Jack with a Twist: Engaging your adversary and other things they don't teach you in law school

Brooke Miller #2

by Brenda Janowitz

The ten year anniversary edition of the Red Dress Ink favorite

PLANNING A WEDDING CAN BE A TRYING EXPERIENCE....

A little prewedding anxiety is normal for every bride, and Manhattan attorney Brooke Miller isn't worried. She's got the loving support of the world's greatest guy, so planning her nuptials should be a piece of cake.

But that was yesterday.

Today, Brooke's landed her first big case and has just discovered that the opposing attorney is none other than her fiancé, Jack. But that's okay. These two professionals aren't going to let a little courtroom sparring get their legal briefs in a bunch.… Right? Wrong! Now Jack's pulling every dirty trick in the law books, and Brooke's starting to suspect that maybe he isn't the man she thought he was. Warring with her fiancé at work and at home, Brooke realizes that she'll have to choose between the case of her life, or actually having a life.

“Nothing less than stellar...What else can I say? Get this book, read it, and love it!”
— Fresh Fiction

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

397 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 24, 2008

About the author

Brenda is the author of eight novels, including THE GRACE KELLY DRESS, which has been optioned for film by Hallmark/ Crown Media, and THE AUDREY HEPBURN ESTATE, which was chosen as the Reader’s Choice by the CBS New York Book Club with Mary Calvi. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Real Simple, The Sunday Times (UK), Salon, Redbook, USA Today, Bustle, The Forward, the New York Post, Publisher’s Weekly, Hello Giggles, Writer’s Digest Magazine, WritersDigest.com, and xojane. She is the former Books Correspondent for PopSugar.

Brenda attended Cornell University and Hofstra Law School, where she was a member of the Law Review. Upon graduation from Hofstra, worked for the law firm Kaye Scholer, LLP, and did a federal clerkship with the Honorable Marilyn Dolan Go, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York.

