The Dr Pepper Prophecies

Parker Sisters #1

by Jennifer Gilby Roberts

Original cover edition

25-year-old Mel Parker has a few tiny problems:
• Her job is terrible
• She's been dumped yet again
• Her ex is now her boss
• Her parents think she's a loser compared to her perfect younger sister
• All her efforts to improve her life seem doomed to failure
• There just isn't enough chocolate in the world to make up for the above.

The one good thing in her life has always been her best friend Will, who has seen her through every crisis from lost toys to pregnancy scares. But his girlfriend (who's prettier, better-dressed, more successful and secretly evil) is determined to replace Mel as the woman in his life and how is Mel supposed to compete?

So what do you do when you've pretty much given up on your own life? Help others, of course! After all, what's the worst that can happen? Well, Mel's about to find out.

Worse still, her misguided efforts seem to be driving a wedge between her and Will. Can Mel live without her best friend? Or is he the man she loves...?

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy novel, written with dry wit and just a touch of insanity. If you're a fan of Sophie Kinsella, Helen Fielding (Bridget Jones' Diary) or Jane Costello, you'll love this!

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Humor, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Audiobook

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2013

About the author

Jennifer Gilby Roberts has a degree in physics and a postgraduate certificate in computing, so writing fiction was inevitable really. She was born and grew up in Surrey/Greater London, but now lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire with her husband, small daughter, two middle-aged cats and a lot of dust bunnies. She also has a grown-up step-daughter and a large extended family (by marriage).

Her job right now is taking care of her younger daughter (who was born three months premature, but is doing just fine now), but previously she worked many thrilling jobs in administration, including one in an insurance claims office (wholly unrelated to the one in 'The Dr Pepper Prophecies'...).

She's written two novels, both in the chick-lit genre, four novellas and a variety of short stories.

Reviews

[Norah Una Sumner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer Gilby Roberts definitely knows how to make her readers both swoon and laugh out loud.

Such a cute and fun book! Everyone needs a Will in their lives.I simply love Mel and her chaotic life. She definitely makes some questionable choices but she still manages to work it all out.This book seems like a light read but it deals with many serious issues.I loved the supporting characters – lovely and a bit crazy Cynthia, Beth, even Brittany because she’s not as bad as she seems and ,of course, Will. How can you not love Will? He also made some pretty dumb choices and I was just internally screaming the whole time when him and Mel were blindly talking about some IMPORTANT things. Haha, but I still love them. The writing is really good,the dialogues are fun and witty and the characters are relatable.Overall,a great book!



You can read this review on BookishFever.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me be honest. I only found out about The Dr Pepper Prophecies because I've been searching through the Bestseller list on Amazon. The Top 100 Free section of it. I know, I'm cheap. I do buy books but since I discovered that there are free ebooks on Amazon I've turned into a compulsive hoarder of everything that sounds even a little interesting to me, is an ebook and free. I have to admit, The Dr Pepper Prophecies isn't what I usually download, even though it was free.

There were no reviews for this book. That just doesn't work for me, even though the book just released. It made me realise how used I am to searching for people's opinions on books on goodreads before even deciding for myself if a book is worth my time or not. But I guess The Dr Pepper Prophecies spoke to me. I had hope that I might like this one because the description sounded like something light and fun and the cover is pretty cute too (although the font is everything but cute). So imagine me, downloading this book, thinking that it will be just another one of the 100 ebooks I already got for free (and rarely feel like reading after that), picking this one up and falling madly in love with it and its amazing cast of characters.

Where do I start? I don't know. That's the problem with books that I love. If I open my mouth, I start gushing. There is no stopping. I really look up to the people who can voice their opinion for things they love in a professional manner because all I feel like doing is screaming from the top of my lungs from the rooftops how much I loved a book so everyone can hear (and go buy and then read the book). That's exactly what I want to do after finishing The Dr Pepper Prophecies.

First of all, this book is hysterical. I'm not even 5% in and cracking up because Mel is just awesome like that. I do laugh out loud when I read some books but I never really had so many moments of hilarity while reading like with this book and its awesome (just count how much I use the word from here on because there's no stopping me) main character Mel.

