Review: Perfect Timing

Summary: When you meet the man of your dreams on girls night out, it's hardly…Perfect Timing

In this fresh and funny contemporary romance by bestselling author Jill Mansell, Poppy Dunbar's whole life gets turned upside down after a chance encounter with a handsome stranger...

Never a troublemaker, Poppy had always been content with the way things were supposed to be done—which included marrying predictable Rob McBride. But that was before she met Tom Kennedy the night before her wedding. Could she really be falling in love with a stranger?

Unable to forget Tom, or go through with the wedding, Poppy runs off to London. Her new life and colorful friends are anything but predictable. Misunderstandings, family secrets, and jealous quarrels ensue, but can Poppy stop running long enough to figure out what—or, rather, who—is in her heart? -- Sourcebooks Landmark

Sometimes I think that, at 40, I might be a getting too old for chick lit books. But then, I realize that I still enjoy reading a "good one" every once in awhile. Sometimes it's just nice to sit back and read a book that deals with love, romance, and relationships. And it's an added bonus when the book can make me laugh. Jill Mansell's latest U.S. release PERFECT TIMING fits the bill on all of these accounts.

I thoroughly enjoyed PERFECT TIMING, and I definitely recommend this novel to fans of British chick lit; however, I have to admit that I don't think it's my favorite Mansell book. MIRANDA'S BIG MISTAKE (my review) still holds that honor! I thought the premise of PERFECT TIMING sounded cute though. Poppy meets the man of her dreams the night before her wedding at her bachelorette party. She ends up calling off her wedding and ruffling a few feathers along the way. Poppy then decides that she needs a new start and leaves her hometown for London. PERFECT TIMING is really about her new life in London -- her jobs, her friends, and her love-life.

While I did like all of the characters and their side stories, it took me a little while to really "get into" the story and appreciate all of the characters. I don't think I was able to relate to Poppy as quickly as I did with some of Mansell's other characters. Poppy's roommate Claudie, and her best friend Rita were also hard to really appreciate at first -- although I know that was the author's intent for these characters. They both were extremely self-centered; however, I did find many of their actions to be very entertaining and quite funny! The character that I immediately found myself liking, though, was Poppy's landlord, the gorgeous artist Caspar. His relaxed attitude and artist mentality made him very attractive!

It wasn't until about halfway through this book that the story really took off for me. At that point, I started to recognize all of the things that I love about Jill Mansell's stories and characters. As far as I'm concerned, she is one of the very best writers in the chick lit genre. What always amazes me about Ms. Mansell's novels is the sheer size of them (they always seem to be over 400 pages.) But what impresses me even more is how fast I devour her books. The books are fast-paced and extremely readable.

I love that Ms. Mansell's books are so entertaining because they deal with love, relationships, and friendships -- the normal chick lit fare. What is more fun that just love wishing that the characters would realize their true feelings? However, I also truly appreciate how she tackles some serious issues. I don't want to give away too much of the story, but I think Ms. Mansell does a wonderful job of mixing the lighter moments with the serious ones. I think showing both sides of the characters definitely makes them more real to me and actually brings her chick-lit books to a whole new level.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.