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Girls' Night In
21 TALES FROM THE HOTTEST FEMALE WRITERS
In this must-have short-story collection, Jennifer Weiner revisits on of her Good in Bed characters (and tells the story from, ahem, his point of view), Jill A. Davis (Girl's Poker Night) offers darkly humorous take on starting over in New York and working with "the Elizabeths" and Alisa Valdes-Rodriquez (The Dirty Girls Social Club) muses on how different the words lady and woman are when paired with cat.
Girl's Night In features stories about growing up, growing out of, moving out, moving on, falling apart and getting it all together. So turn off your cell phone and curl up on the couch: this is one Girl's Night In you won't want to miss.
In this must-have short-story collection, Jennifer Weiner revisits on of her Good in Bed characters (and tells the story from, ahem, his point of view), Jill A. Davis (Girl's Poker Night) offers darkly humorous take on starting over in New York and working with "the Elizabeths" and Alisa Valdes-Rodriquez (The Dirty Girls Social Club) muses on how different the words lady and woman are when paired with cat.
Girl's Night In features stories about growing up, growing out of, moving out, moving on, falling apart and getting it all together. So turn off your cell phone and curl up on the couch: this is one Girl's Night In you won't want to miss.
325 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
48 people are currently reading
10042 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Henderson
68 books401 followersBorn in London in 1966, Lauren Henderson read English at university and then worked as a journalist for - among other publications - the New Statesman, Marxism Today, the Observer and Lime Lizard, a much-mourned indie music magazine. Lauren now divides her time between Italy and London and, when not wine-tasting, writes full-time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
May 6, 2008
This is not really the kind of book that is good for me to read straight through, but that's what I'm doing because that is how I read my books.
It is, however, a beachy, soaking-in-the-tub, not requiring a lot of thought sort of read.
Lots of well-known chick-lit authors contributed, but I felt like many of them did it half-assed - as though they knew they weren't making any money off their contributions and didn't bother to put much effort in because of that. And, maybe that's not really how they felt/what they did, but it sure reads that way.
Kudos to Meg Cabot, Carole Matthews, Sophie Kinsella, and Jennifer Weiner. Their stories were the best of the bunch.
It is, however, a beachy, soaking-in-the-tub, not requiring a lot of thought sort of read.
Lots of well-known chick-lit authors contributed, but I felt like many of them did it half-assed - as though they knew they weren't making any money off their contributions and didn't bother to put much effort in because of that. And, maybe that's not really how they felt/what they did, but it sure reads that way.
Kudos to Meg Cabot, Carole Matthews, Sophie Kinsella, and Jennifer Weiner. Their stories were the best of the bunch.
January 26, 2009
I just finished up this book and enjoyed getting a taste of so many different authors. Most stories were great but some were bad.
My favorites:
What Goes Around...
Know It All
Changing People
Party Planner
Dougie, Spoons and the Aquarium Solarium
My dislikes:
Siren Songs
The Marrying Kind
Rudy
From The Cat Lady by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez:
"She wore a flirty pink velour J.Lo jogging suit she had promised herself she'd get rid of now that she was the same age as the singer/actress."
Hmmmm... Last I checked, if you are the same age as someone today, you were the same age as them a year ago, and the year before that...
My favorites:
What Goes Around...
Know It All
Changing People
Party Planner
Dougie, Spoons and the Aquarium Solarium
My dislikes:
Siren Songs
The Marrying Kind
Rudy
From The Cat Lady by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez:
"She wore a flirty pink velour J.Lo jogging suit she had promised herself she'd get rid of now that she was the same age as the singer/actress."
Hmmmm... Last I checked, if you are the same age as someone today, you were the same age as them a year ago, and the year before that...
February 23, 2008
This book not only supports a great cause but introduces you to a number of great authors through their short stories.
January 23, 2019
This book was an easy read. Most short stories were a hit, but a couple were a miss. I'd recommend it as a beach or tub read. It was not necessarily intellectually stimulating, but it was fun.
January 22, 2022
So fun and delightful! I want another one!
December 2, 2021
I came, I read, I laughed, I got bored, I hated (one or two stories), and I finished. I do not know why it felt such a trial to finish this, but it does. It wasn't a terrible collection. I was just hoping for something a little more fun and snappy instead as whole I kinda feel blah. Don't get me wrong there are some fun stories to be had, but there are also some dull ones here too.
