Customer Reviews

The Importance of Being Married: A Novel

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

 

 

This book was marginally interesting; it actually started out with a great female character and a realistic plot and then, somehow, got unrealistic very fast. Jessica Wild inherits an exorbitant amount of money, but she pretended to be married in order to get the money; she now has only 50 days to get married or lose the estate. Although the book was about marriage there was not much romance in this book (hardly any), and the story was plot-driven and not character-driven. That left the characters really undeveloped and one-dimensional and the plot, unfortunately, unbelievable. The beginning chapters were fun, but by the end of the book I didn't have much interest left in Jessica's life and troubles.

If you can over look a weak heroine who lets everybody in her life tell her what to do, then this is a fun read.

It's very typical for me to take about a week to finish a book because I may not have the chance or desire to pick it up. I finished this in two days, in addition to having a 4 yr old running about, which is an accomplishment for me. It never once got boring. All the characters were great and I especially loved Max. He was so realistic I want him as my boyfriend!!! So this is going to be a trilogy? Can't wait to read the next!

Jessica Wild is anything but. Her idea of a good time is visiting her grandmother's neighbor in the nursing home and concocting a fictitious romance (complete with the happily ever after) worthy of the paperback novels her friend adores. Jessica's problems begin, though, when her friend passes and leaves her fortune to Mrs. Jessica Milton, Jess' alter ego who married her boss. Now Jess has fifty days to make Anthony Milton not only fall for her, but marry her, or she has to forfeit her inheritance.

This English chick-lit is a lively romp of deception. Of course if you are like me, one who cringes every time the heroine digs her hole a little deeper, it will likely make you uncomfortable (my logical side says, explain yourself to the guy and split the cash with him-but then we wouldn't have a story, would we?). And don't get the idea that this is just another underling-falls-for-the-boss plot line. The secondary characters add exceptional flavor to what could be typical chick-lit. What's a good story without a little over-the-top zaniness wrapped up in stilettos?

This is a fast-paced trip through intercultural London. Despite my squeamishness caused by Jess' hole digging, it was much like a traffic accident I couldn't look away from. I needed to see if everyone survived unscathed, and I tore through this book as if I didn't have an entire vacation week to finish.

I say "bravo" to Gemma Townley for taking a typical plot line and turning it on its head.

Armchair Interviews adds its own Bravo!

Why is it that every heroine in these "chick lit" books is a lying idiot who doesn't know when to stop digging herself deeper and deeper into the messes she gets herself into? It's very annoying. My best friend always passes these books on to me and I love to read so I always find myself picking them up. Then I spend the entire time hating the main character and wanting to slap some sense into her. I wish I could just stop reading these books when I figure out that it's just more of the same; however, when I start something I generally have to finish it. I just find myself hoping that the next chapter of the book will find our heroine run down by a runaway trolley or, better yet, strangled to death by the people she torments with her stupidity and selfishness. Alas, there never seems to be any karmic retribution for these gals.

Newsflash for chick lit authors: empty-headed pathological liars are not cute, sexy, endearing, or funny. They are scary, irresponsible, morally bankrupt MORONS. Why don't you write a book about a smart, funny, HONEST girl who gets into scrapes through no real fault of her own? I'd like her a lot more.

Just to be helpful, if you ENJOY books like this (lots of lies, romantic scheming, and completely unrealistic plots), you might want to try the Shopaholic books. That series almost made my head explode. You'll love it if you're into this sort of thing.

While visiting her grandmother in the retirement home, Jessica wild befriends another resident, Grace Hampton. Even after her grandmother dies, Jessica continues her visits since Grace is son interested and loves hearing about her romances. The only problem, Jessica has made up everything about her engagement and marriage to her boss, dashing ad executive Anthony Milton....Oh, there is an Anthony Milton. He's Jessica's boss and barely aware of her existence. Jessica would have been fine except Grace passes away and leaves her estate to Jessica. Grace Hampton is actually Lady Hampton and she has left Mrs. Milton a very wealthy woman. Suddenly, Jessica finds herself caught in the middle of a very well intentioned lie. If she intends to collect her inheritance, then she needs to become Mrs. Milton, and fast.