I just love Mel. There were moments where I was shaking my head because sometimes she's just insensitive and saying things before she thinks them through. She does have a big heart, though, and always wants the best for people. Then there were moments where I felt the need to hug her because I could relate to her. I'm not in her situation (I'm fairly younger than her) but I know what it feels like when you think you're failing at life and don't know what to do with it. But the worst isn't even that you feel that way but having people rub it in and make you feel miserable about it. Though there are people who have your best interests at heart (like your parents, though it still sucks that they rub it in), there are also people who are just doing it to make you feel little next to them.

Apart from falling in love with Mel, I cheated on her and fell in love with the secondary characters as well. Cynthia, who was acting out and getting crazy, Beth, who was just lovely (and had a few secrets to share) and Will. Will. Will it sound cheesy if I say it was insta-love, not for the main character, but for me? The first time he had a scene I already fell in love a little. I do love me a guy who is an awesome friend.

The romance was so well-done. I won't name the love interest, although it may be obvious for others. Throughout the whole story, it was all "will-they-get-together-or-won't-they?" for me because Mel realises she has (other) feelings for this guy fairly late in the story. I was shipping them from the beginning and when they got their kind of happy ending, I was overjoyed.

The Dr Pepper Prophecies is definitely one of the best self-published books I've read so far and in my opinion, the book could just as well have been published traditionally. For a self-published book, there were very little errors I came across.

I tried my best to do The Dr Pepper Prophecies justice with this review. But it's hard not to gush about it because I'm in love. With the main character, the secondary characters and the book in general. This is the perfect feel-good read when you want to laugh out loud and spend some time with an amazing set of characters, including the fabulous main character Mel. I can't recommend this book enough and hope that it finds many readers who, hopefully, will love it just as much as I did. I'm looking forward to what Jennifer Gilby Roberts has to offer next and wouldn't mind seeing the characters from The Dr Pepper Prophecies in another book, even if it's just a guest appearance. Mrs. Roberts, you're on my auto-buy list from now on.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mel has a job she hates. Her ex-boyfriend is her boss and a veritable stationery cupboard Napoleon. Her parents think the sun rises and falls on her sister but can only manage mild disappointment in her. Add to that, her best friend Will is dating a social climber who hates her and wants to evict her from Will's life. In short her life is a mess.

With not much she can do to fix up her own life, she decides to try her hand at being Dr Pepper Love for her friends. But despite her enthusiastic efforts things aren't really working out the way she planned.


I don't know all that much about British Chick Lit / Romantic Comedies. I was going to compare this book to Bridget Jones's Diary but there's a small problem. I haven't actually read Bridget Jones's Diary, but if I had I'd say this book is a lot like it....even though I don't really know anything about it.

I guess I could compare it to Four Weddings and a Funeral but honestly Hugh Grant has always creeped me out. I read a Sophie Kinsella book a couple of years ago, but can't remember anything about it so no comparison there either.

So books and movies are out. I guess that leaves desserts. This book is like lemon meringue pie. It's sweet and a little tart. Smooth but with a crunchy crust. It's really kind of perfect.



There is some scope for this book to become a series and I really hope it does. I loved Mel and her friends and I hope I get a chance to meet them again.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dr. Pepper Prophesies is hilarious and perfect for a beach read! I laughed my way throughout the book and highly recommend!

My Rating: 5+ stars

[Meredith Schorr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun read, although I wanted to shake the main character Mel on almost every other page for being clueless and for interfering in everyone else's life. Twenty-five year old Mel lives an "if it can go wrong, it will go wrong" existence. I cringed while reading some of the situations she got herself into, especially a job interview. (She has a job but her ex-boyfriend is her boss and he's kind of a tyrant. She got him the job and he broke up with her before his first day.) Mel is also determined to help those around her, but while she has the best intentions, considering how bad she is at managing her own life, she ends up doing more harm than good. These situations were funny, yet painful. Other painful parts of this book involved Mel's family - a younger sister who rubs her perfect life in Mel's face at every opportunity; her father who has ruled Mel off as being a spinster (at 25...) and her mother who is too timid to build up her oldest daughter and defend her from her father's criticism. The best part of this book, in my opinion, was Mel's best guy friend Will. Warm, accepting, protective and perfectly quirky, I adored him and loved that he wore a Star Trek t-shirt since my ex-boyfriend wore one too and it cracked me up. There were so many times I wanted Mel to say what was on her mind and when she finally did, it was absolutely worth it. I loved the ending.