As it is kind of expected this collection feels rather dated being written in the early 2000's.
Anyways, here are my thoughts on the individual stories:
----
"Party Planner" by: Meg Cabot
Charity Webber needs to plan the perfect holiday party to impress her up and coming hot boss. This story is told entirely through emails sent to and by Char except for a few exceptions. It is fun watch the drama through just the emails and to infer how Charity reacts to it. The ending is a little too perfect and abrupt but for the length of the story it doesn't really ruin anything. My favorite in the collection.
"Traveling Light" by: Carole Matthews
Alice is on a trip exploring China as a final hurrah before her marriage to a very straight laced reliable man named Stephen. She meets a man named Kane who is everything she wants and is afraid of being. There is nothing really new or special here. Some of the symbolism is very very heavy handed and exoticism is a problem particularly in one part (assuming the kite selling man is leading a harder life than they are). I guess it is nice to explore China with a dream guy and if you skim over the symbolism it is okay.
"Cat Lady" by: Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Teresa has turned thirty-five and is still single, so therefore it is time to become a cat lady. There is things to be said for stop trying so hard to attract a partner and let things come naturally. There is also a lot to say about doing and wearing what you want versus what society thinks. I was really hoping that this was the direction it was going in (and in some ways it does), but it just seems she was just in crisis. I will say the cat is a great influence on her and the cat did keep the super judge-y mother away which is a plus. I do like how Teresa falls into a new found love of animals in the end like it is just the natural order of things. I do actually find that charming. Also, the pet store she goes to should be reported for animal neglect.
"Changing People" by: Sophie Kinsella
Sarah's perpetually unemployed roommate Fizz decides that she can make money becoming an interior decorator without any classes or education. Fizz then takes on a high paying client after sneaking an insert into an interior decorating magazine. There is also an unfolding of a break up and mysterious backstory surrounding Sarah, but I really don't want to ruin anything by saying more. I guess this story is about how people change and mature. I am never wild about stories where people pretend to be something they are not, so I wasn't a huge fan. The story also wasn't as light and fluffy as I was expecting from Kinsella which is not a bad thing.
"New York" by: Jill A. Davis
This story follows Anne in her first week working at IT Magazine after recently moving to New York. I had a hard time with this one. On one hand she is successful at her job and fitting right in on the other hand I am not entirely sure if she likes it. I want to say I am slanted. That this high fashion celebrity culture is so far far away from what I like I can't imagine how the narrator can, but I may believe the author is intending to mean that this move is not a good one. Anne learns to smoke the first day, she is made to change how she looks, the co-workers are all have bulimia, and she even admits (to herself) that she never had respect for this magazine. Why is she here? It is like she fell in with the bad crowd. She came into this running from something and this might be her crisis that she needs to get out of her system. I won't go any farther because the driving force and reveal in this story is the unfolding of her backstory and I do not want to ruin it.
"Revenge" by: Emily Barr
The narrator is on the run from the police and regales the reader with her tale of how she got to this predicament. It was a bit heavy handed with the dramatic voice. I do not have too much to say about this one. The ending felt a little rushed.
"Here Comes Harry" by: Jessica Adams
The story is made of three sections which are three different years of the narrator's life. I didn't really get too much out of this one. Very very little happens. There character's life does change, but I didn't see much change in the character. I want to care about Harry, but you barely spend any time with him. Also, there talk about an abortion the narrator had and her emotions around that, so if that makes you uncomfortable there it is.
"Know it All" by: Sarah Mlynowski
Shaun's roommate Dee can see into the future and she sees Shaun's ex ask another woman out. Shaun feels the need to stop this at all costs. This was fun. It does get a little frustrating that Shaun cannot let go as she was the one who instigated the break up in the first place. I liked the ending though. It was fun.
"In Agony" by: Isabel Wolff
Jane is an advice columnist. It isn't a job she enjoys, but it is a job that supports her family. Very very little happens in this one. About two thirds of the story is exposition about her life. The ending is good, but I think the story would be a lot better if it was cut in half which sounds silly because it is already a very short story.
