Romantic Fiction

By Melanie La'Brooy

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 042520264X
• ISBN13: 9780425202647
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Berkley
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

4.5 stars

I LOVED this story. Didn't want it to end. There were a few problems with the writing, which kept it from being 5 stars, but the story and the voice were great. Romantic Fiction is set in Melbourne, Australia, which is unusual. The blurb on the front compares it to the TV show Friends, but in my opinion, the characters in the show were much more self-absorbed and shallow than these characters. Just a warning--there's blatant promiscuity in this one. It's mostly about a group of friends: Lucy, Meg, Chloe, Tom, who's Lucy's on-again-off-again boyfriend, but always best friend, and Percy, who fell head-over-heels with Meg and just sort of stuck around.

Lighthearted froth -- 3.6 stars

On the cover, Julia London is quoted as saying, "If you love Friends, you will love Romantic Fiction." I never really cared for Friends and saw less than a handful of episodes. But I found this book amusing. In fact, I laughed so hard at one point, that others began to wonder about my sanity. That does not mean this is a perfect book. It is sometimes repetitive or slow, and there are several times that the reader isn't crazy about the characters. Though bordering on stereotypical, the characters work together to present an amusing group. Moreoever, they still come across as real, flawed people -- in this case, adults who haven't quite grown up yet, but mature during the course of the story. The story is more about friendships than about romantic love, but it does deal with the issue of fantasy versus reality. Tom will never be the "romantic fiction" hero that Lucy dreams of, but he loves her, quirky, emotional, and high maintenance though she is. But as they each recognize their flaws and seek to be more mature and understanding with each other, true love emerges. If you're looking for a highly romantic story, look elsewhere. If a quirky group of friends, just shy of questionable mental stability, who really care about each other despite their differences, and a strange but somehow honest romantic relationship sound interesting -- despite the occasional playful sleeziness -- then give this one a try. It might be that something different you're looking for. I'm giving it 4 stars to indicate the between 3 & 4 nature of the book and the review.