[Becky Monson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. I loved the characters, I loved the writing, I LOVED the humor. It was a feel good, brain-candy, escape, and it's been a long time since I've read one of those. I also love that it was clean. Very little swearing, no kinky parts. Too much of that going around these days. What a welcome change! It is rare to find good (real) chick-lit and I'm thrilled I've found this author. I will read more, most definitely.

[D.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

The Dr Pepper Prophecies is a riot. I confess I laughed in almost every page because the thought process of this woman was just hysterical. Some of the scenes – starting from the beginning where she’s trying to check her cervix in a bathroom plane, are just so funny that tears ran down my cheeks. It doesn’t get a higher rating because I think Mel took TOO long to figure out her feelings for Will and he sort of disappears in the last third of the book. Also, there were too many popular cultural references, like the title for instance which I never got.

The Dr Pepper Prophecies is loosely based on Emma by Jane Austen. Like Emma, Mel is a meddlesome woman who thinks she knows best and tries to arrange the life of her friends whether they want to or not. Will is her BFF (literally, they have known each other forever or at least since she was a baby) and she’s totally clueless about her feelings for him. She’s hated all his girlfriends, thinks he’s handsome and the best man she’s ever met. They know each other like the back of their hands – they even have secret signs – and they love each other dearly. It was really cute to see them wrestling with their feelings.

Unlike Emma though, Mel has to deal with a job that’s going nowhere – with a ex as her boss no less – and a strained relationship with her family, who thinks she’s good for nothing. She also has feelings of inadequacy and inferiority that she’s having trouble shaking.

As I already mentioned, there are LOTS of mentions of advertising and TV shows. Most of them are decipherable: Harry Potter, Friends, Big Brother or like when Mel is boarding a bus and notices “a truanting teenager with a face that belongs in the ‘before’ part of a Clearasil advert.” Others are completely baffling, including the reason for the title. Thanks to iBooks’ Google search function, I was able to find out the meaning of terms like ‘Sloane Ranger‘ but it became tiresome after a while.

Although The Dr Pepper Prophecies was published very recently, I got the impression that this book was written at least 5+ years ago. First, there is no texting (just IM), Will’s ideas about the emoticons seemed old and Mel applied to jobs via snail mail (if this still happens in Britain, somebody please let me know.) Also, of all the popular shows mentioned, Downton Abbey wasn’t one of them. This didn’t diminish my enjoyment but it puzzled me for a while.

There are a lot of funny parts. The aforementioned checking of the cervix, Beth’s blind dates, Mel’s interviews, Mel’s visit to Will’s office, to name a few. I’ll leave you with a few funny quotes:

"He went on one flight when he was thirteen, they hit a tiny bit of turbulence (to hear him tell the story, you’d think Godzilla had gotten loose and shook the plane like a maraca)…"

"I’m putting a lonely hearts advert. You know, ‘social leper with mother issues seeks similar.’ I’m considering writing a book on how not to find the man of your dreams."

[↜ƈɦǟռ☂ɛℓℓɛ↝ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★The Dr Pepper Prophecies by Jennifer Gilby Roberts

I was given this R2R in exchange for my honest review.

Mel is in her late twenties, with a go nowhere job, and a string of failed romances. She is pretty much a complete failure in the eyes of her picture perfect family. But regardless of all her attempts gone horribly wrong, she keeps going, and tries to help everyone on the way.

Will is her best friend of 25 years. He smart, good looking, has a respectable job, and is stable. He would be the perfect husband, but they are just friends. Anyways, he is dating the she-devil, whom Mel can not stand. She wants Mel out of his life. But Will always supports Mel, through all her foolishness.

There were many funny moments. Mel just seemed to attract crazy, and if it could go wrong it did. This book was all over the place, from happy, sad, humiliating, awe, psychotic, WTF, and a few cases of mellow dramatics.

This was a okay book, but there was something very serious, that was just sort of brushed off, which is an horrible example. This was inexcusable to me. Why bring it up, if it is not going to be handled correctly.

I had some other issues with it, as well. This book is slow. It just drug on and on. Partly due to the fact that the author is obsessed with sugar. Now I love chocolate, don't get me wrong, it runs in my veins. Apparently the author did not get the memo on the over use of the words chocolate, sugar, Cadbury, and cola. There is seriously like 20 pages worth of sweets, that could be removed, and the story would have progressed fine. I'm pretty sure I gained about 30 lbs, just reading about all of it.

I also found the story wrap up to be poorly done. While everything else in the book was drawn out, the ending was just slapped together. I feel cheated on a proper ending, and I'm left hanging with too many unanswered questions.

