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The Alphabet Sisters - Monica McInerney (2004)
Anna, Bett and Carrie Quinlan were childhood singing stars, The Alphabet Sisters. But they haven't spoken for years, not since Bett's fiancé, Matthew, left her for Carrie. Then their grandmother, Lola, calls them back to their parents' motel in South Australia's Clare Valley for her 80th birthday. Anna's marriage to Glenn is breaking up and she still hasn't got over the dog attack which has scarred her daughter Ellen's face. Bett returns from England and takes on a part-time job back at her former newspaper, while Carrie, who has been working at the hotel, finds the distance growing between her and Matthew. At her party, Lola has a surprise announcement for the sisters, but just as their rift begins to close, they face the biggest test yet.
7/10
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The Adultery Club - Tess Stimson (2007)
Divorce lawyer Nicholas Lyon is married to Mal, a cookery writer, and together they have an enviable life with three daughters. He knows he'd never cheat on his wife. Young lawyer Sara Kaplan joins his firm - she's never understood why a woman would go for a married man - she's watched her best friend Amy waste four years on Terry. But something sparks between Nicholas and Sara and when a terrorist attack on London forces them together, their affair starts. Meanwhile, Mal's old boyfriend Trace is back on the scene. Told from the viewpoint of the married man, his wife and his mistress. Whose side will you be on?
7/10
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The Art of French Kissing - Kristin Harmel (2007)
What do you do when you are dumped by your fiancé and laid off from your job in the same week? Emma decides to take up friend Poppy's offer to head to Paris to handle publicity for French rock star Guillaume Riche. Life in Paris is wonderful - if only Guillaume wasn't getting himself into trouble all the time, such as being locked overnight inside the Eiffel Tower. As Poppy convinces Emma that the best way to forget fiancé Brett is to date lots of different French men, Emma finds herself drawn to journalist Gabe who is the only one not buying her excuses for Guillaume's crazy antics.
6/10
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The Baby Group - Rowan Coleman (2007)
Natalie Curzon, co-owner of a lingerie company, is drawn to stranger Jack Newhouse on the tube. She lets him whisk her away to Venice, where she conceives baby Freddie and then never hears from Jack again. Natalie faces up to single motherhood - pretty much alone, until her house wiring plays up, heralding the arrival of teenage mother Tiffany in the tradesman's van. Together they decide to form a baby group and soon meet some other parents, including stay-at-home dad Steve, over-anxious Jess, Meg who is on to her fourth child but still feels she has much to learn, and her sister-in-law Frances who is highly organised but lacking friends. Will Natalie ever find Jack to tell him he's a dad - and admit to her new friends that her work-away husband doesn't actually exist?
6/10
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The Baby Trail - Sinead Moriarty (2005)
Thirty-three-year-old make-up artist Emma Hamilton decides it's time for her and husband James to start a family. But after months of post-coital handstands, ovulation testing and fertility drugs, she's still not pregnant. With everyone from her doctor to her mother telling her to just relax, Emma finds her life is turning into a roller-coaster of emotions which is starting to alienate those closest to her.
7/10
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The Bachelorette Party - Karen McCullah Lutz (2005)
LA schoolteacher Zadie Roberts is left at the altar by soap star Jack. So she's not feeling particularly favourable towards weddings when her conservative cousin, Helen, and best friend Grey announce they are tying the knot. Helen's bachelorette party is destined to be a quiet affair, with a yoga class and herbal tonics on the agenda. Then Zadie convinces the teetotaller Helen to have some champagne. And from there, the night takes such a wild turn the wedding may well be off.
7/10
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The Battle for Big School - Sarah Tucker (2007)
With only 50 places on offer for The Oaks, the best grammar school in Letchbury, parents are working hard to win their child one of the spots - hiring tutors, schmoozing at the golf club, selling a kidney. When Lily has her parent interview, she realises she may be letting down her son, Tim, by not being involved enough in community matters. So the former fashion editor of De Rigueur magazine ropes her friends Julie, Karen and Paul into organising a fashion show to raise money for their school library. But journalist Karen seems too preoccupied to help and it soon becomes clear that life - and the selection process - just isn't fair.