"Dating the Enemy" by: Lauren Henderson
In this story the narrator speaks of the dating scene in New York City to be of war and tells relationship examples from herself and her friends. It gives me Sex in the City vibes. I kinda found this vapid and depressing. People use each other as pawns in some kind of relationship war and while I don't find this unrealistic these are not the kind of people I would ever have interest in hanging out with even in a story. I found the ending to be fairly interesting, though. It does add some food to thought.
"From This Moment" by: Megan McCafferty
Cleo is the lead singer to Diamondz! a wedding band and she is running late to a wedding. As she travels she recalls her life story up to this point. Nothing happens in this story. Little to no action. It is interesting to listen to her backstory for a page or two, but it gets tiring. Even when we do get to actual action she starts going over MORE backstory! The ending really didn't go anywhere either. It all seemed rather pointless.
"What Goes Around" by: Louise Bagshawe
Husband and wife, Emma who is a small book publishing owner, and John, film executive have dinner together in a fancy restaurant. More backstory. More inaction. But, here's why it (mostly) works, the story is not too long and the backstory actually builds up the tension in this dinner. With every little thing you learn the more you get invested in what happens next. The backstory becomes part of the action. Now do I think this is an amazing story? No. But I did get a bit of joy arriving at the end and not because I finished it.
"Rudy" by: Lisa Jewell
Rudy is an unemployed nonconformist. He has never been employed nor has he ever been in a true relationship and he has no plans to fix that. He enjoys watching cute girls in the park and pretending he know everything about them. Rudy may be a tad creepy. Very little happens in this one, but the ending is totally worth it.
"The Truth is Out There" by: Marian Keyes
Ros is on a business trip to LA after having a big fight with her boyfriend. Also, unknown to her, she is being followed by a yellow alien named Bib. I want to like this one. Things actually happen. Its quirky, but the lessons and what the scenes wanted to do seem a little too perfect or on the nose. In some ways I worry Ros is only able to do the right things for herself because Bib was there to help her but, sometimes we all need help from our friends. I wasn't wild about Bib either, but that is a personal preference on my part. It was a decent story.
"Here We Are" by: Lynda Curnyn
Lauren has just recovered from a horrible flu and finds herself with her first free Saturday she has had in a very long time. She looks around her barren flat and decides it is time to get furniture and invites Jason, potential boyfriend, to furniture hunt. It was fine. It really became a story on being alone and the trip seems to be a nutshell on how relationships can change? It is interesting the depth of why she does not have furniture.
"Siren Songs" by: Stella Duffy
Siiiiigggghhh. Ryan has just had a horrible break up and has moved into a basement apartment. As he is taking a three a.m. bath (and pinning) he hears a beautiful singing voice and must find the woman. Most of the story is him creeping in front of the apartment building trying figure out which woman neighbor it is. I kinda hated this one. I hate that the solution to fix the relationship is to jump into another one. I know that isn't exactly how the story ends, but almost all the story is about him observing women and barely one page in a six page story is him moving on and fixing his life. It isn't a strong message unless you dedicate more pages to it.
"The Marrying Kind" by: Anna Maxted
The narrator tells the story of Michelle who has a lifelong goal of getting married. This was fun. It is written in a very conversational manner that makes you feel someone is telling you hot gossip over coffee.
"Don't You Know Who I Am?" By: Adele Lang
This is a set of recordings from Jeannie, a celebrity, who is into a Dictaphone for the publisher of "Girls Night In." They are supposed to become a ghost written story, but are actually put in raw. Basically we follow Jeanie through her afternoon getting ready for an event sponsoring War Child. The story pokes fun on the stereotypical alcohol drug addled celebrity and the voice is funny. I might have enjoyed it more if Jeannie wasn't such an easy to hate character.
"Good Men" by: Jennifer Weiner
Bruce is a part of a bachelor party blow out. There are shenanigans, there is a lot of drinking, talk about marriage in general, and whether Bruce wants to take the plunge. There is more depth in this than I thought there would be. Also, the dog will be fine. I hate spoiling, but the anxiety was too much.
