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We think it’s silly when author’s only
give little excerpts from reviews. Like, “the characters are
. . . good and fun.” We hate reading between the dots. So,
here are our reviews—warts and all.
"A great relationship book with lots of heart."
Reviewed by Morgan Chilson
Posted June 17, 2005
Ryan Hadley is coasting through her life. She's pretty sure that
everything will work out okay one day. She's got a job, but not
a career, and she's just fine with that. But then her two best friends,
Veronica and Audrey, get promotions and it turns out that all along,
they've had a PLAN. And here Ryan sits without one. Then another
best friend, Will, gets his big break as an up-and-coming rock star.
Wow. It seems they all were working toward something.
So Ryan knuckles down and makes a list to give her life some focus.
And then begins checking items off, no matter how silly they may
be. There's the "get out of debt," which seems practical,
and there's the "kiss a movie star," which is fun but
silly. Now, as a new woman -- a woman with a plan -- she's set to
have a great life.
Then enters the ex-boyfriend, Charlie Cavanaugh. Ryan dumped him
when he wanted her to move to California for his new career. She
didn't get rid of him because of a lack of love, but because she
was scared of moving with him where he was going for a glamorous
career in the recording business. Ryan never felt like she'd measure
up and she was terrified. Of course, she didn't confess any of that
to Charlie, who was heartbroken when she dumped him.
Now he's back with a "near goddess" fiancée and
a definite bad attitude toward Ryan. But the sizzle is still there...
Should Ryan put a future with Charlie on her goal list?
This first-person book was a lot of fun. Ryan's kick-start back
into a focused life was inspirational -- it kind of makes you want
to sit down and make your own goal list. I must admit, I'm a sucker
for old loves who reunite -- isn't that just a classic love story?
Heartbroken, torn apart, never forgetting the depth of that first
true love...then making it work years later. And the Libby Street
authors (a team of two women, Sarah Bushweller and Emily S. Morris)
did a grand job bringing these two back together. The love between
Charlie and Ryan really seemed to have depth to it, and the fact
that Ryan was changing her life when they got back together was
perfect. She needed the confidence of fulfilling her goals to be
the person she needed to be in that relationship. I definitely recommend
this book.
Copyright, Morgan Chilson
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Ryan Hadley is having a quarter-life crisis. While things are falling
into place for her best friends--Will's band has a record deal,
Audrey just got a promotion, Veronica is working on a big deal for
her firm--Ryan's life is at a standstill. She has a dead-end job
in data entry, no love life, and no prospects in either respect.
Enter the "plan"--50 steps to changing her life. Some
are easy--"floss daily," some are tough--"get out
of debt," and some are downright impossible--"become the
queen of a small island nation." Throwing a wrench in her plans
is the sudden appearance of her ex-boyfriend and first love. Ryan's
efforts to find herself will strike a chord with younger women.
Two rising writers collaborated under a pseudonym to write this
lighthearted novel, and together they've created a fresh and fun
voice.
Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
CONTEMPORARY
Happiness Sold Separately
By Tarra Young
Jun 1, 2005, 12:44
Ryan Hadley is a twenty-five year old woman living in New York City.
She wakes up one day and realizes her life is going nowhere. She
has no plan and she isn’t happy with the way it has turned
out.
She majored in computers in college and dreamed of the day when
she would have her own cutting-edge web design company. Instead
she finds herself working for a company doing computer data-entry.
She wants to move on to bigger and better things, but she’s
afraid she will be stuck doing computer data-entry for the rest
of her life.
She feels she is being left behind when her friends begin to advance
in their careers. Her friend and co-worker, Will, even becomes a
rock star and leaves his computer data-entry job behind.
Imagine her surprise when she learns that the record producer working
with Will’s band, Delicate Blunder, is none other than her
ex-boyfriend, Charlie, from her college days.
The last time she had seen Charlie was that day at the Mozart statue
when she had told him she wouldn’t go to L.A. with him. What
she neglected to tell him was why she wouldn’t go with him.
Charlie had gotten angry and left her standing in front of the statue.
Now when she had decided she wants Charlie back, he introduces her
to his fiancé.
Merisa seems to have it all, including the perfect life that Ryan
feels she can never have. Ryan takes an instant dislike to her.
What Ryan doesn’t understand is that Charlie seems to still
have feelings for her, even though he’s engaged to this other
woman.
HAPPINESS SOLD SEPARATELY, written by Emily and Sarah (also known
as Libby Street) is well written. It had me feeling many emotions
as these characters lived out their daily lives and experienced
many things. I highly recommend HAPPINESS SOLD SEPARATELY. I learned
a lot from Ryan. This book teaches you to never be afraid to take
chances and to go after the things in life that make you happy.
© Copyright 2003 by RomanceJunkies.com
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Value for Money: 9/10
Overall Rating: 9/10
Recommended: Yes
By Harriet Klausner
Twenty-five years old Manhattanite Ryan Hadley feels she lives an
okay life though she finds boredom as her room mate much of the
time especially on the job at Geiger Data Systems and in her closet
sized apartment. The highlight of the past week for instance is
seeing Henry Winkler on the streets. She enjoys spending time with
her two best pals, Veronica and Audrey, but is shocked when both
leap up the career ladder while she remains mummified below them.
Ryan has been saved from cyber-sex by her best friend at work Will,
lead singer of the Delicate Blunder band, who is suddenly making
it in rock and roll and seemingly with Audrey too.
Ryan feels depressed as her three buds are leaving her behind even
though not one of them would do that consciously. Then a miracle
occurs to lift Ryan’s spirits when she spots Charlie her former
college boyfriend. Though she can hear her song on his lips, he
is engaged to a shrill.
Thanks to a strong secondary cast who make New York seem real, HAPPINESS
SOLD SEPARATELY is much deeper than the typical chick lit romp.
Ryan is the center of the tale as she is jolted out of complacency
by the recent gains by her three best friends and inspired by the
return of Charlie into her life; the former makes her nostalgic
for what she thinks they will lose but the latter turns her into
an amazon warrior prepared to fight for her man. Though the fine
character driven plot could do without the usual sub-genre lists,
fans will want to walk with Ryan as she seeks her groove.
Copyright, Harriet Klausner
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