- Paperback
- Publisher: Harlequin Books (Trd) (November 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0373870892
- ISBN-13: 978-0373870899
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 15.2 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 204 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,437,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
In this debut offering, you can see Jane date, but why would you want to? Borrowing heavily from Animal Husbandry and Bridget Jones's Diary, Senate's modern romantic comedy of errors follows struggling assistant editor Jane Gregg through the falls and foibles of singledom in her late 20s on the notoriously difficult turf of Manhattan. This territory is so well mined that it is clear on the second page of the novel where Jane's romantic exploits will land her, though the path to that obvious ending is inoffensive enough. Jane herself is alternately sympathetic and annoying, and her often abrasively judgmental inner monologue leads the reader to sympathize with her hapless dates rather than with Jane herself. The most promising aspect of the novel is also its most original the friendship that blooms unexpectedly between Jane and her old nemesis, the perfect Natasha Nutley, whose autobiography Jane has been assigned to edit. In a refreshing change of pace from the standard "girl-makes-good-and-revels-in-success-over-perfect-rival" route, this warm and sometimes surprisingly poignant development carries the bulk of the emotional weight and the reader's interest. The revelation that Little Miss Perfect isn't quite is not a new turn by any means, nor is it managed particularly inventively, but it hits a chord. Without a well-developed or unique voice to carry the story, however, this account of one girl's adventure in dating remains bogged down by its predictability. Senate is attempting to capitalize on a successful formula, and the result is unsurprisingly formulaic. (Nov.)imprint started by Harlequin Enterprises Limited to capitalize on the urban single female market.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Jane Gregg, a 27-year-old New Yorker, is an assistant editor at Posh Publishing, where, to her chagrin, she's been assigned the memoirs of Natasha Nutley, a small-time actress who made headlines after bedding a major movie star. Jane has known and resented Natasha since high school, when pretty, popular Natasha was the envy of every girl. Jane also has her cousin's wedding weighing on her mind because she lied and told her family that she has a boyfriend, and now she has to find a date. Her helpful friends Eloise and Amanda send her on a series of blind dates. The first few are disastrous, but then she finally meets a man who might be the perfect wedding date, and maybe more. It's fun to watch Jane bumble her way through the singles scene and find out that sometimes people aren't what they first appear. Senate's debut, part of a hip new line of romances aimed at young single women, is both witty and snappy. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Touching and Horrifying Romance Novel, Aug 10 2001
By Ben Avery - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Wendy's Phoenix: An Angelwalk Novel (Paperback)
Wendy's Phoenix is possibly the best Christian romance novel I have ever read. That's because it isn't really a Christian romance novel. (In case you were wondering, I'm not a fan of Christian romance novels. I admit, I've read very few.)Sure, on the surface it has all the trappings of a romance novel: successful woman with a tough exterior that covers her pained interior, a painful past that continues to haunt her, a handsome suitor that comes in the midst of tragedy.
But in Elwood's hands they become something else. They become parables of Christ's love for humanity. They become examples of forgiveness. And they also become set-ups for some bizarre and intriguing plot twists.
This is the first of two Steeple Hill Angelwalk books. Both of these titles (the other is Survival in the Wilderness) depend much more on plot and characterization than any of the other Angelwalk books. The Angelwalk series (especially the original trilogy) is based more on episodes and short stories that are tied together through a single observer. In Wendy's Phoenix, Elwood still uses the episodes to advance the plot, but this time in the form of flashbacks and characters testimonies. In fact, most of the book's plot is found IN the flashbacks. (This can be a bit confusing at first.)
What sets this far above you average "romance" novel, is the hard questions it asks. In the beginning of the book, the reader is subjected to some terrible examples of evil. (Some I even found hard to read.) The novel starts by examining the evils that go on in the world around us, through the eyes of Wendy, who, as a public defender, sees the victims of evil and at the same time the doers of evil. But the focus of the book shifts in part two, when the question asked seems to become more, "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?"
The characters and the plot found in Wendy's Phoneix are some of the best I've read in Elwood's writing. It's safe to say that Roger really shines when he is allowed to "stretch his wings" (so to speak). There's a lot of plot, character, and theology packed into this little book. I was expecting a simple romance helped along by angels in the background, carefully orchestrating things as a portrait of God's care for his creation. And that can be found, although it's hardly "simple". Instead, I found a dense book that is easy to read and is packed to the brim with spiritual lessons.
Recommended for readers who want thought provoking material that asks the hard questions.
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