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Romantically Challenged
When L.A. entertainment lawyer Julie Burns becomes convinced that finding The One is "just a numbers game," she sets out on a dating frenzy. From chance meetings and blind dates to dating services and the wonderful world of the Internet, Julie will try anything to meet her man. And in the process, she discovers a secret or two about the single Sometimes love sneaks up on you when you least expect it-and even the worst first impressions can have surprising results.
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2006
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674 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
December 11, 2010
This book was awful, just a long book complaining about dating. I really wanted to reach through the book and offer the main character some cheese to go with her whine (wine). The worst part was when the book finally did end, it was all of a sudden. With the very last page reading something like "For those looking for the epiloge please see my website" by the author. Seriously? No, thank you. Sorry, I suffered enough. I am usually pretty generous with my reviews, but this book was really a struggle to finish.
February 14, 2011
If you're looking for a long list of common (and frankly, too easy) dating complaints disguising itself as a novel, this is for you. The author spent 98% of the book complaining about men and wrapped it all up within the last 2%, leaving it feeling like it was finished because she was up against a deadline rather than where the story should've actually finished. If I didn't have a compulsive need to finish a book once I've started it, I would've set this aside.
August 11, 2010
A quick perusal of the book description may lead you to believe this book is contemporary romance or chick lit. That’s part of the story, but not all. There may be something for a man here too.
Julie Burns is under pressure from her mother, friends, and the constant clicking of the clock. She decides if she’s ever going to marry and have a family it must happen soon. It’s a numbers game anyway. Just meet and date enough men and surely she’ll uncover Mr. Right.
Everyone will enjoy the humor of “Romantically Challenged.” As a bonus men can learn two valuable lessons. First, look at the reasons Julie eliminates each man. If you never see yourself in any of the rejects you aren’t looking hard enough. Second, Julie will confirm what you’ve always suspected. “I’ll never understand women.”
Julie Burns is under pressure from her mother, friends, and the constant clicking of the clock. She decides if she’s ever going to marry and have a family it must happen soon. It’s a numbers game anyway. Just meet and date enough men and surely she’ll uncover Mr. Right.
Everyone will enjoy the humor of “Romantically Challenged.” As a bonus men can learn two valuable lessons. First, look at the reasons Julie eliminates each man. If you never see yourself in any of the rejects you aren’t looking hard enough. Second, Julie will confirm what you’ve always suspected. “I’ll never understand women.”
May 11, 2007
I read Romantically Challenged by Beth Orsoth on my mother's recommendation. She cautioned me that it was "silly" but a fun read nonetheless.
The recommendation:
This book is a really quick read. It's simply written, and entertaining enough. It is most definitely the kind of book you take to the beach, and I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it for those purposes.
The "pan":
The book also has to be one of the most vapid pieces of writing I've ever read. The main character, Julie Burns, is a Jewish lawyer who has had trouble keeping boyfriends in the past. She's getting older, and wants to get married and have kids. Aside from being the usual combination of being both bitchy and a whiner, she is a complete cipher.
It's true that that a lot of the guys she dates are losers- but in my opinion, she deserves them. She's so focused on dating Jewish men, but there's no explanation for why other than that it would please her mother. Indeed, that seems to be her entire motivation for dating to begin with. In dating, marrying, and eventually having kids, it seems that all she's trying to do is escape her family's judgement.
She's a laywer, but she doesn't seem the least bit interested in her job. I understand that professionals often dislike their jobs, but she doesn't have to have any interest in anything else either. The only time she is really passionate is when she sues a company that screwed her out of a few hundred bucks. Apparently revenge is the only thing that gets her motor running.
I won't spoil the ending if any of you still want to read it, but let me say that the plot is so transparent it's practically air. I could tell from the first 20 pages of the book how it would end. As for plot points, there are a few amusing coincidences and some absurdly funny scenes, but they seem more or less strung together randomly. And of course, all plot points revolve around her relationships with men. Understandably so, since this is the point of the book. I suppose it's my fault that I don't find it particularily interesting.
Final Judgement:
The book itself is funny, but I can't get over what a horrible character Julie is. She's emotional, irrational, easily offended, and has no redeeming characterstics like wit or intelligence. Personally, I think the likeability of the protagonist (or at least, the antagonist) is central to the success of a book. This novel fails that miserably.
The recommendation:
This book is a really quick read. It's simply written, and entertaining enough. It is most definitely the kind of book you take to the beach, and I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it for those purposes.