Reviews

[Leslie Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book first instead of 2nd. I firmly believe if I had read this 2nd I would have not enjoyed it as much. In fact I would have been pissed off at the dumb-ass attitude of the main character and wonder how in the hell she made Law Review in college as she is the laziest thing I have ever read. Therefore the character is a bit flawed and not as realistic. I am not sure if I will continue this series now because of the blatant whinning of Brooke Miller. She deserves everything she gets! Its like reading the goodbye to women with brains! I have now lowered my stars as this is a whinning story with whinning characters that need to look at themselves as to why they have problems instead of "blaming" everyone else.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY REVIEW OF “JACK WITH A TWIST” by Brenda Janowitz
I had an entertaining and enjoyable time reading “Jack With a Twist by Brenda Janowitz.
This is the book following “Scot on the Rocks”. Reading “Jack With a Twist” can be read as a standalone, but since I loved reading “Scot on the Rocks”, I wanted to read more in the lives of the characters.
The genres for this book are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance and Chick-Lit. Especially after reading “heavy” books, sometimes I need an easier and lighter ” feel good” book that makes me chuckle and laugh. I love Brenda Janowitz’s humor and wit.
The characters Brooke and Jack as well as their families, friends are back again. Some new quirky characters have been added. The author describes her characters as likable, and flawed. Brooke and Jack are engaged, living together and finalizing their wedding arrangements. Both families meet and have very opposite views on where the wedding should be, and what food should be served. Then of course, Brooke has to get “the wedding dress” which is no easy task.
The good news is that Jack is made a partner in his law firm, and Brooke is enjoying practicing law in her new firm. Are you ready for the bad news? Well, if you consider it bad news. Both Jack and Brooke are trying the same confidential high profile case on opposing sides. Jack also has a sexy assistant helping him. Both Brooke and Jack are “serving” each other for legal documents.
I have to say the shenanigans and anything to do with wedding adventures that go on are quite funny. This is an amusing, delightful romantic book that I would highly recommend. I received a copy of this book for my honest review. Look forward to the 2017 re-release of “Jack With a Twist” in August 2017.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review MY REVIEW OF “JACK WITH A TWIST” by Brenda Janowitz
I had an entertaining and enjoyable time reading “Jack With a Twist by Brenda Janowitz.
This is the book following “Scot on the Rocks”. Reading “Jack With a Twist” can be read as a standalone, but since I loved reading “Scot on the Rocks”, I wanted to read more in the lives of the characters.
The genres for this book are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance and Chick-Lit. Especially after reading “heavy” books, sometimes I need an easier and lighter ” feel good” book that makes me chuckle and laugh. I love Brenda Janowitz’s humor and wit.
The characters Brooke and Jack as well as their families, friends are back again. Some new quirky characters have been added. The author describes her characters as likable, and flawed. Brooke and Jack are engaged, living together and finalizing their wedding arrangements. Both families meet and have very opposite views on where the wedding should be, and what food should be served. Then of course, Brooke has to get “the wedding dress” which is no easy task.
The good news is that Jack is made a partner in his law firm, and Brooke is enjoying practicing law in her new firm. Are you ready for the bad news? Well, if you consider it bad news. Both Jack and Brooke are trying the same confidential high profile case on opposing sides. Jack also has a sexy assistant helping him. Both Brooke and Jack are “serving” each other for legal documents.
I have to say the shenanigans and anything to do with wedding adventures that go on are quite funny. This is an amusing, delightful romantic book that I would highly recommend. I received a copy of this book for my honest review. Look forward to the 2017 re-release of “Jack With a Twist” in August 2017.
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[Kerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cute story my mom recommended as light, fun reading. I wanted to like more but....I....just....couldn't. People who are not lawyers should not write novels in which the two main characters are lawyers. Or they should do a better job researching. Like, maybe talking to a lawyer. For future reference to all would-be non-lawyers wanting to write lawyer novels: federal courts DO NOT preside over the dissolution of corporations--corporations are created according to the laws of the states in which they are incorporated. Unless you're going bankrupt, the feds don't care. I know it sounds impressive to send your characters to federal court, but 9 times out of 10 they really belong in state court. AND, it would be unethical in almost every circumstance for two lawyers who are engaged to be married to represent opposing parties in the same case and no legitimate law firm should let that happen. AND, federal judges, even appellate ones, are generally not wealthy enough to live in mansions with tennis courts unless they happened to be big firm lawyers before becoming appellate judges (which does not appear to be the case in this book). AND, judges do not open some big leather-bound book on their desk to calendar events in cases; they have secretaries who guard that calendar like a dragon guarding its lair and generally wouldn't let the judge near it with a 10 foot pole, and the modern wonder that is the computer has made it to the judiciary. AND, women lawyers are not idiots nor are they less competent or less focused then their male counterparts. Whew, done.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty disappointed - this book was only OK. I did finish it in one day while home sick on the couch, but only so I could find out what happened in the end. I found myself skipping over sentences, especially the parenthetical ones, and trying to move the story along. The premise of the story is a cute one, but the way this book was written had me wanting more - more editing, better descriptive passages...
I did my best not to compare this author's style to Sophie Kinsella and Lolly Winston - only because this is the only book of Ms. Janowitz's that I've ever read - but the similarities (or want of them) are there.

Still, I wouldn't throw this book entirely under the bus - give a try for yourself and make your own opinions.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the follow up book to Scot on the Rocks about Brooke Miller and Jack Solomon, two attorneys in NY that fall in love and decide to get married...until they are pitted against each other in a case and Jack goes a little far in his tactics and Brooke doesn't know if he is the same guy she fell in love with to begin with. And then there are the two families, each wanting the wedding to be what they want and not what Brooke & Jack want for their day.

Both books are good and very enjoyable. They are a bit predictable (I saw many things coming) but it didn't take away from the book or my enjoyment. When you've read as much as I have in a lifetime it is bound to happen!

This is a good read and I recommend it to anyone that likes chick lit!

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny (laugh-out-loud at points), engaging, and clever. A nice easy, entertaining read--exactly what I needed!

[KaTe]

http://grannypantychronicles.blogspot...

[Ninadiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars out of 5. I happen to read this story before the first in the series, which might have helped because it was hard to understand why the heroine didn't dump her fiance during this story. The reader isn't shown the endearing qualities of jack from the first book. So as the tale went on I couldn't understand why she kept hanging on. But the story does have the same humor as the first, perhaps even more so, which saved this novel from a lower score. An okay beach read.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heroine is self-absorbed, irresponsible, and incredibly dumb, but it's a fun and fluffy story. Good for saying "At least I have my life together more than this woman." (Is this why people watch the Bachelor?)
Disclaimer that I didn't read the first book in the series, maybe it would be easier to root for the love story if I had.

[Katy O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the type of fun, happy chick lit that I desperately needed! I love this series - it seems almost Bridget Jones-ish.

Thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of this book - all opinions are my own!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmmmm, couldn't help but see the similarities between this author's MC and Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic. Not a terrible book, but the MC is lazy, whiny and not really likable. At least I enjoy the Shopaholic books.

[Destany Van wilder · Rating 1 out of 5]

The min character is behaves like a child that never takes responsibility for her actions and is encouraged to behave this way by her family and friends. The writing is great, great detail, funny at times, thought provoking, it’s just the main character is so easy to hate.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Jack with a Twist. Pure delight! ❤️

[Talie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good second in a series. Some nice plot twist. we're some inconsistencies between the two books and what was stated. Kind of takes you out of it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute book, I love this series, easy breezy, no stress fun books!!

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a simple and quick read, but was enjoyable!

[Shira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Brenda janowitz’s writing!! The first book was better in my opinion but this one was cute and as a Jew it’s nice to have some representation in a book 😊

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brooke's Back as a Bride for Jack
This is a fun story written by the talented Brenda Janowitz. She has a knack for storytelling in a way that makes reading like listening to a funny girlfriend go on and on about her trials and tribulations. As in her first novel with these characters, Scot On The Rocks (Red Dress Ink Novels), she takes time out to have her narrator address the reader with regular comments like, "oh come on now . . . like you wouldn't do the same thing in my situation."

Well, in most cases I probably wouldn't, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of Brooke Miller's farcical tale of a neurotic New York attorney planning her wedding, while at the same time preparing a super-secret, tabloid-worthy partner dissolution case with her fiancé, Jack Solomon, as opposing counsel.

I recommend reading Scot on the Rocks prior to this sequel because the main characters, Brooke, Jack and Brooke's best friend, Vanessa--all likeable characters--will definitely feel more developed through this next phase of their lives together. The secondary characters in Jack With a Twist are necessary, but borderline cliché--the mother who never met a glass of champagne she didn't drink; Brooke's loving, kosher butcher father; the snobby, lobster-loving mother-in-law-to-be and her equally-snobby daughters with their matching husbands; the big-to-do Judge father-in-law-to-be; the southern belle villain attorney assisting Jack on the case . . . even the French fashion designer, all fell a little flat for me. Much of the story was predictable; however, the writing style and the voice of Brooke overcame these weaknesses and made this an overall fun, light, and quick reading experience.

Brenda Janowitz has a fan here and will, I'm sure, develop many additional fans with this style and these characters. I won't be surprised to see the third book in this series . . . first comes love--then comes marriage--then comes . . . ? Looking forward to it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first book in this series about a week ago, and ordered this book directly after - knowing I would need to read it soon! The first book is hilarious and quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read. I knew this book had a large shoe to fill, but I had the best hopes it would live up to the first.

Though, this book was nothing like the first. Where the first made me laugh out loud, this book made me cringe in embarrassment over some of the awkward scenes Brooke found herself in. This book was much more serious and adult than the first as well. For most of the book I found myself slightly discouraged and upset over the major differences in the two, however I loved the story and kept reading. In the end, I feel like Brooke, Jack and Vanessa all grew up a little through this story and really became better people - who have great lives ahead of them. When I stopped comparing the two books and looked at this book independent of the other, I realized that I really love both and this one deserves a five star rating as well.

If you like awkward, office-like humor, where someone just embarrasses themselves to no end - you will think this book is hilarious. There are a few interjections of humor similar to the first book thrown in a few characters and the clips from the local newspaper. So I did find myself laughing from time to time, but nothing like the first book. I did ponder life and relationships after this book, so maybe the readers are meant to grow up as well?

