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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fast read with lots of enjoyable storylines, March 23, 2009
This review is from: The Flirt (Paperback)
This book reminded me of those movies like "Love Actually" that have tons of storylines going on all at once, which come together neatly at the end to leave you with a feeling of satisfaction of seeing how everything turned out for everyone at one time.
I am surprised to see so many negative reviews here - I really thoroughly enjoyed this book, and actually cared about each of the characters. I was particularly fond of Rose, who shows up at an interview to be part of the staff of a large billionaire's home, and winds up being mistaken for the Next Great British Art Talent because of a strange interview exercise that went awry.
I also really enjoyed experiencing the growth of Leticia, a girl who refuses to be close to anyone, has lots of one night stands but won't get romantically involved, because she was so badly hurt when she was younger.
And as much as Hughie is supposedly the "main" character, I saw him more as a pair of eyes who was experiencing all this stuff and relaying it back to me, more than actually caring about what he was getting up to. Having lived in London I loved the descriptions of all the neighborhoods.
I actually bought Elegance - Tessaro's first book - when it was new, but I'm ashamed to say that it's sat on my shelf unread for the past few years. I'm going to have to dig that out and read it next. Am happy to have found a new author I enjoy so much.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Quick and FLIRTY Read, July 2, 2008
This review is from: The Flirt (Paperback)
The Flirt by Kathleen Tessaro
Would it be every man's dream to be paid to flirt with women? Hughie thinks he has found this dream job that starts with a cream colored card secretively given to a woman to capture her attention, curiosity, and imagination. Kathleen Tessaro takes the reader to London where the main character is the charming and attractive Hughie Venables-Smythe. Hughie is a would-be actor looking for work and without realizing it, looking for a loving relationship. Hughie doesn't think he wants to tie himself down and in fact finds himself in a "no strings attached" relationship with an older woman. Leticia, who owns a rather non-traditional lingerie boutique, wants to be with Hughie only for sex and no further commitment.
Hughie answers a very unusual ad and finds himself being trained to be a "professional flirt". He feels this is a good job that enables him to work on his acting skills while making some much needed money. The job involves being assigned to flirt with a married woman to help them feel more romantic and wanted. This theoretically makes the woman feel better about herself and it carries over into her marriage and makes for a better relationship with her husband. The husbands themselves hire "the flirt" through this business set up to meet the needs of some very wealthy but discontented clients. Cream colored cards are secretively given to the wives by Hughie, and he follows up with his charms and attention. The conflict occurs when Hughie decides to implement what seems to be working in his "profession" into his own life with Leticia. What follows is a series of events that suddenly finds lives intersecting in ways that were not expected or meant to be.
Kathleen Tessaro, who gave us Elegance, brings us another comedic addition to "Chick Lit" that moves along quickly with humor and heart. The many characters introduced in each chapter add their part to the mix of this romantic romp. Some may find it hard to keep track of everyone and the part they play in this sometimes improbable idealistic escapade. However, when read as it is meant to be, a delightfully light romantic comedy and fun beach read, the reader will be glad that they encountered The Flirt!
Submitted: copyright by Karen Haney, 2008, published for Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Flirting with the Reader, June 30, 2008
This review is from: The Flirt (Paperback)
Under the guise of a shallow, clichéd romance novel, The Flirt dives into the issue of true love. In a skilled and subtle way, Tessaro manages to discuss, and without force, family love, old love and new love in a light, almost-guilty-pleasure type genre, with the atmosphere of a mid-twentieth century stage comedy. Although Tessaro barely skims the surface of about a dozen main characters, she keeps the interest alive throughout each storyline. Each character offers his or her interpretation of love, and while this may sound unoriginal, Tessaro pulls it off in a unique and comical way. A character with the name of Hughie Venables-Smythe makes you roll your eyes when he is first introduced. Even his name deserves an eye roll, but the dramatic name is all part of Tessaro's atmosphere. Hughie turns out to be a relatively un-sappy, refreshing romantic who believes in true love, even if he doesn't know where to find it. The charm and unexpected naivety in the male "flirts" often make the reader laugh out loud, for instance when the handsome playboy Marco approaches the unsuspecting and recently dumped Clara.
"Hello."
"You're mentally ill, aren't you?"
"Why would you say such a thing? That's just rude! I say hello, and you say, `You're mentally ill'!"
Overall, Tessaro's novel is delightfully shallow while also being unexpectedly bright and perceptive. A great summer read.
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