Jane Stewart's Reviews > Her Perfect Revenge

Ah! What a treat! This is a book full of witty surprises and laughter.

I need to divide the book into two parts for my review.

THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THE BOOK (I will call the "First Part"):
I was doubled over with laughter many, many times. I didn't want to stop reading. There are three people trying to deceive each other and/or keep secrets from each other. It makes for great conflict. And, what makes it great is that they each have good reasons for what they are doing. I am sympathetic to all three of them. I loved it, loved it, loved it. I hope this author continues writing with this kind of creativity. I even woke up in the middle of the night laughing with scenes from the book on my mind.

Story brief: At age 14, Bill is a drunken rich kid who plays a mean prank on Christina at school. She never forgives him. At age 30, their paths cross. She plans to get revenge. He needs her to pretend to be his fiancee for a month, so his father won't throw him out of his home and disinherit him. The father is onto the sham and does things to try to get them to crack under the pressure.

THE LAST QUARTER OF THE BOOK (I will call the "Last Part"):
CAUTION SPOILERS:
This was a different kind of story, which took me by surprise. The First Part was a crazy, wild and funny ride, full of twists and turns. The Last Part had some sadness, separation and grief. Too much bad luck was happening to expose secrets in the worst ways and at the worst times. Christina made some bad decisions. I understand the author was making the point that going after someone for revenge will have hurtful consequences. The Last Part did make sense and did provide a fitting story to finish the book, but it evoked a different set of feelings - frustrations and sadness. I generally don't like too much sadness when I read, but I accepted the sadness because the First Part was so great. Do keep in mind, this is a romance novel, which means there is a happy ending.

If I could change anything, I would have Christina be a little smarter in her decisions and actions in the Last Part. I would also like to see the author continue her crazy unexpectedness in the unraveling of secrets and keeping a lighter mood in the Last Part.

I noticed one reviewer felt there were too many different points of view, stating the reader is in the heads of Bill, Christina, Bill's father, Christina's best friend, Bill's ex-girlfriend, etc. However, I thought it worked well. It made it funnier to see what others were thinking while they were observing, reacting and scheming.

DATA:
Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: two. Setting: current day New York area. Copyright: 2008. Genre: humorous contemporary romance.

DISCLOSURE:
The author sent this book to me free of charge, requesting a review.