Customer Reviews

You Have To Kiss A Lot Of Frogs

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I am a massive chick-lit reader and I had noticed this book for a while and I finally decided to buy it. Boy, I wish I hadn't. The book just goes on and on.The character of Karrie is not very likeable and by the middle of the book, I couldn't have cared less whether she found a man or not and whether she got a big break in acting. The men that she dated seemed to be all the same character with just a name change and I have a hard time believing that Karrie would have just one bad relationship after the other without having at least one good relationship. It was just too much. Also, Karrie is Jewish and uses a lot of Jewish phrases or words but the author doesn't bother too explain them, so if you're not Jewish or know someone who is, you will have no idea what she is talking about. Also at the beginning of each chapter, the date will be given. But inside some chapters, the character will just suddenly start talking about a different time in her life and I was left confused about what she was talking about. Like you may have guessed, I found this book to be too long, I believe that it could have been cut in half and cut out half of the stories-because they're all basically the same-the book would have been much better. I think you can tell that Laurie Graff is an actress first and a writer second because I think it shows in her writing. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone and I will not be reading anything else by Laurie Graff.

Only those who have no problem following an incessant rambling about guys who truly are stranger than fiction will be able to enjoy this book. It is essentially a bunch of words that have somehow made it into print, with no real beginning, middle or end. I suppose the holidays and years are nice, but halfway through each chapter, when I am still trying to find a point, I forget which day it is anyway. This book is so all over the place, and a downer to boot, that I wish I had not wasted my money on it.

This book is not chick lit. That's why it confused the readers who were expecting a chicklitty read all about designer labels and shopping. This book is a literary novelization of the author's actual life, or at least that's how I understand it from reading the back blurb. It deals with issues far deeper than chick lit. Moreover, Laurie Graff has talent and has that special way with words and a turn of phrase. (Lots of authors now just don't. Their prose clunks. The no-style style. Clunky.) It was a pleasure to read her narrative and escape into the world of the character. Unlike some reviewers, I experienced her viewpoint character (a somewhat modified version of herself, I gathered, with the author winking at us from the distance of the years) as being charming and deep, if a bit ditzy about men. It's an episodic novel about all the guys she dated. I do have to say that she (the main character--and perhaps the author, by extension, though you should never assume a character represents the author, even when you're told it's based on real life!) was unwise in sleeping with all those men, protection shrotection. She slept with more guys than I have ever even flirted with, let alone dated! But I realize that's a typical lifestyle as portrayed, yadda yadda. The episodes all have some meaning to her life. She doesn't have a big character arc, just a small one, but that's more realistic anyway. At the end, she chooses not to take back the last guy who dumped her and says she'll wait for what's really hers to show up. That was her character change. I realize that most romance novels and chick lit take a brick and pummel the reader over the head with the paradigm of being rescued by a man and so forth, so this novel wouldn't suit their reading tastes. But if you are used to more literary and more lasting works, give this one a try. She writes well, and I'll be looking forward to seeing more of her work.

I was duly impressed with this novel. Karrie Kline's insights on her dating life are full of wit, intelligence and poignancy. Since she turned thirty, Karrie has searched for Mr. Right all over New York -- only to encounter a load of Mr. Wrongs. Now that she's forty-five, the struggling actress may have to come to terms with her singleton ways. But life has its surprises. Will she finally find her prince?

I marvel at Laurie Graff's wit. She's created an endearing heroine who tackles issues centered on her wayward father, her Jewish customs, and the fact that she does not want to "get married and live a normal life in Queens," as her grandmother puts it. This is another great one from Red Dress Ink. A fellow frog kisser, I'd say this is one of the most relatable chick lits out there.

Each chapter is a different date or guy she dated. It gets monotonous until halfway through the book when you start to see some repeats of characters. It just seems like bad date after bad date, and it's a lot of bad dates before she learns not to be so desperate.

I had a hard time relating to the main character because there are a lot of cultural factors that come with being Jewish and trying to date. There is, however, an opportunity to learn about the Jewish culture from this book. You can also learn about being an actress in the dating world.

I thought the book dragged, and the ending disappointed me. I?m 25 right now and still single, and the thought of spending another 20 years in the dating world is depressing to me.

I'm all about books that are written from the single girl's point of view (i.e. Bridget Jones's Diary, The Devil Wears Prada, etc.) but this book, which details the life of the heroine in non-chronological order, is not a fun read. The reader never feels any true empathy for the Karrie Kline, nor does her romantic exploits satisfy the reader's imagination. There are better written, more interesting, and poignant books one could read instead. Don't waste your time flipping through over 400 pages waiting to like the book. Because even the ending, not the content, but how it is written-- cut short and dry, leaves the reader frustrated.

I flopped back and forth on my rating of this book. The beginning was hard for me to get into as the author writes in an almost a choppy form. Then I really got into the middle part of the book and couldn't put it down. Then, with about 100 pages left, I had to force myself to finish reading it! I have never had such mixed emotions about a book before. Normally if it is hard for me to get into, I eventually start liking it or hating it all the way through. I don't really know how to give a review on this book as it was hard for me to read. I know that is not a huge help but I always recommend to try something out for yourself because everyone is different.