The "pan":
The book also has to be one of the most vapid pieces of writing I've ever read. The main character, Julie Burns, is a Jewish lawyer who has had trouble keeping boyfriends in the past. She's getting older, and wants to get married and have kids. Aside from being the usual combination of being both bitchy and a whiner, she is a complete cipher.
It's true that that a lot of the guys she dates are losers- but in my opinion, she deserves them. She's so focused on dating Jewish men, but there's no explanation for why other than that it would please her mother. Indeed, that seems to be her entire motivation for dating to begin with. In dating, marrying, and eventually having kids, it seems that all she's trying to do is escape her family's judgement.
She's a laywer, but she doesn't seem the least bit interested in her job. I understand that professionals often dislike their jobs, but she doesn't have to have any interest in anything else either. The only time she is really passionate is when she sues a company that screwed her out of a few hundred bucks. Apparently revenge is the only thing that gets her motor running.
I won't spoil the ending if any of you still want to read it, but let me say that the plot is so transparent it's practically air. I could tell from the first 20 pages of the book how it would end. As for plot points, there are a few amusing coincidences and some absurdly funny scenes, but they seem more or less strung together randomly. And of course, all plot points revolve around her relationships with men. Understandably so, since this is the point of the book. I suppose it's my fault that I don't find it particularily interesting.
Final Judgement:
The book itself is funny, but I can't get over what a horrible character Julie is. She's emotional, irrational, easily offended, and has no redeeming characterstics like wit or intelligence. Personally, I think the likeability of the protagonist (or at least, the antagonist) is central to the success of a book. This novel fails that miserably.
November 1, 2012
This book sucked. I didn't actively like any of the characters, and the ones that I didn't hate were too bland for me to feel anything for. And it'd be one thing if I didn't like the characters but felt that they had something to say, but they didn't. Some of the politics were truly problematic, and I honestly did not give two shits about what happened to anyone in the story. Literally the only thing the protagonist wanted was to find a husband. Even when she is unexpectedly advancing in her career, she accepts it with a "meh." Like, "it's good news, but I don't have a husband so it doesn't really count." The plot rambled, and the entire bit about the Hollywood Tonight story about being romantically challenged was the stupidest thing I've ever read. Very poorly done. It is not a big deal that a woman is over thirty and isn't married. Who the fuck cares? This woman's entire life was about finding her soulmate, which, a) soulmates don't exist, and b) the "disastrous" dates weren't even funny and not one of them rang true. The tropes that this writer used weren't even executed well, they were just shtick. I thought it was creepy how she had a Tickle Me Elmo doll, not cute like the author was going for. I also didn't like how the character's stereotypical overbearing mother referred to herself as "Mommy" and literally did not appear once without nagging the main character about how she's single. NOBODY CARES. Even the big, romantic ending is underwhelming. There is just as much page time devoted to describing a facial the main character tries to give herself as there is to the big get together. If you're going to make the only thing your protagonist care about is getting married, at least make me care about the relationship.
I don't even care enough about this book to fully articulate why I hated it so much. Let's put it this way: the quality of writing of my shitty shitty review of the book is better than the book itself.
I don't even care enough about this book to fully articulate why I hated it so much. Let's put it this way: the quality of writing of my shitty shitty review of the book is better than the book itself.
October 26, 2011
I'm not finished this book, but it doesn't matter because it's worth a read! It had me hooked by the first 2 pages. The quirky humour and fun-loving angst of the heroine just makes me snicker as I read!
Revision to edit...The more I get into this book, the more I'm annoyed by the heroine! I don't like the way she's portrayed or acts. She appears, to me, to be too self-absorbed and picky to know what she wants. I get annoyed the way she'll pounce on a comment and twist it around and get mad at the person. She almost picks any reason to find fault. Unattractive....I almost wish she ends up alone at times :(
In my opinion, a heroine has to at least be likeable and this one falls short. Still debating on whether or not I'll even finish the book.
Revision to edit...The more I get into this book, the more I'm annoyed by the heroine! I don't like the way she's portrayed or acts. She appears, to me, to be too self-absorbed and picky to know what she wants. I get annoyed the way she'll pounce on a comment and twist it around and get mad at the person. She almost picks any reason to find fault. Unattractive....I almost wish she ends up alone at times :(
In my opinion, a heroine has to at least be likeable and this one falls short. Still debating on whether or not I'll even finish the book.
November 8, 2017
Julie Burns is a thirty-one year old Jewish entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. At yet another family wedding where she is forced to wear a hideous bridesmaids outfit she is informed that if she wants to have children before the age of 35 then she needs to find a husband in the next 12 months. Having signally failed previously she decides (egged on by her friends) that she has been too picky and that romance is a numbers game so she proceeds to go on a series of dates with men she would never normally have given the time of day to, and it goes just about as well as you could expect.
Julie tries blind dates, speed dating, a dating agency, online dating, friends of friends, dating cast-offs from her friends - you name it she tries it. The trouble is, at some point I stopped laughing/ shuddering at the awful men that an attractive 30-something woman has to put up with and started to think that actually Julie wasn't a very sympathetic character. Unfortunately, that was my lasting impression and so my question became who would want to date her?
I received a free copy of this book from the author (for signing up to her newsletter).
Julie tries blind dates, speed dating, a dating agency, online dating, friends of friends, dating cast-offs from her friends - you name it she tries it. The trouble is, at some point I stopped laughing/ shuddering at the awful men that an attractive 30-something woman has to put up with and started to think that actually Julie wasn't a very sympathetic character. Unfortunately, that was my lasting impression and so my question became who would want to date her?
I received a free copy of this book from the author (for signing up to her newsletter).
April 27, 2011
I had been looking for this book for sometime because it describes my own situation so well. Romantically Challenged, not willing to settle and having some difficulty finding that one person just right for you. I was very excited to have finally found the book and couldn't wait to start reading it.
The book itself has definite potential but the author clutters it in away. The character goes on date after date with guy after guy which introduces too many characters and makes it hard to remember who she is talking about later in the book. The character also has everything that could go wrong on a date happen during her series of dates. I also felt that the author sort of forgot about this book for awhile until she realized that she needed to tie everything up to meet a deadline. While she does post an epilogue on her website for the audience to read, it still feels very rushed like she knew how she wanted it to end but really didn't have the time to develop it and didn't know even how to go about getting to the ending she wanted.
Good chick lit books are hard to come by, at least in my mind, and this one definitely was relatable in plot and enjoyable enough to read, but could definitely be wrtitten much better.
The book itself has definite potential but the author clutters it in away. The character goes on date after date with guy after guy which introduces too many characters and makes it hard to remember who she is talking about later in the book. The character also has everything that could go wrong on a date happen during her series of dates. I also felt that the author sort of forgot about this book for awhile until she realized that she needed to tie everything up to meet a deadline. While she does post an epilogue on her website for the audience to read, it still feels very rushed like she knew how she wanted it to end but really didn't have the time to develop it and didn't know even how to go about getting to the ending she wanted.
Good chick lit books are hard to come by, at least in my mind, and this one definitely was relatable in plot and enjoyable enough to read, but could definitely be wrtitten much better.
June 14, 2012
Good thing the author wrote an epilogue for this and posted it on her website (http://bethorsoff.com/books/romantica...), or my rating would have been a star lower. The characters eventually ended up with each other, it's just that, they officially got together at the last chapter. No, make that, the last page, or the last paragraph. That's how long it took Julie to realize that whoever she was looking for was always there all along.
Setting aside that abrupt ending, Romantically Challenged is overall an entertaining novel. Several meet-cute scenarios and of course, the accompanying disastrous results of every other date. The story didn't deviate from the core point at hand, and subplots served to support the main storyline and helped to get the story going without redundancy and complications.
I think every single career woman could very much relate to the predicament Julie Burns is in - early thirties, with family (and friends) always on her case about her single-blessedness. And instead of getting annoyed by her incessant tendency to be picky, we rally around her and feel what she's going through on her quest for The One.
An enjoyable read, Beth Orsoff and this book deserve 4 out of 5 stars. :)
Setting aside that abrupt ending, Romantically Challenged is overall an entertaining novel. Several meet-cute scenarios and of course, the accompanying disastrous results of every other date. The story didn't deviate from the core point at hand, and subplots served to support the main storyline and helped to get the story going without redundancy and complications.
I think every single career woman could very much relate to the predicament Julie Burns is in - early thirties, with family (and friends) always on her case about her single-blessedness. And instead of getting annoyed by her incessant tendency to be picky, we rally around her and feel what she's going through on her quest for The One.
An enjoyable read, Beth Orsoff and this book deserve 4 out of 5 stars. :)
June 24, 2012
If you are going to write a town into your story, at least visit it first. Her description of San Luis Obispo couldn't have been more wrong. Not only is it about 100 miles north of Santa Barbara, its also 10 minutes from the beach (by car) not a couple blocks. You can't walk from the beach into town (which has very good dining). Since I live in SLO, I know what I'm talking about. Normally, I'm not so nitpicky, but I'm protective of my town. Sounds like she just picked a place on the map and guessed. Otherwise, the writing is mediocre to bad. I don't recommend this novel.
April 21, 2013
Didn't really care for this book out of the three I read of Beth Orsoff. The more I read her books the more it seemed that she put women to be desperate and one had to have a man to complete themselves. I got really bored with the finding a date story when you know from the beginning of the book who she will end up with anyways. Oh well. Maybe next book I read will be better.
December 20, 2018
I wanted to love this book it had so much potentional..I was expecting a series of hilarious blind dates. This book was bad dates due to being too picky. She didn't want to date someone too rich, too short, etc nothing like he showed up in a chicken suit or something funny. And where did that ending come from....shes dateless then bam happily ever after there wasn't even a pursuit
June 1, 2011
This book was pretty predictable chick lit, but a easy enough read for a lazy weekend. I thought the ending, although contrived, came on a bit abruptly. Meanwhile, a lot of the details in the book could have been left out.
June 18, 2018
The ending is a beutifull explain of the succes of book.
February 17, 2019
I wanted some light reading to get me through a weekend of being snowed in and this did the trick.
April 8, 2011
This book was a delight to read. It was funny, light-hearted and a quick read. Julie is a very likeable character and the men she meets and the situations she finds herself in are so funny. The book is well written and the pace is good. It keeps moving and never seems to drag. It made me want to keep reading, thus I breezed through it.
A note for print book readers: There is an author's note at the end of the Kindle edition directing readers to her website ([...]) to read a short epilogue to the story. Apparently many readers wrote to her telling her they thought the book just ended rather abruptly and wanted more. They wanted to know if there would be a sequel. Well, instead of a sequel, she wrote a very short epilogue which definitely wraps the book up better and gives it some closure. Personally, I think the book worked OK without it, however, I do think it is MUCH better WITH it.
Kindle edition is formatted just fine. There is the occasional running together of words (for example, "aman", instead of "a man"), but nothing critical.
I highly recommend this book and for $2.99 for the kindle edition (at least that is what I paid), it's definitely a great deal! I look forward to reading her other book.
A note for print book readers: There is an author's note at the end of the Kindle edition directing readers to her website ([...]) to read a short epilogue to the story. Apparently many readers wrote to her telling her they thought the book just ended rather abruptly and wanted more. They wanted to know if there would be a sequel. Well, instead of a sequel, she wrote a very short epilogue which definitely wraps the book up better and gives it some closure. Personally, I think the book worked OK without it, however, I do think it is MUCH better WITH it.
Kindle edition is formatted just fine. There is the occasional running together of words (for example, "aman", instead of "a man"), but nothing critical.
I highly recommend this book and for $2.99 for the kindle edition (at least that is what I paid), it's definitely a great deal! I look forward to reading her other book.
July 4, 2018
This gets 4 stars because it's a good vacation book. It's not too deep; it's an easy silly read perfect for sipping margaritas and lounging on a beach bed. It's silly and reads very easy. It doesn't have deep character development or a particularly engaging plot but it is still very entertaining. If you need a break from brain books, plot twists, and all the Gone Girl-esque plots then pick this up.
It did make me question my dating habits. I'm starting to think I'm a little shallow like Julie...so I guess it causes some introspection! If you're currently stuck in the dating game or are married...you will enjoy hearing the very realistic explanation of dating in the modern age. Even if the book seems set in early 2000s...or is applicable today.
It did make me question my dating habits. I'm starting to think I'm a little shallow like Julie...so I guess it causes some introspection! If you're currently stuck in the dating game or are married...you will enjoy hearing the very realistic explanation of dating in the modern age. Even if the book seems set in early 2000s...or is applicable today.
March 19, 2011
Soooo full of long winded nonsense. It was like "get to the action already"! Maybe it's just me, but I don't get how on earth people like this long winded garbage... This was recommended to me by two people, both indie authors, and now, as I look back at it, I see that all these authors are promoting each others work. This was just not for me and I should have read a sample first before buying on recommendation from the author's friends.
September 15, 2013
I needed an easy, quick, uncomplicated read and this book did the trick. A 30 something attorney in California goes on the hunt for a man. It was fun to read of her escapades but there was nothing redeemable about her or her life except the fact that she didn't sleep with these guys on the first date. I found her behavior towards her parents particularly offensive. This book was great for a non-intellectual challenge.
April 12, 2018
This was one of those books that if you like mystery without the mayhem, then you can read it straight through. I, however, like a straightforward storyline. I was going to let this one go after 100 pages or so, but then I decided to read the back page to find out who she ended up with and just read those parts. They were actually adorable and I liked how dysfunctional the couple was. It was a light and cute read.
May 9, 2018
I loved this book!
Julie was a bit picky about men, but the dates were hilarious! Kaitlin got a good deal from one of those dates too. And there is a good lesson to be learned from this book; always follow directions! 😉
Julie was a bit picky about men, but the dates were hilarious! Kaitlin got a good deal from one of those dates too. And there is a good lesson to be learned from this book; always follow directions! 😉
June 21, 2018
I really enjoyed this book at first. It was a quick read and had a few lol moments. I would have given it more stars, but the abrupt ending was a huge disappointment. It’s like going out to eat and then leaving right before dessert.
July 24, 2015
nobody did anything for any reason, everyone was awful.
February 23, 2025
Fast paced and funny
I enjoyed this humorous story about one woman's extremely bumpy ride toward finding "the one"! The story moves along at a fast clip as Julie endures numerous bad dates.
I enjoyed this humorous story about one woman's extremely bumpy ride toward finding "the one"! The story moves along at a fast clip as Julie endures numerous bad dates.
December 25, 2019
Cute, easy read.
September 20, 2020
Ok
The book was ok. Julie's approach to love was a bit irritating to read but I am glad she got her happy ending.
The book was ok. Julie's approach to love was a bit irritating to read but I am glad she got her happy ending.
March 23, 2021
It was a great book until... Finally falling in love and the story was 3 pages long? This should have been longer! A lot more to know about Her & Joe!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2012
Julie truly is romantically challenged. In her professional life she had all of her ducks in a row. In her personal life the clock is ticking and she feels the pressure to find a guy, get married and start a family from parents and friends.
Julie, being highly logical, decides dating is a numbers game; the more guys you date the more likely it is that you will find Mr. Right. Although, after being burned from a long term relationship, she had raised her standards unrealistically high. I didn't like her much; she had become jaded, conceited, and shallow.
Now Julie is in dating hell, she has become a serial dater. She is set up with blind dates, a dating service, and she even tries speed dating. Her dating disasters are hysterical. Ultimately, I am glad she didn't just settle. But she did soften and become a little more realistic when she finally opened her eyes.
I just read the epilogue on Beth's web site and it should definitely be included in the book! Don't miss it!
Julie, being highly logical, decides dating is a numbers game; the more guys you date the more likely it is that you will find Mr. Right. Although, after being burned from a long term relationship, she had raised her standards unrealistically high. I didn't like her much; she had become jaded, conceited, and shallow.
Now Julie is in dating hell, she has become a serial dater. She is set up with blind dates, a dating service, and she even tries speed dating. Her dating disasters are hysterical. Ultimately, I am glad she didn't just settle. But she did soften and become a little more realistic when she finally opened her eyes.
I just read the epilogue on Beth's web site and it should definitely be included in the book! Don't miss it!
March 26, 2011
A great cute little read that kept me chuckling and reading til the end. The story follows a successful LA lawyer who is listening to her internal clock, but still having a hard time finding the guy who checks off everything on her must have list.
I loved that this book read different than most when the main character is in pursuit of the perfect guy. I couldn't pick out the guy she would end up with until very close to the ending. The different dates she went on were more than entertaining!
A cute little read that I would recommend to the lady readers who need some cute fluff between those deep emotional reads!
I loved that this book read different than most when the main character is in pursuit of the perfect guy. I couldn't pick out the guy she would end up with until very close to the ending. The different dates she went on were more than entertaining!
A cute little read that I would recommend to the lady readers who need some cute fluff between those deep emotional reads!
September 29, 2011
This book is as fluffy as chick lit gets, but it's FUN!! Filled with outrageous but relatable situations and hilarious one-liners, there's never a dull moment. I can relate to the main character a lot because I'm just as picky when it comes to men! The story was simply written and very preditable, but I'm not looking for something that makes me think when I pick up a book like this. I will like to read more from Beth Orsoff in the future!
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