The Blonde Theory [Paperback]

Kristin Harmel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2007

Harper Roberts is a corporate attorney in Manhattan.She’s smart, attractive, and funny. So whycan’t she find a date? Men flock to her at parties whenthey think she’s a dumb blonde. But, as soon as theyrealise she’s a Harvard-educated lawyer, they flee.Harper’s best friend is a magazine editor whosuggests Harper go on assignment for a month as a 'dumb blonde' andsee if it changes her dating perspective. So, for two weeks, Harpergoes undercover. She changes her wardrobe, her conversation, her bodylanguage. The result is a series of comical encounters.Soon, Harper must take a good look in the mirror and realise thatit’s not just men who judge people on theirlooks.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her follow-up to How to Sleep with a Movie Star, Harmel, a chick lit reviewer for morning television show The Daily Buzz, nails the formula: girl can't get guy, girl employs zany tactics, girl gets string of lame guys, girl learns about herself. Harper Roberts is a brilliant 35-year-old New York patent attorney who hasn't had a satisfying relationship in three years. So when her girlfriends dare her to test the "Blonde Theory" as fodder for a magazine article, Harper takes the bait and agrees to spend two weeks as not just a blonde (which she is), but as a ditsy blonde, complete with skimpy clothes and a stunted vocabulary. She quickly rounds up dates with men who think she is either a cheerleader or a bartender, and she also connects with Matt, a dreamy soap opera actor who knows the real Harper. Assuming he is as superficial as the men ditsy Harper is dating, smart Harper doesn't believe his attentions are genuine. In the meantime, she receives sage advice from her (cute) plumber. This book isn't a life-changer, but it is a nice time killer. (Feb.)
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About the Author

Harmel is a frequent contributor to numerous publications inc. People, Glamour, Woman?s Day, YM and Men?s Health. She also reviews the newest and best 'chick lit' books as 'The Lit Chick' on the nationally syndicated morning tv show, The Daily Buzz.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: 5 Spot (February 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446697591
• ISBN-13: 978-0446697590
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #918,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Do Blondes REALLY Have More Fun?, February 16, 2007

By 

Wantz Upon A Time Reviews (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blonde Theory (Paperback)

Blondes do NOT have more fun. Well, blondes like Harper don't. She's an accomplished patent attorney, which means she is smart and has money. It also means that most of her dates disappear faster than a girl can blink.

Faced with dwindling prospects, Harper's friends dare her to test "The Blonde Theory." She is to go on dates while acting like a total ditz, not that she knows how. But with some help from her friends, she hits the dating scene with all the brains of an idiot.

Harper will learn more about relationships in two weeks of "The Blonde Theory" than in a lifetime of dating. Some answers won't be surprising, but others will astonish her. With a little luck, she might find what she's been looking for right under her nose.

Kristin Harmel brings readers her interpretation of a commonly held stereotype: "blondes of have more fun." Is this right, is it a gross simplification of the truth, or is it an outright crock? Harmel's perspective seems to be spot on, with a few poetic exaggerations. The writing is witty, sometimes charming, and usually engaging. That said, some readers will find Harper annoying. Here is a successful New York attorney, and all she seems to do is complain about how she can't land a man, even though she doesn't really "need" one. It may be hard for the average middle-class woman to sympathize with Harper's whining. After all, Harper earns a salary in the mid six figures, owns a spacious condo in NYC, and has earned her way to her dream career.

This is a good pick for fans of SEX AND THE CITY. Interest among other twenty- and thirty-somethings will depend on their willingness to sympathize with a successful, yet whiny, main character.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
02/16/2007

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable!, June 26, 2007

By 

K (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blonde Theory (Paperback)

I picked this up because of its title and it sounded like a fun read. Since I have brown hair, I really wanted to know what the author meant by "The Blonde Theory". I loved her last book "How to Sleep with a Movie Star" and had a feeling I would enjoy this one as well.

This was a great read, and I could barely put it down and I don't like to read that much. Very enjoyable - awesome characters - Can't wait for Harmel's next book! She's off to a great start with her writing career! I know she will go far..

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars - a fun read, February 17, 2007

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Blonde Theory (Paperback)

THE BLONDE THEORY by Kristin Harmel
February 17, 2007

Amazon rating 3.5/5

"Harper Roberts is smart and successful - she's a patent attorney who also happens to have a degree in chemical engineering. As the story opens, she faces a break up with her live-in boyfriend Peter. In shock, as Harper thought everything was going well, she realizes afterwards that maybe she isn't girlfriend material. Peter accused her of being too successful, saying that she made him feel emasculated.

That was three years ago. Now thirty-five, Harper is commemorating the anniversary of their break up (or three long years of being single) with her friends. They all agree that something has to change. As an experiment, and to coincide with friend Meg's magazine article for the Dating Files column of Mod Magazine, they convince Harper to dumb herself down for two weeks. Harper is to act the stereotypical dumb blonde, down to her every day vocabulary, how she dresses, and how she treats her dates. She is allowed to be herself only at work. Thus The Blonde Theory begins. Harper finds out that men do seem attracted to women as vacuous as a dumb blonde. Harper finds this unbelievable. But as agreed, she continues to seek out men in the wanted ads, the Internet, and elsewhere. Every date she has, no matter how smart and successful the man is, they all seem to want one thing - a woman with a good body and not much of a brain. She's frustrated, but the facts don't lie." - Complete review at BOOKLOONS - M. Lofton

This was a fun read, although one had to suspend belief in regards to Harper being a lawyer/chemical engineer. A variety of characters including a soap opera actor (Matt James) and her plumber (Sean) are important enough that they play pivotal roles in Harper's reassessment on men and dating. While not the perfect book, it had enough laughs for me to enjoy it.