"Dougie, Spoons, and the Aquarium Solarium" by: Jenny Colgan
Dougie and Spoons run a reptile house / tanning solon combo called Aquarium Solarium. Doug, who runs the reptile part, has trouble keeping girlfriends because of the fact he has a ball python. I haaaaaatttttteeeeed this one. I hated it so much. One, I hate the stereotype all woman think snakes are disgusting terrifying things. I am a woman who finds snakes adorable and I have many woman friends who think the same. Heck, I know one lady, who as a child, tried to keep a bunch garter snakes in her bath tub (spoiler: It did not end well. Confused snakes everywhere). I know there are people who are scared of snakes (that is fine and healthy fear especially depending on where you are), but not all woman are uninformed about thoroughly disgusted with the creatures. Two, all the characters felt like one dimensional cartoon representations of people (nothing felt real/true) and it was just not a fun read. Three, the ending was just so bad. It didn't seem like there was any growth or anything at the end of the tale.
"Acting Strangely by: Chris Manby
Linzi lives with her best friend Peter in a ramshackle apartment in New York City. She going to go on a, what she is afraid, is her last date with Thomas Malvern the Third and Peter comes up with a plan to keep the relationship alive. I know he is rich and I know she needs a money ticket, but why does she want to keep a man who cares nothing for her? It can't end well. Anyways, I did not enjoy this one as much. I did not really enjoy the humor (I felt too much second hand cringe), but for the right reader the character were fun and the story is light hearted enough.
As it is kind of expected this collection feels rather dated being written in the early 2000's.
Anyways, here are my thoughts on the individual stories:
----
"Party Planner" by: Meg Cabot
Charity Webber needs to plan the perfect holiday party to impress her up and coming hot boss. This story is told entirely through emails sent to and by Char except for a few exceptions. It is fun watch the drama through just the emails and to infer how Charity reacts to it. The ending is a little too perfect and abrupt but for the length of the story it doesn't really ruin anything. My favorite in the collection.
"Traveling Light" by: Carole Matthews
Alice is on a trip exploring China as a final hurrah before her marriage to a very straight laced reliable man named Stephen. She meets a man named Kane who is everything she wants and is afraid of being. There is nothing really new or special here. Some of the symbolism is very very heavy handed and exoticism is a problem particularly in one part (assuming the kite selling man is leading a harder life than they are). I guess it is nice to explore China with a dream guy and if you skim over the symbolism it is okay.
"Cat Lady" by: Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Teresa has turned thirty-five and is still single, so therefore it is time to become a cat lady. There is things to be said for stop trying so hard to attract a partner and let things come naturally. There is also a lot to say about doing and wearing what you want versus what society thinks. I was really hoping that this was the direction it was going in (and in some ways it does), but it just seems she was just in crisis. I will say the cat is a great influence on her and the cat did keep the super judge-y mother away which is a plus. I do like how Teresa falls into a new found love of animals in the end like it is just the natural order of things. I do actually find that charming. Also, the pet store she goes to should be reported for animal neglect.
"Changing People" by: Sophie Kinsella
Sarah's perpetually unemployed roommate Fizz decides that she can make money becoming an interior decorator without any classes or education. Fizz then takes on a high paying client after sneaking an insert into an interior decorating magazine. There is also an unfolding of a break up and mysterious backstory surrounding Sarah, but I really don't want to ruin anything by saying more. I guess this story is about how people change and mature. I am never wild about stories where people pretend to be something they are not, so I wasn't a huge fan. The story also wasn't as light and fluffy as I was expecting from Kinsella which is not a bad thing.
"New York" by: Jill A. Davis
This story follows Anne in her first week working at IT Magazine after recently moving to New York. I had a hard time with this one. On one hand she is successful at her job and fitting right in on the other hand I am not entirely sure if she likes it. I want to say I am slanted. That this high fashion celebrity culture is so far far away from what I like I can't imagine how the narrator can, but I may believe the author is intending to mean that this move is not a good one. Anne learns to smoke the first day, she is made to change how she looks, the co-workers are all have bulimia, and she even admits (to herself) that she never had respect for this magazine. Why is she here? It is like she fell in with the bad crowd. She came into this running from something and this might be her crisis that she needs to get out of her system. I won't go any farther because the driving force and reveal in this story is the unfolding of her backstory and I do not want to ruin it.
"Revenge" by: Emily Barr
The narrator is on the run from the police and regales the reader with her tale of how she got to this predicament. It was a bit heavy handed with the dramatic voice. I do not have too much to say about this one. The ending felt a little rushed.