This is a super quick read - I read it in almost one entire day and the pages turn very quickly. It's definitely worth reading, if for no other reason than to see how the story continues from the first book and ends!

I will also say I'm super sad Brenda Janowitz doesn't have any other books out. I love her writing style and would LOVE to read more of her work! Let's hope she is still writing!

[Moderngirlstyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brooke Miller, the overly imaginative and hilarious character from SCOT ON THE ROCKS, is back and things have gotten a little hectic for her. She's dealing with the stress of planning the wedding of a lifetime with her close-to-perfect fiancé, Jack. That includes dealing with family and future in-laws (more wine, please!), finding the perfect wedding dress (oh boy!), and maintaining all the duties required of life (laundry, dishes, and grocery shopping, yuk!). But her work life, as a new attorney at Smith, Goldberg, and Reede, presents her with an amazing opportunity to take on the biggest case of her life. The only trouble occurs when Brooke realizes that the opposing attorney is none other than Jack, her own fiancé! Things get out of control until Brooke has to start to question what's more important, her career or her personal life.

Who didn't love Brenda Janowitz's brilliant debut novel, SCOT ON THE ROCKS? Of course, the tricky question that every author has to face is: What next? Her second novel, JACK WITH A TWIST, is nothing less than stellar. It's a great read straight from the start and you don't need to read the first book to get into it. The dilemmas and situations that these characters get into are laugh-out-loud funny. I also love the classic Hollywood style that appears in certain situations (think like Katherine and Audrey Hepburn-hip).

As I was a recent bride, the humor in JACK WITH A TWIST helped me to find the humor in my nightmare in-laws and my less than perfect wedding. In fact, I just gave this book as a gift to a good friend of mine that just got married last week. Every bride needs to be reminded that weddings are crazy! I gave this book four stars because I reserve five stars for books like Sense & Sensibility, Room with a View, etc...You get the point! What else can I say? Get this book, read it, and love it!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This follow-up to SCOT ON THE ROCKS finds Brooke Miller working at a new, smaller law firm, while engaged to and living with Jack, the floppy-haired accent bungler from the first book. We’ve got some new characters, as well as the old favorites.

Brooke’s still not the most professional lawyer, but she’s working harder now that she’s stumbled into her first big case, arguing against Jack as the opposing counsel. Jack and his new underling, a real hussy, have her sweating like a ho in church. But at least she doesn’t have time to worry about her non-existent wedding dress, right?

Jack’s parents are probably the most WASPy Jews ever with an abiding love for lobster.

Brooke’s mom is a champagne hound who’d never hesitate to tell you that you could stand to lose a few pounds. My mom’s like that too! She becomes less insufferable as the book progresses, fortunately; otherwise I’d be wondering whether they serve champagne at The Home.

Brooke’s dad is a lover of meat, just in a kosher, non-sexual way.

Vanessa and Brooke both face the dilemma of how to be a good, considerate friend planning a wedding while the other friend’s marriage is falling apart.

Jack wants to make his mark in the firm as a newly made partner, and pulls some real weaselstein moves to do it. Against Brooke! He obviously wasn’t worried about the state of his testicles.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. Clashing families, her first big legal case, naïveté by the boatload, and doubts about her fiancé keep Brooke from becoming yet another Bridezilla. Check it out, folks!

[Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack With a Twist is a wonderfully humorous and entertaining look at the delicate balancing act undertaken by Brooke Miller (lawyer/fiancé/daughter/friend and woman extraordinaire) as she undertakes planning her wedding while simultaneously trying to keep fiancé Jack happy and succeed in her new job. Brenda Janowitz's little tome manages to successfully regale her readers with an incredibly insightful look (liberally peppered with much welcome humor) at one woman's attempt to "have it all".

In the book, Brooke repeatedly compares she and Jack to Holly and Paul in Breakfast at Tiffanys or Tracy and Hepburn in any one of their numerous movies together, but in actuality our two protagonists are more Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big of Sex and the City fame. (Note: Brooke loves food, seeks independence and success in her own right, loves her Manolo's, fashions by Nanette Lapore, Cynthia Steffe and Vera Wang, shopping at Saks and all things synonymous with contemporary chic while Jack (Big) loves and supports her but also has certain career aspirations of his own to pursue.)

