Customer Reviews

Dating Without Novocaine (Red Dress Ink (Numbered Paperback))

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I have been reading these Red Dress Ink books in the order in which they were published, so with Dating Without Novocaine only being my 4th one, I'm not sure if this statement holds merit or not, but it is my absolute favorite one so far! The writing seemed more intelligent, and the subject matter was more realistic to me. I am so pleased with it, I am now looking forward to many more contemporary novels by Lisa Cach.

As usual, this story is your typical single-girl-looking-for-love saga. Twenty-nine-year-old Hannah O'Dowd is determined to meet the man of her dreams before her 30th birthday. However, with only four months left to go, the prospects are getting very slim. So with the support of her circle of friends, Hannah kicks her plan into high gear and embarks on a dating whirlwind -- with some very hilarious results.

Sound like a cut-out of all the other single-girl books? It is for the most part; however, Lisa Cach has went one further step. Dating Without Novocaine has a special something -- a bright splash of red in the middle of a white wall -- that separates it from the rest. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and despite its predictability, loved turning the pages to see how it would unfold. Hannah has a wonderful web of friends that help keep this story afloat, and Lisa Cach has done a fantastic job of fleshing each one to practically 3D-like proportions. A romantic, realistic romp of a read -- don't miss it!

I've read enough Red Dress books to know that I shouldn't expect a masterpiece. I enjoy reading these books while commuting and to relax at night after a long day. For the most part these books have served their purpose but I have to say that Dating Without Novicaine was bordering on insulting. When I read the back of the book I was intrigued by the Oregon setting. Working in the dot com industry I'm all too familiar with the Portland techie types and I thought it would be refreshing to get a slice of life beyond NYC. I swear that on Page 4, if not sooner, I knew who Hannah was going to end up with. I mean at least try to throw us off a tad. There were definitely some funny moments but all in all this book doesn't have much going for it, compared with the others in its genre. Up till now I've been a loyal Red Dress reader but any more books like this and I'll have to cut the cord. Oh well.

I bought this book looking for a light, funny read, and it delivered. Hannah, the main character, is a "mistress of the seam" (i.e., a seamstress), who is looking for love in all of the wrong places. Her missteps are hilarious, and they keep the action moving along. Hannah's search for Mr. Man in a Million includes her three friends, all with dating woes of their own. The development of Hannah and her relationship with her friends is terrific. Some of the dialogue is simply priceless, and it had me laughing out loud.
Ms. Cach has written a few romances, but this book is definately planted in the real world, and Hannah has real world problems and real world sex. My only quibble with the book is that it was a little predictable.
I sincerely hope Ms. Cach has plans to write more books like this one.

I was drawn to this book because it featured a main character, Hannah O'Dowd, who lived somewhere other than New York or London. Even more appealing was the fact that she had nothing to do with the publishing industry. And I found her dental phobia kind of endearing.
Unfortunately, as I delved deeper into this book, its charm began to fade. I found the author's style flat, with too much reliance on tired cliches. While there were some funny moments I found that they lacked originality. I found this to be the book's major flaw. Content-wise, the book is for adults, but it reads like a Sweet Valley High novel from a stylistic point of view.
I realize that the writers of "chick lit" do not aspire to be Kate Chopin. However there are many books in this genre that manage to be light and clever and well-written. Dating Without Novacaine does not fall into this category.

I've read all of the RDI books, and this has to be the worst. I'll agree with the other reviewers who complained about the predictability, the homophobia, and the weak writing. And I'll up the ante with weak editing. Other RDI books have typos and spelling errors in them, but this one looks like no one even ran it through spell-check before they published it.

But the best part:
"...we followed her swaying, tiered gathers of orange with pink bric-a-brac..."
Lovely as the image of a hostess at a Mexican restaurant with knick-knacks swaying from her skirt is, this is a book whose narrator is a seamstress. You'd think she'd know the difference between rick-rack (the zigzag trim I'm assuming she was talking about) and bric-a-brac (snow globes and collectible spoons from Disneyland).

I got as far as page 25 and realized I knew who would end up with whom. I was so irritated I checked the last couple of pages (something I've never done in my life- honestly) and sure enough, I was right. Also, the writing is too contrived. The main character, Hannah, attempted humor in virtually everything she said. Emphasis on "attempted."

Granted, the market is currently oversaturated with books on single women and 20-30 somethings, but that is all the more reason to expect a twist to go with this catchy title.
I found this book disapointing at best. It did not provoke a reader's "high" with a creative or developing storyline. The ending was so predictable within the first 20 pages, that the rest of the book was on autopilot. If I hadn't paid for the book I wouldn't have finished it.

Am I the only reader who was utterly shocked that there was no mystery about the end of the book!!?! I can't understand for the life of me, why an author would want to give away the ending to her own book, before you even open the first page. But, besides that aspect, I purchased this after loving all the other Red Dress Inc. publications. This contemporary novel is no Milk Run, my favorite of the Red Dress books. Definitely not a must read. Like I said, if you want to know what happens, just read the title.

I really enjoyed reading about Hannah's dating adventures. I found myself laughing quite a few times. Almost 30, Hannah realizes it is time to find "Mr. Right," so she develops a plan to find him. I thought the characters were well-developed and not the "fluffy" friends you normally find in chick lit books. Although I foresaw how it was going to end, I still enjoyed it.

The title is the reason I bought this book. I expected it to be much more entertaining than it actually was. I was quite disappointed. Although there were a couple of times it did make me laugh out loud, it ended up being quite predictable. Also, I was very disappointed in the ending.