Rating: 
Summary: Hugely Entertaining
Review: I found this book enormously funny. I'd estimate at least three good guffaws every chapter. My husband came in to the bedroom to see why I was laughing. Great for those who appreciate dry, pithy sarcasm.
Rating: 
Summary: Jane, have you met Bridget Jones?
Review: Very amusing. A book of such cliches, lower-middle-class value and provincial taste can make it to the bestseller list and actually get good reviews. "Better than" Bridget Jones, did you say? Have you BEEN to London? (New York was still mud huts when that great city held the world at bay as THE metropolis.) And if being a copycat was not self-insulting enough, the author and/or editors and/or misguided readers constantly compared this work to the other, much sharper and wittier work by Ms. Helen Fielding. Bridget is not perfect, far from it; but she is devastating funny, and has the ability to laugh at her own silliness. She has all the charms, qualms and sexuality of an urban woman. Jane, however, is nothing but a sagging bag of self-pity. I hope Robert discovers he's gay and leaves her soon.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of my time!
Review: I can't believe this book is so popular! It is so boring, and the characters, ungodly boring! I mean that old man she shacks up with? What is that? They couldn't have sex, he was an alcoholic and he was twice her age (yeah, I would stay with him). It never dove in deep on the real issues; intimacy, loss, friendship, loyalty and betrayal. It was too superficial, boring and ridiculous.
Rating:
Summary: I didn't want it to end !
Review: I finished this book today, and really did not want it to end. For me, the characters were so alive, the story so rivetting...I loved every word ! Ms. Banks provided me with some of my most favorite moments in reading.....I literally loved every word. Made me laugh, cry, and most importantly, think. A great, great, book....loved it. Thank you, Melissa, for the incredible story you wove...and selfishly, please.....more, more, more.....
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely Not Bridget Jones
Review: When I first picked up this book, the first thing I thought of was Bridget Jones, one of my favorites. I got through this book in about 2 days and was left thinking "huh?" I guess I expected much more. I enjoyed the stories, but not as much as I had hoped. So my advice: if you loved Bridget Jones and are looking for something similar, you won't find it in Jane Rosenal.
Rating: 
Summary: had me laughing!
Review: I listened to the audio version of this book while l drove to and from work. On more than a handful of occasions l was caught by other commuters laughing my head off! Jane Rosenthal's relationships were varied and realistic, from her time with older man, Archie, to how her hackles rose when staying with her boyfriend at his ex girlfriend's. It was poignant at times too, when she visited her sick father in hospital and how he felt about Archie. I had a little trouble with the fragmented story as it is difficult with a story like this on audio tapes, but it kept me largely entertained!
Rating:
Summary: This Book Went NOWHERE!
Review: I really disliked the writing style used in this book. None of the chapters flow together, and the speaker is unidentifiable in certain chapters. Most of the book is told 1st person by Jane, and then there are a few RANDOM chapters where you have no idea who the speaker is, nor the purpose of the chapter. I could have skipped 2 or 3 chapters and not have missed anything. Jane as a character is dull and flat. Even though most of the story is first person (Jane) I never got to know much of Jane's inner feelings or thoughts. Reading this book was such a waste of time, I thought it would get better but there was no continuity throughout the book, and certainly no beginning, middle or end. The ending was pathetic, if there even was one. Nothing was resolved throughout the book, and nothing exciting ever happens. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!
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Summary: If Jane Austen were writing today...
Review: Despite being in the publishing business, I don't read much contemporary fiction. I often find it dull or inane or just badly written. So when I was lent A Girls' Guide, I took it only to be polite. But by the second page, I knew I was in for a surprise. It's witty, funny, insightful, and highly readable. Jane, the protagonist, is a realistic and engaging character, and her life is easily recognizable. Her search for love isn't a whiny quest for affirmation: it's the same emotional trial-and-error routine we all go through. Her problems aren't pratfalls and escalating neuroses: they're simply missteps. Her relationship with her family isn't the usual look-how-you-screwed-me-up nonsense: it's carefully shaded with comfort and conflict. And her desire to escape her job--"reading manuscripts that aren't good enough to be books--to do anything more connected to life, well, nuff said. Most importantly, though, I just liked Jane: I'd hang out with her anyday. Combine this appeal with Banks' dead-on sense of humor and her skill with dialogue and situation, and you have a very enjoyable, worthwhile read that leaves you with a bit of truth. The only issue I could raise is the inclusion of the odd non-Jane chapter in the middle, but even then, I was happy to just keep on reading.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore the one-star reviews
Review: I decided to write a review of this book last night when I finished it because everyone should be privy to such a warm laugh-out-loud book such as this one. I was surprised to see the number of bad reviews! I was sure the Girl's Guide would have received an across the board 5 stars! Then I read the bad ones. Ok, first of all - this book is actually a collection of short stories. The author never intended for it to be perceived as a single themed novel. Second - interchanging first person/third person is perfectly acceptable for a collection of short stories AND gives them texture. Third - the protagonist, Jane, is not the author. Finally - she (Jane) is absolutely hilarious! Therefore, so is the author (Melissa Bank.) This book deals with the all too familiar issues of coming of age as a woman in an increasingly complicated world. It deals with family issues, relationship issues, breast cancer, career, friends etc. The book is simultaneously thought provoking and highly readable. At first it seems like a Bridget Jones style light read. When you re-visit the stories about Jane, you realize how much deeper they go into the complexities of balancing all facets of life - family with relationships with jobs and how each facet is intertwined. I also enjoyed the fact that Jane's inner voice is part of her character -the inner voice in all of us that we either stifle or listen to. Part of growing up is learning to listen to that voice, and that's what Jane does. READ IT! You won't regret it. Hopefully when you finish it, like me you'll feel an overwhelming sadness that it's over.
Rating:
Summary: Very unfunny
Review: I found no humor in this book. I guess it's difficult for me to laugh at someone who obviously has too many issues to effectively deal with. I had heard that this was a good book and had gotten good reviews--I guess I shouldn't listen to others. Jane tried too hard to be funny and made way too many stupid mistakes for me to even like her. She was so neurotic, that it reminded me of that foolish "Ally McBeal" show on television (which I can't stand). I only read the whole thing to find out what happened--I thought it had to get better, but it didn't. I've passed the book on to my 30 year old sister. Maybe she'll like it--but I doubt it.
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