Arranged [Paperback]

I adored Catherine McKenzie's first book Spin An unexpected day off and my Christmas list done = a perfect time to tuck into my favourite chair with Arranged. (Loved the cover)

Anne Blythe has a pretty good life - a job she likes, great friends and she's just landed a book contract. It's just that she keeps picking the wrong guy, over and over again.

"Have you ever noticed how no story that begins, ' I read his emails' ever finished with, 'I was completely wrong, he wasn't cheating on me'?"

When she picks up a business card that reads Blythe & Company - Arrangements Made, she sees it as a sign. She'll give arranged dating a try. But, it's not dating...it's arranged marriages. Why would anyone..?? Why not...??

And so Anne does. I was frantically flipping pages at this point, eager to see who Blythe & Company had chosen for Anne. And the teaser from the back cover had me wondering ..."until Anne learns that Jack and the company that arranged their marriage are not what they seem at all." More frantic page flipping until the book was finished.

What a fun premise for a book. It's a great fairy tale idea - what if someone could help you find 'the one', the perfect match for you? Would you do it? (There's a reading group guide that includes that very question).

I enjoyed the character of Anne -she was an interesting mix of confidence and uncertainty. I also enjoyed the supporting cast, especially Anne's brother Gilbert and his family. Anne's friends Sarah and William also rang true. But I wasn't enamoured with Jack. I just never found him as emotionally attractive as Anne did. There were a number of reasons for this, but I don't want to give the plot away. The ending is of the fairy tale variety, but isn't what I would have predicted or wanted. Arranged was an enjoyable read though - 4/5 for me.

Catherine McKenzie has firmly established herself in the chick lit genre. I'll be watching for her next book.

“Arranged” is a romantic and delightful story crafted with subtle humour, a fairy tale whose premise explores the process involved if a third party could help find the perfect match. We follow the experiences and results of one such person as she sets the stage for the rest of her life.

After a string of failed relationships, Anne Blythe is slowly giving up hope in finding a person she can comfortably share the rest of her life with. One day she finds a business card advertising what seems to be a dating service however she soon discovers the company’s expertise is geared towards providing arranged marriages. Discouraged with the results of dating up till now she gives the company a call, it is a pricey service but they have an impressive success rate. Wanting what others seem to have and with her biologic clock ticking she takes a chance and gives it a try. A few months after signing the contract she meets and marries Jack Hammer, a fellow writer and the perfect match…….but will he turn out to be her soul mate?.....

I am not a great fan of this type of novel I find them too mushy but I will make an exception with this one. Curiosity got the best of me, I was hooked when Anne made contact with the agency and was highly captivated by her journey to obtain love and marriage. The plot is sweet, has good dialogue, excellent characterisation and page-turning scenes. The author has made this far-fetched idea plausible and entertaining and has delivered it in a fun and at times in a hilarious fashion.

If you are into women’s fiction and partial to love stories, be warned you will most likely have a hard time putting this one down.

If you're one of those readers who constantly picks apart books with "that could never happen", "that's too much of a coincidence" etc etc, then this book is not for you. If, however, you are 'game for anything' and will just go with the flow of a storyline - then you will definitely enjoy the book.

I loved the obscure storyline and how the story unfolded. At the end, I found myself thinking that this would have been a great chick flick - someone turn it into a movie!