2.5*
This book was a little more than "ok" just because it was a very quick beach read and I found myself amused for a while. I read it in a day ! However, it annoyed the heck out of me on every other page and more often than that towards the end!!
Aside the fact that everything about the town of Edilean and people in it is unbelievable, some things in this book are completely unfathomable! So Kim, who lived in this tiny town and knows everyone since birth, doesn't ever catch a glimpse or even see a picture of Lucy?! Even though she lives next door and they have mutual friends?! She still doesn't recognize Lucy as her "best friend's mom"?? Ok, she was a kid but still - she seems to remember EVERYTHING else clearly! How does Lucy manage to evade her for 6 years in a tiny village where we are constantly told that everyone knows everyone else?!
Already midway through, it all became a little soap-operish for me... why are Jude's books like that lately?! Her older romances were just that - cute romances! Now it's like she's writing sci-fi!!! Her novels require complete suspension of belief! Everything is completely unrealistic...everyONE is completely unreal! Their actions are crazy, their conversations straight out of a comedy play!
Kim struck me as slightly psychotic. She is super successful, doing what she loves, with a loving family and friends – however, she is completely unhappy and sure that she is going to end up and die alone because she has not yet snagged a man! Umm – she is 26 !!!! What the hell is this all about?! On the other hand, we have Travis who is also super successful and has been in love with Kim since they were kids, however (instead of coming up to her) he chose to stalk her and secretly come to her art exhibitions. His excuse? He wanted to "practice" with other women before getting to Kim! Two words - "yeah right!".
Finally, all this talk about his dad being abusive - I just couldn't see it when we weren't given a single example!! He even seemed kind and sweet at the end! Where was this monster who abused his wife and child?! And how is it that he abused them again – not a single example!?
The end with Clarissa and Russell – I am not even going to comment on that! Ok, I am, I have to! He falls in love with her and asks her to marry him within 15 minutes of meeting her ?!?! Promises to re-do her house and fix everything because she is poor, he is rich… Nice start… And they are engaged that same afternoon (with a 3 carat pink diamond, no less)?! Not a gold-digger at all… Yet we are to shed tears of joy at such a romantic outcome… Wow – unreal!!