Customer Reviews

Bombshell

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We first met Grace as a minor character in "Engaging Men." She is a very complex woman nursing some very basic wounds. The loss of her birth mother (before she had a chance to meet her) has left some resounding effects on her, particularly her fear of ending up alone.

Grace has always been a cool customer when it comes to men after bearing her soul and giving her heart to former paramour (and boss), Michael, only to have him abandon her under the guise that he cannot pursue a relationship with a colleague. When a condom breaks while she is with her current beau Ethan, she realizes she is not so upset about the possibility of becoming a mother, Ethan on the other hand is horrified, which causes Grace to send him packing, while she contemplates single motherhood. She is tired of men that want her in their beds, but not a part of their lives.

A chance meeting with her father's colleague Jonathan, at an art gallery sends Grace's pulse soaring, but feels she got the brush off. When they run into each other again, they soon begin to see each other, though she's not sure what she sees behind his mask of ambivalence (though soon all is revealed). Both of them feeling unlucky in love results in tender and reticent moments as their relationship evolves.

Then Michael re-enters the picture, engaged to another employee of the firm, and smarmily comes on to her. It is Grace's final straw and forces her to come to terms with her fear of abandonment, pride, and her possibly unrequited feelings for Jonathan.

I did not think this one was quite as good as "Engaging Men," but it does stand on its own merits.

Thirty four years old Grace Noonan is having sex with her lover when his condom breaks inside her. While she calmly considers her options if pregnant, he blithely demand she go out and buy that French pill. Grace ends their relationship as she thinks "alone again, naturally".

At work as production manager at Roxanne Dubrow cosmetics for mature women, Grace learns that the company is taking a major turn to sponsor the Roxy D line for teens. Feeling a bit (make that a lot) too old for a teen campaign, Grace still dives full throttle into the project, which brings her to Jonathan Somerfield also working the change in direction. Besides their fathers being friends at Columbia, Grace feels attracted to Jonathan, who cannot believe this amazingly beautiful thirty something is so much more mature than the picture of her at sixteen that his father has. Still with business and sires to overcome, can Grace and Jonathan find a mutual path to happiness?

BOMBSHELL is an entertaining contemporary romance starring two likable lead characters. Grace is a terrific female trying to make it in a very competitive world in which anyone over thirty is considered geriatric at best and a DOP (politically correct dirty old person) at worst. Jonathan is a solid male counterpoint to Grace especially after the shortcomings (not that silly) of her previous lover. Fans of a lighthearted romantic romp will enjoy the cosmetics war between the generations.

Harriet Klausner

All of Lynda Curnyn's books are great fun to read, but it seems as though each new book has more character development and complex storyline. In Bombshell, the glamorous main character, who appears to have everything going for her, goes through things that make tears come to your eyes one minute, and make you burst into laughter the next. Some complex and tough situations are covered deftly. If you enjoy reading about resiliant New Yorkers navigating the social complexities, I would recommend all of Ms. Curnyn's books.

Bombshell has reaffirmed my faith in Red Dress Ink. Their 2004 offerings have ranged from mediocre to tremendously awful, but Bombshell is not great just by comparison. It's great, period.

As a heroine, Grace is believable and tangible. Her problems are real, and the way she deals with them is refreshing. There are no pat solutions, though there is a happy ending.

I particularly enjoyed the romance that blossoms in the book. Though the characters have baggage, it is well-written and defies predictability, which, in this genre, is difficult to do.

Lynda Curnyn, whose previous two novels I had not particularly enjoyed, is really on to something here. RDI, are you listening? This is the kind of book you should be publishing.

I didn't love the title of this novel - it made me think the main character would be smug and conceited, or the novel itself would be shallow - but neither one was the case. Curnyn does a good job developing the character of Grace Noonan, an unexpectedly complex woman who despite being blonde with a big chest, does not have a perfect life.

In fact, Grace was adopted and never got to meet her Eastern European mother. In addition, Grace is frustrated with men who want her "in their bed, but not in their lives." She also works for Claud-zilla (Claudia), an aging harridan who takes out her own unhappiness on everyone around her.

Angie DiFranco from Curnyn's previous novel, "Engaging Men," appears periodically, but Grace's more confident, nuanced narrative voice is more interesting than Angie's was. Recommended.

I couldn't get enough of this novel. I enjoyed reading it very much. I was not able to put it down.
Grace Noonan is a likeable character that goes through some rough times; she manages to work things out in spite of some painful events that take place in her life.
She finds love at a time when she least expected it. She was close to almost giving up on her love life.
Ultimately, I must say that this novel is entertaining, modern, and realistic. I truly recommend it.

Red Dress Ink, IMO, offers great chick lit books and this one didn't fail to deliver a good read! It is a tad slow at times but overall a very enjoyable read.

Grace is such a riot! She reminded me of myself in so many ways. From her therapist sessions to her best friends phone calls, the plot was hilarious yet meaningful also. Must read for any woman.

I finished this book two days ago, and I am still thinking about Bombshell Grace Noonan -- so I thoroughly regret not reading such a good book sooner!

While the writing style was nothing to "write home about," the writing is clear, precise, and well organized -- and, of course, witty. The plot moved along well, making it a real page turner. But the best part is that Grace Noonan's adventures seem real, emotional, and accessible. The emotions are palpable, and the ending IS NOT a fairy tale ending. The combination of a real, down to earth story and a realistic, ending (as in, not every loose end is necessarily tied up) makes it the perfect fun female novel. The is the kind that gives "chick lit" a good name.

Thirty-something year old Grace Noonan has just dumped her boyfriend Ethan because he's made it perfectly clear that he doesn't want to have a baby with her. From that point, she embarks on a little bit of soul searching.

Unlike other chick lit novels, BOMBSHELL has much more than gusto and a happy ending. In this novel, our heroine has realistic insecurities and real life issues. Struggling with the emptiness she feels from losing the biological mother she's never known, her psychologist swears that every negative issue or concern that comes her way has something to do with this unfortunate event.

On top of it all, she watches as the only man who she's ever really had any true feeling for, marry a woman for the same exact reason he broke it off with her. Grace begins to slowly but surely take life with a grain of salt. Grasping the realism that it is quite alright to be a buxom, bodacious blonde, who doesn't have the perfect body, life, or outlook on dealing with the male species, Grace is the perfect example of the caterpillar turning into the beautiful butterfly.

But of course, there is always the prince charming that comes along and steals our protagonist's heart away. This is where Dr. Jonathan Sommerfield comes in. Her relationship with the good doctor is one that is best left with minimal details, as it is a relationship that the author has put together so adequately. The way the two evolved into such growing individuals just by being with each other was so sweet!

I didn't read ENGAGING MEN prior to reading BOMBSHELL, but not having the background on the characters prior, the way I see most of the other reviewers did, was definitely NOT a problem. I enjoyed this book all the same, and feel that it is completely worthy of 5 stars!