Thank you to the author for showing me Mel's crazy life.

[Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book!!! It's been sitting on my Kindle for quite some time- I don't remember if I bought it for free or at a discounted price. I also don't know why it took me so long to read it. This girl is funny!! Melanie is a chocoholic, unlucky in love, and wishes to make the lives of everyone around her better. She means well, and the results are hilarious! If you like Bridget Jones, you will love this book.

Also: bonus points for the references to Blackadder and Harry Potter. Loved them! :)

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

“Chocolate is god’s way of saying sorry to women for giving them men.”

Melanie Parker has a very interesting way of looking at the world. Her thought processes made my laugh so many times. In the opening chapter alone I can’t count how many times I laughed at the semi-freak out she had on an airplane when she realizes that it has been at least 6 weeks since her last period and how she dealt with it. I will say that it never occurred to me to try to look at my cervix to see if it was blue (because apparently it is if you are pregnant) let alone in a plane bathroom.

Much like one of Melanie’s favorite book characters Emma she has decided that since she has just lost her boyfriend, has a crap job, and a family that doesn’t understand her she will just focus on helping her friends. Good intensions aside it doesn’t go well for any of them, but some of the results are hilarious. Bad relationship set ups, horrible blind dates, incredibly bad job interviews. There was a lot to laugh at.

I can’t think of Will as Mr. Knightley. To me, Mr. Knightley means Jeremy Northam in Emma, parading around in tight trousers and talking in that delicious voice.

Will has been Melanie’s best friend forever. He is her go to everything it seems. They really have a great chemistry to them and of course everyone sees it except for them. Will has been dating Natalie for a little over a year and as more people push Will to make the big move and propose to Natalie, Melanie must decide what her true feelings for Will are. It is cute and Melanie’s continual inner dialog busted me up.

Ignore the little voices, I say to myself. The little voices are not a friend.

My only problems with the book are these: One, there were a lot of media references (I think something from Harry Potter was mentioned at least five or six times) some of them I didn’t get since this is set somewhere in England but most I did. I really like media references usually but there might have been a few too many. Two, once she figured out she was in love with her best friend he disappears for almost a third of the book, I missed him while he was gone and it seemed to take a little too long for Mel to get to the big moment of confession. Three, there was no Dr Pepper in this book. This probably only disappoints me and no one else because I love Dr Pepper it is my vice of choice. But there is exactly one line about a Dr Pepper commercial (that I really didn’t understand) I think that is a cultural problem not specifically a story problem.

If you are a fan of Bridget Jones Diary than this book is probably right up your alley. I laughed and had a good time while reading it. It never seemed to take itself to seriously and sometimes you just need to read a nice friendly book that won’t break your heart in the end.

[The Review Board · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is being posted on behalf of Mr. Controversy of The Review Board. For the extended review please click on this link.

*If there is No Mention of Dr. Pepper in this story as far as drinking the carbonated beverage (that I LOVE, By The Way) or employment within their halls, I will be VERY Disappointed…*

Melanie Caroline Parker is the focus of “The Dr. Pepper Prophecies”, who discovers something alarming and surprising while returning to her native London, England (have I ever mentioned that I LOVE English Writes? I damn sure do!). Racing through her mind is a multitude of thoughts and emotions, and we are NOT EVEN off of page four!! Let alone if the alarming revelation is confirmed!

Melanie is a young lady who has looked down the hall of Luckless Love, a dead end job, a sweet tooth that rivals my own, and is trying to make sense of her life. It doesn’t help when she has a dick of a Supervisor on her ass (HONESTLY: How many of us BEEN THERE?).

*SIDEBAR*
I REALLY want to say something after that last sentence, but what good would it do you all if I ruined THAT Part?

Her best friend Will and flat mate (roommate) Beth are her support system, for they are very honest as well as encouraging of our protagonist. They help her stay in line, and she heeds their words and advisements.

Will and Melanie have a “When Harry Met Sally” type of feel to it, esp. with Melanie wishing that she could find a guy like Will.

*BLANK STARE*

HELLO?!! McFly?!!

HE’S RIGHT THERE!!!!

Doing a bit of Soul Searching (and a little help from a VERY Popular song), our friend Melanie has stumbled upon her “very first epiphany”. Where it’ll take her? Only time will tell.

