You know that
feeling you get when you've realised you've been missing out on something good
for quite some time? When you think, 'Damnit, I wish I'd seen/read/known that
earlier'. Exactly. Now you can probably guess how I feel after reading Lucy-Ann
Holmes's 50 Ways to Find a Lover for the very first time. The book was released
in 2009 and had somehow slipped by without me realising just what a gem it
actually is. And for that I'm sad.
Having recently read Holmes's second novel The (Im)Perfect Girlfriend (released in August this year), which is in fact a sequel to 50 Ways, I realised my mistake and, what with the book being so hilarious and unputdownable, rushed out like a crazed addict looking for my next chick-lit fix: this one.
So yes. 50 Ways came first. Inevitably, I knew the ending to this - or at least, who heroine Sarah ends up with - due to reading The (Im)Perfect Girlfriend first. But that was the only thing that's been given away, and I wasn't too bothered. After all, the real fun was reading about how Sarah got her guy in the first place...
Sarah Sargeant is a bit-part actress. She's been single for three years and nine months (or, as she says, 'It's now been 351 days since I had sex. That's a carnal drought. If Bob Geldof knew about it he'd hold a concert.') After finally plucking up the courage to ask out a balding barman and getting turned down for a Narnia DVD, she realises that something has to be done. And after meeting ex-schoolpal Rachel Bird at a casting, she finds out that Rachel is none other than raunchy blogger Convent Girl, who tells the world about her sordid sexpolits via the Internet. It isn't long before Sarah gets an idea...
So Sarah sets up her own blog, A Spinster's Quest, in which she vows to try 50 ways to find a lover. When her hopes of a reality TV show that she's unwillingly signed up to fail, Sarah opts for speed dating. All hope seems lost, until she meets the seemingly perfect Paul.
But is he really that perfect? And can she really find a man already, that soon into her quest? As blogging becomes more and more addictive, Sarah's willing to do anything to find her sought-after Mr Right, even if it means dating a 50-something film director (and his gay son.)
Will one of her missions snare her an ideal man?
Firstly, I will say that this book is downright hilarious. I absolutely adore the way Lucy-Anne Holmes writes. Sarah is quirky and funny (and perfectly vulgar!) and I loved every page. That's the downside to these books; you just don't want them to end. After reading The (Im)Perfect Girlfriend and naming it one of my chick-lit favourites of all time, I just had to give this one a read. It's packed with hilarious scenes - especially Sarah's missions, which include trying to pull at a fetish club and a wedding - and Sarah is such a fun character that I just had to come back for more.
I really hope that Lucy-Ann Holmes will delight us with more of her fantastic writing. If you enjoy the first-person, witty style of novel such as the Shopaholic series then this is for you - although personally, I found 50 Ways to Find a Lover and The (Im)Perfect Girlfriend ten times more enjoyable! A definite must-read
Like this? Try Katy Carter Wants a Hero by Ruth Saberton
Rating: 5/5