"Here Comes Harry" by: Jessica Adams
The story is made of three sections which are three different years of the narrator's life. I didn't really get too much out of this one. Very very little happens. There character's life does change, but I didn't see much change in the character. I want to care about Harry, but you barely spend any time with him. Also, there talk about an abortion the narrator had and her emotions around that, so if that makes you uncomfortable there it is.
"Know it All" by: Sarah Mlynowski
Shaun's roommate Dee can see into the future and she sees Shaun's ex ask another woman out. Shaun feels the need to stop this at all costs. This was fun. It does get a little frustrating that Shaun cannot let go as she was the one who instigated the break up in the first place. I liked the ending though. It was fun.
"In Agony" by: Isabel Wolff
Jane is an advice columnist. It isn't a job she enjoys, but it is a job that supports her family. Very very little happens in this one. About two thirds of the story is exposition about her life. The ending is good, but I think the story would be a lot better if it was cut in half which sounds silly because it is already a very short story.
"Dating the Enemy" by: Lauren Henderson
In this story the narrator speaks of the dating scene in New York City to be of war and tells relationship examples from herself and her friends. It gives me Sex in the City vibes. I kinda found this vapid and depressing. People use each other as pawns in some kind of relationship war and while I don't find this unrealistic these are not the kind of people I would ever have interest in hanging out with even in a story. I found the ending to be fairly interesting, though. It does add some food to thought.
"From This Moment" by: Megan McCafferty
Cleo is the lead singer to Diamondz! a wedding band and she is running late to a wedding. As she travels she recalls her life story up to this point. Nothing happens in this story. Little to no action. It is interesting to listen to her backstory for a page or two, but it gets tiring. Even when we do get to actual action she starts going over MORE backstory! The ending really didn't go anywhere either. It all seemed rather pointless.
"What Goes Around" by: Louise Bagshawe
Husband and wife, Emma who is a small book publishing owner, and John, film executive have dinner together in a fancy restaurant. More backstory. More inaction. But, here's why it (mostly) works, the story is not too long and the backstory actually builds up the tension in this dinner. With every little thing you learn the more you get invested in what happens next. The backstory becomes part of the action. Now do I think this is an amazing story? No. But I did get a bit of joy arriving at the end and not because I finished it.
"Rudy" by: Lisa Jewell
Rudy is an unemployed nonconformist. He has never been employed nor has he ever been in a true relationship and he has no plans to fix that. He enjoys watching cute girls in the park and pretending he know everything about them. Rudy may be a tad creepy. Very little happens in this one, but the ending is totally worth it.
"The Truth is Out There" by: Marian Keyes
Ros is on a business trip to LA after having a big fight with her boyfriend. Also, unknown to her, she is being followed by a yellow alien named Bib. I want to like this one. Things actually happen. Its quirky, but the lessons and what the scenes wanted to do seem a little too perfect or on the nose. In some ways I worry Ros is only able to do the right things for herself because Bib was there to help her but, sometimes we all need help from our friends. I wasn't wild about Bib either, but that is a personal preference on my part. It was a decent story.
"Here We Are" by: Lynda Curnyn
Lauren has just recovered from a horrible flu and finds herself with her first free Saturday she has had in a very long time. She looks around her barren flat and decides it is time to get furniture and invites Jason, potential boyfriend, to furniture hunt. It was fine. It really became a story on being alone and the trip seems to be a nutshell on how relationships can change? It is interesting the depth of why she does not have furniture.
"Siren Songs" by: Stella Duffy
Siiiiigggghhh. Ryan has just had a horrible break up and has moved into a basement apartment. As he is taking a three a.m. bath (and pinning) he hears a beautiful singing voice and must find the woman. Most of the story is him creeping in front of the apartment building trying figure out which woman neighbor it is. I kinda hated this one. I hate that the solution to fix the relationship is to jump into another one. I know that isn't exactly how the story ends, but almost all the story is about him observing women and barely one page in a six page story is him moving on and fixing his life. It isn't a strong message unless you dedicate more pages to it.
"The Marrying Kind" by: Anna Maxted
The narrator tells the story of Michelle who has a lifelong goal of getting married. This was fun. It is written in a very conversational manner that makes you feel someone is telling you hot gossip over coffee.
