The Boyfriend School - Sarah Bird

Gretchen Griner is an underpaid, underappreciated photographer for the Austin (that’s Texas) Grackle, part-time lover of Peter Overton Treadwell III (known as “Trout”), and major consumer of Cup O’ Soup. That is, until she meets Lizzie Potts—otherwise known as Viveca Lamoureaux, romance writer extraordinaire. Lizzie has a plan for Gretchen’s life—and it includes Lizzie’s brother Gus. But Gretchen has her own plan, and it does not feature a “wispy goon” named Gus. Of course, fate also has a plan for Gretchen, and it doesn’t care what Gretchen wants. So Lizzie will give Gretchen Gus, Gus will give Gretchen the man of her dreams, and among this oddball cast of marvelous misfits, someone just may discover the secret to true romance.

Another book that I had heard much about but that left me completely cold. It's part chick lit and part romance - a very over the top romance. I am yet to decide if what bugged was that it is so unbelievable - really who stays at a crappy job like the one Gretchen has and with a crappy boyfriend like hers? - or if my problem was that half the characters were misleading the other half - really who comes up with a plan like Lizzie's??

The fact that both the romance novelists seemed so plainly caricatures also didn't make me grow fonder of the story. I understand that humour is a very personal thing and I guess I am just not made for this type of humour.

I did read it till the end because despite it all I really liked Gus - even if he went along with that awful plan - and couldn't see what Gretchen thought was so bad about him. In the end I was undecided if she should kick his butt because of what he did or if he should just find someone else because of how shallow she proved to be.

Still, so many people seem to love it that you might enjoy it more than I did.
Grade: 3/5