6/10
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The Big Love - Sarah Dunn (2004)
Newspaper columnist Alison Hopkins thought she and Tom were a happy couple until he went out for mustard just before a dinner party and didn't come back. Instead he rings to say he is in love with his college girlfriend. Alison then loses her job and a fling starts dating her arch-enemy. Will she ever find romantic and professional fulfilment?
5/10
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The Birds and the Bees - Milly Johnson (2008)
Romance writer Stevie Honeywell is counting down to her wedding, when fiancé Matthew goes away on a business trip. Then Adam MacLean, a big, loud, red-haired Scot, turns up on her doorstep, with evidence that his love Jo and Matthew have actually gone away together to Majorca. Stevie, who's heard all about Adam's abuse from Jo, can now see why her friend could no longer stay with this psycho, while Adam takes one look at the flour-splattered wreck of a woman and can understand why any man would leave her for his lovely Jo. But together they team up to wage some psychological warfare on the new couple. Single mum Stevie decides to let Matthew go without a fuss and she pretends to date Adam to drive them both wild with jealousy. So like the Scottish jig The Birds and the Bees, they all swap partners. And it's a dance where all four will discover that love can either sting you or be oh so sweet.
7/10
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The Botox Diaries - Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger (2004)
In a world where cosmetic surgery is a must for women of a certain age, single mother and charity fundraiser Jessica Taylor is just hoping she'll age gracefully past 40. Her glamorous best friend, TV producer Lucy Baldor, though is trying everything to make sure she doesn't look any older - including taking on a famous lover. Amid returning exes, unrequited love, reality dating shows and flirtations with a boss, the women rely on their friendship more than ever to weather their mid-life crises.
7/10
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The Break-Up Diet - Annette Fix (2008)
According to Californian-based Annette Fix, the break-up diet “occurs when a woman discovers she has been dumped by a man she loves more than life and chocolate”. Annette was working as a topless dancer to support her son Josh and her writing career, when her boyfriend Kevin rang to tell her their two-year relationship was over. With candour and humour, Annette details through journal entries how she loses her appetite before she dives back into the dating pool to find a man ready for happily ever after. Tongue-in-cheek recipes such as Guilt Stew, Adrift Soup and Sexual Stir-Fry are scattered throughout to add extra flavour. Annette is one tough cookie, who is willing to bare all literally as she fights to ensure life doesn't get her down. A memoir for those who've lived through the emotional turmoil of a painful break-up. My only problem with the book was a personal one - I just didn't feel any affinity or sympathy for the writer, which meant I wasn't rooting for her or felt she'd earnt a happy ending. But Fix's writing indicates she'd have a strong chick lit voice if she chose to write fiction in future.
7/10
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The Chalet Girl - Kate Lace (2007)
Millie Braythorpe is working the ski season as a chalet girl by day and a singer at night. Estranged from her family, she falls for one of the guests, Luke, but their path to love doesn't run smoothly after she believes he has betrayed her.
5/10
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The Chocolate Lovers' Club - Carole Matthews (2007)
Temp worker Lucy Lombard can't live without chocolate so she forms a group with three other addicts - Autumn, Nadia and Chantal - which meets regularly at a cafe called Chocolate Heaven. Chocolate helps the four women deal with life's problems, such as a crush on a boss, a drug-dealing brother, a gambling husband and guilt about infidelities. The sequel is The Chocolate Lovers' Diet.
