Rating: 
Summary: Confession: This book is a disappointment
Review: I was excited to read this book because the reviews made it sound fresh and interesting. I'm sad to say I was quite disappointed to find this to be a simply average single girl in NYC story.Confessions works very hard to appeal to the fans of Sex and the City. Each of the 'confessions' tries to work as one of the tag lines that you hear (or read) in Sex and the City. While some of the confessions hit the mark, most are wildly off and just aren't very witty or surprising. Also, it was so clear how this book was going to end and who Emma would be interested in at the end. Several of the books I've read lately, in this genre, all follow the same 'date a couple guys, view an attractive guy from afar that only pops up in the story every 50 pages or so' formula. In addition, the formula of a woman-with-poor-self-esteem-and-recently-left/dumped-by-her-boyfriend is also wearing very thin and Confessions subscribes to this formula as well. One of the reasons Bridget Jones' Diary worked so well was because she starts the novel off as single, and the novel is a documentation of her dating foibles -- not a novel of half-hearted dating foibles because she knows deep down in her heart that the boyfriend who recently dumped her loves her (but doesn't realize it) and will coming back begging (or at least calling) before she can finish her pint of frozen yogurt or package of sickly sweet and artificial twinkies or Ho-Hos. Curnyn does a solid job of creating a readable story, but she spends too much time with the details of heartbreak instead of the details of dating and getting on with life. We've all experienced heartbreak, and read too many novels about heartbreak, so we don't need another blow-by-blow. When it comes down to it, Emma only goes on a couple dates and those dates aren't enough to compensate for the sad wallowing the majority of the novel details. Curnyn does show talent as a writer and she clearly displays an affinity for creating characters the reader cares about and for creating several interlocking stories, and it will be interesting to see what she writes next.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was in the mood for "chick lit" when I picked this book up, so was predisposed to enjoy it. But although it had amusing moments, I was fairly bored throughout. None of the characters are really defined, and the main character is derivative of far too many other books, television shows and movies. There are better "Bridget Jones" ripoffs out there.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was in the mood for "chick lit" when I picked this book up, so was predisposed to enjoy it. But although it had amusing moments, I was fairly bored throughout. None of the characters are really defined, and the main character is derivative of far too many other books, television shows and movies. There are better "Bridget Jones" ripoffs out there.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was in the mood for "chick lit" when I picked this book up, so was predisposed to enjoy it. But although it had amusing moments, I was fairly bored throughout. None of the characters are really defined, and the main character is derivative of far too many other books, television shows and movies. There are better "Bridget Jones" ripoffs out there.
Rating: 
Summary: entertaining but ultimately useless
Review: In this Red Dress Ink novel (the label, as usual, is telling), newly dumped Ex-Girlfriend Emma Carter must navigate the pitfalls of her magazine job and her married (or almost-married) friend, coworkers, and mother - not to mention dating in New York. Everything about this book is ... acceptable. It has plot elements aside from the inevitable dating-and-mating issues, but that subplot is clearly secondary (and not entirely devoid of dating-and-mating issues itself). The narrator is not grossly offensive to the sensibilities of any remotely independent woman, but her struggles seem a little more appropriate to someone much younger than she is supposed to be. The writing is smooth but nothing special. On the whole "Confessions of an Ex-Girlfriend is entertaining but not very satisfying.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but follows the typical "chick lit" recipe
Review: Just finished this book last night. I loved the end-- as with the other three Red Dress Ink books that I have read-- it started out slow and then had a grand finish. Although, like another reviewer pointed out, this book does follow the recipe to a T. Our Heroine is in her late 20's/early 30's and she has a crisis to overcome. She works though it with her friends (one is always gorgeous and one is in a serious relationship). There is always the horrible co-worker and rarely does our heroine like her job. She has an annoying relative. She dates usually three (in this case, two) men that are obviously terrible for her, but she has to get into the dating scene. And in the end... (not really the end, because we knew back on page 110 who she was going to end up with) she ends up with the attractive guy that she saw for a split second in chapter 2 (back when she was still devastated) and then popped up again in Chapter 13, before falling in love with the heroine in Chapter 20. (chapter 22 is usually the end) Anyhow, this is the reason that I gave the book only 4 stars. Otherwise, this is a good book. Don't expect a lot out of this book, it isn't Jane Austen. It's chick-lit. It's meant to be a fun and an easy read. I just wish that someone would come up with a new, refreshing way to write the story.
Rating: 
Summary: realistic and refreshing
Review: Kudos to Lynda Curnyn for inventing Emma Carter, a realistic 30-something in New York who has just been dumped by her boyfriend of 2 years when he moves to the West Coast to pursue his career. Emma is a writer at a bridal magazine who dreams of writing a novel. She has gained about 10 pounds of 'relationship flab' and despairs that, at 31, she will ever have a boyfriend again -- not that she wants a new one anyway. Meanwhile, her mom is getting ready to march down the aisle for the 3rd (almost 4th) time, and her dad seems to have fallen off the wagon, much to his second wife's despair. This novel trails Emma's journey from Ex-Girlfriend to Single Girl, and explains what the difference is along the way. Emma also has two good friends, Alyssa and Jade, who have full-fleshed storylines instead of just being conveniently thrown in to help Emma. The best thing about Emma is she lives life like a real person, not having constant pratfalls and issues like Bridget Jones and her ilk, which is supposed to make them charming but just makes them annoying. This book is just the right balance of light entertainment and thought-provoking relationship insights -- you will feel like you are talking to your best friend.
Rating:
Summary: Fast paced, highly readable, & filled with humorous insight
Review: Lynda Curnyn has written a wonderful novel that depicts the relationship woes of single New Yorker Emma Carter, a woman who is pining for her boyfriend who has relocated to LA. Likes: The writing style and narrative voice are easy to follow, using wit, humor, and contemporary attitudes regarding men, women, sex, dating, and friendships. Things to watch for: I think the writer wanted to stay true to the theme of her book, the fact that Emma longs for Derrick, her ex, however, it seemed every single chapter reiterated this point which probably wasn't necessary but isn't a major flaw. If you're looking for a fast-paced novel with a New York setting that will make you laugh and is highly identifiable in terms of relationships, then Confessions of an Ex-Girlfriend should make a fine and enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: I confess: I liked it.
Review: Lynda Curnyn's first novel is a wry look at breaking up over thirty, but you don't even need to be near that milestone to feel Emma's pain. She goes through every stage of the grieving process in a way that's painfully honest (and somewhat embarassing for those of us who've been there before). Though at times a little cliched, Emma's struggles are portrayed in a totally relatable and comical way. All in all, a good book. But Curnyn's second effort, ENGAGING MEN, is much better.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it...
Review: Maybe it was because I was in the midst of a break-up, but I read this book to my best friend/roommate and we loved it! I jumped right in and read it within days. HIghly recommend!
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