Bookends

Authored by: Jane Green

Aahhh... the fabulous Jane Green has done it again. This time she's created a great protagonist in the frizzy-haired Cath (like Cathy, but with 100x fewer cliches). Cath is having a good life, living in her messy flat, going on Sunday brunches with her best friends Simon, Josh and Lucy.
Oh but something's missing from Cath's life. She's bored with her job, has a poor self-image, and to top it off her love life is non-existent. So... when Lucy convinces Catherine to fulfill her dream and open up a bookshop... you get Bookends. And then Cath meets James, the handsome real-estate agent/artist... ooh!

I loved all the characters in this book--even the enemies. They were all very specially their own person, and there is not a chance you would forget about any one of them while you were into the story. Cath is the normal one, the one who so devoted to her friends she sometimes forgets to take care of herself. Si is the gay best friend who is a hopeless romantic and is always ready with a snarky comment or a makeover idea. Lucy is the bright ray of sunshine who is a genius in the kitchen, Josh is her doting husband, who tries to keep all his problems to himself (oh and they have a demon child). Then there's Portia, their old university friend, who is beautiful and elegant but broke their hearts way back then and got cut off from the group. Even the assholes were well-developed. You really really hated the assholes.

The story is mainly about Cath but all the other main players have their own stories which are equally important. The characters learn a lot about themselves and each other so they grow closer. This book is wonderful. It has everything: funny moments and sad moments, old friends and new loves, twists and turns, relationship troubles and troublesome strangers. It's really all about following your heart and sticking with the people you love. Please read it (or any other Jane Green novel you can get your hands on!)!