The Importance of Being Married begins with such promise and is quickly bogged down with subplots and improbable characters. Jessica is a very likable but surrounded by really unlikable folks, it made for difficult reading.

Project Marriage began the day that Jessica Wild's grandma died. Jessica was visiting her grandma at the retirement home when she met her relative's neighbor Grace Hampton. Jessica and Grace became friends. She told Grace that she worked at Milton Advertising and when the older woman told her to get a beau; she swore she was dating the legendary Anthony Milton. Over time she told Grace they were engaged and eventually happily married; white lies made the older woman feel good about the commitment phobia Jessica.

When Grace dies Jessica is stunned to learn Mrs. Anthony Milton has inherited millions in pounds. There is only one problem, Jessica is not married to her boss and has fifty days to claim her inheritance. Unable to tell him the humiliating truth and beg for his assistance with a temporary marriage, with the help of her flatmate, Jessica creates a strategic plan to accomplish Project marriage. Obtaining professional consulting help, Jessica succeeds in getting engaged to Anthony, but as they plan for their wedding, she dreams of his bud.

This chick lit Cinderella caper is a fun tale especially when the lead character seeks advice from her friend and pros like a hooker instead of a guidebook like THE HOPELESS ROMANTIC'S HANDBOOK. The makeover from middle class worker into sex siren with a snip and a clip is inane and slows the otherwise impish story line. Still this is a wonderful English tale filled with a strong protagonist who begins to question for love or money.

Harriet Klausner

a bit boring in the beginning but suddenly interesting turn of events towards the ending..
still worth the read..finished it in 3 days..this is something you could picture in the cinemas

The story is based on well-worn clichés such as `love is more important than money' and `you have to look for inner values', blah, blah.... which is not a sin in itself if a book is well-written, which "The importance of being married" is sadly not!
It is an average, not very entertaining, we-saw-and-read-it-all-before kind of book where you'll realize what will happen at the end by page 15 and by page 50 you start wondering why bother to go through with it at all.
If you feel you want to read the book, do look for it in your local library instead of spending money on it.

"The Importance of Being Married" was a cute take-off on Oscar Wilde's farce "The Importance of Being Earnest." With any farce, you have to prepare to suspend your belief and be willing to accept the whole double-life-built-on-a-tissue-of-lies theme, so I enjoyed this book as a clever tale about a girl who invented a story about herself and then got so caught up in the details, she found herself in a complicated situation that offered no easy way out without a lot of awkward 'splaining.

If you've ever read (or seen) "The Importance of Being Earnest," you'll recognize the plot twists and turns as the introverted, serious-minded Jess Wild (Jack Worthing in Oscar Wilde's play) becomes "Jessica Wiiiild" (Jack's alter ego, Earnest) in order to achieve a certain goal -- marriage -- with a certain person, in a very limited amount of time.

The problem with this novel is this: Oscar Wilde's farcical drama is a bit of timeless comedic drama with a tightly woven plot, while Gemma Townley's novel suffers from some gaping holes. The biggest hole involved Jess herself: If she is such a shark for her career, why does she allow Marcia to shaft her? And once Jess has the account, why does she ignore it to the point of looking unprofessional and foolish at an after-lunch meeting and at the presentation itself? That seemed very out of character.

There were a few other problems as well that didn't fit Jess's character and a definite problem with Anthony's character as he related to both Jess and Max, but I don't want to write about those in the interests of not providing spoilers for potential readers.

The resolution of the plot was not completely satisfactory either, although everything ended as you'd expect a light-hearted chick lit novel to end.

On the whole, this is an entertaining novel for the beach or the pool. You can pleasantly pass the time with "The Importance of Being Married", but don't expect too much of it.