Slightly Single

Rating:
Summary: Slightly typical, but a great read...
Review: Yes, it's typical. Slightly Single's heroine is a twentysomething single girl living in the City who is miserable with her entry-level ad position (or glorified secretary -- take your pick), overweight, and in love with a man who is commitment-phobic and just plain not-very-nice. There is nothing new here in this novel that I haven't read before. However, Wendy Markham's version of the City girl plight is fun to read, a perfect weekend or beach book, and her characters have just the right qualities for readers to either love them or hate them.

Our heroine, Tracey Spadolini, has finally made a life for herself in the Big City. Granted, it comes in the form of a crappy job and part-time boyfriend; however, Tracey is convinced it's all about to change for the better. Once Will, the actor-slash-boyfriend, returns from his summer job doing theatre in upstate New York, Tracey is certain he will be ready to commit and move in together. And while their summer apart definitely holds change in store, Tracey adds epiphanies into the bargain: about her relationship, her position in life and the woman she strives to be.

What I have come to expect from a Red Dress Ink novel is epitomized in Slightly Single. A very easy read; increasingly enjoyable with each turning page; and despite its predictability, its appeal kept me reading. No great frills in the writing style -- it's kept more conversational and relaxing -- and the plot does not punch and pop, but Wendy Markham has created a very relateable character, very human, with warts and all. And in her effort, has also created a fan in me.

Rating:
Summary: An awesome R.D.I. book!
Review: Meet our heroine: Tracey Spadolini. Tracey lives in Manhattan, has a handsome boyfriend (who is a wannabe actor and a jerk), and has a crummy job and apartment. When Will, her boyfriend, leaves for three months for summer stock, she's miserable without him. Since he doesn't want Tracey coming along with him, she decides to reinvent herself with the help of her best friends (Kate and Raphael). She goes on a diet and starts saving money. She believes that when Will returns, he'll be so thrilled to see the new and improved Tracey, he'll want her to move in with him (ditching his beautiful roommate, Nerissa, who Tracey dislikes). But, she soon begins to think that Will won't ever want to live with her and that maybe he's not Mr. Right.

This is an excellent and hilarious book! I love the Red Dress Ink series and this is definitely the best one I've read yet. It may be somewhat predictable, like others have said, but it really keeps your attention right up until the end. If you're looking for a fun, quick read, I highly recommend "Slightly Single."

Rating:
Summary: slightly single and slightly wanting to scream at Tracey!
Review: Tracey is a 24 year old me, minus the fun of walking in new york for exercise. I enjoyed this book because it reminded me so much of my last relationship, but that is also why I did't love it. I was dating a cheating boyfriend, which I had a feeling about, but I was still afraid to be alone, so I stayed with him. The thing about this book that I really couldn't stand was the author's choice of descriptive words. For example, in the book, EVERY time Tracey threw a piece of garbage away, she threw it in an "overflowing trashcan." yawn!!!!!!! get some new descriptive words, please. argh... other than that, though, it was a decent read. and a quick one.

Rating:
Summary: Funny in parts, but too insecure to "stick"
Review: Tracey is way too much in "need" of a man. This is not a book that I would recommend to my bookworm girlfriends. Its one saving grace is that just when I was about to put it down and give up on it, I would come across something hilariously funny and actually laugh out loud. But all in all the book was pretty disappointing.

Rating:
Summary: Definitely Not on My Top 10 List
Review: Unlike the many books I've read recently Slightly Single is defintely not one I will share with my girlfriends.

The book really brought me down. Not the funny, feel good, "chick lit" I usually enjoy. Very little plot, just day to day in the life of a gal with little self esteem and pined for a guy who had little or no affection for her.

I purchased this book because I received Wendy Markham's Slightly Settled as a gift and wanted to read Slightly Single first. I certainly hope Slighty Settled is a better read.

Rating:
Summary: There's a little bit of Tracey in every woman.
Review: Tracey Spadolini is a remarkably believable person. She's 24, overweight, awkward, running low on self-esteem, stuck in a dead-end job where she gets no respect, and worried about her lukewarm lovelife with her long-time boyfriend Will. She's not completely alone in the world, however. Her best friends Kate (the ultra-stylish) and Raphael... would do anything for her... if they remember.

Tracey finds her life turned upside down when Will heads off for three months to work summer stock theater... without her. Alone in the stifling summer New York City heat, Tracey takes stock of her life, and decides to make some changes. Lose weight. Unclutter. Read the classics. You know, the usual. What she discovers about herself, and about Will, along the way almost makes up for the lack of air conditioning in her apartment.

I found Markham's characters to be mostly believable, though you don't get any real depth on any of them except Tracey. While this isn't any great work of literature, I think that Tracey's plight will resonate with many women, who share many of the same concerns. As such, you might take strength from Tracey's triumphs, but take care with her low points.

This is a quick light read with more humor than tension, though you may find yourself wincing at some of the humor if it hits too close to home.

Rating:
Summary: Funny in parts, but too insecure to "stick"
Review: Tracey is way too much in "need" of a man. This is not a book that I would recommend to my bookworm girlfriends. Its one saving grace is that just when I was about to put it down and give up on it, I would come across something hilariously funny and actually laugh out loud. But all in all the book was pretty disappointing.

Rating:
Summary: Definitely Not on My Top 10 List
Review: Unlike the many books I've read recently Slightly Single is defintely not one I will share with my girlfriends.

The book really brought me down. Not the funny, feel good, "chick lit" I usually enjoy. Very little plot, just day to day in the life of a gal with little self esteem and pined for a guy who had little or no affection for her.

I purchased this book because I received Wendy Markham's Slightly Settled as a gift and wanted to read Slightly Single first. I certainly hope Slighty Settled is a better read.

Rating:
Summary: Hmm...Bridget Jones-esque?...If only....
Review: O.K. I read this book precisely because it was supposed to be a formulaic, breezy summer romance in the same vein as Bridget Jones Diary...Unfortunately, this book is nowhere near as good as the original BJD...Come to think of it, it's nowhere near as good as the off-the-wall BJD sequal, The Edge of Reason. The character of Bridget Jones is slightly insecure but fun. By contrast, the lead charactor here is really insecure but annoying. See the difference? You don't mind putting up with Bridget's hangups because she's ultimately still kinda cool in an offbeat kind of way. You do, however, mind putting up with Tracey's hangups because she's a doormat, plain and simple.

This book is a fast read, I'll give it that. It also strays from the "happily ever ending" that is part of the traditional formula for this type of book. While some people may enjoy this slight deviation from the norm, I found it rather annoying. I mean, if I wanted to read something different, I would. I guess what ultimately disappoints me about the book are two things: (1) the lead character is annoying, and (2) the book was mis-marketed as a fun summer romance, which it really isn't. If all you're looking for is a couple of funny scenarios you might be able to relate to, then this book is good for that. However, if you're looking for anything else, say a good summer romance or a lead character that you actually like, then I'm afraid this book falls short of that. Instead, I suggest "Thirtynothing" by Lisa Jewell, which is funny, romantic, neurotic, and sweet...all the things I'm looking for when I read this type of book in the first place!

Rating:
Summary: idiotic protagonist, fluffy plotline - typical red dress ink
Review: "Slightly Single" opens at the beginning of Tracey's second summer in New York, which she will be spending alone, since her gorgeous, inattentive boyfriend is spending the summer acting upstate. Desperate to find meaning in his absence, she throws herself into a prodigious self-improvement program (weight loss, of course; saving money; vague stabs at classic literature) and (cue sappy music) ultimately rediscovers herself.

The big problem with this book is that the protagonist is so darn stupid. She doesn't realize that her long-term boyfriend isn't into her, despite his obvious indifference to everything about their relationship. She doesn't realize that her job is going nowhere, despite the fact that she has a college degree and her boss calls her his secretary. She's obsessed with her weight, of course, and with her crummy apartment and lack of wedding ring, and she's so preoccupied with improving these areas of her life that she overlooks all possibilities for professional or romantic - not to mention personal - improvement.

The bigger problem with this book is that it doesn't get much better. The main character never realizes that her weight - whatever it might be - is not a reliable indicator of her value as a person, or that her boyfriend - even if he's really hot - isn't necessarily right for her, or that there are bigger things in life than double lattes. Her life changes, but the dynamic forces are all external to the main character. At the beginning of the summer, Tracey is an immature, insecure, shallow fat girl with a boyfriend and a boss who don't deserve her. At the end of the summer, the boyfriend and the boss and the fatness have all changed, but she's still immature and insecure and shallow, and you get the feeling that the next summer will find her "Slightly Single" all over again.

Fortunately, this mindless book is short and easy to read and highly palatable - the chapters slide past, and Markham tells a good story. As a beach read or a Saturday afternoon treat, this book is fine. As anything else - a work of literature, a commentary on contemporary womanhood, a role model (heaven forbid) for young women - it's deplorable.