How I Learned to Love the Walrus

by Beth Orsoff

Alternate cover edition for ASIN: B004A8ZVM0

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Ebooks

ebook

First published October 31, 2010

Reviews

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tell me if you've heard this one before:

Big city girl traipses off to some remote location where she breaks a heel, learns a lesson and falls in love... Yeah, okay, it's been done before. It will be done again. Repeatedly. It's a formula that works well, but we all know where it's going to end.

What set this one apart is that it has a cause behind it, a cause that the author has researched well. Yes, okay, that has been done too, but I didn't feel like the author was shoving the walruses down my throat. Her characters had depth beyond just their cause. The cause was part of who they were on a larger scale. The author didn't make these characters one-dimensional at all and different layers of their personalities.

I thought the editing was excellent, I didn't see any time line or silly spelling/grammar errors. Either I was too wrapped up in what was going on or they didn't exist. Either way, thank goodness for that! There's a great mix of dialogue and narrative.

This is an easy breezy read that doesn't pretend to me anything more than it is. From reading the description, you know exactly what you are going to get.

Without giving too much away the ending was satisfying, if not a little too satisfying. While I like to know a real true ending to a book, I think the author ended it well... but then went and ended it again. And then again. So, while I was happy to not be left hanging, I could have done without all the extra endings (heh, innings, endings, get it?!?!)

This is a great book for those that like chicklit. It's a little heavier than your standard toss away book. I will forever remember the scene with the baby walrus and the heartbreak that went with it. Well done.

[Andrea Heltsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read from this author. While the book was okay, it by no means was spectacular. The overall story was decent, but the slow nature of the plot made it hard to continue. The romantic resolution to the story was as hoped, but the love interest was not fully developed, leaving me slightly unsatisfied with the overall book. Three glittery stars.

[Jaidis Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I Learned to Love the Walrus by Beth Orsoff is a romantic comedy that introduces us to Sydney Green. Sydney happens to be a publicist and will do whatever she has to do to ensure that her clients are happy. So when super hot and charming ex-boyfriend Blake re-enters her life and hires her, she is determined to do whatever she can to not only make him happy, but to rekindle their lost romance. When Blake suddenly gets the crazy idea that he wants to be the face of the Save the Walrus foundation, Sydney does the unthinkable and goes to the Arctic for a month in order to prepare a documentary in which Blake will be the spokesperson. Of course she wasn't prepared for the adventure the events that would occur while surrounded by freezing cold water and blubbery walruses. Ethan is a sexy yet cantankerous scientist who knows all the right buttons to push to bring out the worst in everyone. There is instant friction between Sydney and Ethan, but we soon realize that the fiction has both positive and negative effects on them both. How I Learned to Love the Walrus is a witty and charming read from start to finish. I found the writing style of Ms. Orsoff to be very smooth and intriguing, with imagery that is well described and easily envisioned. How I Learned to Love the Walrus reminds its readers that sometimes it's better to risk losing everything and stand up for what's right instead of trying to ignore the consequences that our actions have on the environment. There is some adult language and suggestive themes so would be better suited for a mature audience.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance - fun cover, and great title! Overall, a really enjoyable chick lit book! I loved that this was a story I had NEVER read before - by that I mean, it tackled a topic, environmentalism, in an area, Alaska, that i had never read about while maintaining a lot of the main elements of the chick lit/woomen's fiction genre. I didn't know what to expect at first. Like the leading heroine, Sydney Green, I don't know much about walruses. I don't care to know much about walruses, but getting into the events and sitiuations Sydney found herself in, my opinion changed. Of course, the story had more than its fair share of drama, humor and love triangles, taking readers on a real adventure from the sunny skies of LA to the long days in the Arctic Ocean. What I loved most about this book was its growth, not oonly in the main character but the story in general and how it changed me as a reader. The end was a tad abrupt but managed to give readers what they needed for closure. I am definitely going to check out some of Beth Orsoff's earlier novels!

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is what I'd call chick-lit but with more depth. When the book starts, Sydney Green is not the most immediately likeable character. Unlike many of the people she works with, she's not a bad person, but her priorities are skewed towards the materialistic. And like many characters in chick-lit books, she's infatuated with a man who is obviously wrong for her.

During the time she spends on the Wilde Island in Alaska, Sydney learns to look at the world (and people) in new ways. Reevaluating her life and relationships allows her to find out who she is and to become the person she has always wanted to be.

Beth Orsoff delivers a fun read with humor, wit and a touch of romance. I highly recommend it!

