Amanda's Wedding

Amanda's Wedding is filled with foul language and crude comparisons to barnyard behavior. If you like characters incapable of expressing themselves without vulgar language, than you will like this book. I detested it, did not finish it and put it in the trash where it belongs.

When Mel and Fran's old school chum and arch enemy - the super snob Amanda, (Satan's very own PR girl), pulls off the ultimate publicity stunt in getting herself engaged to a Scottish laird - they descend into a drunken binge (and Mel ends up a night with the 6 foot 7 accountant who is the most boring accountant in the world) - which constitutes the worst drop into despair in the world. It seems Amanda does not mind that Fraser McConnald wears the same pair of Converse trainers for years on end, and that his castle is a pile of rubble with one Calor Gas heater - Amanda wants to be titled - and what Amanda wants, Amanda gets - even if it means fake smiles, lots of white teeth and tight leather trousers.Fraser, rather sweet and gentle, is clearly ignorant of her wiles (aren't all males though) so it is up to our heroine, Mel and her acerbic friend Fran, still smarting from the memory of Amanda's perfidy at school, to save him from mismatch of the century. To bring this all off and get her final revenge on her arch enemy Mel has to fight off an even greater and more pressing nemesis - the ardent attentions of the most boring accountant in the world, at the same time she has to keepg Fran's deadly manoeuvres with the opposite sex under control and try to win back the love of her life, the gorgeous, but fiendishly uncommitted Alex. Walking with Mel through the wedding preparations which include hen night from hell are just wonderful, light fun. This is a hellluva funny debut novel - well worth a read and definitely an author to watch out for. At times I thought it would tip over into self-concious joke telling - ah la most stand up comedians who end up writing books (Ellen de Generes, Paul Reisner et al) but this was great. Imaginative, funny and the characters seemed real no matter how eccentric things got. It reminded me very much of Jilly Cooper's early short romances (Octavia, Imogen) which I also loved. If you enjoy Jilly Cooper or Janet Evanovich I'm sure you'll love this.

There is obviously no shortage of Bridge Jones-like books about single women in London, and many of them tend to blur together. Amanda's Wedding, however, stands out for the sheer enjoyment and satisfaction of it. I breezed through it in a day, loved every moment of it and think everyone looking for a great escape should do the same.The book revolves around Amanda's wedding, but not Amanda. Amanda is the old childhood friend who suddenly became rich, started acting quite posh and then found her old friends not up to her new refined tastes. Our heroine, thankfully, is not Amanda but one of her castaways, still close to the other desertee. Occasionally Amanda deigns to contact her old friends, and the catalyst for the story is news of her engagement.I don't want to include any spoilers here, so I will be very basic - the plot entails the experiences of our herione and her friend leading up to, during and after Amanda's wedding. There are men, jobs, disasters, good times, bad times and so on. And while Amanda herself is quite the stereotype, she's also somehow real and believable, the perfect foil to the others. Along the way, a slew of good characters are introduced, all of whom are charming and funny.This books is definitely one to be enjoyed and not one that teaches the meaning of life. But it certainly delivers, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written, satsifying, fun and funny book. It's very much worth the investment and is a perfect way to cheer yourself up or just have a good time. I expected a cookie-cutter novel and was delighted with what I found - I unknowingly made a wise purchase, indeed!

Could this book be any funnier? I couldn't stop laughing at the hilarious dialogue and clever one-liners. Jenny Colgan has become part of my list of favorite British writers ... and that says a lot about this gem of a book!Amanda used to be one of Mel's best friends -- till she became a major money-grubbing snob. To make matters worse, Amanda has become engaged to Fraser, Mel's old crush. Things take a hilarious turn when Mel, Mel's obnoxious best friend Fran and Fraser's brother Angus get together to sabotage the wedding. The novel goes uphill from there. I especially love the twist at the end.Are you in the bargain for a hilarious romantic comedy from an up-and-coming author? Read Amanda's Wedding. You'll laugh your pants off!

OK, so this isn't great British literature. Or even really involved super British modern romance. Read Christina Jones or Katie Fforde (the best) for that. But I started this book yesterday evening and couldn't stop (darn, I have to work, but I did leave a bit early to finish it!) Really funny, cute - and despite what some might think, our heroine doesn't end up with the wrong man. Just one of the possible Mr. Rights. (Although, I do wonder how they make it all work out so everyone is comfortable. I know, I know, it's only fiction - but still, you always wonder how everything all works out.) Our Scots boys are full of charm, Mel is sloppy but sweet - and I actually liked Mookie the bridesmaid. Fran - well, I also wonder how that all works out. Anyway, the total cast of characters is so fun - annoying, but charming at the same time. Read this!!

The rash of British books to hit our coast are so refreshing!!! This is another in the lineup of funny, realistic stories given to us by the likes of Keyes, Jewell and Fielding. Mel and Fran are like the friends we all want to have and of course Amanda epitomizes the one with which we all went to school. Everything that Mel says, does and thinks is so familiar, it is like a window into our own lives. Except, with a comedic twist and lots of witty comebacks. You won't stop laughing and will be sad to reach the last page.