Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Review: "Got You Back" by Jane Fallon

I've really been looking forward to reading this one. I've heard great things, I've seen the advertising, and the cover is absolutely beautiful (purple and silver- my favourite colours!). I had a few books that I needed to review before I got to this one but I swear that it kept winking at me from its place on the bookshelf. Well, I finally got a chance to pick this one up and I was not disappointed. Ladies, this is chick-lit for grown-ups. One of the drawbacks of growing up is that I no longer enjoy chick-lit like I once did. Jane Fallon seems to have written this for people like me- chick lit lovers looking for a little substance.

"Got You Back" explores what could happen if you found out that your husband was cheating on you with another woman and you and the other woman decide to get revenge. This is exactly what happens to Stephanie, one of the main characters in the book. She and her husband James have moved down to London so that Stephanie can get back to work after her son's birth. James is working part-time in London as a vet to the pampered pets of the area, but when they move he decides to keep his own veterinary practice in Lower Shippingham as well and spends part of the week there. What he didn't bargain for was finding a girlfriend and living a double life. James has all but moved into his girlfriend Katie's cottage, and he spends part of the week there and part of the week with his wife in London. He's living the life of two men and enjoying it, although he didn't bargain for the fact that Stephanie would find out about Katie and contact her wanting revenge on her husband. Since neither Stephanie nor Katie were previously aware of the other party they are both understandably hurt and vow to take revenge. The problem is, once they start they find it hard to stop. Eventually they must take a hard look at what they are doing and decide if they are taking things too far.

This was a great read, thoroughly enjoyable, and I can't wait to go back and read her first book "Getting Rid of Matthew" (Interesting note: the film rights for this book have been picked up by Jennifer Anniston's production company!) The story was fast-paced and interesting, the writing style was compelling, and some interesting points were raised throughout the book. The ending wasn't what I expected and that element of surprise kept me going. All in all this is well-worth picking up for anyone who enjoys well-written women's fiction. You can browse inside this book here. Thanks to HarperCollins Canada for the review copy!

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