work and I am
happy to say that it WON’T be the last.
I found the story very easy flowing with an approachable “heroine” (hey,
she IS a heroine in my book despite her flaws and poor judgment….she gives her
heart a chance even when she seemingly gave up on it and then STILL manages to
put things back together when Humpty Dumpty falls off the proverbial wall!), an
abundance of laughter (strip bingo, diving into a prearranged marriage, being
named by your parent after Anne of Green Gable characters…) , and yet plausible
steps and missteps along the way. One in
our Western society would never imagine turning the reins over to someone else,
let alone a company to choose our significant other….or would we? I mean look at all the online dating options,
dot com sites and so on where all you do is submit your profile and POOF,
matches appear. A semi-blind date is one
thing but a marriage? Yikes! I’m not certain if put in the same situation
I could go along with something like that…but then again, it would cut through
so much of the drama before hand.
*ponders* Anywho….
If you think you’ve heard the whole truth and nothing but
the truth so help you person in the sky, you’re wrong! There’s a twist, yes a twist, you won’t see
coming that REALLY throws things for a loop.
No really. It’s surprising that
anyone makes it out unscathed and yet despite all that happens, the pieces of
heart exposed are picked up, put back together and given another go. Like I said, I name Anne the heroine. The friends she makes along the way only add
more color to this rainbow of a world from her best friend to her work fremeny,
her interested boss to the psychiatrist that comes as a package deal with the
potential arranged marriage; there is room to grow with and from each of them
and grow Anne does (whether she wants to or not!).
In summary, a fascinating look at the dating world from the
eyes of the forlorn with a heart full of wishes, some of which take flight and
others crash and burn. What do we
learn? It’s in the TRYING that we find
our true selves and perhaps that “other half” that one day will make us the
happiest “whole” version of ourselves.
In the mean time, there’s no shame in playing the game because really,
you never know if the next “I-just-met-you-and-this-is-crazy” situation may
turn into your happily ever after. As
for me, I had a WONDERFUL time and can’t wait to check out more of this
author’s work. To the all fellow singles
out there, good luck! To all the
attached, good night!
Review copy received courtesy of Mary at William Morrow
Paperbacks / HarperCollins Publishers.
(THANKS!) For more information
regarding this title as well as their complete catalog, be sure to visit their
official website, like their Facebook page, or follow along on Twitter. To discover more about author Catherine
McKenzie, feel free to check out her site, like her Facebook page, or follow
her Twitter feed. This book was released
earlier this year and should be available on a bookstore shelf near you. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as her latest
release Forgotten makes its paperback
debut October 16th, 2012!
Until next time…to everyone….happy reading!
6 comments:
Interesting. I've been curious about this one for a while, and it sounds like it might be worth a read. I'm always up for a laugh.
I'm glad you mentioned about her name. I was wondering if somehow it was just a coincidence, or if this was maybe supposed to be some kind of AoGG reworking.
I'm with V. I've been wanting to try this one for awhile.
Ooh, given the fact that the whole topic of arranged marriages is a hot potato here in England at the moment this is a must be read book.
I read Spin, loved it... and am on the tour for Forgotten... but this one Arranged I need to get. I love her writing and she is a fellow Canadian too.
Great review too, you make me want it even more!
Love this idea, as maybe arranged marriages can make a comeback! Have added this one to my wishlist, as it sounds like a great read! Thanks!
BookBorne: Nope, definitely not a reworking...but nice catch! Definitely laughs and smiles to be had.
Juju: You should! I think you'd like it.... ^_^
Petty Witter: Really? Well, it might put another spin on things....
fredamans: Another fan! *high five* You should definitely check it out...in the mean time, I'll be checking out FORGOTTEN and then we can compare notes! ^_^
Alexia561: I know, right? Funny and yet....
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