You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs [Paperback]

Laurie Graff (Author)

Book Description

Series: Red Dress Ink Novels | Publication Date: January 1, 2004

Tales from the dating pond.

"It only takes one."

"There are a lot of other fish in the sea."

"Every pot has a cover."

"When it's your time, it will just happen."

Ugh!

Karrie Kline had heard it all. But her search for the perfect man had never been all that pressing until her laugh lines became more noticeable, she attended one too many bridal showers and woke up next to far too many never-gonna-commit men. Suddenly, she realized that finding someone to love (and who actually loved her back) was important. Karrie wanted more. But knowing what she wanted, and actually getting what she wanted . . . well, that was a lot to think about.

Through her wry, witty and sometimes wrenching recollections, join Karrie as she looks back at over fifteen years of dating vignettes involving disastrous fix-ups, strange chance encounters and missed opportunities. From the shortest date in Manhattan history, to Mr. FamousHollywoodTelevisonActor who was more bark than bite, these are tales for every woman -- whether she's found her Prince Charming, or her lips are incredibly chapped from kissing her own share of frogs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Disguised as yet another chick-lit novel about disastrous dating, this book moves beyond genre constraints to offer a provocative and intelligent look at the ways that people search for a meaningful life. Cleverly titled chapters such as "Weight Listed" and "A Clue in Time Saves Nine" describe actress Karrie Kline's dating adventures, but there's a continuity in her narration that makes this novel more than the sum of its parts. Several themes recur throughout, including Karrie's admiration for her mother and stepfather's marriage and her relationship to Judaism, and though romance may come hard to Karrie, her love for New York City is constant, even when she briefly expatriates to Los Angeles. While Karrie's dates are truly hilarious-like the man who wears the same outfit every day, and the man who barks like a dog to show affection-there's also a sense of poignancy as Kerrie truly attempts to give each man his due. Her dates wind through the decades, tracing history as they do, and what's left when the laughter dies down is a normal woman looking for a normal type of happiness, but one who passes by her lucky break like a ship in the night. Those expecting a light and fluffy confection will likely be pleasantly surprised by this more substantive fare.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Graff's debut novel opens at a bridal shower. Karrie Klein, 45, has never been married, and she is attending her umpteenth bridal shower for yet another friend who's found the mythical "one." This leads Karrie to reminisce about her own dating history, starting in 1988 and covering 15 years of losers, freaks, oddballs, and just downright insensitive and selfish guys. Her boyfriend at 30, David, introduces her to his parents, who love her, apparently more than David does. Jack, a born-again Christian, seems like such a bad match from the outset that Karrie muses, "It would have been easier to not have the relationship and to have just sold the movie rights." As she struggles in the New York dating world, she also struggles to make it as an actress. More than just a catalogue of loser guys and bad relationships, Graff's smart and funny novel shows just how hard finding the right man can be and how easy it is for a relationship to fail. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Red Dress Ink; X edition (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373250460
• ISBN-13: 978-0373250462
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,310,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Immensely entertaining, January 3, 2004

By 

J. Robinson (Thousand Oaks, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs (Paperback)

I love all of the Red Dress Ink books I have read, and when I spotted this one in the bookstore, it looked like it would be right up my alley. And it was. The protagonist, Karrie Kline, had a strong voice that came through clearly in these series of humorous vignettes about dating. The author was also able to keep what could be a depressing subject mostly upbeat. She seemed to observe her experiences in a positive light and move on into the next experience. I think everyone has a little of Karrie Kline in them, especially when it comes to the dating world. Though the novel was quite long, it did move very quickly and actually made me laugh out loud at several parts! I have recommended it to all of my friends who are dating and need a good laugh. And, of course, I recommend it to anyone who is in the mood to read a great book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars So what?, June 18, 2005

By 

Erika Reviews (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs (Paperback)

It's rare that I do not finish a book, but I had to put this one down. It was nothing like I expected it to be. The writing just was not captivating enough to make me force myself to finish it. I feel a book is only good if you can care about the characters in one way or another, and this book made me think, "So what?"

I wouldn't waste my money. Well, actually, I did. But if I was you and I hadn't bought the book yet, I wouldn't waste my money.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I'd rather kiss a frog than read this book!, August 7, 2005

By 

AMG "divadancer" (westchester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs (Paperback)

Halfway through the book, you are left wondering two things: why doesn't Karrie take a break from dating for a while, and why doesn't she try a new career? She seems to not have much luck in either arena, and the results are a rather tedious read. While cute at times, Bridget Jones diary it ain't.