Retro Friday (16): Every Boy Got One by Meg Cabot

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! 

This week I chose Every Boy Got One by Meg Cabot

At First Sight: Cartoonist Jane Harris was exited to go to Italy for her best friend Holly's elopement, as she's the Maid of Honor... but then she met the Best Man. 

Cal Langdon has spent the last 10 years as an overseas reporter for the journal Jane, Holly and his best friend Mark work for. And much as he likes Holly, he isn't convinced she and Mark should get married - never mind that he's the best man.

Jane is determined to make Holly's wedding as special as can be; and if that means keeping a sharp eye on Cal - much as she doesn't like him - then that's just what she'll do.

Never mind that it turns out that he might have a heart, after all, and that they do have fun together.

Second Glance: Every Boy Got One is the last of the Boy Series, centered around people who work at the New York Journal and told primary through emails, blackberry messages and journal entries.

For some reason, this one is my least favorite of the series. Maybe because of the change of setting and pace. It's more of a road-book, since they are traveling and I somehow like it better when they were working in NY.

It is a fun book and all, but I never really bought the chemistry between Cal and Jane; they were fun and everything but they weren't my favorite couple. But it was a nice book over all and there were little snippets of information about the characters from the previous books, and that was really nice.

Bottom Line: A fun, lighthearted read. Not my favorite Meg Cabot book, but a nice read to spend the time.
1/2

Retro Friday (16): Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! 

This week I chose Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot.

Original Cover

At First Sight: Kate Mackenzie didn't think her life could get more crazy after her boyfriend of 10 years told her he isn't ready for commitment, which resulted on Kate having to crash on the couch of her best friend Jen's tiny apartment.

But, at least, she has her job at the New York Journal, which might not be changing lives, but that she at least likes. That is until her boss - Amy, the Tyrannical Office Despot -  forces Kate to unjustly fire a widely popular dinning room employee, Ida Lopez because she refused to give pie to Amy's boyfriend Stuart Hertzog (legal counsel for the paper Kate works for)

Now sweet Mrs. Lopez is suing the paper, and Kate is in the middle of it all.

Enter Mitch Hertzog, Stuart's brother and lawyer in charge of the Lopez case. At first, Kate doesn't want to like him - he's a corporate lawyer! - but she soon realizes that he's nice and kind, and tie-him-to-the-bed hot.

And Mitch is all of those things... and he likes Kate too.


Second Glance: Told in a series of funny emails, IM-conversations and notes scribed on whatever, Boy Meets Girl is my favorite of the Boy Series by Meg Cabot. I love how I can just fly through this book.

Current Cover

It's incredibly funny, the pace is snappy, and it is surprisingly cute and romantic. And it always amazes me how Meg Cabot can fit so much family drama, humor and romance into a book told in Emails, because somehow you do feel like you're getting to know these characters. I love that.

There are some characters returning from The Boy Next Door - and a few references to what happens there - which was very nice, I loved catching up with them too.


Bottom Line: Though I always felt like the ending was a bit abrupt, I really love Boy Meets Girl, as I said, it's my favorite of this series and a read that never fails to cheer me up.

Retro Friday (14): The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! 

This week I chose The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot.

Current Cover

At First Sight: Gossip columnist Melissa Fuller was late for work again, but this time she had a pretty good reason: she found her next door neighbor -an old lady of about 80 years of age - face down on the carpet and she had to call the police. 


This not only landed her in hot water at work but also left her in charge of a Great Dane called Paco until Mrs. Friedlander's grandson Max can be located. Only that Max is too busy shacking up with a super model to return to NYC to tend to his grandmother, so instead he blackmails his former college roommate John Trent into pretending to be Max and taking care of the dog. 


John isn't happy with this plan, but he does owe Max so he agrees to the charade... only to be enchanted by Mel once the meet... only that she has no clue who he really is!


Second Glance: The Boy Next Door is the first of Meg Cabot's novels told entirely through emails - I think it was one of the first ever to do this - and it's just so much fun. 

Original Cover

Not a lot of people know this, but the book was first posted free at her Author's website (www.MegCabot.com) for a long while (that's where I read it first) before being turned into an actual book. 


The book is funny, full of pop culture and a very quick read. It is also very New York City and very much a book of the 90's - this was the beginning of emails as part of every day culture, you must remember and there are so many cute little details from back then woven into the story.



Bottom Line: A quick romantic comedy of mistaken identities, emails and dogs, The Boy Next Door remains a lovely story to this day.

2/3