Will perfect strangers become perfect partners? (Perfect Strangers - Robyn Sisman)

Member Name: mumto3

Product:	Perfect Strangers - Robyn Sisman
Date:	23/08/09 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to read - likable characters - predictable - funny - enjoyable

Disadvantages: I wanted more fireworks at the end

I always like to have a book to read and get most of my books from our local library. As I have three young children with me when I go to the library I don't really get to browse and usually rush round the adult books section whilst keeping one eye on the children's section. Unfortunately our library is only very small but as we are only a small village we are lucky to have it. This does mean that the choice available isn't great but I usually find something that looks interesting. I don't ask a lot from a book, just something mildly amusing with at least a bit of a story to it. I always chose my books by the look of the cover because I don't have time to read the blurb on the back. So far this system of choosing has done quite well for me and I haven't taken anything home to find it is a real stinker.

On my most recent visit I was doing my usual dash and grab when I saw Perfect Strangers by Robyn Sisman. The spine is white with funky pink writing on it so this instantly looked like a book a might enjoy. The cover is mostly pink and purple with little twinkly stars and a happy looking woman sitting on a bench. To me this looked like it had everything I could want for my bedtime reading so I rounded up my children and we left the ladies at the library in peace.

Later that evening my husband was sorting out the kids milk for bedtime and doing the stories so I found myself with a very rare five minutes to myself. I had a quite read of the first few pages of the book and I was instantly hooked. The book centres around two main characters. The first is Suze Wilding who lives in London and works for an advertising company. The second is Lloyd Rockwell who lives in New York and works for the New York branch of the same advertising company. By a twist of fate they end up doing an exchange and each doing the other person's job and living in the other apartment. The story is told with each chapter concentrating on one of the characters and their experiences and relationships in the other person's life and surroundings. I suppose the outcome is pretty predictable but even though I knew what was coming I couldn't stop reading.

I instantly like the two main characters although I did feel that the name Lloyd Rockwell was a bit cheesy. Although I didn't feel that these were the sort of people I would know or be friends with they were both very likable in their own ways. The characters around them like Lloyds girlfriend and mother in law are there not to be liked and are portrayed in a way that you do find it hard to feel anything for them. I found that this help with the main story as I wasn't torn between characters or rooting for the wrong girl.

The end of the book builds up and builds up and despite practically falling asleep I couldn't put it down without confirming what happened. To be honest this was the only let down of the book or maybe I was expecting too much. I can't tell you what happened for fear of ruining the book for anyone who hasn't read it but after all the back story and build up it just sort of fizzled out.

I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who enjoys this type of women's fiction because it was an easy pleasant read. I read it in only a few nights and really enjoyed it.

The book is available through www.amazon.co.uk for £5.99 but this book has a different cover to the one I read. There are a few other books available by Robyn Sisman and I am tempted to add some to my Christmas wish list although I might have ask at the library first to see if they can get me another title.

First published 1998

Summary: An enjoyable read