Project Jennifer [Paperback]

Jill Amy Rosenblatt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2008

Joan Benjamin, a plain and uptight secretary on Long Island, New York, is suffering an identity crisis brought on by a very bad week. Her ex-fiance just married someone else; she's lost her cushy overpaid job; and she's been kicked out of her apartment. All because of women named Jennifer! So when Joan learns that her parents almost named her Jennifer, she decides to transform herself into the Jennifer she might have been...It's Either Everything...Armed with all the pop psychology she can get her hands on - and with the help of a dear friend who can recite Cosmo-style stats by heart - Joan sets out to cultivate her inner Jennifer: a sexy, successful belle-of-the-ball who's completely in charge of her professional and private lives.Or Nothing At All. But "Project Jennifer" is not a rousing success right out of the gate - apparently, even Jennifers can have bad dates and wardrobe malfunctions - but soon Joan begins to feel transformed by her new self. In fact, her Jennifer persona might end up teaching her a few unexpected lessons about life: like how to say "yes" to things you want and "no" to things you don't, and that just being yourself is enough. Even if that self is named Joan...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Not long after her ex-fiancé Michael marries too-perfect Jennifer, not-so-perfect Joan loses her job and her apartment. As she puts her life back together, she becomes convinced things would be easier if she were a Jennifer. She embarks on a self-improvement plan—starts working for an inexplicably charming insurance man, gets in shape, and adopts a flirty attitude that belies her status as a 30-year-old virgin. She’s goaded on by her best friends: Carrie, who maintains all men are scum even as she dates a nice guy, and Louise, who is married to her high-school sweetheart and spouts dating advice from Cosmo. In her debut, Rosenblatt draws on typical chick-lit lore: heartbreak, a revenge-worthy makeover, rebounds, and relationships. It’s how she wraps up Joan’s story that breaks free from cliché. Readers will root for Joan as she ultimately realizes good things come to non-Jennifers, too. --Aleksandra Walker

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758223587
• ISBN-13: 978-0758223586
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,951,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Raises the Chick Lit Bar, July 30, 2008

By 

Neil and Tracy "www.bookroomreviews.com & www... (IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Project Jennifer (Paperback)

If you like your chick lit with a great message then this is the book for you! Every woman can identify with Joan's feelings of inadequacy after being rejected, especially after finding out her ex is getting married to a seemingly beautiful and perfect Jennifer. So Joan decides to make herself over inside and out and pretend she is another person.



This is a wonderful issue to explore in a novel. Can we really change into someone else, especially a perfect idea of what we think others want us to be? These are great questions to explore with a book club. Jill Rosenblatt is a first time author, but her characters are fully developed and so engaging, so you would think she'd been churning out books for years. Project Jennifer is a fun and easy read with an important lesson, and it helps raise the bar for chick lit. I look forward to her next books.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book! Reinventing yourself makes a great read!, May 12, 2010

By 

Blonde Shell Bomb "Blondie" (Middle of MO, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Project Jennifer (Paperback)

I don't get to read very often but I am really glad that I took the time to read Project Jennifer by Jilly Amy Rosenblatt. The book caught my eye first because my name is Jennifer. After so many years of having such a common name, there have been many times that I've wanted to reinvent myself into a free spirit girl name Summer.

This book keeps you laughing and guessing the whole time, always wondering what is going to happen next. I really loved the descriptive writing and the character descriptions. Her mother and her neighbors were by far my favorite characters.

Such a great book that I'm going to read it again. That is the first time that I've wanted to do that!

4.0 out of 5 stars What's in a name?, January 11, 2009

By 

Amy Leemon (North Fond du Lac, WI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Project Jennifer (Paperback)

When Joan Benjamin's life falls apart - all due to women named Jennifer - she decides the problem is her name. It should be Jennifer.

So she becomes what she thinks a Jennifer is. But her life isn't any better - she's in the apartment from hell, her money is running out and her relationships are going downhill fast. Even her widowed mother has a boyfriend!

There are many funny parts of this book. You might find yourself laughing out loud - which may cause curious looks if you're in public.

With a big decision at the end, room is left for a sequel.

All in all, a good book and Jill Rosenblatt has made Joan the new Jennifer.