charming but over the top
932518
This is corny and charming. The story of best friends, Will Grayson (aloof loner, afraid to connect with anyone) and Tiny (an enormous gay young man) who are trying to find love in highschool (Will through avoiding everyone and Tiny through having a relationship with everyone). The story does a good job of weaving the parallel lines of this desire in both boys (and the third character, the other Will Grayson) as they also attempt to keep their own friendship despite their self absorption and differences. It is the relationship between the two boys that I found most compelling. How hard it is to pursue the desire for love but also keep friendships.

The goofiness is that there is another will grayson, one who is also gay, who ends up as one of Tiny's many boyfriends; and Tiny is writing and putting on a musical that is really goofy about his life and love. The lyrics of many of the songs are included (much to my dismay). But, it does make you laugh. At the end, there is what is supposed to be a powerful scene during Tiny's play about identity which left me both irritated and wondering, what the heck?  But ultimately, the boys friendship prevails and that saves the book from being just goofy.
4042659
I actually did like this book, but I'm more compelled to write a review for what I didn't like. But the good first--it was a charming story. It didn't move too fast, but it wasn't long either. The characters are kind of funny and interesting, the love interest is swoon-worthy but not in a cheesy way, and it's a great champion story for the less than popular. The main character is a little whiny and self-pitying, but that is kind of the point (plot) of the book. She has to learn to get over that.

As for my complaint? My fairly large complaint? Fred Mulligan, her adoptive father. I get that maybe he wasn't the most affectionate guy. Maybe he was strict. He had a hard time showing his feelings. But she often discusses how she thinks this is because she wasn't really his. He never really loved her. What??? As an adoptive parent, I think that's absurd. It's very, very difficult to not love the child you raise, regardless of temperament or biology. I just don't believe he wouldn't have loved her, in his own way. That she wouldn't have felt that (she was in her twenties when he died, it's not like her memories were immature). It's unrealistic and insulting, honestly.
498784
Quotes at the beginning of each chapter are insightful but the remainder of the book, not so much so. Charming, if charming is what a reader is looking for. Too religious in parts for my taste.
2303654
The acting is first-rate, but the story is murky and has large gaps.  As a fairy-tale it is somewhat palatable, but the shift from abject poverty in "the castle" to shopping on Bond Street, or the equivalent, occurs literally without explanation or an effective transition.  The whole effect is unsettling for a literalist like me - I was waiting for the Fairy Godmother.  Though, I must admit, the setting is beautiful, that does not outweigh other defects.
4530664
In the quiet and picturesque village of Highbury there lived a self-professed matchmaker of little experience and expertise yet she believed herself to be in possession of superior observational skills and the ability to see into everyone's heart. Emma Woodhouse, our twenty-one year old matchmaker of Highbury, rates the marriage of her governess to a wealthy and respected gentleman, Mr. Weston, as one of her laudable matchmaking successes and decidedly takes on the challenge of finding a suitable wife for the vicar of Highbury, Mr. Elton. Alas, Emma is not the talented matchmaker she thinks she is and makes frequent blunders in judgment and is often blind to the romantic inclinations of the people around her...

What then ensues is a spectacular comedy of manners that is heartwarming, satirical, lively, and charming.

Mr. George Knightley, brother-in-law to Emma, does not approve of Emma's new matchmaking hobby or her new friendship with Harriet Smith, "the natural daughter of nobody knows whom." Harriet Smith, a seventeen year old parlour border at the local school, is inferior to Emma in sophistication and sense. Mr. Knightley would much rather see Emma with a companion that is her equal in intelligence and influence her positively. Mr. Knightley is one of the few people in Emma's life that recognizes her faults; and believing her too often indulged and spoiled he makes no qualms about admonishing her for these faults. Unfortunately, Emma is often willful and ignores Mr. Knightley's wise counsel.

Jane Austen is quoted to have said Emma was a "heroine whom no one but myself will much like." This is true for some Austen fans who rank Emma Woodhouse as one of their least favorite heroines. However, there many readers that find her likable and claim her to be one of their favorite Austen characters. Emma Woodhouse is unique in that she is wealthy and well provided for, thus giving her little inducement to marry. In addition, even though she enjoys pairing up her friends and neighbors, Emma has little inclination or interest in finding love for herself and declares that she will never marry. (So much for having a romantic heroine!) Nonetheless, I am very fond of Emma, her lack of experience in the world has made her naive and the indulgence of her family has swelled her head, but she is not an unworthy or unlikable heroine. Throughout the course of this novel Jane Austen beautifully depicts the journey of Emma's maturation and displays her blossoming into a self-aware, humble, and sensible woman.

My favorite thing about "Emma" is the charming village of Highbury and all who reside within. There is such a pleasant mix of endearing and exasperating characters: Miss Bates, a poor spinster who dearly loves to share news with her neighbors; Mr. Woodhouse, such a generous and a caring man who suffers from nervous anxieties about the health of his family and friends; Mr. Weston with his jolly and sanguine temperament; and Mrs. Elton, who believes herself to be the first in consequence in the town and is extremely vulgar and conceited. According to Miss Bates "there are few places with such society as Highbury." How very true!

While "Pride and Prejudice" is the most famous and popular of Jane Austen's six major novels, I believe that "Emma" is truly an excellent, accomplished novel that is not to be overlooked. I may not recommend it to someone for their first experience with Jane Austen, as it is a bit lengthier than the others, but I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy traveling to the time and world of Jane Austen whether it be in book or on screen!

Austenesque Reviews
2760970
Sophia is a lawyer from Rio de Janeiro who is residing in London while on  extended business.  She is a beautiful brunette, captivating, mysterious, strong-willed, intelligent, alluring and (above all else) a survivor.  She is an advocate for abused women & children and she lives a life that's not exactly bereft of danger.

While in England, her life weaves in & out of the lives of two men:  Ethan & Alistair.  Both men are nearly clones.  They're both handsome, well dressed,  ultra wealthy, neurotic, domineering, controling, prone to jealousy and used to buying whatever it is in life that they want ~ including companionship.

The book is overflowing with references to fine wines, fancy cars, high fashion clothing, ornate jewelry, expensive watches and 5 star accommodations.  The incessant references to the above will leave a lot of readers with a sense of awe and saying to themselves "ooooh" and "aaaaah."  That is fine, and it's certainly what was intended.

For myself, however, I found the litany of ritzy things to get annoying after awhile.  It seemed to me that the characters in the story were incapable of appreciating the simple things in life, like a sunset over a body of water.  Unless something cost a zillion $$, in their eyes it was useless.  Other readers will be apt to get a different impression, but for me the characters seemed to care for little else beyond $$.

Sophia is certainly the most relatable in the book, and the love she has for her daughter is touching.  For me, the best scenes in the entire novel were the interactions between Sophia & her offspring.  During these episodes, I thought to myself "Finally, something human that is not dependent on wealth & capital!"

The biggest downside to the book, in my mind, was the characterizations of Ethan & Alistair.  I found both to be unremarkable little boys trapped in the bodies of grown men.  They both reminded me of Mitt Romney:  arrogant, uber rich, pretentious, misanthropic and without so much as a clue about what this thing called being alive is all about.

The demographics who will find this book appealing would be of the following 3 camps:

