Rating: 
Summary: Long, tedious and not funny
Review: I am generally a big fan of chick lit, especially by British authors. This book was a HUGE disappointment to me. Although the initial concept intrigued me, that's all this book had going for it - a clever initial idea. After that, it all fell apart for me. This book could have benefitted by some major editing by cutting out at least 100 pages, if not more. It dragged on and on endlessly, as the reader waits for the main character and her dream man to finally meet but they frustratingly keep missing each other over and over again. I skimmed to the end and felt cheated by the ending. I know the other reviewers seemed to love it but I definitely feel I wasted my money on this one and I would not recommend it at all.
Rating:
Summary: Boring. Boring. Boring.
Review: I love light, fluffy "chick lit" as it's been described. I'm a big fan of the British girl genre, too, Bridget Jones, Shopaholic, etc. This book is horrible, horrible, horrible. The author doesn't even seem to be British, I'd bet she couldn't tell you the difference between a fry, chip or crisp. The inconsistencies really just got to me and I couldn't even get half way through it. Want a good, funny, light read? Try Mr. Commitment by Mike Gayle. It's hilarious and written from a guy's point of view, but a very girly book.
Rating: 
Summary: A frolicking fun read
Review: I loved this book from the start. The plot was a little on the far-fetched side, but the cover art itself tells the reader that they are not in for a somber, important-work-inwomen's-fiction type read. What you get is just what the title and the cover suggest and that is a fun, entertaining, frothy reading experience. There was a time in Emily Miller's life that she thought she had it all: a job, a house, and most importantly a boyfriend that she loved. A boyfriend that she thought loved her in return, that is until the devilish Declan sold thier beautiful house, ran up thier shared debts and posted a rather intimate picture of Emily on the Internet. So, Emily is a woman scorned and smack dab in the middle of a scandal. She has no choice to move in with her best friend, Cara. Cara thinks she can turn Emily's bad karma around through the use of various crystals, potions, cleansing of chakras etc.... And who knows it may work because when one has nothing to loose, there is everything to gain. I Loved all the characters in this book. Cara was sooo original. and I found myself rooting for Emily from the very beginning. What this author may be lacking in witty turn of phrase, which I love in Brit Chick Lit books, she makes up for in character development. The lives of all the characters intersect in all sorts of interesting ways that keeps the reader wanting to turn the pages.
Rating:
Summary: A frolicking fun read
Review: I loved this book from the start. The plot was a little on the far-fetched side, but the cover art itself tells the reader that they are not in for a somber, important-work-inwomen's-fiction type read. What you get is just what the title and the cover suggest and that is a fun, entertaining, frothy reading experience. There was a time in Emily Miller's life that she thought she had it all: a job, a house, and most importantly a boyfriend that she loved. A boyfriend that she thought loved her in return, that is until the devilish Declan sold thier beautiful house, ran up thier shared debts and posted a rather intimate picture of Emily on the Internet. So, Emily is a woman scorned and smack dab in the middle of a scandal. She has no choice to move in with her best friend, Cara. Cara thinks she can turn Emily's bad karma around through the use of various crystals, potions, cleansing of chakras etc.... And who knows it may work because when one has nothing to loose, there is everything to gain. I Loved all the characters in this book. Cara was sooo original. and I found myself rooting for Emily from the very beginning. What this author may be lacking in witty turn of phrase, which I love in Brit Chick Lit books, she makes up for in character development. The lives of all the characters intersect in all sorts of interesting ways that keeps the reader wanting to turn the pages.
Rating: 
Summary: 1st Book I've actually had time to read in years!
Review: I picked this up after spending a half an hour looking for a good woman's fiction book. I never have time for myself as far as quiet time goes, so I've never had time to sit and read anything but the newspaper. I have to say I have enjoyed this book so much I have made the time to read it! I'm almost finished with the book, and I am so thrilled I am currently looking for more titles by this author for my next pursuit!
Rating:
Summary: Good escapist fun!
Review: I picked up this book as a light Summer read. I was utterly hooked! It was so outlandish, the story line that is, that I just fell - period. It was a great escape, and I would tell any woman who loves the Bridget Jones-type stories to grab a copy and go. Do you want to lose yourself in some good old fashioned silliness for a while? If the answer is YES, then this book is for you. It's a page turner my fellow chicklits. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: LOVED IT!
Review: I randomly picked up For Better For Worse at my library last summer because I thought the cover was cute. Well I loved it. I was so excited to see that Carole Matthews had another book out. I read it very quickly, the short chapters helped it to go by very fast. I loved it, funny and enjoyable!
Rating: 
Summary: Bit of a disappointment
Review: I'm a huge fan of chick lit, however this book seemed to fall short of others that I have enjoyed so much. I thought that initially the book was very good and then it seemed as if it dragged through the middle to again pick up in the end. I was also disappointed with the ending.
Rating:
Summary: Without A Doubt - A NECESSITY
Review: I'm a longtime fan of Carole Matthews and her work. I absolutely loved her new US publication of "Bare Necessity." This hilarious romp into the world of Emily Miller makes us all feel like our lives aren't THAT bad. I mean - come on, this girl has the worst luck ever. Not only is her boyfriend a dirt bag but she's lost everything else. Her home, her job and her dignity. How can a girl regroup? What else?????? Her friends! (and yoga, of course). While this is certainly in the "chick lit" genre --- it's better than the usual fair and Ms. Matthews' work is really well crafted and clever. She knows how to write a great page tuner with interesting characters, great romance and funny dialog. It's a real winner and I think perfect for those summer days when you can spend a bit of time with a sweet and fun book. Cheers!!!
Rating:
Summary: LOVED IT!
Review: If anyone ever thought they had a bad boyfriend they might reconsider that after reading Bare Necessity by Carole Matthews. The main character in this book is Emily Weaver. Her horrible boyfriend Declan has posted a very naughty picture of her on the internet. After that she basically loses everything. She ends up having to live with her best friend Cara. Well, Cara works for a newspaper and when word gets out that she is on a porn site everything breaks loose! She ends up loosing her job and basically everything else along the way. But, she does happen to meet a guy along the way of rebuilding her life. The problem is while she ever find him? A really great chick lit book to read over the summer.
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