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok- I have mixed feelings about this book. I really liked that it was an actual chick lit book. It wasn't a romance, it wasn't a mystery, it wasn't anything other than the progression of the main character in her own point of view. So that I really liked. We saw the growth of Sydney over time. The things I didn't like about this book were A) the language. I felt it unnecessary. It didn't add to the story. And B) I didn't feel like we really got an ending. And I don't have to have everything wrapped up in a pretty little bow but I still felt a little gypped.

[Bcoghill Coghill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first paragraph and the rest of the book was pretty good as well. How many of us think they are going to accomplish great things and save the world from this and that only to be bogged down the reality of paying off student loans and coping with evil bosses. Our heroine is there for you. With all sincerity she is trying to deal with job, long-term crushes and other interesting people as well as the fate of Walrus in these days of global warming. She does surprisingly well.

[ChonkyTrashPanda2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just reread this and loved it just as much I did the first time. Very different from what I usually read, but still a sweet story and wonderfully written.

[Rie Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good transformation story. Couple it with complex, interesting story lines, quirky characters, and I’m hooked. The developing romance is subtle, and I found myself holding my breath when intimate moments presented themselves. The writing is witty, and relatable, and I want to know more about things I didn’t even know, I didn’t know. Charming, engaging AND informative; this is a perfect read

[Florence Primrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Los Angeles publicist Sidney Green convinces her boss she needs to go to Alaska to make a publicity promotion about walruses to promote an actor, Blake.

Even though Sidney doesn’t care about the wild or walruses Sidney changes while in Alaska.

[Ellen Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, easy reading

Loved the characters and the easy reading nature of the story. Who doesn’t love a happy ending too? I know I do

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the summary of this book it seemed like a funny plot, once I started reading it was kinda funny. Pretty good book and interesting relationship between coworkers but cute read

[Alastair Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

GIRL IN THE WILD
BY BETH ORSOFF

Girl in the Wild is a romance novel that takes place on Wilde Island off the Alaskan coast. The protagonist, Sydney Green is dispatched by her boss to the island to produce a short documentary on walruses with her client, Hollywood heartthrob, Blake McKinley as the face and voice that will open pockets and hopefully salvage his bad boy reputation. One of the flies in the ointment is her relationship with Blake, to the outside world she's his publicist but behind closed doors the two are rather more intimately involved although I would hesitate to call it love, more like friends with benefits. Of course once she gets to the island and finds out that there's only satellite internet it starts going downhill and the fact that the lead authority on walruses, Ethan is also devilishly handsome and moody has our heroine's head in a whirl. I won't give out any spoilers but it's a classic love triangle that sees her bouncing between two men and trying to shoot a documentary when both men see each other as rivals.
I think the LA and Alaskan settings are well researched, I certainly learned a lot about the Arctic and the pressures brought to bear by mining companies and well-intentioned human interference but I think the sheer volume of information can be a bit overwhelming at times. Dan Brown does something similar with his books where he deviates to expound upon a work of art or artifact. Orsoff does much the same with the Arctic landscape in particular. It's all good information don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure we want to know that much about walruses for example. We do want to see some fairly plausible character development and a good character arc that sees the cast either grow through their shared experiences or crash and burn.
Sydney's character arc is well plotted and she shows a depth and strength as she overcomes the primitive situation to produce this video that will draw her closer to Blake. However her choice is men is abysmal, between Blake and Ethan there's not much difference. One's rich and arrogant, the other is poor and arrogant and why she seems to come unstuck whenever she comes up against them baffled me. Likewise the 'forced' kiss where she resists the kiss and then gives in. If I tried that in the real world I'd be up on charges of sexual assault but it is fiction so I'll let it go. Suffice it to say that the two main men are flat and two dimensional cardboard cut outs. There are times I want to see them actually move on and come to some new understanding but then they revert to type and you think why does she bother?
Overall it's not a bad book but with a little more attention to character building it could have been much better, the potential is there because as a romance novel it ticks all the right boxes.
I've given it four stars.

[Anne]

Despite the somewhat off-putting title, HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE WALRUS is a witty tale with some laugh-out-loud moments. Full of character (and characters), it was an engaging read with a lot going for it.

Sydney Green is a publicist at a major firm in L.A. Her star client is an up-and-coming Hollywood hunk and notorious bad-boy, Blake McKinley. When Blake decides he wants "a cause" and decides on walruses (because nobody else is doing walruses), Sydney vows to make it happen. Little does she know that she's been "volunteered" to go to the Arctic for a month. Once she gets there, she gets a bit of an awakening.

Probably the biggest thing to get out of the way is this: I don't think this book falls into the Romance genre. Sure, Sydney's gets a little busy with Blake (they've got quite a history) and there's also some other relationship stuff going on, but the focus of the novel is not on the romantic relationship between two people. No, instead this is a story of how Sydney finds herself and changes as a person. The romance is incidental. That puts HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE WALRUS firmly in the Chick Lit category, in my opinion.

