Old Boyfriends

I will not repeat what the other positive reviewers have said, since they said it better than I could. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and applaud Rexanne's entry into the contemporary women's fiction market. Only one thing didn't ring true for me. Three women who all fled their hometown of New Orleans, headed for California, and ended up in . . . Bakersfield?? What are the odds? Does anyone not from California even know where Bakersfield is? It's not even a place where one could be driving through on the way to somewhere else and decide to stop and settle there, because it isn't on the way to anywhere. I got there by accident once; wasn't paying attention and missed the I5/99 split on the way north. If the three women had ended up somewhere in the greater Los Angeles area, it would be much more believable.

Ever wonder how your old boyfriend turned out? Ever wonder what might have happened if you had stayed together? Everyone has. Men do the same about their old girlfriends, at least the men with hearts do. The others, well we won't go there. In OLD BOYFRIENDS, Rexanne answers these questions beautifully and gives us a lot more. This is a skillfully crafted novel that is much more than a road trip or coming-of-age book. It gives us insight into the angst of so many modern American women. Take the ride from California to New Orleans. Feel what these women feel, ride their thoughts and emotions. It's a great trip.

Rexanne Becnel has skillfully crafted an exquisite coming of (middle) age tale to which most readers will be able to relate. "Three women raised in the South and trapped in California" decide to go together to their home town of New Orleans after one of them has received an invitation to her 30 year high school class reunion. While there, they can't help but check out their old boyfriends to find out if they missed anything good. From the time they leave their homes in California, to the long journey on Interstate 10 to New Orleans, to the time spent in New Orleans prior to the reunion, and to the reunion, the three examine their pasts and experiment with their futures to rediscover themselves and realize their true life lessons as they experience both tragic and comic episodes. Old Boyfriends kept me entertained, interested, and wondering from the moment I picked up the book to the moment I put it down. The characters are exciting, interesting, and realistically portrayed in an all-for-one-and-one-for-all relationship. Rexanne Becnel does as well in modern romance as she does in historical romance. Old Boyfriends is a great read. I recommend it highly.

In Southern California, everyone pays respect to the "great" man, but his widow Mary Jane "MJ" Hollander knows her bisexual spouse's final breath was on a round bed of a "pseudowoman". While his adult kids and their spouses salivate over the inheritance, MJ makes it through the platitudes and the sushi served by her stepson only because her two best friends Cat and Bitsey are truly there for her. The three transplanted southern amigos get together to help MJ with her grief and discuss the men in their lives including the one that memory serves as being their ideal mate. Bitsey is married to her lord and master Jack Albertson who never appreciates her efforts because if he didn't do the chore then it is not perfect; however, he never does it with her nor helps with their Stepford kids. Cat has less patience with the lesser gender than her friends having two divorces on her belt. Sick of selfish perfection, avaricious stepchildren, and failing husbands, the trio agree to visit each one's hunk that got away to see if the memories match the realities or their dead, ex, and living husbands. Though middle age female buddies star, OLD BOYFRIENDS is an amusing coming of age relationship drama. The three women learn about themselves during their often comic escapades as they realize how much their behavior as an individual and as a trio impact on the rapport with others. Though the fine story line lacks a specific center to hold the tale together due to the constant rotation of perspective, fans of a jocular tale with a moral "to thine own self be true" will hitch a ride in the Jag. Harriet Klausner

This is a great book of friendship and finding love. It has that genuine wit that gets to the heart of a woman's feelings. I loved the way the author told the story through each woman's perspective, and needs. Unlike the other reviewer, I did not find that distracting, but rather clever and well-written. This is the first book I've read by the author. If this is any indication of her talent, I'm sure I'll be reading more!