Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Kindleobsessed Review, September 10, 2010
This review is from: Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many (Kindle Edition)
I am not a fan of reality TV. I'd rather keep out the Kardashian's than keep up with them, and just the thought of shows like Jersey Shore make me question society's mental stability. There's no denying that they have taken over main stream media, (hell... I can't even go 10 minutes without seeing a tweet about Snookie) but what happens when it trickles over into literature?
Madeleine-Cora is a private person... or at least she was until one night she tried extreme drinking and as a result signed up for a television dating game. No problem right? Put on a cute dress, fill out some questionnaires, and pick out your hottie. It's just to bad it didn't turn out that way. Instead, MC is thrown onto an island (sans soap) and told to "work it out" What does that mean exactly? Well it roughly translates into "Sorry we lied to you, but here are 8 of your ex boyfriends, 7 of which you will be camping with, and make sure you don't wipe with poison ivy." Will MC survive the onslot of bitter men she is now forced to co-exsist with? And more importantly... what will happen when she realizes there's more at stake than a just a million dollars?
I first fell in love with Heather Wardell's unique way of story telling in "Go Small or Go Home" and I'm happy to say my opinion stands. There is nothing better than finding love in unexpected places and Wardell's knack for "creating the experience" is one of a kind, but even with all her "pole standing" and "peroxide" moments, her characterization is where she really shines.
MC is a complicated creature (ok... maybe complicated isn't the right word... lets go with neurotic) and her emotional roller-coasters could have very easily turned into pages of unnecessary whining, but instead, we were offered emotional depth with limited dialogue (think "a look is worth a thousand words.") As a reader I was so entranced by gestures and their meanings that even the slightest of nods had me questioning characters motives, and in turn kept me glued to the book. But that's not all, with a book so full of lively (or arrogant) personalities it was almost inevitable that a few of them would fall through the cracks... not the case. Each player held their own, and in some cases had moments of genuine shinyness (<- pretty sure that's not a word.) of their very own.
So...where do I stand on the "reality is my life" poll now? That's easy...reality TV still sucks, but reality fiction... that's a whole new ballgame.
Get it, Live it, Love it...Pass it on, because this one is a keeper folks. Great plot, flawless writing, and an unexpected heart flutter here and there.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: The buddy system was created for a reason people... USE IT!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great premise BUT..., May 29, 2011
This review is from: Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many (Kindle Edition)
I loved the concept of the book - SO ORIGINAL. I can honestly say I've never read a RomCom quite like this one.
My major problem with the book was really the protagonist MC. To be quite frank I found her really annoying at times. SPOILER ALERT: who breaks up with their boyfriend after a pretty perfect relationship thus far because he wouldn't/couldn't get his brother to stop teasing them about overhearing them having sex? Better yet, who could find this same mistake "unforgivable" after YEARS have passed? Come on! Further, she was so incredibly dense when it came to Kent, her ex who was also on the island with his ex girlfriends, that it just got to be too much at times. There just wasn't enough development of her character to make her quirks likable in my opinion.
Another problem I had was that it got really sappy at times...I found myself rolling my eyes a ton during the last 1/4 of the book. MC was crying practically every 4 pages and her and Aaron's relationship was so saccharine towards the end that it was hard to stomach.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good romance novel/RomCom but this one just didn't do it for me.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A unique romance novel, May 22, 2011
MC was having rotten luck in the wonderful world of dating, so on a whim she applied to be on a dating show. Never in a million years did she imagine it would turn out the way it did, with MC stranded on an island with 7 exes, competing against yet another ex and his team of 7 exes. It was like survivor, with sex partners. Sure that all these men hate her, MC wonders how she will manage to make it through the required 21 days, not to mention try to win the game. But will she end up winning more than just a game?
For any reader who also loves reality television, this book is sure to be a hit. I will admit, there was a time when I was a reality t.v. junkie, so I found this book really funny, and at the same time insightful to how life must be for those who compete on the reality shows. I loved the characters in the book. You might think that this sounds like too many exes to keep track of, but Wardell does a fantastic job of really developing the characters, and making sure you are able to keep them all straight.
I thought the storyline was a fresh take on a romance/love triangle situation. More like a love octagon! The idea that the whole situation is framed around a reality show was innovative, in my opinion; I have not read any other romance book set in such a unique manner.
As always, Wardell delivers a book that is romantic and charming, sexy but not smutty. For anyone looking for a great romantic read for your summer vacation, I say, look no further!
A review copy was provided by the author.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
