Misery Loves Cabernet

by: Kim Gruenenfelder

Published by: St. Martins Griffin

Reviewed by Connie Anderson

This light-hearted book was a gift to myself to read on a gloomy Saturday–and I loved it.

Charlie and her two girlfriends talk about, text about, email about and stress out about men. What did he mean by “THAT”? they ask each other. (Do guys do that too?) Each one has an opinion about the other’s love life–and they don’t spare that advice either.

Charlie is a personal assistant in Hollywood for Drew, a handsome and popular movie star. She is his “beck-and-call” girl because he turns to her 24/7 with the weirdest of requests, and she rescues him almost daily from some bad/stupid choices.

Funny and quirky, this book is filled with snappy dialogue and characters that we all know and sometimes love, sometimes hate. I was cheering for the different relationships to work…but you’ll have to read it to find out who marries whom and who gives up whom.

This is a book about love: how to recognize it, get it, keep it, give it–and how to do it all without giving up who you are. You get the idea.

Charlie, Dawn and Kate are three best girlfriends who are successful, except in love. A side story is Kate getting married (but she is still in love with an old boyfriend) and how Charlie and Dawn feel about that. This is the “not giving up who you are” part of the story. Charlie also drags in her brother and married sister to her friends’ love life issues.

Then there’s successful movie producer Liam who is talented, charming, perfect, and most handsome–but he has a reputation related to women. Charlie’s sister knows him from college days when he got that reputation–and now she warns Charlie. After working together, he encourages Charlie to become a producer and leave her dead-end job with Drew.

Charlie’s so off-the-wall extended family truly puts the “fun” into back into a dysfunctional family, and will make you appreciate your family so much more.

Misery Loves Cabernet would make a super chick flick movie, and I can see several actors as a perfect Drew or Liam–and the girls, my choices are still open.

Armchair Interviews says: Author of A Total Waste of Makeup does it again.

Author’s Web site: http://www.KimGruenenfelder.com