"Don't You Know Who I Am?" By: Adele Lang
This is a set of recordings from Jeannie, a celebrity, who is into a Dictaphone for the publisher of "Girls Night In." They are supposed to become a ghost written story, but are actually put in raw. Basically we follow Jeanie through her afternoon getting ready for an event sponsoring War Child. The story pokes fun on the stereotypical alcohol drug addled celebrity and the voice is funny. I might have enjoyed it more if Jeannie wasn't such an easy to hate character.
"Good Men" by: Jennifer Weiner
Bruce is a part of a bachelor party blow out. There are shenanigans, there is a lot of drinking, talk about marriage in general, and whether Bruce wants to take the plunge. There is more depth in this than I thought there would be. Also, the dog will be fine. I hate spoiling, but the anxiety was too much.
"Dougie, Spoons, and the Aquarium Solarium" by: Jenny Colgan
Dougie and Spoons run a reptile house / tanning solon combo called Aquarium Solarium. Doug, who runs the reptile part, has trouble keeping girlfriends because of the fact he has a ball python. I haaaaaatttttteeeeed this one. I hated it so much. One, I hate the stereotype all woman think snakes are disgusting terrifying things. I am a woman who finds snakes adorable and I have many woman friends who think the same. Heck, I know one lady, who as a child, tried to keep a bunch garter snakes in her bath tub (spoiler: It did not end well. Confused snakes everywhere). I know there are people who are scared of snakes (that is fine and healthy fear especially depending on where you are), but not all woman are uninformed about thoroughly disgusted with the creatures. Two, all the characters felt like one dimensional cartoon representations of people (nothing felt real/true) and it was just not a fun read. Three, the ending was just so bad. It didn't seem like there was any growth or anything at the end of the tale.
"Acting Strangely by: Chris Manby
Linzi lives with her best friend Peter in a ramshackle apartment in New York City. She going to go on a, what she is afraid, is her last date with Thomas Malvern the Third and Peter comes up with a plan to keep the relationship alive. I know he is rich and I know she needs a money ticket, but why does she want to keep a man who cares nothing for her? It can't end well. Anyways, I did not enjoy this one as much. I did not really enjoy the humor (I felt too much second hand cringe), but for the right reader the character were fun and the story is light hearted enough.
November 11, 2020
Like most anthologies, this was a mixed bag of short stories. I enjoyed some, I disliked others and most of them were just fine. I'm not a huge fan of chick-lit/romance stories normally, but this was still relatively enjoyable.
April 14, 2020
A decent collection of “Chick Lit”. My favourites were: “Party Planner” by Meg Cabot (all in emails); “Know-it-all” by Sarah Mlynowski (about a clairvoyant roommate); “What Goes Around” by Louise Bagshawe (nice twist on cheating husband breaking up with wife plot); and “Acting Strangely “ by Chris Manby (predictable best friend secretly loves her, but well done). Other notable authors included Carole Matthews, Alisa Valdes Rodriguez, Isabel Wolff, Megan McCafferty, Lisa Jewell, Marion Keyes (with an alien character), Lynda Curnyn, Stella Duffy, Adele Lang, Jennifer Werner, and Jenny Colgan.
August 26, 2013
I ended up with this book somewhat by accident but glad I did. It gave me a chance to sample the writing of various authors so now I have a nice list of new (to me) authors to check out. I'm most excited about Sarah Mlynowski but there were a lot of really strong female writers featured. I also learned this is part of a series and plan to follow up with the other collections. It also benefits an organization called War Child if you buy it. I actually got it from the library though.
January 14, 2009
OK - so as I was reading this I kept thinking it sounded so familiar . . . guess I've already read it. It has short stories from many of my favorite chick lit authors, so it is a fun read. The stories are quick too!
January 5, 2008
This book was really awesome! It's full of short stories, and you can enjoy a sample of different authors!
May 24, 2009
Oh my lord!!! This is the best collection of stories I have ever read!
April 18, 2020
A collection of short stories written by women authors who donated these stories to raise money for charity. I bought this book and it’s companion, Girls Night Out to bring an order up to free shipping. I knew nothing more about the book.