A line stuck out in this read: “There are too many hills in my life,” which is spoken by Melanie. It is a very eye opening metaphor that describes us all. If there is ANYONE who says, “THAT LINE DOESN’T DESCRIBE ME!” you WILL be called out by me.

SERIOUSLY: Think about that line, and You Will Get It.

This story is told in the First Person format; a style that is a personal favorite of mine, for it gives me the character’s eyes during the read.

A generous amount of humor keeps the story moving forward, as does the dramatics to which Ms. Parker is so very accustomed.

As with other stories written by my mates from Across the Pond, the spelling of certain words can be misleading. Keep in mind that this is European English not American English, ere go their spelling of certain words is indeed accurate. As I have said before (a few times), their spelling tickles me.

“The Dr. Pepper Prophecies” will have you smirking, and reveal things about the shortness of Life, and what one can do in such a constrained time frame. Pick it up, and enjoy!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Gilby Roberts' The Dr. Pepper Prophecies is about Melanie Parker, who is going through a rough patch in life. After getting her boyfriend a job as her boss, he dumps her and now seems to be making her life a living hell at work, not that she even enjoyed the job in the first place. Her family never stops reminding her of what a loser and a failure she is. Her one positive constant in her life is her best friend, Will, but she's convinced that won't last long because his girlfriend hates Mel and wants her out of Will's life. In an effort to try and at least improve the lives of her friends, she makes it her personal project to make sure they follow her advice. While she tells herself she is thinking of their best interests, things begin to backfire. Yet, she sticks to her motto: what's the worst that can happen?

After reading The Dr. Pepper Prophecies, I can honestly say that Jennifer Gilby Roberts is now at the top of my list of favorite chick lit authors along with Sophie Kinsella. Her writing style had me practically on the floor in uncontrollable fits of laughter. Mel and her crazy antics were just hilarious. Her relationship with Will was adorable. And the plot and the dialogue were incredibly entertaining, amusing, and even heartwarming. I am so grateful for discovering this author; I will definitely be reading the rest of Roberts' books. I highly recommend this book for any chick lit fans. Trust me. You'll thank me.

Reviewed by ME for Readers' Favorite

[Casey Harvell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melanie Parker’s down on her luck. Really down. Her new boss-now her ex-boyfriend-is making her life absolutely miserable. Unhappy with everything, feeling like she needs a change, she begins by focusing on helping others. Gulp!

Enter Melanie’s poor roommate, Beth. Melanie sets Beth up on one horrific blind date after another in Melanie’s quest to find Beth companionship.

And Cynthia. Melanie’s late-blooming co-worker. When Cynthia’s over-controlling mom passes away, Melanie helps Cynthia out of her shell…maybe a little too much.

And then there’s Will. Will is Melanie’s best friend since childhood. Nobody gets Melanie the way Will does. Nobody cares for her in quite the same way. Melanie’s family often stresses her out, but Will is always there to pick her up. Even though she and Will’s girlfriend don’t get along, they’re still closer than peas in a pod.

I enjoyed a lot of things about this story. There’s a strong plot, and with few errors, it was an easy read, with funny characters that kept me entertained. The opening line referencing ‘When Harry met Sally’ sets the stage from the beginning, so right away you anticipate that the bond between Melanie and Will growing. Overall an enjoyable, feel good read.

~Reviewed for The Review Board

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars

This book is a fun read! If you are looking for a light, funny read this is the one! From the very start you can just tell that Mel is going to keep you laughing til the end! Poor Mel seems to find trouble where ever she goes! But then she also seems to create a lot of her misery as well. From dating worthless guys, to trying to fix up everyone she meets or even just sternly steer her friends in the direction that she feels they should be. She means well, but often times each of these “fixes” end in total disaster. Especially so the ad dates she sets her roommate up with!

Poor Mel seems to be doomed to be stuck in a bad job dealing with her ex that seems to have it out for her in a bad way. She has a rocky sad relationship with her family, and to boot her best friend is dating a woman that hates her. She really does have it pretty bad!

This was seriously one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. I giggled through the whole thing and I really did not think she would ever turn anything around. I too am a chocolate lover so I loved that Mel used chocolate as a way to deal with her problems, albeit she was a little excessive with her chocolate, but hey who doesn’t overdo it sometimes?

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for a review.

