Bare Necessity (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Have you ever seen one of those weepy films where the distraught and usually lovelorn heroin cries silently and beautifully, tears coursing down her perfect..." (more)
Key Phrases: carole matthews, great mate, lap dancer, Jonathan Gold, Sebastian Atherton, Hampstead Observer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When Emily Miller's boyfriend posts a revealing picture of her on the Internet, she's sure things couldn't get worse. Wrong. She then learns that he's desperate to make money before the bank repossesses their house and comes after them for an additional 100,000 debt, incurred by said boyfriend without her knowledge. So Emily moves in with her New Agey best friend, Cara, and tries to maintain her sanity. Then the tabloids camp outside the door of Cara's Hampstead digs, and Emily loses her job as an English teacher. Meanwhile, Cara is having her own relationship troubles, prompting the two women to begin indulging in late-night drinking and spell-chanting sessions designed to right all wrongs and bring love into their lives. Though the plot has a few unlikely twists, and everything works out much more neatly than could be realistically expected, Matthews' book will appeal to anyone looking for a light, funny take on romantic entanglements. Beth Leistensnider
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

Once Emily Miller thought that losing her boyfriend Declan would be the worst thing that could happen. Of course, that was before she learned that the lowlife cad had secretly mortgaged their dream house, run up their shared debts . . . and posted a picture of her on the internet that would make a rugby team blush. Still, she is coping masterfully, despite losing her home and her dignity -- until the local newspapers get wind of the story . . .

So here she is -- homeless, jobless, loverless . . . and scandalous at thirty-two. Her best friend Cara thinks yoga, aromatherapy, and the perfect potion will turn Emily's karma around. Why not, Emily figures. It might help to attract that handsome stranger she's just barely met. Either that, or she'll hunt down the elusive Mr. Right herself. After all, there isn't much else that could possibly go wrong . . .

And sometimes, when you've got absolutely nothing left to lose . . . that's when you get everything you ever wanted!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon A; 1 edition (April 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060532149
• ISBN-13: 978-0060532147
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #604,876 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Could things get any worse for the protaganist?, May 23, 2005

By	Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Emily is distraught when she finds out that her boyfriend Declan, head of several dot.com companies has just started a porn site, and has posted suggested holiday photos of her dubbing her "Saucy Santa." She is mortified, as the photos were meant for his eyes only.

Soon she discovers that this is not his only betrayal. He has also mortgaged their home, depleted her savings accounts, and as a result of his internet doings, has managed to get her fired from her job as a teacher.

With no home, no job, no money, and no man, she turns to best pal Cara, a reporter. Cara's co-workers have all seen the photos and soon her paper creates media buzz by identifying Emily (which results in her inability to get another teaching position) in an article. Cara has her own problems - she is nursing a crush for her co-worker, photographer Alex, a single father contemplating custody of his pre-teen son.

While trying to turn her life around, she is soon signed with a publicist who arranges for her to attend several local events. She spots a man there that takes her breath away, but unfortunately, they never have the chance to actually meet. Unbeknownst to Emily, the man in question is Alex.

It is through a series of miscommunication and misunderstandings that events unfold, as Emily struggles with the newfound fame that has been thrust upon her, and her desire for her anonymity restored. I loved the characters, except for Declan - would have loved to see him hung out to dry. It is an engaging story, and I was rooting for Emily to find Mr. Right all along.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A frolicking fun read, October 2, 2003

By	J. N Sandell "compulsive reader" (Maplewood, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I loved this book from the start. The plot was a little on the far-fetched side, but the cover art itself tells the reader that they are not in for a somber, important-work-inwomen's-fiction type read. What you get is just what the title and the cover suggest and that is a fun, entertaining, frothy reading experience.

There was a time in Emily Miller's life that she thought she had it all: a job, a house, and most importantly a boyfriend that she loved. A boyfriend that she thought loved her in return, that is until the devilish Declan sold thier beautiful house, ran up thier shared debts and posted a rather intimate picture of Emily on the Internet. So, Emily is a woman scorned and smack dab in the middle of a scandal. She has no choice to move in with her best friend, Cara. Cara thinks she can turn Emily's bad karma around through the use of various crystals, potions, cleansing of chakras etc.... And who knows it may work because when one has nothing to loose, there is everything to gain.

I Loved all the characters in this book. Cara was sooo original. and I found myself rooting for Emily from the very beginning. What this author may be lacking in witty turn of phrase, which I love in Brit Chick Lit books, she makes up for in character development. The lives of all the characters intersect in all sorts of interesting ways that keeps the reader wanting to turn the pages.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1st Book I've actually had time to read in years!, April 25, 2003

By	Msladybug "msladybug02" (San Ramon, CA) - See all my reviews

I picked this up after spending a half an hour looking for a good woman's fiction book. I never have time for myself as far as quiet time goes, so I've never had time to sit and read anything but the newspaper.

I have to say I have enjoyed this book so much I have made the time to read it! I'm almost finished with the book, and I am so thrilled I am currently looking for more titles by this author for my next pursuit!