Customer Reviews

Insider Dating

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

 

 

A year after the finalization of her divorce from Alex, investment broker Abby Dunn applies her financial knowledge to an on-line members-only database of eligible Boston bachelors. She isn't ready to take the plunge into the dating pool yet - she's waiting for a sure thing. As the members enter data about their dates and ex-boyfriends, they in essence are enabling other members to forecast the probability of compatibility based on his historical dating and behavior patterns. When Abby finally meets someone too good to be true, her quest to find out what is wrong with him nearly costs her everything, including her heart. Can you learn from her own past to look at a future with another man?

O'Connell can always be counted on to tell an entertaining story filled with humor and a flawed but realistic heroine with realistic friends who accept her despite her quirks. She takes a departure into more serious territory with a seemingly unsympathetic character in Abby - but shades of humor flow through Abby's aloofness asshe hides her insecurities. Though it can get a little heavy at times with her introspection about what went wrong in her marriage (and as the book progresses, it becomes evident), the payoff is a sometimes funny and often poignant look at a modern woman who will do anything to protect her heart.

I picked up Insider Dating on a whim because the back cover synopsis made it sound intriguing. It was time for a new novel and I finished this one in under a week. Although I have not shared the same experiences as Abby (main character), I can relate to her and the trouble she got herself into, stemming from unfinished business in her past. Her "crime" was completely inappropriate for a 30-something to commit, but she is easily forgivable because you can see that behind her mistake, she is a good, likable person with the same weaknesses and fears as the rest of us, and she takes responsibility for her actions. If Ms. O'Connell should write a sequel to this novel, I would buy it in a hearbeat.

i enjoy jennifer o'connell's writing, and it seems to improve with each book. the main character's emotions result in unethical behavior, beyond what i'd usually accept in a likable person but somehow you do still feel for her. the dialogue is what i really enjoy about o'connell's writing. she has a way of providing depth to characters with a-typical conversations. i particularly enjoy her male characters because while attractive, they are not storybook. neither are her endings for that matter; satisfying and good endings but lessons are learned, not erased.

What if single women could evaluate men the way they check out the stock markets? Abby Dunn is still dealing with the aftereffects of a divorce and is not yet ready to take a chance on men without knowing the odds in advance. Her job as a financial analyst leads her to creating a special database just for women in which they can share all of their INSIDER

INSIDER DATING is based on an interesting concept. The idea of putting men based on their attributes into various categories like stocks is unique. Jennifer O'Connell explains the stock market well so that readers such as myself who are unfamiliar with the various types of stocks will still be able to understand the notion.

The character of Abby, however, left me cold. Her constant angst became annoying, particularly as the storyline progressed. INSIDER DATING had moments where I just wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into Abby. Her selfishness is apparent throughout the story and it was hard not to feel some sort of twisted satisfaction that Abby got what she deserved.

INSIDER DATING is a well written foray into the financial world from a chick lit perspective. Jennifer O'Connell is to be commended for adding a bit of entertainment to the usually boring world of stocks. Unfortunately for me, Abby herself kept me from enjoying this tale as I was unable to relate to her total self-absorption.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

There are some spoilers in this review. The writing was great and the story kept me captivated but I did not think that the story was very realistic. I never really understood why Abby was divorced from Alex other than they fell out of love or possibly that Abby was afraid to love. It seemed to me that she was very much harmed from her parent's divorce many years earlier. It usually takes a really good reason to cause a divorce other than just falling out of love - it takes an event - you do not get along, somebody cheats, one of the persons involved in the marriage does something which causes trust to be lost. The reason for the disolution of the marriage just never rang true. Also I did not give much hope for the relationship with Abby and Mitch to progress - first Abby completely destroyed all trust. Mitch felt that he could not handle Abby and he told her he was not planning on dating her so I could not see them together ever. I gave the book 3 stars because the story kept my interest but the author did not elaborate on any of the reason's for the divorces (Abby's and her parents) other than they all fell out of love. I thought the story line was essentially very depressing because I felt that Abby probably threw away a good marriage since there did not seem to be any problem with the marriage. In addition, maybe the author decided that burying a perfectly good plantinum and diamond wedding set in the sand was a dramatic ending but I found that unreal also. Sell those rings! Or make a celebration necklace out of it when you were definitely over the trauma!