Dress You Up in My Love

By Diane Stingley

Book Overview

Sam always thought, somewhere in the back of her mind, that someday she would marry Greg -- the boy next door -- the coolest, sexiest, most interesting person she'd ever met, and Sam isn't easily impressed. She's loved him forever, even after he dumped her years ago, but when he tells her over drinks at their local hangout, Bogart's, that he's in love with the frumpy, single-mother that he met in the garage where he works, Sam can't believe what she's hearing. It's not enough that it's almost Thanksgiving and her mother is making her crazy asking her questions about her life (or lack thereof), or that her best friend announced that she's in love and having a baby. No, Greg, the man she had always assumed was just allergic to commitment, is seeing some sweet soccer mom. It was not to be believed, not to be tolerated. So she does the one thing she can think of to make all her it's-the-holiday-and-I'm-all-alone-and-my-family-makes-me-crazy-blues go away, she hires an actor to play her boyfriend. Only she never counted on him being more trouble than the real thing.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743464915
• ISBN13: 9780743464918
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Great read with wonderful character development!

I just finished this, and I really enjoyed it -- a lot more than I thought I would, even. It's more than just your typical chick lit book, despite the silly romantic comedy premise. (By the way, the silly romantic comedy premise was an awful lot of fun, and the reason I bought the book in the first place, so don't think I'm knocking it. I'm not.) Instead, we get a genuine, interesting novel about a set of characters who felt like real people. Even when the author was playing things up a little for comic effect, none of these characters felt like caricatures or cartoons -- they always came across as real people. The plot did get slightly ridiculous in places, but hey, what can you expect from a novel in which a woman hires an actor to play her fake boyfriend at family gatherings? It never got absurd, though. And best of all, I felt like Samantha had really grown and changed thoughout the course of the novel. She had a newfound understanding of herself and her relationships with other people by the end of the book. The character development was very satisfying to watch. I also loved the author's style -- deadpan and sarcastic without being cynical or mean. Very funny stuff; I was laughing out loud in places. Good book! I'm going to be looking out for more by this author!

Dress You Up in My Love

Diane Stingley is a community columnist for a newspaper in my area. Her style is satirical, witty, and so on target. Her subject matter is usually us--Americans and the culture we are trapped in. When I heard she had written a novel, I knew I would have to read it. I devoured Dress You Up in My Love in a couple of days; it took that long only because I wanted to savor the humor. Several times I laughed out loud. "Nothing like finding out you're gay to straighten out your life" was my favorite line. I haven't laughed this much since I read Raney by Clyde Edgerton a few years back. The first-person narration is perfect for this story. The ending is a roller coaster ride. Buy this book for your summer reading; you and your friends will take turns reading it. I hope Diane is working on another one!

GREAT Future for Diane Stingley....

"Dress You Up in My Love" is Diane Stingley's first novel and it is not a fluke. Her witty dialogue and raw delve into her characters is absolutely wonderful. Her passion for her craft is so apparent. I can only hope that her agent has her stashed away somewhere inspirational, where she is hard at work on her next novel. For this woman to not write full-time would be a crime...she is THAT good. More than even the plot, Stingley has a way of saying things that most of us are thinking. The cover design by Min Choi is so original and appropriate for the title that there is no telling how many readers initially picked up this book because they were intrigued by the cover. I hope that Stingley works together with Choi in the future, because the artist has showcased her work brilliantly. "Dress You Up in My Love " is the story of 30-something Samantha Stone, who finds that inventing the perfect boyfriend is not as easy as it looks. It is a refreshing and realistic novel that will leave you looking for more of Stingley's books in the future.

Makes you forget your boss sucks.

This one fits the bill if you are looking for a quick , funny, escapist read. Samantha Stone is quirky, cynical and desperate and this makes for a really fun heroine. Her antics made me laugh out loud and I had a great time reading this book last week after a monumentally crappy day at work. By bedtime I had totally forgotten what a horse's hind end my boss was. If a book can make that happen, it's GOT to be some good stuff!

Hilarious reading for the holidays!

This book CRACKED me up! As a busy single chick who definitely feels the family holiday pressure of "So where's YOUR boyfriend?" I can totally relate to Samantha Stone and her misadventures in singledom and daughterdom. You will not BELIEVE the antics in this book. I was on the floor laughing while also falling in love with all the characters, and you'll never guess what happens in the end. You deserve a break from battling humanity at the malls and figuring out how to baste a turkey for the first time. BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT IN ONE NIGHT! Much more accessible than "Good in Bed" or "Confessions of a Shopaholic." And you can buy it for all your girlfriends, too, just in time for Christmas!