Richard M. (algernon99) - , reviewed on 7/31/2011 + 418 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

I wanted to like this book. I really did. OK, it had some strikes against it--for one, it was about cats. I do not like cats, and I think people who think cats are people have only a loose grip on reality. Nevertheless, I have loved a number of books with cats in them, mostly outstandingly Lilian Jackson Braun's THE CAT WHO... series.

Secondly, the heroine is an accountant--like me. Imagine my distress to discover that the leading lady here is insipid, clueless, spineless, 100% incapable of making any kind of decision, and unwilling to stand up for herself, even if she could figure out what she really wants. In short, a person I am wholly unable to identify with. I do not want to ride around in her head, sharing her confusion and indecision. Sheesh!

So, I kept telling myself I was going to put down this book and not finish it. Well, I finished it, but I complained the whole time, and had several episodes of slamming it down on the table and tossing it away in disgust.

Aside from slanderously defaming and misrepresenting the personalities of accountants, what else is wrong here? Let me give you a few ideas on that:

1. The author purposely uses obscure dictionary-only words just to impress us with her high level of intelligence and prodigious vocabulary. The words chosen are usually archaic and never needed to be used--there were simple, direct synonyms that would have told the story much better without taking the reader out of the story to go find a dictionary. Instead of impressing us, she does the opposite--exposes an amateurish desire to show off.

2. To me--and this one is totally subjective--the plot doesn't hold water. It's just not credible. Things happen for no reason. The most unlikely things happen. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief.

3. The character of Monty is so distasteful that no one would put up with him, much less let him steamroll her so thoroughly and continually. The best our heroine could do is try to hide from him periodically. (One supposes that's because accountants have no backbone and no personality.)

[Allow me to wander off topic momentarily. I was particularly thrilled to run across a quote some years ago that went like this: "What's an actuary? Oh, they're like accountants, only without the personality." Finally, someone admitting that accountants have personalities!]

Back to the book, now. Usually, these cozy books have charm and humor. None of that makes it through the problems with the book.

So, I'm listing this book to trade off to someone who doesn't mind spineless, clueless heroines and perhaps will buy anything with a cat in the title. No one else need bother with it.

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