In general, I enjoyed the droll humor and comic aspects of this novel and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Candace Bushnell should definitely consider herself genuinely and wholeheartedly lauded. The one thing that I found particularly off-putting in the story was Brooke referring to Jack as "Jackie" at certain points in the story. It seemed too manipulative or, to make another movie comparison, just a little too Scarlett O'Hara. Oh fiddle-de-de......this is, after all, chick lit!!

[Stief · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost gave this a 1 star but because I persevered to the end and finished it- it made 2 stars... Right from the start this book didn't grip me at all... I couldn't connect with the main character- she seemed shallow, ditsy, nonchalant and sometimes her chatter to the reader was completely on a tangent and although it was trying to bring about some comedy by doing that it just took me further away from the plot and the character- urrrgh. I sludged through it.

Story in a few lines- 2 lawyers are engaged and working for different companies... have you guessed what's going to happen yet?

In the midst of planning her wedding, the female lead (can't even remember her name and I finished it yesterday), takes on her own case for the first time against her fiance who's an experienced lawyer. The whole case sounds highly implausible with major gaps in the law system... ie judge taking out his diary to book the next meeting etc - huh! Really?- no doesn't happen, that's minor I know... but when it's a number of these inconsistencies it takes away from the plot... what was it?- the wedding or the case, or the relationship or her relationship with her family or his family- it was so inbetween all of these that I just couldn't grasp what the main focal part was... bah- this is going towards a 1 star so I'll end this now.

It's a quick, simple read. No steaminess, no love connection that I sensed between the main characters and all just a bit too plain. The best thing going for it, it some lighthearted perceptions of daily life made by the main character- hints at comedy.

[Tara Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This year, when I got my review, my boss gave me the "good deal" sandwich, with positive reviews to start and end with, and mixed things in the middle.

Let's start with some positive things. This book is a cute summer read, something you don't have to spend too much time focusing on at the beach. At times it's hysterical, and it's a great counterpoint to those days when your boyfriend/significant other is driving you insane, and you want some sympathy. The family interactions between the family of the bride and groom were great, and made for some extremely funny moments.

In counterpoint, I felt that this book was "Sex in the City" meets "Ally McBeal." If you're the type of person who loves those types of shows, then this book is great, but to anyone else, I wouldn't recommend it. I often felt as though the characters were too two-dimensional to relate to, and the groom himself was slowly driving me insane with his passive-agressive behavior, (emphasis on the passive.) I would expect that as lawyers, the bride and groom would both have more backbone than they exhibited throughout the entire story. I might have felt more in tune with the characters if I had read the first book in the series first, but otherwise, I had a hard time connecting emotionally.

All in all, a cute quick beach read, definitely fun when you're in the mindset for it, but really not meant for everyone.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book free from the Goodreads giveaways, and I am expected to rate it and write a review. I puzzled for a while over what rating to give it. The author is quite clever -- a skilled writer -- but I wish she would write something less...um, offensive in places. Based on the rave reviews on Amazon, this book will have a large following, but my review has to be based on what my group of Goodreads friends would think of it, so here goes:
Jack with a Twist is a cheerful, witty chick book with a cast of quirky, alcohol-soaked characters. Perfect for the New York career girl who loves shopping, drinking, working, eating out, shopping and drinking.
Brooke and her fiance, Jack, both lawyers, have long shared a bed but now find they also share a big legal case -- from opposing sides. The premise is amusing and entertaining as Brooke tries to find time to shop and plan her wedding while struggling to find time for the case.
However -- and for me this is a deal-breaker -- the bachelorette party in chapters 21 and 22 was so offensive to my Midwest values that I wanted to wash my hands for half an hour. Perhaps I could slice those pages out and burn them?
My challenge to Brenda Janowitz: I would totally love to read one of your novels if it were rated PG. Do you have one in you?

[Anja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no patience for Brooke. She is so passive and lets her parents & future in-laws dominate and control her wedding plans. She keeps looking to her fiancé to speak up. I want to yell at her to stand up for herself. Or at least get a wedding planner who is paid to make sure you get what you want and deal with conflicts.

And for a thirty-year-old highly educated woman Brooke is doing stupid, childish things out of her jealousy and competitiveness with Jack. Like making more work for herself in order to stick it to Jack. She's already overworked and canceling plans to keep up but decides it's worth staying later than she already has to in order to draft unnecessary interrogatories.

"Once you're totally sleep-deprived, does an extra hour lost really matter that much, anyway?"

Yes, Brooke, it really does. Grow up. She did the same with discovery.

The dark moment break-up at the end was resolved by means of a public speech by Jack where he tells his dad Brooke can have whatever she wants. End of fight. I mean really, what about the whole “I don’t even know who he is?” Guess that was code for “I’m a whiny, limp noodle who needs a man to okay my desires before I can have them.”

I skimmed most of the book just to see what happened but wish I'd just DNF'd at the beginning to retain my fond memories of the first book.

[Penelope Bartotto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing twist on the typical romance novel. I admit, one of the reasons I am not a huge fan of regular romance novels is because all of the characters seem to be the same woman, in a different outfit and location. Janowitz created a character for this day and age, that pretty much any woman can easily relate to. Brooke Miller is a shining star in literature for characters capable of standing tall, Janowitz did a remarkable job in her leading characters creation. Ranking right up there with other powerhouse characters like those found in a Sophie Kinsella novel. Brooke has a nice level of sass, and knows how to carry herself, but is also not afraid to accept that she is human and fallible.
Even better, is the fact that Janowitz crafted an entire cast of characters that click so well together the reader feels as if they are a part of the story. Take this cast and bring in a solid plot and a skilled writer and the tale tells itself, complimenting book one, Scot on the Rocks.
I laughed, I cried, and enjoyed every moment of the book. This is a fabulous, hilarious and delicious novel that one can't help but gobble up like Brooke and a chocolate chip scone from Saks. I am still waiting for Janowitz to write a sequel... I want to know if Jack has to keep his Manolo promise or not.

[Leonel · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I was reading Brenda Janowitz's "Jack With A Twist," I was wondering why the book sounded so familiar. I had to double check on Goodreads if I had already read it (I have done that numerous times - unintentionally reading books I have already read before) but no, it seems like I have not read this yet. Then I also saw that this was a sequel to a book I have already read, so no wonder the characters sound familiar. I gave that one a one star review. Anal retentive me had to finish this one, and yes my reservations about the characters from the first book resonated: unlikeable selfish insecure narrator. Plus, I was realizing that this may be one of those wedding-centric books, which is a sub genre I am not too fond of, because I am not a big fan of wedding ceremonies in general. It's a weird quirk of mine, I know, but it is what it is. I was glad to see that there was more to the book than just a wedding, which made this a lot more bearable. The quirky family characters also added a bit more spice than usual, and a predictable but still believable twist was kind of endearing. I read this book while relaxing at a Fourth of July barbecue and it was just the kind of mindless read that complemented the holiday.


http://luhathoughts.blogspot.com/2013...

[Sherri Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored Ms. Janowitz's first book, SCOT ON THE ROCKS, but I have to say that JACK WITH A TWIST was much better! I couldn't put the book down. Even through Brooke's self-obsessed personality, which she doesn't make excuses for, by the way, you cannot help but like her and root for her and Jack to make it down the aisle. I loved all the characters, well, most of them anyway. I didn't take to Jack's family very well, but his sister's did surprise me at the bridal shower and by the end even Jack's parents came across more humane. I loved the side stories involving Vanessa and Marcus and Monique and Jean Luc and laughed myself silly at Brooke's wild imagination involving her wedding videographer and The Soprano references. I recommend this book to every woman who has been a bride or bride to be as I'm sure they can relate to the complete and utter chaos and craziness that planning a wedding brings out in everyone. Hopefully this book brings some relief from the stress.

Brenda Janowitz is definitely an author to keep an eye out for in the bookstores. She already won me over with the Perth, Scotland references in SCOT ON THE ROCKS but JACK WITH A TWIST has placed her in favorite status.