Book info

• Title Uptown Girl
• Author Olivia Goldsmith
• Year 2003
• Genres Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

There's something magical about Brooklyn's Billy Nolan. It's not just that he's wickedly attractive, it's that any woman he dates and dumps (and he dates and dumps them all) immediately goes on to marry someone else. Sassy, uptown New Yorker Kate is immune to Billy's charms - she left Brooklyn behind a long time ago, and she's not about to fall under the spell of a handsome waster from the old neighbourhood. Besides, she's dating the eminently suitable Michael. But perhaps the 'Billy effect' will work for Kate's friend, Bina, who has fallen apart because her almost-fiance, Jack, is going away to 'explore his singleness'. All Kate has to do is get Billy to date Bina and dump her - and then await Jack's return and watch the magic happen. It's a great plan and at first it seems to be working. But the one thing Kate hasn't considered is how Billy feels about it all...

Thoughts

The plot of this one is your traditional rom com - a guy earns a reputation as every girl that he dumps gets married a few months later. Kate’s friend wants to get married so they set her up, but as always, the course of true love doesn’t run smoothly and Kate ends up falling for him herself.

Kate is an interesting heroine, it’s hard to tell if she’s the good guy or the slightly not so good guy, but it all ends well. I love her gay best friend although her friends back home in Brooklyn are just a little too material for my liking. They are supposed to be like that though, so they must be well written.

This is a casual, easy read, not a hugely special book but an interesting concept and told in a sensible way. I recommend it if you want one of those books that you end up shouting at because the characters are so flipping stubborn.

Rating: 3 / 5