The Not-So-Perfect Man [Paperback]

Valerie Frankel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 2004

As far as her family and friends are concerned, Frieda has been the grieving widow for long enough. At 35, she's still (relatively) young, still (adequately) attractive. Her sex drive is very much alive; even Frieda admits she'd like to put it to use again. Besides, she has a son who certainly needs a father figure. With visions of the perfect second husband in mind, Frieda's sisters start to send eligible males in her direction.

Big sister Ilene -- herself substantially married -- has found the ultimate unattached catch: a gorgeous, independently wealthy, successful, divorced father, pillar of society and paragon of potential. What more could a single mom ask for? Apparently a lot more than loved ones realize. Frieda's own efforts bear very tasty fruit. Sam is young, talented, devoted, and incredibly sexy -- though broke, only sporadically employed, and clueless about kids. But he makes Frieda feel brand-spanking-new, in a most wonderfully wanton way. When all is said and done, does Frieda really need the "perfect man" ... or the far-from-ideal man who's perfect for her?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As hundreds of romantic comedies have driven home to us, familial matchmaking just doesn't work. And nobody knows it better than Frieda Schast. When the 30-something heroine of Frankel's latest girds up her proverbial loins to hit the dating scene again after the death of her beloved husband, Gregg, her sisters have strong ideas regarding suitable prospects. Ilene, the control-freak executive, is determined that Frieda will have the perfect mate (and father for her young son, Justin): handsome, devoted and above all, successful. Betty, an overweight, wisecracking bookstore clerk, thinks Frieda should put more effort into getting laid than in taking a trip down the aisle. Frieda has fallen for a (much) younger and somewhat feckless actor, Sam Hill, but Ilene sets her up with dashing corporate golden boy David-he's nice, he's responsible, who cares if there's no zing? Meanwhile, Ilene is scrambling to resolve her own marital discord, and Betty has been taken on as a DIY improvement project by a charming temporary co-worker. It looks like chaos all around-and despite the feisty Schast sisters' regular summit meetings, nothing is turning out quite as it should. All of this should be charming, but tissue-thin characters and hackneyed plot twists drag the story down. Loyal fans will flock, but new readers will have to look to Frankel's backlist (The Accidental Virgin; Smart vs. Pretty; etc.) for fun and sparkly spring reading.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Frieda Schast lost her husband, Gregg, to cancer over a year ago and hasn't been interested in dating--until a sexy actor named Sam Hill walks into her life. Suddenly, she's swept up in a passionate liaison and loving every minute of it. She faces the disapproval of her older sister, Irene, a writer for a business magazine who would like to set Frieda up with her colleague David. Irene is frustrated with her husband, Peter, who needs to lose a good 40 pounds. Frieda's younger sister, Betty, is grappling with her own romantic problems; she's always been overweight and defensive, but when a sexy guy at work breaks through her barriers, she finds herself unexpectedly falling in love. Frieda is so caught up in romantic bliss that she barely notices her sisters' problems until Sam leaves town for an acting job, and Frieda begins to wonder if she's fooling herself about their relationship after all. A charming cast of characters and a delightful plot make Frankel's third novel a winner. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1 edition (January 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060536683
• ISBN-13: 978-0060536688
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,182,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Valerie Frankel has written twenty-five books, and hopes to write many more. For more info about her books, magazine articles, cats, kids, life in Brooklyn, reviews of other people's books, go to www.valeriefrankel.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More, Please!, January 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Not-So-Perfect Man (Paperback)

Give me more of the Schast sisters, please! All three are smart, funny, and ultimately flawed (in the best possible, most relatable, laugh-with-me) kind of way. Unlike some other fictional NYC women, this trio of unlikely heroines is neither sexier, more clever or hipper than thou. And there's a minimum of coy product placement. What there's a maximum of: interesting characers you root for, a plot with just enough complications and some informative insight about the complexities of emotions inherent in being married, single, and widowed. A great feel-good read on a cold day.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining reality-romance novel, August 19, 2004

By 

Lady from KC (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Not-So-Perfect Man (Paperback)

This book had the right blend of humor, reality, and romance. This book illustrates a common issue in relationships: Whether it is better to marry someone you are passionate about vs. someone who is practical.

I would not recommend it for young adults. The only reason why I did not give it 5 stars is because there is some bad language in the book. Otherwise, it is written very well.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than The Accidental Virgin, March 25, 2006

By 

Danielle (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Not-So-Perfect Man (Paperback)

I decided to give Valerie Frankel another chance after I had read and disliked "The Accidental Virgin" and this was a much better read. The book focuses on three sisters-Illene, Frieda, and Betty. I disliked the character of Illene the most and liked the character of Betty the most. Illene didn't have many traits that I could connect to and she did a lot of things in the book that I found to be really annoying and ridiculous. Frieda was a so-so character for me. I didn't mind her and I did root for her and Sam's relationship but there just wasn't something that I could fully connect with. I probably connected the most with Betty. I felt for her when she got duped (I don't want to reveal too much). The book is a fast read, as I read it in two days. I've bought The Girl-friend Curse by Valerie Frankel and hopefully that will be as good as "The Not-so-perfect Man".