I would pick this book up in between other books or when I couldn’t use technology to read an ebook. I wasn’t worried about finishing it quickly because each chapter was a new story and I’d never lose my place.
I enjoyed some authors, a couple left me scratching my head because there wasn’t really a conclusion, and a couple who I’ll probably never read anything by them again. The authors I enjoyed, I added at least one of their books to my To Read list on Goodreads. This is usually why I will read a short story collection by multiple authors, it’s like a mini interview with each one where we can find if our tastes match and want to progress on together.
Some stories were spicy with romance (not really my thing), some were just about friends, some were sweet.....really, if you try the book, you can probably find at least one new author to go on with.
I applaud these writers for donating their time and talent to help children in need! I’m glad I bought the book if that had been the only good thing that had come of it (it was my because I have a bunch of new authors to try out!)
I would pick this book up in between other books or when I couldn’t use technology to read an ebook. I wasn’t worried about finishing it quickly because each chapter was a new story and I’d never lose my place.
I enjoyed some authors, a couple left me scratching my head because there wasn’t really a conclusion, and a couple who I’ll probably never read anything by them again. The authors I enjoyed, I added at least one of their books to my To Read list on Goodreads. This is usually why I will read a short story collection by multiple authors, it’s like a mini interview with each one where we can find if our tastes match and want to progress on together.
Some stories were spicy with romance (not really my thing), some were just about friends, some were sweet.....really, if you try the book, you can probably find at least one new author to go on with.
I applaud these writers for donating their time and talent to help children in need! I’m glad I bought the book if that had been the only good thing that had come of it (it was my because I have a bunch of new authors to try out!)
June 5, 2023
Party Planner is a cute story. I didn't particularly like the email format, but it was fun!
I could not stand Traveling Light. I will never ever condone cheating on a partner.
The rest of the stories were so annoying. There was one with a philandering husband who asks his wife for a divorce. Then this man had the audacity to be upset that she was ready to move on from him. The story about the psychic roommate who helped the girl keep her ex from moving on drove me crazy! It was very much “if I can’t have him no one can”, gross.
Most of the stories were straight up awful. The one about the girl who accidentally disfigured her ex’s new girlfriend. Horrifying af. The other story about the girl who wrote on the wall all the reasons she regrets being a jerk to her ex, and getting him back. Blah.
2 stars for having at least 1 story I liked.
I could not stand Traveling Light. I will never ever condone cheating on a partner.
The rest of the stories were so annoying. There was one with a philandering husband who asks his wife for a divorce. Then this man had the audacity to be upset that she was ready to move on from him. The story about the psychic roommate who helped the girl keep her ex from moving on drove me crazy! It was very much “if I can’t have him no one can”, gross.
Most of the stories were straight up awful. The one about the girl who accidentally disfigured her ex’s new girlfriend. Horrifying af. The other story about the girl who wrote on the wall all the reasons she regrets being a jerk to her ex, and getting him back. Blah.
2 stars for having at least 1 story I liked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2019
First off, I didn't finish this book. I started out really liking the book, but once I got to Dating the Enemy by Lauren Henderson, I hit a brick wall and became uninterested in finishing her story and the rest of the book. However, I did skip forward to Jennifer Weiner's story since it was about a character from one of her other books (Good In Bed) that I have read in the past. Some of the stories I really enjoyed and would have loved to see a full book about them, but not all the stories were that good. In general the book was ok, but nothing real special in my opinion. For those looking for a quick little story and to familiarize yourself with some chick lit authors, this may be a good read for you.
This review is also posted on the LibraryThing website.
This review is also posted on the LibraryThing website.
June 29, 2021
Girls Night In is a collection of short stories from a variety of authors. The stories are mostly chick-lit - funny and lighthearted for the single girls! Definitely had my favorites throughout - I think Meg Cabot’s story has the #1 spot for me. All in all, it is a good book to curl up with if you are looking to read something short and sweet. All the stories are unrelated to each other but each share a similar aspect of finding love and/or finding yourself among life’s bumpy road. Definitely will make you laugh and one or two are sure to make you go - oh wow, I relate to that one! Enjoy this cute book.