That said, Sydney does do a lot of growing. She starts out pining for Blake, whom she had a relationship with back in college. She's held him near and dear to her heart ever since, despite the fact that he's a cheating, self-centered jerk. For him, she jeopardizes her job, goes to the ass-end of nowhere with no power, phone, internet or running water to speak of and lives in a tent for a month among a group of scientists, volunteers and smelly walruses. By the end of that month, her eyes start to open a bit about who she is and what she wants.

As long as you don't go into the book expecting a romance, I think most people will enjoy HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE WALRUS. It's an amusing story that doesn't take itself too seriously but at the same time gives you some food for thought.

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews.

[Bookmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sydney Green is a publicist fighting to keep her clients from being stolen by an associate and doing everything she can to keep lover/client actor Blake McKinley happy, going above and beyond what most people would consider reasonable. When he decides he wants to better his image by supporting a cause, they pick one that other celebrities haven't yet touched. Sydney heads off to a Foundation volunteer camp for one month in Alaska in order to produce a short documentary about walruses, figuring she can work from there.

She questions what's the big deal about some walruses dying off due to the effects of global warming? We find out in a lighthearted manner as Sydney, definitely out of her element with none of the amenities she's used to, gets more involved than she ever expected. What she learns and experiences change her life and give her the chance to reevaluate what's important to her.

It's obvious the author has done a great deal of research on the subject, but the way it's presented to us is far from textbook format. I found the characters and story enjoyable as Sydney adjusts to the primitive living conditions and the prejudices others have towards such a greenhorn. But it really took off for me when Sydney gets more involved and learns why the work they are doing is so important.

I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of information we're provided in this book while still maintaining such a fun story.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I would like to thank Beth Orsoff and Goodreads First Reads for the chance to read this book. Below is my honest review.

Girl in the Wild is the story of Sydney, a Hollywood publicist that ends up going to a remote island in Alaska to do a documentary on walruses to promote her on-again/off-again boyfriend Blake and his cause. While she's roughing it on the island she finds herself learning more about walruses and herself than she thought possible.

To be honest, I had a little trouble getting into the story at first. I found it hard to like Sydney and the choices she was making, which made it hard to want to read about her. BUT the further I read, the more her character grew on me and I got why I needed to not like her to begin with. I loved the Alaskan characters, especially Ethan, and Blake was a guy that was fun to hate.

Another thing I loved about the book was the way Beth Orsoff wove information about Alaska, Arctic animals and the environment into the story. Not only did I get a story with great characters, but one that was informative in a really easy way to read.

I would highly suggest reading Girl in the Wild. It was a fun, informative and fulfilling story -- everything you would expect from a great novel.

[JoLene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Sydney Green, an LA publicist who travels to Alaska to help make a documentary because her client (and sometimes boyfriend), is a movie star who decided he needed a cause. The cause is saving the walrus --- since he wanted to be different, so Sydney is sent to Alaska as a volunteer for the "Save the Walrus" foundation in exchange for their sponsorship of the short documentary.

This was a fun chick-lit book --- sometimes you just want a quick mindless, but not mind-numbing read and this fit the bill. Sydney is a like-able, but spoiled heroine who is transformed by her Alaskan adventure. Much is predictable but fun --- especially if you have ever roughed it! I enjoyed some of the supporting characters. The environmental message was clear, but well done in terms of how I would imagine that the scientist would react. Watch out --- you may want to join (or at least donate to) Green Peace after this one :-D

[J&B Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good story.

I really wanted to love this book, but I didn't. I was intrigued by the premise and I found the story to be very informative but I felt like it could have been so much better.

I liked Sydney, the main character, and I didn't find her as shallow as some of the other reviewers have. She was exactly like you would expect a city girl would be. She was used to indoor plumbing, sleeping in an actual bed and most of the accoutrements of civilization that we take for granted. I don't think that makes one shallow, I think that makes one normal.

As I sit here trying to write this review I'm finding that I can't put my finger on why I'm not thrilled with this book. The fact that the ending was predictable didn't bother me. There just wasn't anything that excited me.

Many people loved this book I just wasn't one of them. My verdict is that it's worth a read but I have to say what another reviewer said, the book was just "Meh".

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

At its heart “How I Learned to Love the Walrus” is a good chick lit book. Sydney Green is a self-absorbed publicist with a “thing” for the wrong man – Blake, an actor who is also her top client. Sydney would do almost anything to help Blake who is only too happy to take advantage when it suits him. A typical chick lit plot would have Sydney’s relationship with Blake resolve itself somehow. Blake would see the error of his ways or Mr. Right would somehow step into the breach.

