Customer Reviews

A Girl's Best Friend

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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?

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.

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.

London real estate whiz Isabel (Izzy) is convinced that the only male who loves her is her odd looking dog Henry. Even her lover cannot be counted upon - he is more devoted to his ex-wife and children then to Izzy.

When Leo cancels yet another engagement, this time a sleepover murder mystery party in Devon, she decides to go without him. There she meets handsome Nick, a friend of her pal Rob. There is an instant attraction to Nick that she cannot deny, but he rubs her the wrong way. Perhaps it is all the teasing he does. Of course, when Leo finally shows up and is jealous too boot, it is an added bonus.

After being devastated by Leo's wandering eye (among other body parts), Izzy finally moves on. During subsequent visits to Devon, her friends scheme to get she and Nick together. They form a friendship, and then she starts to fall for him. But the loss of her best friend brings about a horrific heartbreak she could never thought could happen.

The story is witty and engaging, though the first several chapters surrounding the party are pretty chaotic, particularly with the number of characters not only introduced, but the characters that the characters are portraying - it is hard to keep them straight. Get through the party and the rest of the story is a piece of cake!

I bought this book on the strength of A Promising Man and Asking for Trouble, which were good British chick-lit books, a genre I read extensively, even ordering off of amazon/UK to get the books not published here. :)

This book has the author's usual strengths of a very lively storytelling style. She's fun, sparky, and this comes across really well. BUT it's all fun and no substance. This is not a well structured story, there are no real conflicts, the love stories have no impediments - no one is star crossed or suffering, it's just a telling that goes like, first we did this, then we did that, then this happened, then that happened.

The author throws a whole group of characters at us from the get-go, and we're supposed to be interested in all the details that go into planning a murder-mystery dinner, including long descriptions of the characters each character will be playing. The main character is already in a relationship, which seems to be okay, the only real complaint is that Leo spends a lot of time with his kids, and who can fault a man for being a good daddy?

So Izzy just goes along with the tide - she's a very passive character, which does not lead to much drama or comedy either way. She's game for a good time, but since she has no real problems, no real hopes or dreams, nothing at stake or on the line, I couldn't bring myself to care about her or her friends very much.

A good author knows how to create anticipation by giving us a setup that is sure to have a big shoe dropping at some point, then either delivers the shoe we feared or a twist, something unexpected. There's nothing unexpected here, no shoes to drop. So only get this book if you don't care much about plot, and only wish for likeable characters having a good time. I think your money is better spent on the author's other books, and authors like Marian Keyes, Jilly Cooper and Jill Mansell, to name a few, who really know how to give us the whole story package.

I am an avid reader of Chick Lit, and have read and enjoyed others by Elizabeth Young, so I felt kind of guilty about not being able to get into this book. I found myself, about halfway through, just skimming the pages. My interest started to falter with the "Murder Mystery Weekend" with which I found it difficult to keep up. After that, I just couldn't get into the characters. Maybe I'll enjoy her next one more...

If you like "chick lit", then this is the book for you. It has a slow start. It does get better in about the 4th chapter but their is a lot of british lingo in this book. The ending was to rushed for my taste!

Maybe I'm naive, but I expect a book's marketing to have some semblance to the story inside the cover. If one were to believe this book's promotion, one would assume that a dog plays a major role in the story's development. Outside of one major scene, he doesn't. People who think that A Girl's Best Friend is primarily a story of a woman who overcomes heartbreak thanks to her faithful dog should realize that it's more accurately described as a story of a woman with a dog that's in the background.

Since the marketing is somewhat disingenuous, one has to cast a wary eye on the narrative itself. While the story is staple "chick lit" tale of a woman who is trying to find "Mr. Right", the way in which it unfolds is different (albeit not in a positive way). One first notices this different style upon seeing the torrent of characters that Young unleashes within the first 50 pages. While most of these characters fade into the background as the story develops, the overwhelming way in which they were presented leaves the impression that Young was trying to make a more epic story than the subject matter could support. The book's other interesting feature is that it is centered around three major scenes. This organizational style leaves the reader with the feeling that they are reading three short stories, and not one novel, that share the same characters.

I've usually found that there's trouble present when a book's marketing doesn't match its story. Fortunately, A Girl's Best Friend isn't abysmal. It is a basic, but unremarkable, addition to the "chick lit" genre. Still, it might have been more memorable had Young not overloaded the reader with characters and weakly tried to tie three stories into one. Given these flaws, one should pass on this "dog."

Young shows again how she's becoming a master at warm, engaging, funny, and sexy stories. With A Girl's Best Friend, she manages to balance all of the elements - the story isn't too sweet and sappy, but you definitely feel good after finishing it. Izzy is an estate agent in the London area, she's seeing the lovely Leo. Well, he's lovely except for the fact that she never seems to come first with him. Izzy has a great circle of friends - and through them she meets Nick, a Vet in a corner of Devon. Together, they play an important part in a house party murder mystery game. Simple enough - but after that weekend, Izzy's life starts to take a different direction. Naturally, all's well that ends well (for several people and one wonderful dog). In fact, this book features one of the best (if not THE best) "Big Romantic Gestures" I've read - Nick knows the way to a woman's heart is through her dog! Young manages a sharp and often sarcastic wit that never turns bitter or biting, Izzy is self-deprecating without being whiny or psycho. And, unlike many books, the spark between the two main characters rings true. A lovely, lovely book! --

I've read all of Elizabeth Young's books and, like the others, I thought this one was fantastic. I think she's a fabulous author.

First of all, she tells a great story with lots of excitement, romance, and vivid descriptions that make you feel that you're part of the scene. She has a knack for sharing the insightful thoughts and feelings of the main character, Izzy, that make you feel like you know and understand her. (They're often thoughts and reflections that you may have had yourself in similar situations, but never bothered to spend time thinking about or sometimes even admitting.) Anyway, the end result is that it makes you feel like you're walking in her shoes and feeling her every high and low.

Lastly, I love the whole British scene. As an American, I adore and envy the great expressions they use when they talk and the lovely country settings and local pubs seem so inviting. It's a welcome departure from the life I lead (which isn't bad either!).

All in all, a fabulous read with some interesting insights on the human character. I hope the author writes many more books!