April 23, 2020
Lauren Henderson's fondness for Jane Austen, along with Chris Manby's eye for London life and New Yorker Sarah Mlynowski's way with words, makes this a true-Brit, but also US-friendly collection of stories from the love jungle. This was the American Red Dress Ink edition of Girls' Night In, which launched with Penguin in Australia and HarperCollins in Great Britain, to an instant bestseller position and went on to raise millions of dollars for the children's war zone charity War Child, and later on, to help No Strings, the puppet (Muppet-inspired) education video charity worldwide.
July 7, 2017
I have read a few previous books by some of the authors who wrote short stories for this one. That being said I wasn't in love this this collection. Out of 12 stories I only enjoyed a handful. My favorites were "Traveling Light," "Know it All," and "What Goes Around." The collection of short stories covers all aspects of relationships from friendship, dating, cheating, divorce, loss of a loved one, etc. If you are looking for something similar, I would recommend "American Girls About Town".
January 6, 2018
Like so many anthologies there are always some good ones and some not so good ones. Unfortunately I think there were more stories that I didn’t like and just felt like I was getting through than there were ones that I truly enjoyed.
My favorites were:
Party Planner by Meg Cabot
Cat Lady by Lisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Changing People by Sophie Kinsella
Know it All by Sarah Mlynowski
What Goes Around by Louise Bagshawe
The Truth is Out There by Marian Keyes
Acting Strangely by Chris Manby
My favorites were:
Party Planner by Meg Cabot
Cat Lady by Lisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Changing People by Sophie Kinsella
Know it All by Sarah Mlynowski
What Goes Around by Louise Bagshawe
The Truth is Out There by Marian Keyes
Acting Strangely by Chris Manby
November 10, 2023
It was ok. This is a collection of short stories released in the early 2000’s and the age shows a bit. I enjoy a good short story. These were ok. Some were fun, some were meh, none were terrible, but also none were super memorable either. I happened to pick this up in my neighborhood free library and thought it would be a good book to keep in the car since it’s easy to read a bit here and there, and it was great for that.
December 20, 2016
I would say two thirds of the short stories were crap. The authors didn't make money off this book because it was for charity and it seemed like some of them didn't bother to put effort into their story because of that. There were a couple great stories though that left me wanting more. Those were written by Sarah Mylnowski, Meg Cabot, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez and Sophie Kinsella
January 30, 2018
This book was a fun weekend read. If you’re not sure what book in particular you want to read next or which author to read, this book is for you. Each chapter is a different story from a different author which gives you a taste of their writing style. Authors donated these stories to go into this book and proceeds from this book go to help children of war. .. it’s a feel good book all around!
Read
April 21, 2020A fundraiser for War Child--although not a very good fundraiser from me, personally, since I checked it out from the library. Short stories by the biggies in "chick lit," your Sophie Kinsellas and Meg Cabots and Lisa Jewels and Anna Maxteds and whatnot.
Something my friend Matt would describe as "exactly the sort of thing you like, if you like that sort of thing."
Something my friend Matt would describe as "exactly the sort of thing you like, if you like that sort of thing."
December 27, 2020
This book is pretty much chewing gum for the brain. Not much memorable in here, but also not bad for a beach day where you want something light to read while you soak up the sun.
Some of the authors I'm generally fans of like Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot but most I've never heard of. It's quite the mix of stories in this book, some were utterly cringe-worthy but a few were quite pleasant.
Some of the authors I'm generally fans of like Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot but most I've never heard of. It's quite the mix of stories in this book, some were utterly cringe-worthy but a few were quite pleasant.
January 30, 2019
Registered on Bookcrossing - https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/...
I read this a long time ago, so I don't remember much about these stories. Jennifer Weiner, Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot are fabulous writers.
I read this a long time ago, so I don't remember much about these stories. Jennifer Weiner, Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot are fabulous writers.
April 7, 2025
I thought it would be neat to read a variety of authors for this book, but half the short stories were so confusing. I did find some new authors I wanna try out, but overall this was a book I was ready to DNF.
July 9, 2018
I didn't like all the stories and authors writing
September 19, 2018
Lots of fun cute stories. I enjoyed most of them and found some new authors to look into.
November 13, 2018
fun collection of chick-lit short stories. it was a great beach read.
March 29, 2019
Loved it - the perfect airplane, beach, pool, vacation read!!!
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