7/10
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The Chocolate Lovers' Diet - Carole Matthews (2007)
The women of The Chocolate Lovers' Club are back. Lucy's boyfriend Aiden (aka Crush) has gone missing in Australia, and she thinks he's seeing another woman. Autumn's relationship with co-worker Addison is going well but her drug-dealing brother Richard is back from “rehab” in the US, and is in trouble with some very unsavoury sorts. Nadia and her son are living with Chantal but thinking about giving her gambling husband, Toby, a second chance. And Chantal is trying to speak to her husband Ted - especially after she has some unexpected news - but he's avoiding her. Love the opening line: “There are two types of women, I've found. There are those who are addicted to chocolate and there are bitches.” But even though I am a chocoholic, even I found the chocolate references too frequent - these women would even self-medicate their leg falling off with a bite of chocolate-covered peanut brittle.
6/10
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The Cinderella Pact - Sarah Strohmeyer (2006)
Nola Devlin and her friends make a pact to lose weight and transform themselves after they are refused a window seat at a restaurant. They intend to follow the weight-loss tips offered by Sass magazine's advice columnist Belinda Apple. But Nola, an editor on the magazine, knows the tips are not the answer - because she has a secret identity as the trendy and thin British advice columnist and made them up herself. Now Belinda is taking over her life, with her sister making the agony aunt her maid of honour and eligible bachelors wanting to date her.
8/10
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The Debutante Divorcee - Plum Sykes (2006)
Sylvia Mortimer is on her honeymoon in Careyes, Mexico, (unfortunately her husband Hunter had to return to work) when she meets Lauren Blount, who is celebrating her divorce. The two become fast friends and join in a whirlwind of parties and trips, including heading to Moscow to buy jewellery for the rich but unGoogleable Giles Monterey. With rumours swirling that Hunter is having an affair, Sylvia has to decide whether to subscribe to Lauren's 'Who needs a husband anyway?' philosophy - or stand and fight for her man.
5/10
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The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger (2003)
This is the quintessential boss-from-hell tale and became an international bestseller. Aspiring writer Andrea Sachs lands the job “a million girls would die for” as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestley, the demanding editor-in-chief of fashion magazine Runway. Andrea's dream job is to write for The New Yorker but despite her lack of dress sense, a bout of dysentery in India and no time to eat on the job soon sees Andrea able to fit better into the magazine's world - and its designer samples. Andrea gets caught up working 14-hour days, trying to make sense of Miranda's usually unreasonable commands, from getting a yet-to-be-released Harry Potter book into the hands of her children to finding the name of a store where she once spotted a vintage dresser. Andrea barely sees boyfriend Alex or flatmate Lily but she's willing to stick at the job for a year so Miranda will recommend her for her dream job. It comes in as No. 1 on my list of Top Ten all-time favourites. A movie of the same name stars Anne Hathway as Andrea and Meryl Streep as Miranda. (Lauren Weisberger has a cameo appearance in the film and is briefly seen in the train scene with Miranda's twins.)
9/10
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The Dirty Girls Social Club - Alisa Valdes Rodriguez (2003)
Six Latina women - all former journalism/communications students at college - meet up every six months. Newspaper columnist Lauren discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her; TV news anchorwoman Elisabeth is about to be outed with her lesbian lover; singer Amber is ready to sign a record deal that she hopes will make her famous; mother-of-two Sara is pregnant again; magazine editor Rebecca's marriage just isn't working; while Usnavys is trying to find a man who matches her earning power.
5/10
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The Double Life of Anna Day - Louise Candlish (2006)
Anna Day's boyfriend, Charlie, won't introduce her to his highly cultured and recently widowed mother, Meredith. So when Charlie leaves for a study program in the US, Anna hatches a plan to meet Meredith and win her over. Swapping her black advertising industry clothing for Laura Ashley florals, and nights at the pub for art gallery openings and Sunday tennis, Anna moves in on Meredith's turf - but without telling her about her relationship with Charlie. Her ultimate goal is to score an invitation to her 60th birthday party, where she'll be introduced to her son as the ideal girlfriend.
