Book Review: Take A Chance On Me

I got this book in the in charity shop along with two others for €2, big spender right? So because I was in a bit of a girly mood I picked up the cheesiest romance novel I could find that had the most girl meets boy story on the back, and I came away with Jill Marsell's If you haven't found the one Take A Chance On Me. 

This story follows Cleo Quinn in the English countryside of Channing's Hill where she has lived all her life and now works happily as a chauffeur for a limo service. She has found the man of her dreams, gorgeous attentive and smart Will. Next pops up the old childhood enemy Johnny who bullied and made a fool of her in school. And she still remembers it. Hes now a big shot sculptor, rich, not to mention very good looking. Everyone in the little town loves him and women are just short of openly drooling, but Cleo is immune to his ways, thankfully. 

After all those 'charming' men we get introduced to the best friend, Ash. He lives next door to Cleo and is a real pet who is a very popular DJ for the local radio, his only problem being he is nothing like his on air personality when he meets an attractive woman, que the awkwardness! And then of course there is the sister, lovely solid Abbie and her equally lovely and solid husband. Or so it seems but then things kind of go pear shaped with the perfect couple just as we wave goodbye to the now awful Will.  

I'm sure you can now guess there is a new love interest involved and there are lots of thing happening in the village of Channing's Hill to keep all the residents on their toes. Will Cleo be able to overcome her dislike of poor Johnny? And whats going to happen with Abbie now that she has to move out of her home and away from her husband. Can Ash get over being tongue tied around beautiful women or will he head to Australia just as its too late?

In the end I liked this book and even got a bit must-not-move-until-I've-finished, but I wouldn't be quick to re-read it like some books. This was a nice, easy read and the story line was simple enough that you could pick it up on any page. Not a crazy fan of this one though, being predictable and a little slow to develop. It is relatable and has somewhat of a Bridget Jones feel in parts but not in a laugh-out-loud way. Picking it apart? If there was one or two side love interests before Cleo goes head first then I think it would have worked better. Oh and the side line story with Ash dragged an extra 80 pages out. Oh well, it was something I hadn't read before! I have another Jill Marsell book to read so perhaps that one will do better justice to her writing abilities.  

What are you reading at the moment?