What sets Walrus apart and elevates it beyond just good is that how (or even if) Sydney’s relationship problems are resolved isn’t the story. Instead Sydney learns life lessons. Maybe she isn’t the most important person in the world. Is it possible that by making the world a better place she’ll end up a better and happier person herself?

[Nell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was pretty fun in places, if quite predictable. The big problem was the love interest. He was meant to be your typical "at first he is a jerk, but then he ends up being the right guy for her in the end". However, he aggressively sexually harasses the main character more than once, and it is just gross, not masculine and sexy. If you walk in on a woman who is half-dressed and she asks you to leave, leave. Don't stand there slavering at her. If everyone has been drinking and you follow a woman to her tent to hit on her, and she asks you to leave, leave. Don't stand there trying to convince her she wants you. All the great kissing and tragic back story in the world does not excuse that kind of behavior.

[Monica Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. I think the title threw me off, but it was my favorite of the books Beth Orsoff had out at the time I read it. I found the setting to be the most interesting, but mix that with a cute scientist and things just got a whole lot more enjoyable, and learning about sea life in Alaska - never thought I'd find that fun, but I sure did. I could completely relate to the main character because I'm defintely not an outdoors type of girl either. It was funny and cute, and I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes chick-lit.

[Myriam Schärz · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved it! Chick-lit of course, not a lot of brain required to read it but great entertainment because it's not ending with one of those sappy happily ever after wrap-ups.
Even the scientific parts are interesting and well woven into the story.
Loved all the characters who seem truly human and not flat posterboys and make-up ad girls (unless they're supposed to be ... in some cases)but with good traits and bad ones.
Highly recommended for anyone who needs a few hours of life to enhoy herself thoroughly

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sydney Green is a publicist assigned by her sexy movie star lover to find him a cause. Blake, sexy movie star lover, is going to be the spokesperson to save the walrus. Sydney is taxed with spending a month in Alaska to volunteer for the walrus foundation for permission to film Blake caring about the walrus. Her volunteering leads her on a week long adventure in the Artic with older, egomaniac, scientist Ethan.

This was a good read with witty banter, comedy, and information regarding walruses that I would have never known otherwise. I really enjoyed this book.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is now titled GIRL IN THE WILD.

Everyone is right about this book, it is witty, charming, engaging, fun, and deeper than light chick-lit. It is informative and endearing; Beth has done a wonderful job giving us real people and real world scenarios to read about without being preachy. I love the situations that arise, all for the love of one man, and how they are dealt with. This book is excellently edited. I plan on reading and enjoying Beth Orsoff's other books.

[Plethora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: this book has been renamed to Girl in the Wild

You take a LA publicity girl and throw her in the icy waste land of Alaska to film a documentary on walruses. Oh the things Sydney will do for love. Truly, what has she gotten herself into, a month in the middle of nowhere with a group of strange people and no modern amenities. Is Blake worth this?

Fun vacation type read, or I use as a mental break from heavier meatier books.

[Batsheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this fluffy tale of an LA publicist volunteering at an Alaskan wildlife refuge, ostensibly to make a green-washing promo video to burnish her egotistical client's image. All sorts of screwball antics follow. Great airplane read.

Also, appropriately enough, just saw article in NYTimes about rescuing a baby walrus from Alaskan waters: Fat, Mustachioed Orphan Finds a Home

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed that this book was a light chick lit book, set I'm the backdrop of an animal expedition. I was more interested in it because of the adventure involved, going out and tagging walruses. it was REALLY farfetched though...and it felt like the plot was predictable....high maintenance, superficial girl starts to care about the animals and falls in love with a difficult, baggage laden scientist on the isolated island.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review will be posted on TheCubicleEscapee.com

Overall Review- This was a very quick read. As I was reading the book I found myself googling walruses, and essentially fact checking the places, the author did her research and brought a lot of key focuses in to light ie Global warming.

The Characters were believable and so were the situations. I just felt the story semi dragged and become a little predictable but not to the point it was horrible which is why I gave it four instead of 5

[Sun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know...I had trouble even finding one likable character in this book...except for maybe the walruses (and even that's a stretch).

I want to believe in and root for Sydney's growth and happiness, but ultimately, I just found her annoying. And when reading chick-lit, you want to care enough about the female lead to be excited when the male lead(s) want her, right?

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so much fun. Set mostly in Alaska. There's just the right amount of adventure, comedy and romance in it. I originally downloaded it for free as a prime member book of the month on Kindle, but I liked it so much that I bought it so I could keep it and read it over and over again in the future. Just perfect if you want something light yet inspiring to read.