Customer Reviews

Love @ First Site: A Novel

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

 

 

This was an immensely satisfying read, a breath of fresh air after the trite novels which usually characterize the chick lit category. I prefer the chick lit writers from Britain because their wit is dry and they can take any situation and take a look at it in perspective. The heroines of British chick lit also seem less shallow than the heroines of American chick lit. As a result, the characters are fresher and the subject is more appealing.

This book features the dating adventures of Jess Monroe, a woman who, at 34, seems happy in her single life in London. But secretly, she envies her sister, who has a perfect marriage and two children. This book takes a good, long look at the 21st-century way of dating- pulling it apart, sometimes exhibiting its merits- but always looking at it in perspective.

On her 34th birthday, Jess gets a card from a friend she detests- the friend has signed her up for a dating service, something which Jess has never even considered trying. At first, she is dead set against online dating- think of the dangers. But after receiving 48 e-mails from potential suitors, how can she resist? And some of them sound pretty decent. Alas, nothing is ever as it seems; some of the men who contact her have buffed out their profiles considerable to make themselves seem more attractive.

Those 48 e-mails are quickly reduced to 12 men, and Jess sets up dates with several. The first is Simon, a guy who seems perfect for her. But after what seems like a wonderful date, he ditches Jess, leaving her to pay the bill herself. Her friends ostensibly think that he's married and is simply a player. Nevertheless, Jess keeps on trudging along Following suit are dates with a vegetarian, and a man who somewhat resembles a Yeti, as well as countless others. Will Jess ever find The One? Will an online dating service help solve her dating problems? Or will it merely serve to confuse them?

Summa, with a dry wit, this book was extremely funny (take, for example, the scene at the beginning of the book- aka, the date with the Yeti). Sure, its not high-class literature; but what else can you expect from a chick lit novel? This is a highly readable book, not just for those who have put their toe into the proverbial online dating pool (or considered it; because honestly, how many single people are out there who haven't?), but for those who want a good summer read.

Jess Monroe is an over-30 single woman in London who is ready to settle down. For her thirty-fourth birthday, a mean-spirited friend buys her a membership to an online dating service, complete with a posted photograph. Jess rather hesitantly accepts the gift, prompted by her friends to give online dating a try. She is unhappy being single; she is unhappy in her job as a producer at a seedy morning show; she figures she has nothing to lose. After receiving more than thirty e-mails her first day, Jess narrows the responding suitors down to three: an attractive man who may or may not be married and who bolts in the middle of dinner, a vegetarian who spends lunch berating her for being a smoker, and a man so unattractive she pretends to be someone else to get out of the date. Compounding her bad experiences, Jess's sister Olivia becomes unexpectedly ill, which causes Jess to reevaluate the way she's living her life--and to change the things she doesn't like about her employment and dating circumstances.

Jane Moore's LOVE @ FIRST SITE is a charming and witty look at the perils of online dating. Moore is an entertaining writer; her narrative voice is sharp, frank, wry, and wildly funny. In the tradition of Bridget Jones, Jess Monroe is an honest and substantial heroine, looking for love and usually striking out. While the serious subplot of Olivia's illness is unexpected in a lighthearted piece of chick lit, it does add substance to the story and is an important part of Jess's evolution from a discontented single girl to a more mature and self-satisfied woman. LOVE @ FIRST SITE is what it is: a piece of chick lit, but a refreshing and enjoyable piece.

I'm not usually into chick lit, but this is one my mom--who has had her own unbelievable experiences with online dating--picked up and recommended. And I must say, I enjoyed this book as a relaxing piece of escapist fiction. I only took issue with one aspect of the book: the use of dollars instead of pounds for currency. Jess obviously lives in London; she works for a show called Good Morning Britain, and Moore, her creator, is herself British. The book is peppered with British slang...My point is, LOVE @ FIRST SITE obviously takes place in England, and it was published there first. So why does Jess pay 75 DOLLARS to enter a speed-dating event? There are other references to money as well that I just can't recall at this moment. What, did the publishers think we Americans aren't aware of the fact that England uses a different currency than we do? This discrepancy threw off the book's authenticity for me a bit.

