Typically Predictable! (Perfect Strangers - Robyn Sisman)

Member Name: Foxy-Lady

Product:	Perfect Strangers - Robyn Sisman
Date:	16/10/03 (300 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy reading, Quite amusing

Disadvantages: Predictable

*Perfect Strangers* is quite simply chick-lit...there is no other way to describe it!

It was another of those 20p offerings from the local gala. I knew what I was buying - the quirky typeface and stars all over the front cover give the game away and it positively screams *I am going to be cheesy, but please read me anyway!*........so I did.

The story revolves around Suze Wilding, a 32 year old Londoner, and Lloyd Rockwell who is aged 35 and lives in New York.

Both work for Schneider Fox, a successful advertising agency, and are asked to do a job exchange. This means swapping jobs, homes, and friends for four weeks. I wish I had the opportunity to do that!

We learn of their expectations and judgements of each others home cities, and then the realities when they actually arrive. People have so many preconceptions. I have never been to New York but I bet it is completely different to how I imagine it to be!

As the book progresses, personalities become apparent and the characters become almost likeable! Lloyd has quite a cautious, sometimes serious nature in comparison to Suze. She likes to think of herself as a tough, modern career woman but also likes to have a lot of fun.

Suze and Lloyd get used to their new lifestyles, settle into their new environments and the competitive nature of business begins to kick in. They start to communicate long distance via telephone as Suze uncovers some serious back-stabbing that is going on in Lloyds absence from the New York office.

The pair inevitably become *closer* even though they are thousands of miles apart.

I wont really write much more about the plot as that is basically it. Oh, by the way, forgot to mention that Lloyd already has a girlfriend (just to throw a spanner in the works!). I will leave it at that and let you guess what happens next...and no doubt you will!!

After reading the descriptor on the back cover of the book, I already kn
ew what was going to happen throughout the course of this book. Somewhat predictable to say the least!

Other than that, I found it to be a pleasant, easy read from start to finish. It was lightly entertaining with a few witty one-liners thrown in. It was also of interest to me because of the fact that the story revolves around an advertising agency. Being a graphic designer, this is similar line of work to mine and some of the work based features and elements rang true for me.

Because of this, the book is realistic to an extent but certain parts make you think *it could only happen in the movies*. In fact, I can imagine this being turned into a film - a romantic comedy with someone like J-Lo or Sandra Bullock playing the part of Suze!!

Overall, *Perfect Strangers* is pretty average really. I suppose it is a good example of chick-lit though (which I am not particularly a fan of). It is well written in the style that is intended for this particular genre.

Readable but definately nothing outstanding...but then having said that, I wasnt expecting it to be excellent, therefore it didnt disappoint me!



Published by Penguin £5.99 (wouldnt like to think I had paid this much though!)

ISBN 0-14-027440-5

Summary: