Saturday 27 January 2007

Book ~ "She, Myself & I" Whitney Gaskell (2005)

From Amazon.com ~ The Cassel sisters find solace in one another as they stumble through divorce, childrearing and existential crises. Each outspoken sister narrates her own trials. Controlling divorce attorney, Paige, keeps a tight rein on her emotions as she comes to terms with her gay ex-husband and shies away from an over-eager boyfriend. Social, emotional Sophie gives birth to her first child and then struggles with post-partum depression, a shaky marriage and a crush on her pediatrician. Their baby sister, restless Mickey, flexes her newfound adult independence by giving up medical school in favor of a culinary career, falling hard for a married chef in the process. Connecting the tales are the three sisters' easy camaraderie and their bemused horror when their divorced parents reunite. The Cassel sisters' problems are never very menacing - they attract bland men and succeed professionally with ease - and it's difficult to sympathize with their dithering; Paige's realization that she doesn't know what she wants applies to all three. Fortunately, none linger in indecision in this slight novel and Gaskell moves each sister along to a frothy but ultimately satisfying conclusion.

This book had possibilities. I liked the idea that it would be written with three different voices. But it came across as three bad Harlequin romances stuck together. I didn't care about any of the characters and the three sisters were so whiny and indecisive.

I did find the writing style pleasant to read ... that's the only reason I stuck with it 'til the end.

I wouldn't recommend this book.

2 comments:

Claire said...

Excellent review, Harlequin romances should stay in the form of a harlequin to be used when nothing else is about!
Have you heard of the Number one ladies detective agency by Alexander McCall Smith? thats a really good read.

Claire

Blog said...

Thanks for the review, Teen. I definitely won't read it. :)