1:  People who enjoy Romance novels that have uninhibited sex scenes

2:  People who are infatuated with what goes on in high society circles

3:  People who are interested in the BDSM lifestyle

For people such as myself, this story is simply too highbrow & hoity toity to be enjoyable.
602679
While I read this book ravenously and do feel the author is extremely talented, I couldn't help but feel some of the reviews were a bit over the top. To be sure these are timely issues and the backdrop of DC is enchanting. I got tired of some repetitive characters (spec.) man picking up leaves one by one and pocketing them. And the constant reference to the White House. I get it, DC is pictaresque, no doubt. But find some new landmarks to describe. I found the parallel diaries of Mary Todd Lincoln to be fascinating and even more so the way the character latches on to her while still ridiculing her. He does not want to admit his grief. He has a dear friend who helps him with his boarding house troubles, but I felt this was a bit impersonable. And the ageing lawyer is far too selfish and emotionally removed for me to begin to care about him. While he is loveable he isn't likeable in the way that he withholds affection from the narrator. I kept wanting the two of them to get together. The ending is too abrupt and I felt it could have had a softer landing. Still, not to be passed over and definitely an excellent write.
3221695
I agree with the reviewer who said the book was over the top.  It's too bad, because I liked the characters and thought it was an interesting story.  It just went a bit too far with the drinking and sex talk, which distracted from what could have been a good, funny read.
1944396
Director provided us with a beautiful film yet it was a bit kitchie...I think it was over the top exaggeration. It was a little confusing with so many stories within stories.
4770915
This is probably Georgette Heyer's most over-hyped book. I've loved every work I've read of hers and the Grand Sophy just doesn't deliver the same magic. Sure it's fun - the heroine is spunky and charming. But maybe that was part of the problem. Sophy could do no wrong. She manipulates everyone around her and, while it's for the better, nothing fazes her. I never felt that I could connect to her because she was too perfect. As for the hero, I liked him a great deal. I appreciated that he was flawed but still dashing. His love for his family is overshadowed by his stubbornness and belief that he knows best. The pairing between the two, once one overlooks that they are related, doesn't sizzle until the last two pages. It took so much of the book for the two to start connecting. And when they finally do, I never got a sense until the very end that Sophy was passionate about the relationship. I do like relationships where the man and woman argue often but deep down are attracted to each other. However, Sophy and Mr. Rivenhall never once expressed their love to each other, a remiss on Heyer's part. I was more invested in the supporting characters' romances and wish she had focused the book on Cecy and Lord Charlbury, who were an endearing couple with many obstacles to overcome. This book leaves Heyer's audience laughing and charmed by the main character, but not connected to her or the primary romance in the book.
3447234
With the familys financial ruin, Wilhelminas many suitors all desert her, and she becomes a social secretary and wallflower. In hindsight, she regrets her hasty rejection of Edgars proposal. After all, hes always been her very best friend. When Edgar returns to society after being gone for a number of years, it sets the stage for disaster or delight. Wilhelmina just cant decide which.

I found too much of this book silly and frivolous. Even the names of the characters are that way. It almost seemed like a spoof on Regency novels. Although the language adheres to the Regency style (even though the novel is set in New York in 1883 and not England at an earlier time), there is too much of it. Some of the unbelievable, ridiculous moments include Wilhelmina getting stuck under a chair at a ball trying to hide from Edgar. No chair is so heavy she couldn't have gotten out, even if the chair toppled over. In addition, the novella ended at 70% and a sample of another book fills in the last 30%. However, the story did have some humorous moments, but it could have been much better if it hadnt been so over-the-top.
3452591
Not exciting, but quite charming. Too few of this type of movie available.
3575289
This was such a supremely delightful, spirit-boosting, sharply written charmer. Until about the halfway point, this was an A+ (++++...!) read for me. Alas, my admittedly limited patience and I then encountered an all too familiar problem: the plot and pacing started to lag, and some of the dialogue, characterization and themes started to lose their power to enchant as they became more and more  "yes, yes, we get it already!" repetitive.

