Customer Reviews

Borrowed Lives

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Luna is a very likable character who you easily become very fond of as we watch her accidentaly fall into - and take over - the life of her best friend Wren - who is dead. She is swept along by how easy it is to become Wren - who seems to have had it all. One fatal day someone who knew the real Wren comes along - her ex-convict husband - and totally throws Luna. This twist in the tale results in some hilariouse one-liners and witty comments on life. Luna and Wrens husband become involoed in each others lives and Luna becomes convinced that the husband is up to somthing highly illegal - which leads to a cat and mouse tale around the city ending up in a most unusual setting! The book is very funny and had me laughing outlound throughout. well worth a read!

This is one of the few novels that I cannot get out of my head years after I read it. Borrowed Lives has some of the most unique characters I have ever come across. The surprises and twists in the story keep the reader glued in their chair and yet it all seems plausible. Laramie Dunaway is a gifted writer and I look forward to reading more from her.

The plot is twisted, the characters are fascinating and the situations are so improbable, (except maybe in Hollywood), that I loved escaping into this book. I have recommended this book to many and they have enjoyed it, too. Laramie's other two books are excellent, but this is her best.

Borrowed Lives, by Laramie Dunaway is a sinfully clever tale. Issued for a reprint in October of 2008, the first edition was published in 1992. I find the author's story almost as intriguing as the book. Laramie Dunaway, a pseudonym for Raymond Obstfeld, has written over forty other books and screenplays. He teaches creative writing at Orange Coast College and is a contributing editor to Writer's Digest magazine. He is a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller for a previous publication. He was also nominated for an Edgar Award. He created the pen name, Laramie Dunaway, for this series out of fear he would not be taken seriously as a man writing as a woman. He quote, "came clean", with this edition. He resides in Tustin, California with his family.
Luna Devon finds herself at a stalemate. She was writing her thesis, applying for teaching positions, and in the process of a divorce. She's timid, predictable, and boring. Her best friend, Wren Caldwell, however, is not. She's quirky, gorgeous, and outrageously brilliant. When a bizarre shooting takes Wren's life, Luna makes the decision to reinvent herself... as Wren! Taking the position as a journalist for a trendy California magazine and beginning a romance with a man who just wants her to be herself, Luna aka Wren is in deeper than she imagined. Her ex, Byron shows up ready to go along with the scam. She falls in with a group of ecological terrorists. Her father has taken a preteen Indian medicine woman for his new wife. Luna swiftly discovers her life is the stuff movies are made of.
As with most reprints, the book is a bit outdated with current styles and events. It also had several grammatical errors, but I had the galley copy and expect these will be corrected before publication.
Laramie Dunaway skillfully creates a masterpiece of intelligence, humor, and intrigue with Borrowed Lives. The characters were relatable and believable. There were aspects of the book that the reader will know is coming, such as the shooting in the beginning of the book. However, the author puts such a spin on it that you can't help but feel shocked anyhow. Even the twists had twists. The writing style of this miraculous story is so unique that it's impossible to put down and draws you in at the first chapter. Borrowed Lives is a sassy, brazen, and witty story, sure to entertain any audience.

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer