Nine Uses for an ex-boyfriend by Sarra Manning

I have been an avid Sarra Manning’s supporter and reader for many many years.

I devoured Diary of a Crush (Ya Trilogy), Guitar Girl,  Let’s Get Lost, Nobody’s Girl and I was thrilled when she started writing adult romance, I absolutely adored Unsticky, I enjoyed You don’t have to say you love me so so so it really pains me to say that I really disliked Nine Uses for an ex-boyfriend.

Recently I only reviewed books that I liked, I have very little time and I have been sleeping poorly for ages (yeah my one year old daughter believes that sleeping is a waste of time, but that’s another story :)) but I have to say something about  Nine Uses for an ex-boyfriend because I am afraid that some readers might pick up this one (as their first try at Sarra Manning) and think “nah, not my thing”.

I did the same in the past with a few authors (Paige Toon, Kristan Higgings, …) and I am glad that after initial disappointment I picked up other books and loved them.

Don’t give up on Sarra Manning!

From Goodreads:

Hope Delafield hasn’t always had an easy life. She has red hair and a temper to match, as her mother is constantly reminding her. She can’t wear heels, is terrified of heights and being a primary school teacher isn’t exactly the job she dreamed of doing, especially when her class are stuck on the two times table.

At least Hope has Jack, and Jack is the God of boyfriends. He’s sweet, kind, funny, has a killer smile, a cool job on a fashion magazine and he’s pretty (but in a manly way). Hope knew that Jack was The One ever since their first kiss after the Youth Club Disco and thirteen years later, they’re still totally in love. Totally. They’re even officially pre-engaged. And then Hope catches Jack kissing her best friend Susie…

My problem, my big big problem with this book is that it doesn’t have that un-put-down-ability factor that I crave when I decide to buy a Sarra Manning’s book, it was actually boring due to poor characterization, weak storyline, a “who-cares” sort of romance.

Yes Jack is annoying, Hope is hopeless but I cannot  put my finger on what exactly doesn’t work, let’s say I was bored from start to finish.

Yet when Manning’s new book will be released I’ll be there to buy it, she is great, she wrote so many great books that I will pretend that I haven’t read this one, it won’t spoil my love for Sarra.

Other reviews:

Book Harbinger

Handwritten Girl

Em

Johnny be good & Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon

One of the best chick lit duo ever!

An if you haven’t read Johnny be good when it was first released you are so so lucky because you can buy those two books together and won’t have to suffer a few years the way I had to.

Those books aren’t perfect and I’ll come to that soon but they have a strength that few chick lits seem to achieve those days: compelling characters, great storyline and a generous amount of swoon factor.

From Amazon:

If your boss was the hottest rock star on the planet, would you mix business with pleasure? I’m Meg Stiles. This is my leaving party. And that song we’re making a mockery of? That’s written by one of the biggest rock stars in the world. And I’m moving in with him tomorrow. Seriously! I am not even joking. Well, maybe I’m misleading you a little bit. You see, I haven’t actually met him yet …No, I’m not a stalker. I’m his new PA. His Personal Assistant. And I am off to La-La Land. Los Angeles. The City of Angels – whatever you want to call it – and I can’t bloody believe it! Celebrity PA to wild boy of rock Johnny Jefferson, Meg’s glam new life in sun-drenched LA is a whirlwind of showbiz parties and backstage passes. Cool, calm Christian, in town to write his famous friend’s biography, helps keep Meg’s feet firmly on the ground. But with Johnny’s piercing green eyes and a body Brad Pitt would kill for, how long will it be before she’s swept right off them again?

I was hooked on page 1, I love love love when HIM is a rock star … now if this was real life and I was Meg Stiles or she was a friend of mine I would say “RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN” except I am an helpless romantic, I will probably stay thinking that I can change the man, no matter how bad things are.

Things are very  bad, Meg suffers humiliations that no woman deserves, Johnny Jefferson has a good heart but he is seriously messed up, so why does Meg stick around?

She is in love, she is experiencing the same sort of love addiction that teens experience, that  ALL or NOTHING feeling, that “Love will tear us apart” obsession (except they haven’t been together yet but you know what I mean).

How could she not? Johnny Jefferson it’s one of those characters that you will love or hate (and if you were a Peeta’s fan you’ll probably dislike him, just saying), needless to say he is a favorite of mine as chick lit goes.

Yes, I am twisted like that.

And to be honest I enjoy a novel where characters are flawed, they cheat, they lie, they have sex without thinking a bazillion times if it’s the right thing to do, they go with the flow . It’s refreshing.

I stated before how much I dislike those novels in which she stars as damsel-in-distress and he plays the good natured saviour who will fix everything and beyond if only he can get her to trust him.

I like Trouble.

I also really like Christian, Johnny’s best friend, a music journalist who is writing Johnny’s bio, not just a supporting character but a key player in the story.

Unfortunately he is no trouble, just kidding , he is very likeable, you’ll love him.

Meg is a genuine character, she tells us her story and she is great fun to listen to, I could really relate to her humor,  her disappointments, her sadness, her choices.

Except when it comes to Baby Be Mine I cringed for the first 100 pages or so, I didn’t like Meg very much, she does the unthinkable, a deception that I could never forget, let alone forgive no matter her reasons.

The ending of Johnny be good is one of those that will let you disappointed, make sure you have the sequel or you’ll suffer  for a few days, get those characters out of your mind it will take a few days, you’ll want to start Baby Me Mine ASAP.

Now Johnny B. Goode  is among the most widely covered rock and roll songs in history, I like the Sex Pistols version, love their energy…chose you pick, there are so many !

Apart from the first 100 pages or so in Baby Be Mine (where something really twisted happens) those novels deal with addiction, alchool, drugs, rehab … it’a all far to simple and superficial but hey it’s a chick lit and I am more than willing to enjoy myself, I don’t need a real account of what happens when people deal with this sort of addictions.

Overall it’s a MUST READ for me, it deserves 5/5 because it’s really really absorbing and every time I start a new book that’s what I am looking for, something that can grip my heart and keep hold of it, I am glad to say that this is exactly what happened.

Casting Call:

Joe Anderson as Johnny (Am I the only one who has a massive crush on him?)

Amanda Peet  as Meg

Ryan Gosling ad Christian:

Other reviews:

About Happy Books by Sabrina

Em