Rating: 
Summary: Goal in life -- a man
Review:
I loved Carrie Pilby, and had high expectations for this book. Although it does deal with a number of weighty subplots, including Gert's grieving and her frustrating work situation, it was tiresome to hear about how dating and catching a man are the goal in a girl's life. Not only Gert, but all the main female characters seemed to have very little interest in living their own lives. Instead, they were obsessed with men, whether they had them or not. It was perhaps worth a quick read, but not the top of my list.
Rating: 
Summary: A great Red Dress Ink Book
Review: "Starting from Square two" tell the story of Gert Healy, who after the death of her husband she finds herself back on the dating scene with the help of her two friends Hallie and Erica. While out with her friends, Gert meets Todd. As Todd and Gert being to date, she tries to figure out to tell Todd that she has been married before.
This was one of the best Red Dress Ink that I have read so far, this book was a grown-up that dealt with real emotions. The only reason that I give it five stars is that Erica was to over the top. But don't let that stop you, this is a really good book.
Rating:
Summary: A great Red Dress Ink Book
Review: "Starting from Square two" tell the story of Gert Healy, who after the death of her husband she finds herself back on the dating scene with the help of her two friends Hallie and Erica. While out with her friends, Gert meets Todd. As Todd and Gert being to date, she tries to figure out to tell Todd that she has been married before.
This was one of the best Red Dress Ink that I have read so far, this book was a grown-up that dealt with real emotions. The only reason that I give it five stars is that Erica was to over the top. But don't let that stop you, this is a really good book.
Rating:
Summary: A great Red Dress Ink Book
Review: "Starting from Square two" tell the story of Gert Healy, who after the death of her husband she finds herself back on the dating scene with the help of her two friends Hallie and Erica. While out with her friends, Gert meets Todd. As Todd and Gert being to date, she tries to figure out to tell Todd that she has been married before.
This was one of the best Red Dress Ink that I have read so far, this book was a grown-up that dealt with real emotions. The only reason that I give it five stars is that Erica was to over the top. But don't let that stop you, this is a really good book.
Rating:
Summary: Quite appropriate...
Review: **Contains a spoiler**I read this book on the heels of a break-up of my own and it was amazing how many issues were raised that mirrored exactly what was going on in my head. I really enjoyed hearing about how all the characters worked through their problems and did their best to create happy situations for themselves, despite life's lemons. I was especially happy that Gert had someone in the end... Although real life doesn't always allow for this conclusion, I feel like she went through enough that she deserved whatever happiness she could get. My only complaint about this novel is that it did progress slowly at times. Occasionally I found myself skimming through some of the thought-monologues of Gert's because she seemed to be saying the same hting over and over. This does not affect the overall power of the book and I would recommend it despite any slow points there may have been.
Rating: 
Summary: Am I missing something?
Review: After reading Carrie Pilby and thoroughly enjoying it, I looked forward to Ms. Lissner's next book. That is why I was so sorely disappointed by this lame attempt. The characters are shallow, unlikeable and dim-witted. It doesn't seem as if Ms. Lissner has ever been in the dating world. Heck, it doesn't even seem like she has ever been in an actual social situation. Get this one at the library or bypass it altogether.
Rating:
Summary: Touching
Review: Caren Lissner has managed to write a touching novel about a young widow that is neihter sentimental nor melodramatic. She made an interesting choice to set Gert's husband's death a few days before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, so she is able to touch on the subject of 9/11/01 and how it has ruined so many lives without having to recreate the average day of an actual 9/11 widow. Gert is a sweet heroine and the only personality defect she has is her two friends Hallie and Erika. In fact, Hallie and Erika are the two major problems of the book. For most of the book, these two women are so shallow and uninteresting I questioned Gert's character for being friends with them. I wished the author had chosen to give us more scenes with some of the widows Gert spent time with at the support group she attended on Saturdays. Even Gert's miserable boss Missy would have been a better use of time. I was surprised by the author's decision to include a silly plot involving Erika and her ex-boyfriend's wife's web log. I felt the web log and Erika's obsession could have been an over-the-top fun side story if handled diffrently. But because Erika was so one-dimensional and silly, it turned out to be an over-the-top questionable side story. That said, it takes a few chapters to get into the book and love Gert (this is Hallie and Erika's fault), but you will love Gert and you will feel for her. It was wonderful to read about Gert's struggle a year and a half after her beloved husband's tragic accident. The author succeeds brilliantly in giving her readers insight into how lonely and unsure Gert's life is. I wish she had elaborated more on Marc's family and their treatment of Gert. I wish there had been more focus on Marc's family, Gert's family and the other widows. I will look out for Lissner's third novel and hope it's as unique and intersting as this one. I'll also hope she chooses to keep out silly supporting characters like Hallie and Erika in order to focus on more complicated characters like Missy, the widows and family members. She has the talent to do it.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful!
Review: Caren Lissner's writing style is so refreshing. When I read Carrie Pilby, I loved it so much that I was looking forward to Ms. Lissner's second book. And it came! At first, I didn't want to read it because I didn't think I would relate to the story (about a 29 yr old widow). However, the first page got me hooked. ;o)
Although the two books are different, her wit and humor shine through(yeah, I know that sounded corny hahah). The story is rich and the characters are believable. and I would wholeheartedly recommend this reading!
Also bear in mind that if you didn't like Carie Pibly, this book might still appeal to you because they are different stories(duh =P).
Rating: 
Summary: Chick Lit
Review: Dating was her past, or so Gert thought. Made a widow before she was thirty, Gert knows it may be time to move on, but she does not know how, or who, or if she can. Watching her shallow friends wrestle with the dating game's plots, ploys, and cheats is hardly an encouragement. Then Todd enters her life, and she begins to feel again, but does not know if what she feels is love or just a desire to not be alone. Torn in two, Gert must choose between her past and future, or find an acceptable compromise between.
More serious than most chick lit, it also has a bit more depth than most, recognizing the complexities of the grieving process. Her friends' rather petty problems and bents towards revenge mar the smooth surface of the book with discontinuous, ill placed dark humor, however.
Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.
Rating:
Summary: rises above the rest
Review: Gert is a 29-year-old widow in Queens, having lost her husband Marc to a car accident a mere 4 days before Sept 11, 2001. She acknowledges that she would have lost her innocent view of the world anyway, but it does not help her in her grief. She has been with March since she was 19. Now, 1.5 years after his death, she allows her single friedns from college to take her out to a bar, where she meets the first guy she has even looked at since meeting Marc. How to bring up that she is a widow, when she is finally enjoying the company of someone who doesn't treat her like one? Gert knows she has to tell him at some point. In addition, her in-laws seem to no longer consider her part of the family. She also has to face the fact that she always thought those who were single simply made bad choices, unlike her -- but now she is single through no choice and is seeing that modern dating really is a series of games. this is a great book, far too good to be labeled chick lit. An excellent read.
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