This book was really cute. Mel got into some crazy, but hilarious, situations. The author has a great sense of humor! I loved her first person perspective. She does drive you crazy at times with her naive decisions, not unlike Confessions of a Shopaholic's Becky Bloomwood. She has a good heart, though, and means the best.

The book was beyond predictable, but I think that was for irony, since the first few lines gave the ending away. I also thought the author brought up a few very serious issues (such as rape) that didn't necessarily fit into the overall light heartedness of the book. It bothered me a little. There were also a few instances of the author using helping verbs incorrectly, for example, "I'd have got them together" instead of "I'd have gotten them together." I really only noticed it the first few pages.

Overall, I would love to see more from this author! A great addition to the Chic Lit genre!

[Valerie Waters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book actually turned out to be pretty good. It started out really rough and made me super nervous where it was going to go but thankfully it didn't get too bad. It would definitely be rated PG-13 if it was a movie. There are a lot of innuendos. There is some swearing and talk of premarital sex. I am glad it wasn't detailed. I liked Mel, sometimes. She was a little whiny. I really wish it would have given us Will's POV sometimes. Like how long had he thought that way and when did it change. I could relate to Mel. I have often wondered what I was passionate about and what I want to do with my life once my kids are all in school. I did like her sarcasm especially with the boss. Oh and the chocolate obsession was really gross. I love chocolate. A lot! But it was over done in this book. The title should have been the Chocolate prophecies or something. I don't even remember Dr. Pepper being mentioned.

[Danica Seavoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just about died of laughter reading this book. Seriously, Melanie Parker is a riot and had me busting up laughing (while alone in the basement, so I looked like a crazy person–so worth it), and Will Knightley is entirely lovable. This book is a new, fresh, hilarious twist of a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma. Need I say more? And it’s not one of those obvious retellings where you already know how everything is going to happen and you’re just waiting to get through to the end. Oh, and there is an abundance of references to other Jane Austen works, Friends, and–drum roll–Harry Potter. You refer to Harry Potter in your writing, and the Potterhead in me can’t help but answer the call of loyalty. Which isn’t difficult, because this is one of the funniest and most original spins on a classic I’ve ever had the fortune of coming across. 5/5 stars for sure ;)

[Kindle Ninja · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are authors who can write funny stuff and there’s Jennifer Gilby Roberts who’s just downright hilarious. The Chick Lit elements are strong in this story, but it’s a shame that it chose to go the route of cookie-cutter plot. It’s a bit of a letdown if you want something more substantial. It’s predictable in the sense that you already know where the story is headed, but you stay for the morsels of hilarity that the author leaves on each chapter. What can I say, I like books that make me laugh.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost chose not to rate this one because my biggest problem was that there was all British slang/pop culture references that I didn't understand and I was confused more often than not. But then i realized i was also incredibly bored by how unbelievably slow this book was progressing. There was a lot of seemingly unrelated plot points that dragged on but never seemed to go anywhere or be coherent to an overarching plot. DNF

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a lovely light read if you want to quickly finish a book in a weekend (which is exactly what I wanted to do). I liked the main character but I did feel that too much was over the top. Nobody's life is that terrible all at the same time. Still, enjoyable easy reading and I will read number 2!

[Ley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love British chick-lit! :)

[Ilze · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted more, I wasn't a fan of the ending.

[Laura Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please note: The review of this book (which was donated to The Magnolia Blossom Review for the sole purpose of a review) was completed by Glynis Rankin based on the Rubric designed by the owner of The MBR, L. Avery Brown. If you would like to read the entire review which includes an in depth author interview – please visit The Magnolia Blossom Review’s site online today!

I have not heard back from Glynis Rankin as to whether or not she wanted to post the review to Goodreads herself - until I hear back from her, I shall keep the review here. Should she ask to get full credit for the review, I will more than gladly delete this review. Thank you.

And Now for the Review...
(Review by Glynis Rankin)

1. Book Title... 5 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did it grab your attention right away? Was it ho hum? What do you think the author might consider for future book titles? (You should have plenty of space for each item on the form as I think I set it up for the boxes to 'grow'.
The name did grab me. Although I knew it was a romantic comedy, I still thought that perhaps it was going to be something more, well, prophetic. If the name had a certain reference to something it was loss on me.


2. Book Cover... 6 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did it grab your attention? Was it ho hum? What do you think the author might consider for future book covers? Did it help make the title more effective
The cover was cute, but did nothing to explain the title. I would suggest a collaboration of the name with the cover to enhance the effect.