There's a wealth of wit and humor here---so much so, in fact, that even a wit and humor lover like I am found myself wishing that a LITTLE of the snark was cut in favor of a dash more emotional substance, but that's a minor nitpick. A slightly less minor nitpick is that the hero's characterization felt somewhat inconsistent. Alex is depicted initially as a very serious, reclusive loner who's obsessed with honor and duty----except, no, wait, he's actually a smooth, slickly charming and super-snarky rogue with tons of experience with, er, the wrong sort of women. I started off adoring him, and while he remained moderately likable throughout, I ended up more confused by him than enamored.
Our heroine's characterization struck me as sharper and more consistent. On paper, Sophie sounds like just the sort of Mary Sue who makes my eyes roll right out of my poor head: spunky and smart and independent and charitable and fantastic at a zillion little things that most women of her time had no exposure to and all-around awesome. So why did I find myself loving her? Because the book wisely pokes some gentle, self-aware fun at Sophie's unique experiences and skills, which succeeds in making her more amusing than irritating. And, fortunately, Sophie is just impatient and restless enough to seem realistically flawed.

The plot includes some convoluted, rather randomly resolved spying and intrigue. The good news is that this provides a fun diversion for those of us who sometimes want our romances to be about more than just the romance. The not as good news? This element of the book is something of a mess, haphazardly plotted and weirdly paced. Still, I'm a sucker for thrillers and mysteries---(even the sloppily executed ones!)---so this facet of the book probably bugged me less than many of my fellow readers.

I know this review has contained its share of criticisms, but I can't emphasize enough just how much I enjoyed this writer's style and the book's overall tone. I've already bought nearly everything else she's written, and am confident that my minor complaints about plot, pacing and even characterization will continue to be overshadowed by the fabulously sharp dialogue, clever prose and smile-eliciting, mood-lifting charm.

Objective quality: 3.75/5
Subjective enjoyment: 4.5/5
Steam level: About 1.5 or 2 (Only one actual sex scene)
2580393
I like the idea of a whirlwind romance but it was a little over the top. Lots of F bombs
1737786
I usually love reading dark stories, but this was just too over the top for me. Even though the author is an excellent and truly gifted writer with quite the dramatic flair and talent for placing the reader at each and every torture session, it  hovered somewhere between absurd  and unrealistic for a series of books that isn't about superheroes. The consistent manner of torture that the main character Julz endured  and survived from time after time after time after time and time again had become tedious. It was like reading a demented and twisted version of 'Groundhog Day'. She has more than the nine lives of a cat. But then again, so do several of the key players. With that being said, I did love the main characters and their passion for each other along with the actual plot of the series. I would definitely read more from Lili St Germain.
1773482
I love taking a trip to France with Joanne Harris, but this novel fell short of what Harris is normally capable of.

The main character is a much used Harris character, a crotchety old lady who runs a caf in a quaint little French town. Her life is a bit of a mystery but explained with flashbacks to her tragic childhood urged on by messages her mother leaves her in an old scrawled cookbook. Eventually the anger of the old woman makes sense but I was left hoping for more. Harris writes with such explanatory sensitivity to the senses that her books are normally explorations into another world. I enjoyed this novel but I didn't find it as appealing as many of her others.

Harris makes a mystery out of this novel, leading the readers down paths that would have been more effective had they been written with her more unique and magical hand. Instead we are immersed in the beauty of French cooking, the countryside and in the quaintness of little villages only to be sabotaged by the harshness of corrupt Germans and a touch of the war resistance. I wish the story had been told with less effort and more lyrical meaning, as Harris is quite capable of weaving together great fairy tales of hope. I loved certain aspects of this novel but yawned through other parts. The smell of oranges will pervade your senses as you read, don't forget what Harris brings to the table despite the five quarters of this story.
4792956
Rent a Husband is a charming tale filled with humor,romance and sympathic characters.  I really like everyone except Carolotta.  That woman was a nasty piece of work and ironically there are sad, petty and unfulfilled people just like her in the real world.  The ending felt a bit abrupt and I would have like more "real time" details regarding Darcy and Forrest's reunion.

The whole scene involving the bookie Raymond and the ring was totally unrealistic.  I just didn't buy that a man such as he would do what he did.  Other than that the rest of the story was plausible enough.  Even fiction has to be somewhat plausible.  The story won't be winning any literary awards but it was an enjoyable lite read.  Definitely Chick Lit!  lol

p.s. Thre are some editing errors but, as always, I did not allow them to inflence my rating.