Mr. Maybe

I had heard a lot of good things about author Jane Green but had never actually read anything by her. I marked a handful of books "to read" on my goodreads.com account, so I was more than pleased when a very kind and generous friend sent me a box full of books and one was Mr. Maybe by Green.

When I sat down to read this I was very excited! Goodreads gave it an average of 3.03 stars (out of 5), so I had some expectations. However, after reading it I can understand why its score wasn't higher (average compiled from 37,000 reviews!). It wasn't easy to read through. The Bristish English was challenging to read through, especially when I'm used to reading books written in American English.

The story idea was engaging and relatable: woman in late twenties feels rejected by men and decides to just go for a fling (and in all honesty, what woman at some point in her life hasn't felt rejected or turned down by some member of the male species?). Her best friend does her best to convince her it's a bad, very bad, idea, but Libby - the main character - doesn't agree. So off she goes in lust after Nick, quickly falling in love with him only to have him tell her "he isn't ready for a serious relationship." Many tears later and she's coerced into joining the club scene once again, and a not so handsome but seemingly kind man requests her number. She gives it to him and he calls the very next day, but she keeps him waiting because she is still hung up on Mr. Fling who broke her heart, A.K.A Nick. Finally, with the coaxing of her best friend (again) she returns Ed's calls and they go out. He picks her up in his Porsche and she's in heaven. He's a big thing in England, one of the most eligible bachelors, and he's as rich as they come. Naturally her mother is ecstatic! They date, he buys her beautiful flowers and Gucci bags, along with a VERY expensive dress for a ball. The sex, she discovers is awful, but she tells him and he tries to improve. Truth be told, though, he's an old "fuddy-duddy" and it irritates her to no end. He says he loves her constantly (and rather early on in the relationship, too), but she feels smothered. He proposes, she accepts. Her mother is delighted and warns her not to mess this up. Libby is getting excited about planning a wedding, but something inside her is telling her this isn't right. She ignores the feeling until she spends a day with Mr. Fling. Suddenly her passionate side re-emerges and she realizes what she's going to miss out on if she marries Ed the "fuddy-duddy". Declaring it the hardest thing she's ever had to do, she breaks things off with Ed and finds out that her friends and most of her family didn't ever like him - they say him as pompous and condescending. She's just getting used to being on her own when...you'll have to read the book to find out!