It took me a while to really get into this book. Everyone was comparing it to Bridget Jones... yeah, I don't think so. This book is dark and very raw. C.C. is nearly 40, and unhappy with her life. She can't seem to get over her last relationship, which left her damaged in ways she can barely think about, though they are never far from her thoughts. She has a job at an advertising agency, and she's good at it. She has an apartment in a good location, and friends that really care for her. Most of her out on the town adventures with her gay friends, which makes it difficult to find the elusive man to share her dreams of a house in the country with a small farm and family. Problems in C.C.'s life range from her mother's much younger Moroccan boyfriend to the suicide of a friend. It's a gritty and raw look at life, from rampant drug use and agonizing loneliness to awkward realizations and missed opportunities.
The author gives the characters the time they need to really live in the pages of this story. The pace to the story adds to the realism, and makes the characters come alive. I could relate to the characters, even though we live in separate worlds. While it didn't come close to the lighthearted read I was anticipating, it more than made up for it with a well written story that didn't behave as expected. ( )