Chasing Harry Winston

By Lauren Weisberger

Review by Lizzie

In A Nutshell: On the brink of their thirties, three attractive best friends in Manhattan seek love, passion and career success. Sound familiar? Leigh (aka Miranda): TiVo addicted workaholic suffocated by her perfect on paper boyfriend. Adriana (aka Brazilian – ethnically, not pubically – version of Samantha): sexually adventurous with a disposable income. Emmy (aka Charlotte): an embryo obsessed serial monogamist who turns a new leaf and pledges to sleep with one guy per continent, excluding Antartica.

Reason I Liked It: Like the lychee martinis the girls favour, it’s light and goes down easy. Weisberger has some sharp comedic moments: the chapter where Adriana tries to repair the self-confidence of a surly parrot is priceless.

Three Words to Describe it: SATC rip off

Indicative Quote: “Maddox. An interesting development. As much as Adriana disliked children – especially the shriekers and the ones with runny noses – she’d fallen in love with the entire Brangelina brood. . . She’d love to see that stylish Cambodian adoptee in person. Pax would be worthwhile, too, but no one – not Zahara nor even Shiloh – would be as rewarding as a Maddox sighting. She bolted upright in bed and began a frantic search through her open closet. What does one wear to a movie set?”

You’ll Like This If You Like: Sex and the City: The Movie, you know, less witty than the show with characters who can seem dissapointingly hollow at times, but still a fun time that’ll make you feel cheery.

Book Club Ideas: Head to an au courant resto bar – Spice Route on King will serve well – for vodka gimlets and tuna tartare apps (and yes, I hate that I just said apps too, but I feel it was necessary given the context). Make a sweeping pledge for the upcoming year. If committing to a Tour de Whore, like Emmy’s, is a bit terrifying try, “I swear to smile coyly at handsome men on the subway, even if I then bungle off in a clumsy huff” or “I swear to up the ante on my flirting capacity by not simply throwing my hair in a messy bun every day.” Baby steps.

Verdict: There’s a reason this book came out in the summer. It’s the perfect beach – or, as was actually the case for me, pool at a friend’s cottage – read. The title and the cover make the book sound more vapid and predictable than it is. It isn’t all about ruthlessly hunting for a husband as the means to a showy engagement ring. It’s slightly more complex than that (slightly, being the operative word). Weisberger is a solid writer who crafts an undeniably entertaining read. Basically, if the Sex and the City movie didn’t appease your appetite for best friends in New York, then this is the book for you.

Good Present For: Pair this book with an oversized brownie or a bunch of flowers and give it to your freshly dumped friend.