By Liz Tuccillo
Atria (June 2008)
ISBN-10: 1416534121
ISBN-13: 978-1416534129
How to Be Single is the first novel for Liz Tuccillo, who according to Amazon is the coauthor of He’s Just Not That into You, which as it turns out helped make this story poignant, heartbreaking and funny. HTBS follows the trials of five friends going through different relationship struggles trying to find happiness.
At first this story seems to parrot Sex an the City, but within the first few chapters and a scene involving one of them dancing on a bar while another trying to get them down, I knew I was going to like this story.
Julie is the main protagonist in this story, who has become very cynical about life and dating in general. Her job is in a rut and after the aforementioned bar scene decides she needs to get out and explore the world. She comes up with a plan and pitches an idea to her boss where she would travel the world and talk to women (and a few men) about dating in different parts of the world. Though not very excited her boss gives her the green light and she prepares to set off on her journey. Her best friends Georgia. Alice, Ruby and Serena have problems of their own.
Georgia having recently divorced her husband is having a VERY hard time with being single. She blames her ex completely as he cheated on her with a much younger woman, but the way she deals with it isn’t exactly sane and brings her at one point to realize maybe she had a part in her marriages downfall as well.
Serena is so sick of dating that she takes the most radical step of all five of the girls and swears off sex and dating in favor of something more spiritual and becomes a swami! The new path seems to work well at first, until she meets a sexy guy swami that is.
Ruby is in love with the idea of having a child. After a rather disappointing upbringing herself, she wants to make things right and be different and what’s better then the love child to make you forget about those bad dates. (crazy huh?) So she begins a rather tired regimen of fertility shots and vitamins.
Alice, sick of finding the losers in the dating pool decides she is just going to settle and tries to make things work with the guy she is with. She’s not in love with him exactly, but hopes that it will develop over time. He is a nice enough guy and is totally in love with her. What more can a girl ask for?
Will these five ladies forever be lost in sea of confusion we call dating? Being that the endings rather muddled I’d say so. Instead of breathing a sigh of relief or smiling as I closed the book when I was finished I was left confused. A good attempt my an accomplished individual, but it just doesn’t cut the mustard.
3 out of 5
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