Overall, though, my impression of the book was a positive one. A lighthearted story with a serious edge, LOVE @ FIRST SITE is entertaining and brilliantly funny, a fairy tale with a modern twist.

Just finished Emily Griffin's Something Borrowed then picked this one up right after...What a difference! Love at First Site is extremely boring right off the bat and the writing style is so painfully unnatural I couldn't make it past the first 40 pages. Griffin's debut, by comparison, is one of the best chick lit novels out there--very engaging with strong characters and lots of romantic suspense. Even if you like British chick lit authors as I do, don't bother with this one by Jane Moore.

Great idea for a book, but it felt really wooden. THe writing was stilted, the sister with cancer felt like a clumsy attempt to make the heroine seem likable and the whole thing felt really disjointed, like the author was putting in all the ingredients for a romantic comedy without really thinking about how it was all going to come together. None of the magic of Marian Keyes or Sophie Kinsella.

This is a great, quick read. Nice story, but the subplot with the main character's sister was a bit unexpected, esp. in this type of light-hearted novel.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I will read Jane Moore again!

I have read the other reviews posted here for Love @ First Site and see that it is either a love it or hate it kind of book. I happen to be in the loved it catagory.

Jess is celebrating her 34 birthday and at this stage in her life she would love to find the right man to settle down with and start a family but to no avail. As a gift, one of her friends signs her up for an online dating service. Jess is against the idea at first but with the support of her friends she decides to at least try and we end up seeing Jess go through a few dates that just dont pan out as well as her friends expected.

With a supporting story about Jess' sister suffering from breast cancer, Love @ First Site is more than just your average chick lit. It is also a smart and not always funny look into the life of the average woman and not just about a 30 year old single desperate to find the love of her life.

If you are a fan of Jennifer Weiner or Jane Green, and have not tried Jane Moore yet you might want to give this book a whirl. You just might love it too.

This book was LOL funny. I just randomly plucked it off of the shelf from the library on a whim and enjoyed it immensely. I thought the title went well with the subject matter--a young 30something woman who felt that falling in love should be a lighting bolt sort of thing. Yet she learns through the course of the story that love is much more subtle.

I like the lesson, but not how she learned it. I was shocked at the ending of the book because it was cliché, but the rest of the book was not. Or maybe it was, but it was so darned funny I didn't notice. SPOILER ALERT: I wish I was able to see more romantic interaction between Jess and Ben before the very end.

Anyway, I had a good time reading this book, so I'm giving it 4 stars.

I'm so glad I'm married.

Jessica Monroe is given the passive-aggressive "gift" of someone posting her profile on an on-line dating site. Gamely, she agrees to go on these dates, hoping eventually to find someone to love and marry. She is 34, after all, and her biological clock is ticking... The dates are so terrible (adulterers, know-it-all do-gooders, swingers, cheapskates) they seem contrived rather than based on someone real dating experience. However, I was rolling with laughter. True or not, they are hysterical.

Jessica was such a contradiction. She's bitchy and vocal to the dates, but stays through the dates out of politeness when any sane person would say, You know what? This is going to work." Why spend two hours with someone when you know after the first 20 minutes that nothing's happening. And then when she finally lets her true feelings known- watch out! Jessica's vicious, but says what many of us have dreamed of saying. Yet while she's dating and working, her family is struck by tragedy. Laughter and tears make for a great book combo. Yes, there's sex, shopping, drama, and pathos. I enjoyed. Hope you will too.

This book was witty, funny, and romantic. I really enjoyed it, and there were times I wouldnt put the book down :-). It was fun, and I look forward to reading more books from her.

I just want to say that this book is witty and cute for single girls who are on the computer a lot. Even if you aren't, it will make you change your mind about internet dating. the main character is a doll!!! She is soo cute, with her self conscious way of viewing herself , yet shows confidence enough to tell these ignorant guys where to shove their insensitivity.
It is a great book. It took me only a few days to finish, and i work 2 jobs. I recommend it to any young female who has dated onthe internet...