Blurb:
Does being in a relationship make you a hot
commodity in the eyes of
would-be suitors?
Chloe Lane is about to find out. When her childhood pal, Ethan Webster, asks her to play the part of his girlfriend in order to test this theory, she reluctantly agrees. As a work-crazed fashion designer, boutique owner and soon-to-be reality show judge, Chloe has no time for a real boyfriend, but being part of a faux pair will do just fine. Not that she has any intention of trying to attract someone else.
However…
Opportunity unexpectedly knocks when Chloe meets fellow reality judge, William Shannon. Super successful and super sexy, this high-powered entrepreneur inspires Chloe to test Ethan’s theory herself. Now, on top of keeping her fashion business productive, carving out a new role as a
television personality, maintaining a fake relationship and attempting to
lay the groundwork for a future
relationship, she’s lying to William, lying
to her friends, lying to her family and quite possibly lying to herself. Will Chloe be able to keep it all together,
or are things about to explode?
“What are you doing with that Ethan, anyway?” William asks to my surprise, “I don’t mean to be offensive,” he says. “And he certainly seemed like a good guy, but he’s very Boy Next Door, isn’t he?”
Despite myself, I chuckle. “Three doors down, to be precise.”.......
This book is so(oo) New York, so(oo) Sex And The City. Only it's far more than thirty minutes. Well, unless you are a fast reader.
Anna Garner is just so funny I want to know what Libby Mercer's like! Besides writing a book with a story-line that's so Cosmo hence so Sex And The City, you'd expect this book to have the whole package: Humor, Romance, Steamy romance and all the stuff that ticks all your chick-lit boxes. And it doesn't disappoint.
Chloe Lane is a Girl in Fashion (ooh), she loves to splurge (ahhh), she's just so hilarious (hahaha!). There's nothing not to love about this Chloe, except, she hasn't had sex in two years (*crowd boos at this confession*). And the most bugging thing is, she doesn't bother, she's not been prowling for men like your average Chick-lit character should.
Thanks to her meddling friends, Isabel-the online dating guru, Veronica-the Miranda Hobbs and Julian-the overprotective gay, her single status doesn't last for long after one night of fruitless search of Mr. Right and meeting one not-single acquaintance over thirty hooking the fish who might have checked all their boxes. That's when the Does being in a relationship make you a hot commodity in the eyes of would-be suitors? comes in.
Ethan, your really cool looking guy shows up. He comes up with the suggestion and the two begin their fake relationship. The two are set on lying about how they met to arranging Holidays with whose parents and attending each other's social events, including sharing some fake kisses and snuggling beneath duvets for movie nights. All for Ethan to hook a co-worker, Lila, and Chloe just being in it to help him out and see the truth in the theory at first hand.
That's when Andrew McCarthy comes in-sorry, I mean William Shannon. Wouldn't even dare compare Andrew's billionaire character in Lipstick Jungle to William's. Though they have similar assets, Andrew McCarthy is no match for the (fictional) William Shannon. William is everything but not perfect. Looks, check. Money, check. Sexy, check. Frequently Unavailable, check. The two are set as Judges on the reality show, and Chloe knows right from the Reality show's kick-start dinner, she wants to use the fake relationship theory on him.
Poor Wily William and his wicked Willy, the two have the most vibrant sex life!
That above is just how far I can go with the spoilers.
This book created the exact, glam, fab, gorg life Sex And The City portrayed of the City that Never Sleeps. Through all the restaurants, the bars, the clubs, high-end shops, brick-wall exposed apartments, classy penthouses and busy streets, you get reeled into this fast/fab scenery Anna Garner creates.
Being a book based in New York, it's not shocking to have a tightly knitted network of friends who don't only host extravagant parties and outrageously funny gothic ones, but form a support group in case you need a shoulder to cry on. Indisputably, friendship is the key to survival in the City That Never Sleeps, and it's amazing how Anna Garner puts across the theme by presenting characters so hilarious you sometimes wish this book was written in third-person.
I totally dig the whole idea of this novel. I love books with leads who try investigating relationship phenomena, like Hilary Duff in Beauty And The Briefcase finding out How To Date A Guy In The Business World or even Carrie Bradshaw's numerous puzzling issues on... (Oh no, now you must know I am a huge fan). This even makes the story so cool when you are squinting about the phenomena in concern, thinking, 'Is this true?' No, thanks for asking, but I don't know of any real life scenarios, but Lying To Meet You just made me believe this assertion with all the reasonable explanations it brought on the table to back the theory.
Besides all the 'ooh-ha-ha', you'd love the uh, triangle in this book (My grammar teacher wasn't keen on repetition so please insert your own meaning in there). Though the millionaire-average girl-boy next door romance has been portrayed in lots of titles, the never-ending humor and the Ohemgee moments make Garner's unique! One lesson running through out this book could be, Love The One You Are With. And the most bugging thing is, you always keep asking yourself 'Why not the other guy?' no matter which guy you found yourself smitten with. Perhaps Garner's mistake of making both men have too good personalities (and a huge flaw on another I could overlook) made it easy to wish both men were Mr. Happily Ever After.
You would love Matthieu, the stylist who takes an interest in naked celeb photos, and Ethan's playful bunch of a family compared to Chloe's and the hilarious Karaoke-lovers group. Really, there's never a dull moment.
My only minute problem with this number, has to be the end. I didn't hate it, it was perfect. But I am concerned about the end of the novel not the story. Stating above that I was so into her friends including her stylist Matthieu, her mum and all the other crazies in the book, I would have wanted an epilogue. Something to inform me what happened to all the others I grew so fond of.
Due to the above this book almost had five-star.
My rating
:
Lying To Meet You is available in both Paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon on the FIFTH OF SEPTEMBER.
A perfect Holiday read. I recommend this title for anyone who wants a good laugh. Anyone who's had to deal with a shop-lifter and tried dating a billionaire. Anyone who loves their New York-y, Sex And The City, Lipstick Jungle friendship and would want a topic worth discussing during their brunch rendezvous. And most importantly, anyone who wants to find loads of ingenious ways to attract someone.
Pure entertainment, Anna Garner. Keeping this.
My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads.
