A Girl's Best Friend [Paperback]

Elizabeth Young (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2003

Dogs Are Better Than Men

1. They never brag about their ex's stunning cleavage.
2. They don't moan or sulk if you're a half-hour late.
3. They never tell you a Brazilian would really turn them on.

After her most recent disaster with the King of the Unrepentant Jerks, Isabel "Izzy" Palmer is finally convinced that the only male she truly needs in her life is Henry, her lovable part wolfhound, part who-knows-what. Henry's faithful, he adores her madly, and he's great fun to sleep with. So who needs the additional heartache?

But even armed with powerful knowledge and a new resolve, Izzy starts to feel that familiar itch ... and it's all because of Nick. He's a vet for goodness sake -- confident, handsome and compassionate -- if a bit rough around the edges. After teasing her about Henry's unusual looks and questioning her most recent choice in men, Nick then has the gall to turn halfway charming. But he doesn't stop at halfway, and though she already has a best friend, Izzy realizes it doesn't preclude her from having a perfect match, too.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elizabeth Young started writing after holding a variety of jobs that included modeling for TV commercials in Cyprus and working for the Sultan's Armed Forces in Oman. She has two daughters and lives in Surrey with her husband who never once told her to forget writing and get a "proper" job.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060562773
• ISBN-13: 978-0060562779
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful chick lit, September 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Girl's Best Friend (Paperback)

Elizabeth Young is one of the very best chick lit authors; her books sparkle with subtle humor and romance. Her heroines are funny, likable and believable, and while they may get into scrapes, they are never stupid or annoying like so many lesser heroines in this genre. Ms. Young's latest, A Girl's Best Friend, does not disappoint. In addition to the marvelous human characters, there's a large, lovable dog too. What more can you ask for?

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Girl's Best Friend, March 4, 2005

By 

R. Benn (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Girl's Best Friend (Paperback)

After reading A Promising Man and Asking for Trouble, I was eager to read more from this author. However, I was a bit disappointed. The first half of the book focuses on many characters who are not even related to the main theme of the book participating in a murder mystery. It feels like the author wanted to write two books, and put them together in this- and it doesn't "flow" very well. It's hard to follow the characters at the beginning and leads to disinterest.

The 2nd half of the book is much more like the previous books I'd read by Elizabeth Young and I quickly got into it then. I'm an Anglophile and found British references/terms in the book even I didn't know. That was a nice touch.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Girl's best friend is...., September 12, 2003

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Girl's Best Friend (Paperback)

A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND by Elizabeth Young

Henry is Isabel Palmer's best friend - and he's a dog. He helps her land the man of her dreams in A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND, the latest novel by Elizabeth Young. Another book under the genre "chick lit", it is probably one of the better ones I've read this year so far.

"Izzy", as many call her, is currently dating Leo, who happens to have some baggage attached to him. He's divorced, has children, and seems to spend more time with the Ex and the kids than Isabel. But she perseveres, knowing that dating a once-married man means she will always be second to his children. She doesn't seem to mind too much that he isn't always reliable to show up on a date, but she knows that he's got other important obligations. However, when Leo cancels at the very last minute a very important party in which he was to meet all her good friends, Isabel has a fit. This is the absolute last straw!

So, Isabel attends the weekend sleepover party without Leo, and ends up meeting Nick, a very good friend of Rob, who is one of her closest and dearest friends. Nick is the replacement for Leo in this costume/murder game party they are all invited to take part in, and despite the fact that he is good looking and has a great body, he still rubs Isabel the wrong way. When Leo shows up unexpectedly, Izzy sees for the first time how jealous Leo can get, and this makes Izzy very happy. It surely must be a sign that things are going very well.

However, things don't go well at all. She eventually finds out that Leo has been fooling around behind her back, and at this point the only male she can trust is Henry, her faithful dog.

I was at first very overwhelmed with the cast of characters in the first few chapters. The chapters depicting the party at Felicity's had nearly every close friend of theirs described to a tee, and I couldn't keep up with who was who. But, overall, the book was very entertaining and it did have a few sad moments, which is not usual for a chick lit book. I'm giving this book 4 stars, and would consider reading other novels by Elizabeth Young.