Review - The Next Best Thing

Title: The Next Best Thing
Author: Kristan Higgins
Publishing Date: February 2010
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I received a used copy from paperbackswap.com

Lucy Lang was only married for 8 months before she joined her Mother and Aunts as a Black Widow. It has been five years since Jimmy died in a car accident. Lucy finally feels it is time for her to move on with her life and maybe start dating again. Lucy does have a small problem. She has been sleeping with her best friend Ethan who also just happens to be Jimmy's little brother. Lucy and Ethan have kept their physical relationship a secret from their friends and family for some time now. Mostly this is Lucy's idea because she is afraid of how everyone will react to the news. Things get complicated when Lucy tells Ethan that she wants to end their "friends with benefits" back to just "friends".

The Next Best Thing is my second book by Kristan Higgins. I find that I really enjoy her writing style. Lucy narrates the story in first person from her point of view. This gives the book a more Woman's Lit vibe than typical romance novels. Lucy has major issues to work through with the death of her husband, wanting to move on with her life and start dating again. Plus she has this pesky little problem with her best friend Ethan that she doesn't know quite how to deal with. The Next Best Thing is not just Lucy figuring out her relationship with Ethan but she has to figure out her life too.

This book is very touching and runs the reader through a whole slew of emotions. I laughed. I cried. I was happy for Lucy and Ethan. Yet at other times I was angry at Lucy for her treatment of Ethan and then at Ethan for not communicating better with Lucy. I was definitely emotionally invested in these characters. I thought Lucy's journey was very entertaining, but some readers are going to be frustrated with Lucy. She has a lot of baggage that she has to work through before she can commit to her new life and it takes time. I really liked that Jimmy's image is never vilified to make it easier for Lucy to move on. The author definitely doesn't take any easy paths, but luckily for the reader, humor is always in the forefront. This book parallels real life and that is what makes it a winner in my mind.

Here is what others had to say:
Dear Author
Breezing Through
Avid Book Reader
Renee Reads Romance
Book Addict
Renee's Book Addiction

Review - Too Good to be True

Title: Too Good to be True
Author: Kristan Higgins
Publication Date: 2009
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: Received a used copy from Paperbackswap.

Grace Emerson in a moment of quick thinking makes up a fake boyfriend to fool her family into believing that she is over her former fiance Andrew, who is now dating her sister, Natalie. Grace's family is always on her case, making sure that everything is okay in Grace's life. She works as a high school history teacher for a prestigious private school. She lives alone with her little terrier, Angus. One evening she witnesses a man trying to break into the house next door to her. She calls the cops on him. It turns out he wasn't a bugler, but her new next door neighbor. Callahan O'Shea just got out of the slammer. Why can't Grace meet a nice man - like the pediatric surgeon she is "dating"?

Too Good to be True is narrated by Grace in the first person. This might be a deal breaker for some people, but I really enjoyed getting to know Grace. Her narrative is fast and fun. It's very conversational and the reader gets a real feel for Grace's personality. The book focuses a lot on Grace's relationships with her family. This involves her two sisters, Natalie and Margaret and also both her parents. I can't forget to mention Grace's grandmother Meme, who is somewhat of a cantankerous... bitch. I might as well call it like I see it. Even though Grace's fiance leaves her two weeks before the wedding and even though Andrew has fallen in love with Natalie - Grace never holds it against them. She doesn't play the victim. She has a great sense of humor about it and she is trying to move on with her life. Enter Callahan O'Shea.

Callahan is pretty much a mystery to the reader for much of the book because Grace is in the driver's seat, so-to-speak. Grace is narrating and the only glimpses of Cal that the reader gets are when Grace is with Cal - and that is not a lot in the scheme of the whole book. When Cal is in the scene he has a strong presence and the way Grace narrates the reader can easily deduce what type of person he is. It's just subtle and the reader has to work a little harder. I really enjoyed this story. I would definitely recommend it to fans of chick lit or readers who enjoy family relationships.

Here is what others had to say:

Book Addict
Books, Books and more Books
2 Read... or Not 2 Read
Princess Sara's Library
Dreaming on the Job
Tracy's Place
The Book Girl
A Few Good Books

This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon.