Avoiding Prison and Other Noble Vacation Goals : Adventures in Love and Danger

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for almost anybody
Review: A Must Read for somebody who needs to find a better meaning in their life (lives). A Must Read for somebody who just needs a good laugh. A Must Read for serious people who only think one path and one path only. A Must Read for somebody who thinks they know everything and have experienced everything. A Must Read for somebody experiencing a broken heart. A Must Read for people who have it all and are so rich they can buy just about anything. In my opinion, it's a must read for anybody because the book is so well-rounded and so well thought out it covers a universal meaning and in the end, you realize the choices you make in life shape you as a person to become a better person for the next phase and challenges you will be facing. Wendy Dale will touch all of your senses! (At least it did for me anyway)

Rating:
Summary: If you enjoy promiscuity and drunkeness then this is for you
Review: Although it had it's moments, this book is largely non-fiction beach trash. Wendy wastes most of her time in bed instead of our experiencing the rich cultures these countries offer.

Rating:
Summary: fascinating yet a little self-indulgant
Review: First off, I would just like to say that I couldn't put this book down. Wendy Dale has a way with words and humor that compel you to read on to the next page. She accounts her adventures in such a way that you'll be itching to read just one more page, even though you know you needed to clock into work five minutes ago.

Anyway, Dale's travel memoir accounts for her years travelling through, as she describes them, "some of the world's most dangerous places" - including Columbia, Cuba, and Lebanon. She stumbles upon her destinations almost accidentally (she visits Honduras because of her parents' midlife crises) and manages to get herself into some sticky situations - including picking up men in Central American countries who have a tendancy to land themselves in third world prisons.

However, as charming as her voice is, she can seem a bit naive at times, and at her worst, she blames others for her problems. Prime example - she includes a table of how the most traumatic events in her life can be accredited to her mother.

Still, it is a good read. Myself, I caught myself reading it behind the counter at work during five minute intervals when customers weren't in. I wish I could give this book 3 1/2 stars, but I'll settle for 3.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed this book!
Review: I completely enjoyed this book. Wendy is a person I liked, her family is very very funny, and her adventures are interesting and entertaining. She's got a witty eye, and a thoughtful style; there were parts that suddenly affected me strongly and other parts where I laughed out loud. I can't wait for her to write another book!

Rating:
Summary: Burried Treasure
Review: I had some trouble with over-dramatization in this book (the plot is good enough that Dale doesn't need to remind us), but the author's cruel fate and strong character slowly warmed me to her. The appeal of this book is the story of a woman whose love pushes her to work desperately hard for lovers and even friends who deceive or reject her in the end; the reader only needs to get past the narrator's defenses to connect with the seemingly universal theme. At the end of the book, one is left with the realization that Wendy Dale, like so many of us, is simply too intelligent, conscientious, and talented to find happiness with the average idiot, at home or abroad.

Rating:
Summary: "Avoiding Prison, Adventures in Romance & Danger"
Review: I just finished reading this book and it was as much fun as a mini-vacation without having to endure airports/packing/customs. Her family, friends, and love interests are an amusing cast of characters, and the unusual places she visits give the book an exotic flavor of adventure, reminiscent of "Romancing the Stone." I especially enjoyed her South American escapades. Her descriptive writing gives a strong feeling of being there, and is delightfully witty and entertaining. Overall a fun summer read, but there are parts that draw you in poignantly to her problematic and romantic encounters. Highly recommended to anyone for an enjoyable travel/romance/zany read.

Rating:
Summary: Love and Danger indeed...
Review: I read this book when I'd knocked flat by a horrible flu. Wendy's vivid detail of the equatorial weather, cuisine and nightlife are what cured me, I'm convinced. "Adventures in Love and Danger" couldn't be titled any more appropriately.... conjugal visits in third world prisons, black market shopping and a willingness to chuck everything safe and dive headlong into the circumstances that make a story worth telling... this book doesn't leave anything out. It's full of the stories that most people wish they could tell about their boring year abroad. A fantastic read.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre at best
Review: I read this book while vacationing at the Outer Banks. It is an easy read and does have some humerous moments. However, as a person from Latin America I found some of her commentaries offensive. She constantly refers to countries as being "Third World" countries and is very condescending about Latin American culture. I had a very hard time liking the author as she describes her adventures. I would not recommend this book to others.

Rating:
Summary: What a fantastic, engaging book that almost anyone can enjoy
Review: I saw this book in my local travel store and picked it up as soon as I got on to amazon.com. Wendy Dale is a fantastic writer with a true gift for involving the reader as her travel partner throughout all of her fantastic exploits. You come away feeling like you lived vicariously through her and came out far less scathed. An absolutely great book!

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommend this book
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the adventures this 20-something. This book makes you feel as if you are right beside Wendy, getting in and out of trouble in every new country she visits. Pick up a copy of this book and fasten your seatbelt!