Julie's Review: On the Rocks

Author: Erin Duffy
Series: No
Publication Date:April 22, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 320
Obtained: Amazon Vine
Genre:  contemporary fiction, women's fiction
Rating: 4.25/5
Bottom Line: nothing rocky about this delightful novel
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab it

Summary: A funny, bittersweet, yet heartwarming novel about friendship, family, and finding love in the Facebook age—not to mention the perils, pitfalls, and dubious pleasures of life as a modern young single woman—from Erin Duffy, the author of the acclaimed Bond Girl Ever since she was a little girl, Abby Wilkes dreamed of her wedding, the day when she'd wear a pretty white dress and look like a princess. . . . But that was before her life fell apart for the entire world to see. Her longtime boyfriend-turned-fiancé, Ben, unceremoniously dumped her—changing his status to single on Facebook—while she was trying on the most gorgeous Vera Wang dress for the big day. Six months and twenty pounds later, the usual remedies—cupcakes, a freezer stocked with pints of Ben and Jerry's, sweatpants, and a comfy couch—haven't worked their magic. Worried about her best friend, Grace devises the perfect plan to get Abby back on her game. The two of them are going to escape sweltering Boston and its reminders of Ben and head to Newport for the summer. In a quaint rented cottage by the sea, the girls will enjoy cool breezes, cocktails, and crowds of gorgeous men. But no matter which way they turn, Abby and Grace discover that in this era of social media—when seemingly everyone is preserving every last detail of their lives online and prying eyes are everywhere—there is no real escape. Truth to tell, dating has never been easy. But now that the rules have changed and the boundaries are blurred beyond recognition, will they ever find true love? And if they do, how can romance stand a chance when a girl's every word and move can go viral with a single click? As the summer winds down to Labor Day, Abby will make some surprising discoveries—about love, men, friendship . . . and, most important, herself. ~amazon.com

Review: I loved Abby. I loved how she was a mess, then not such a mess, back to being a mess and then finally figuring it out. I mean haven't we all been there before? Ok, maybe not jilted while trying on wedding dresses, but dumped by someone and didn't see it coming? My heart went out to her. That's not saying that at times I didn't want to tell her to pick herself up and get over it, but most of the time I found her plight funny and relatable. Not only that but I bet most of us has sunk some sorrows into a few pints of ice cream in our lives.

Not only is Abby great but the rest of the people that she is surrounded by are wonderful as well. You've got her best friend, Grace, who has her own relationship woes; Bobby, who is always ready with a zinger at Abby's expense and Wolf, the German who is always getting slang mixed up. Together they are hilarious and have great chemistry. They all have a true friendship that builds over the course of a summer.

On the Rocks is full of humor, quips but it's also got some life lessons thrown in. It's about realizing that maybe you are better off without that person, figuring out who you are without them, and figuring out who you want to be.

Even though I've never experienced dating in the new social media world, I could feel her pain, her humiliation and indignation. I don't think I would want to be single in this new world, it would feel as if you always had to be "on" and to be judged by your profile and the pictures on your account.

Ms. Duffy had a great way of reeling you in and keeping you hooked. It is her portrayal of friendship that I truly enjoyed. I loved that Grace and Abby had been friends since grade school and were still as close as sisters. I loved Abby's dysfunctional family, because don't we all operate under some dyfunctionality?

If you are looking for a book where you will just enjoy the ride and have a few hearty laughs along the way, then pick up On the Rocks.









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