The Accidental Proposal by Matt Dunn

Rom Com for Valentine's Day
Review by Maryom

Ed Middleton thinks he's just got engaged but he isn't too sure. For one thing, his girlfriend, Sam, did the proposing; for another, she might just have been talking about marriage in general rather than theirs in particular; the more he thinks about it, the less certain Ed is. With help and advice - such as it is - from his best friend Dan, ex-girlfriend Jane turning up and Sam holding furtive meetings with a strange man there's enough to bring back all Ed's insecurities and make the road to the registry office one filled with pit-falls.
To be honest I didn't find the last Matt Dunn novel I read, The Good Bride Guide, to be as funny as his earlier ones but with The Accidental Proposal he is back to his brilliantly funny laugh-out-loud best. Ed is loving and endearing, though confused - the kind of guy any one would want. Side-kick Dan is an appalling "love 'em and leave 'em" TV presenter beginning to think there's something he's missing out on. Together they make a brilliant comic double-act. This is one of those books that are so irritating to others as they have to listen constantly while I read the funny bits out to them. Sorry folks - but admit it, it was funny.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Genre - Chick Lit- Rom Com

Buy The Accidental Proposal from Amazon

The Good Bride Guide by Matt Dunn * * *

I picked up "The Ex-Boyfriends Handbook"by Matt Dunn a couple of years ago almost accidentally in a Padstow charity shop and really enjoyed it - chick lit from a male perspective, a light fluffy Nick Hornby. So I was rather looking forward to reading "The Good Bride Guide" when it arrived through the post box. Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations. It's OK but nothing really special. I suppose I'd been expecting an improvement, perhaps deeper character analysis or twistier plot, as Dunn matures as a writer but this book moves him to the "read and pass on" end of the market.

Basically, Ben Grant decides, seemingly on a whim, that it's time to settle down,marry and start a family. Having had no success at choosing his own life-partner, he enlists the help of his parents who provide him with a series of unbelievably bizarre blind dates all looking for Mr Right. Does he find True Love? does he settle for second-best? should he give up his artistic dreams and go back to the day job? well, it's a chick lit novel, so there's probably not a great deal of suspense about any of these questions.

It takes a long while to get going, the plotting is rather contrived and none of the characters really come to life. I was particularly annoyed with the portrayal of his parents - these people, not much older than myself, live in some sort of time warp where the average married woman stays home and looks after children and everyone listens to Frank Sinatra.

If you're looking for a light read for holidays or the commute or while waiting for kids, it's great; read it and pass it on.