Old Boyfriends (Harlequin Next) [Mass Market Paperback]

Rexanne Becnel (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harlequin Next | Publication Date: August 1, 2005

x

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though now best friends in California, neglected housewife Bitsey, trophy wife M.J. and divorcée interior designer Cat are all "Grits": girls raised in the South. When the death of M.J.'s wealthy husband leaves her destitute on the eve of Bitsey's 30-year high school reunion, the three plan a road trip to their hometown of New Orleans—and the boyfriend each has left behind. M.J. abandons her former flame in favor of paraplegic auto mechanic Steve. Cat, meanwhile, finds that sparks still fly with sheriff Matt, and Bitsey is tempted by her ex-love Eddie, now an activist lawyer. Family dramas abound as well, from Bitsey's disaffected daughter to Cat's alcoholic clan. Events work out far more neatly than in real life (e.g., all three women breezily abandon California and move back home), but Becnel deftly captures the way actual women think, giving the book an emotional groundedness that balances its romantic fantasy; insightful descriptions of Steve's physical limitations and Bitsey's distant marriage add realism as well. Brisk and entertaining, with a welcome focus on middle-aged sexuality, this tidy tale proves that Becnel is just as much at home writing high-quality contemporary fiction as penning the historical fiction for which she's known (The Heartbreaker, etc.). (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Three women from New Orleans now living in California become best friends. Each is at a crossroad, and the trio decides to drive to Louisiana for a thirtieth high-school reunion. M. J. is a former beauty queen turned trophy wife whose husband has a heart attack while in bed with another woman. Twice divorced, Cat goes along for the ride but, unbeknownst to her friends, comes from a truly dysfunctional family she is not keen to visit. It's Bitsey's reunion. Her children are grown, her husband ignores her, and the thought of her old school friends seeing her dowdy, overweight self sends shivers down her spine, but her friends convince her to go. All three secretly hope to reconnect with the boyfriends they've never forgotten. What they hope to find in New Orleans and what they get are vastly different things, but they do discover their true selves in the process. And Becnel's ability to create mature, appealing characters is matchless. Maria Hatton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373880561
• ISBN-13: 978-0373880560
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,134,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Characters, great story!, August 8, 2005

By 

Jean "www.wildwomenstories.blogspot.com" (Fremont, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Boyfriends (Harlequin Next) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a great book of friendship and finding love. It has that genuine wit that gets to the heart of a woman's feelings. I loved the way the author told the story through each woman's perspective, and needs. Unlike the other reviewer, I did not find that distracting, but rather clever and well-written. This is the first book I've read by the author. If this is any indication of her talent, I'm sure I'll be reading more!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A coming of (middle) age tale, November 3, 2005

By 

N. A. Genovese (Southeast Louisiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old Boyfriends (Harlequin Next) (Mass Market Paperback)

Rexanne Becnel has skillfully crafted an exquisite coming of (middle) age tale to which most readers will be able to relate. "Three women raised in the South and trapped in California" decide to go together to their home town of New Orleans after one of them has received an invitation to her 30 year high school class reunion. While there, they can't help but check out their old boyfriends to find out if they missed anything good.

From the time they leave their homes in California, to the long journey on Interstate 10 to New Orleans, to the time spent in New Orleans prior to the reunion, and to the reunion, the three examine their pasts and experiment with their futures to rediscover themselves and realize their true life lessons as they experience both tragic and comic episodes.

Old Boyfriends kept me entertained, interested, and wondering from the moment I picked up the book to the moment I put it down. The characters are exciting, interesting, and realistically portrayed in an all-for-one-and-one-for-all relationship.

Rexanne Becnel does as well in modern romance as she does in historical romance. Old Boyfriends is a great read. I recommend it highly.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars amusing coming of age relationship drama, August 9, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old Boyfriends (Harlequin Next) (Mass Market Paperback)

In Southern California, everyone pays respect to the "great" man, but his widow Mary Jane "MJ" Hollander knows her bisexual spouse's final breath was on a round bed of a "pseudowoman". While his adult kids and their spouses salivate over the inheritance, MJ makes it through the platitudes and the sushi served by her stepson only because her two best friends Cat and Bitsey are truly there for her.

The three transplanted southern amigos get together to help MJ with her grief and discuss the men in their lives including the one that memory serves as being their ideal mate. Bitsey is married to her lord and master Jack Albertson who never appreciates her efforts because if he didn't do the chore then it is not perfect; however, he never does it with her nor helps with their Stepford kids. Cat has less patience with the lesser gender than her friends having two divorces on her belt. Sick of selfish perfection, avaricious stepchildren, and failing husbands, the trio agree to visit each one's hunk that got away to see if the memories match the realities or their dead, ex, and living husbands.

Though middle age female buddies star, OLD BOYFRIENDS is an amusing coming of age relationship drama. The three women learn about themselves during their often comic escapades as they realize how much their behavior as an individual and as a trio impact on the rapport with others. Though the fine story line lacks a specific center to hold the tale together due to the constant rotation of perspective, fans of a jocular tale with a moral "to thine own self be true" will hitch a ride in the Jag.

Harriet Klausner