Review: Mating Rituals of the North American WASP & Giveaway

Summary: After arguing with her live-in boyfriend about his inability to commit, Peggy Adams flies to a friend's bachelorette party in Las Vegas, and wakes up next to a man she can't remember. Hung-over and miserable, she sneaks out of the sleeping man's hotel room and returns home to New York, where her boyfriend apologizes for the fight and gives her a Tiffany box containing a pre-engagement ring. Not what she expected, but close enough! The next day she receives a phone call from the Las Vegas one-night stand, Luke, claiming she's already married to him¬-and he faxes her the license for proof! Both are ready for an annulment, until Peggy arrives in quaint New Nineveh, CT, where Luke cares for his Great Aunt, and the old woman makes Peggy an offer she can't refuse.-- 5 Spot

The first time I heard about MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP by Lauren Lipton was when I was sent a link for the Facebook fan page. I just thought the title was so smart and the cover was precious, and I have to admit that both things attracted me to this novel. (Of course, I am a child of the 80s and probably owned a shirt just like this one twenty-five years ago. I still love preppy clothes; and, I have to admit I was a little tempted when I was shopping last week and saw a Tommy Hilfiger shirt this exact style and color.....but I digress.)

I enjoyed MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP very much. It is a light, fun story; and I have a feeling that a lot of women will enjoy reading it this summer. It really is an ideal book to read while you're at the pool or beach. The plot is basically a cute and funny romance story that takes place in reverse. The book begins when Peggy goes to Las Vegas with some friends and wakes up next to a stranger, Luke. She has no idea who he is or what she did with him (yes, there was alcohol involved.) She returns home to New York and her fiance to find that she married a stranger who just happens to live in Connecticut. This book points out that "what happens in Vegas" doesn't always "stay in Vegas." For a variety of monetary reasons, Peggy and Luke decide to stay together and pretend that they married for love. You can probably guess that they eventually do fall in love; however there are lots of ups and downs in their relationship until they both realize their feelings. See what I mean about in reverse?

I'm going to be honest and tell you that I didn't love Peggy for most of the book, and I only liked Luke, her husband, slightly better. In fact, I didn't like Peggy's long-time boyfriend or Luke's bimbo girlfriend either (but I don't think I was supposed to.) Having said that, I don't think it mattered one little bit to my enjoyment of the book. I think the negative aspects of Peggy's and Luke's characters were necessary to tell this story; and I will say that I was rooting for them the entire time! Both had serious moments of stubbornness and stupidity, but they eventually matured and realized what's important.

I liked that this book was filled with some tension between the main characters. It made it kind of a juicy read (or at least juicy for this reader.) There was a lot of confusion and many misunderstandings between Peggy and Luke (or basically Peggy and everyone) that made the story very funny. I also liked that the author kept things interesting by putting in a few twists and turns throughout the novel. I think those surprise elements are important to chick-lit, romance genre books because the basic story lines are often times predictable. I mean you basically know how the story is going to end, but it's the stuff that happens along the way that makes the book interesting.

I did find this book to be very witty, and I loved how the author poked fun of the entire WASP social set. All of the stereotypes (plus a few new ones) were in there, and I found myself laughing at some of the WASPier characters. I especially appreciated the descriptions of the food at the parties, and I thought the tailgating scenes at the football game were hilarious.

This is the first book that I've read by Lauren Lipton; however, I wouldn't hesitate to read her first novel IT'S ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND. Her writing in MATING RITUALS is very witty and smart, and I definitely thought the book was a page-turner. Besides writing novels, she is also a journalist with articles appearing in Forbes Woman, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. If you want to learn more about Ms. Lipton, you can check out her website, blog, and this Q&A; and you can read this article entitled "I Knew I'd Turned a ..."

I recommend MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP if you are looking for a light, chick-lit type read this summer. It is an extremely entertaining book, and the characters are a hoot! It's one of those books where you can just sit back and enjoy the story.

I just happen to have an extra copy of MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP that I'd love to giveaway to one lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment with your e-mail address telling me one of your favorite chick lit books. To double or triple your chances, blog and/or tweet about this contest with a link back to this post. This contest will be open until June 10th, and I will announce the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. or Canada mailing addresses only. Good luck!

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