3. First 500... 9 of 10
For the Reviewer: Thinking of the first 500 (usually about 2 pages) words of the book, do you think the author provided enough incentive to urge the reader to continue? What stood out to you the most? Were you captivated after a couple of paragraphs? Did the 1st sentence grab you? Did you get to around the 500 word mark and didn't have a clue where the story was going?
I got where the author was going in the first sentence, not always a good thing. She presented me with the main characters, the suspected dilemma and the possible resolution in the first few paragraphs. It was all in a tight neat knot. The question...was I captivated? I wasn't until the story actually had dialogue.

4. Age Recommendation/Genre Classification... 9 of 10
For the Reviewer: This one is pretty straight forward - if the book is supposed to be for young teens and 'tweens does it hit the mark? Or is it entirely TOO mature? Is it really a suspense story or is it more of a romance with a few suspenseful moments?
I’m not sure of the age recommendation but it should be 16 and over for some suggestive content. As far as the genre classification it’s spot on. It had moments where emotions ranged but all in all it was a humorous Chick Lit.

5. Presentation/Format... 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did the 'innards' of the book follow a clear, concise, standard format throughout the book? Or did you have a hard time keeping up with paragraphs or dialogue? Were multiple fonts used? Were they distracting?
Formatting was faultless. However, the dialogue left me baffled at times. There were a lot of English terms or shows I had to look them up. There were too many popular cultural references. All of these distracted me from Ms. Roberts story.

6. Theme/Originality... 7 of 10
For the Reviewer: Was this book something you'd never read? Or was it formulaic and a 'rehash' of a popular tale/current 'pop' genre? If it was a retelling - did the author make it feel fresh and just different enough that it kept you involved?
Jane Austen’s Emma gets a job. Ms. Roberts also referenced Emma in the book. The meddlesome woman who can’t see what’s right in front of her as been done too many times. The only difference is that Mel has a job, an ex as her boss, and a strained family relationship, even this is not original in this genre.

7. Description/Enhancement... 7 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did the author use descriptive language and 'all those extra little things' to make it the best it could be? Did you feel it was too sparse in description? Did the author go OVER board with the description?
Ms. Roberts was very descriptive. Most of the time I had no idea what/who she was referring to when talking about advertisements, celebrities and TV shows. It was overdone and tiresome trying to figure it out. Her use of Instant messages, emoticons, and snail mail throughout made me wondering if I was reading a historical novel.

8. Intrigue... 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did you want to turn the next page because it was SO good? (10) Was it interesting but you didn't quite have an urge to keep reading? (5) Did you think 'I wonder if we have Twinkies in the pantry? Mmmmm, Twinkies' while you read? (1)
The plot doesn’t thicken. Light weight and fluffy like most romantic comedies, no thrill a minute ride. It wasn't an all in read for me. Ms. Roberts followed the dotted lines of this genre to the eventual end, no twists, no turns, and no shocks which would have been nice to see.

9. Grammar/Mechanics... 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Was the book pretty darn flawless? (10) Did you see more that 5 or 10 'jump out' at you mistakes in grammar or the actual mechanics (verb tense, noun/pronoun agreement, misued words) ? (5) Did you feel it was a chore to read because it was riddled with errors? (1)
Flawless!

10. Overall Impression... 9 of 10
For the Reviewer: When all is said in done - did you enjoy the book? Would you recommend it to others?
This book was a fun read, if you don’t mind the aforementioned issues and time travel. This Chit Lit had its moments of delight, all in all a good read for anyone that's a fan of the genre.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE BOOK THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
There were funny parts, but a lot of Ms. Roberts English satire I didn’t find funny or just didn’t get. Mel's twenty-five and talking about most things she would preface some celebrity, but it took away from the story. It took Mel a long time to figure out her feelings, too long. Then Will, who was in almost every other part of the story, disappeared in the last third. We don’t know what happened with him and the girlfriend, and I would have loved to see more of her to spice up this story. I suggest Ms. Roberts return to this story and update it to 2013. And last, I have yet to comprehend the titled.

The Bestowing of the Blossoms...
After pulling together all the scores for the review, Jennifer Gilby Roberts The Dr. Pepper Prophecies has earned a very respectable 78 out of 100 - giving her a 3 (closer to 4!) Blossom rating. And that's awesome. We're so pleased to have been able to have been asked by Jennifer to review her book and know that she's got quite a career ahead of her! Many kudos to her. (Now, the owner of The MBR has a sudden urge to get a Dr. Pepper!)

[Gemma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started off really enjoying this, but it got worse the more it went on. At the start it talks about how When Harry Met Sally is unrealistic, but this goes so much further than that. It takes our FMCs obliviousness towards her own feelings for her best friend so far that you actually start to think she’s a bit air headed. There’s definitely some dates stuff in this book. The way that sexual assault and race is handled at times is… not the best. I really dislike when FMC do stuff that is so obviously going to be bad, like when they know they will be fired if they do anything wrong, and so then they do something legitimately very unprofessional. Just… erk! No! I feel like it was trying a bit too hard to be like Bridget Jones’ Diary, but just didn’t set it up quite right. Instead of empowering, her speeches felt really off. Also - wayyyy too much, ‘I am women, give me chocolate, nom nom nom nom’ vibes. Haha, ahhh. This is a constant problem in chic lit books, so I understand that it kind of comes with the territory.

I don’t know if this was down to me being really sleeping when I started reading this book, but I only realised halfway through that, like Bridget Jones’ Diary is based on Pride and Prejudice, this was based on Emma. It just, didn’t quite work for me. There are some nice touches, but it honestly took me until halfway through to realise, which makes me think it didn’t really work properly. Also, at least when Emma realised her feelings, she’s honest with herself. So less tiresome.

This all being said, there was a lot to enjoy about this book. It was good fun, and the set-up was good. I liked the overall storylines, and different characters, even if I felt that some things dragged or were overly exaggerated.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars, but GoodReads doesn't give half star option.**

I listened to an Audible version of this book and the narrator Elan O'Connor did a great job. It's a cute, funny, typical chick-lit book (which can be refreshing, I'm not saying that in a negative way). It's a great book to read (or listen to) on a rainy day or during your commute to work. Or at your desk at work (which is how I listened to it). The main characters are charming and I found myself laughing out loud several times. Although I chose this book because of the title (I'm a big fan of the drink Dr Pepper), the main character didn't drink even one. I read somewhere the title was a spin on an old campaign of Dr Pepper "What's the worst that can happen" which I vaguely remember, but never would have put two and two together. That's really the only connection to Dr Pepper. The main character likes chocolate (which I totally related to), so it should have been the chocolate prophecies. Nevertheless, that didn't take away from the story at all, just a side note. I like the author's writing style and plan to look for other books she's written.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, Dr. Pepper has been my favorite drink since I was a little girl and first had it in Texas. Secondly, I have given it up so for the most part so this gave me a chance to revisit it. LOL Thirdly, the cover is adorbs.

OMG! There were definitely super humorous parts, like in the beginning in the bathroom on the airplane, but I won't spoil it with any details. But being female helped me to commiserate. LOL

I have never been what I call a "butt-insky" person, but Mel is the epitome of nosy and controlling over her friends. Her BFF, Will, and she have known each other forever! And, of course, she has feelings that she doesn't recognize and/or won't admit. It makes sense when she is so jealous of all his female friends/girlfriends. They both have a hard time with their feelings, but I don't think either was playing head games.

I thought it was definitely a cute book and I like both of the MC's but it was nothing earth-shaking to me.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mel Parker’s boyfriend has just dumped her—literally—at the airport after she had a pregnancy scare in the plane’s bathroom. She is a neurotic, obsessive character that can sometimes be deemed as funny, but not usually. The 1st person perspective is written in this snarky, witty, so-called humorous style.

Mel decides to embrace the single life, but a new co-worker may change that. In fact, I think her male BFF may be the Harry to her Sally (the movie was referenced in the book.) Story has a Clueless plot theme because Mel, like Cher, embarks on a quest to help others in naïve, harebrain ways (ex: she helps the 29-year old virgin break out and live a little.)

All in all, this was nothing but the mindless jabbering of a London nut job.

[Parisan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute, funny, and a light read. My only thing is that the book says it was published in 2012/2013? It seems like it was written MUCH earlier since they leave voice messages, characters leave their cell phones at home, and Mel writes an ad in the newspaper to find her roommate dates. Definitely not things you would be doing in 2012.

[Josi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I could totally relate to Mel. I was laughing out loud several times.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. Her life really sucks. Like one bad day followed by another with a few good moments. Typical ending that you want to see happen.