7/10
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The Egg Race - Polly Williams (2007)
Also known as The Bad Bride's Tale
Thirty-four-year-old Stevie Jonson is not sure she's doing the right thing marrying Jez. But at least it will give her a chance to have babies before it's too late. As she lurches further along a doubt-ridden path, she runs into beautiful but shallow Katy Norris, who's desperate to get her boyfriend Seb to commit. To add to her confusion, Stevie feels there's still a spark with old flame Sam even though she's set him up with her best friend.
7/10
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The Ex-Wife's Survival Guide - Debby Holt (2006)
Artist Sarah Stagg's husband Andrew leaves her to be with his leading lady from the local dramatic society. Sarah finds one way to deal with the humiliations and trials of being a discarded wife is to keep busy. And so with her sons about to leave the nest on a trip to India, Sarah is roped into playing the lead in the Ambercross Players' next production. Will she fall for her leading man?
6/10
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The Fashion Pack - Marion Hume (2005)
English fashion reporter Red Harrison is sent to Sydney to launch the latest edition of top-selling fashion magazine Joy. Her two best friends, who she met in a stuck elevator after a New York fashion show, are also Joy editors - Brooke Lowell is in New York while Romily Ward helms Paris Joy. But Sydney isn't overly welcoming of Red, especially backstabbing colleague Sybilla who is after everything from her job to her husband. A very long read. British Marion Hume was fired from her post as Vogue Australia editor in the late 1990s after running foul of several Australian designers.
7/10
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The Favours and Fortunes of Katie Castle - Rebecca Campbell (2002)
also known as Slave to Fashion
Katie Castle has worked her way into the job of her dreams, working for fashion designer Penny Moss. She snags not only a chic town house in London's Primrose Hill but also a fiancé in the form of the boss' son, Ludo. But a quick tumble with a delivery driver sees her lose her job, fiancé and flat in one foul swoop. Can Katie turn her fortunes around and manoeuvre her way back into the fashion world?
5/10
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The Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs (2007)
A club develops at Georgia Walker's yarn shop, as some of her regulars gather on Friday nights to knit and chat. They include Anita, who helps Georgia run the shop and look after her daughter Dakota; Peri, a pre-law student turned handbag designer; Darwin, a grad student in women's studies; and Lucie, a soon-to-be single mother who begins filming a video on knitting and the club. Georgia's world is rocked when first Dakota's father James returns into their lives, wanting to get to know his teen daughter; and then her former best friend Cat (now a rich but unhappy Park Avenue wife) hires her to make some clothes. But as it turns out, it is at this time of her life that Georgia needs her friends the most.
7/10
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The Gift Bag Chronicles - Hilary De Vries (2005)
The sequel to So 5 Minutes Ago, Alex Davidson is now head of publicity for one of LA's top publicity firms. But the rift in her relationship with colleague and boyfriend Charles, who lives in New York, is growing wider and she's got a big magazine party to organise but she just can't see eye-to-eye with its editorial director. Maybe time out with her family is what she needs. But her holiday back home keeps getting interrupted by calls from a TV star about her wedding gift bags. Will Alex, and her gift bags, measure up?
6/10
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The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing - Melissa Bank (1999)
This book is a series of stories mostly taken from different times in narrator Jane Rosenal's life. It opens with her brother, Henry, bringing home an older girlfriend, who Jane watches for clues on how to fall in love. It follows Jane through several failed love affairs, including with a much older man Archie Knox; career crises in publishing and advertising; and the death of a loved one. The book has been critically acclaimed but it makes my Top 10 list of Most Disappointing books.
5/10
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The Goddess Rules - Clare Naylor (2005)
Artist Kate Disney is commissioned by legendary French actress Mirrabelle Moncur to paint a portrait of her pet cub. Mirri takes the opportunity to teach Kate some life lessons - such as how to dress properly, that there is no hope for her no-hoper boyfriend Jake, and that life is for flirting and adventure.
4/10
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The Godmother - Carrie Adams (2006)
Lawyer Tessa King has nothing tying her down - she's single, has just returned from a retreat in India and is without a job after quitting over her stalker boss. Even as godmother to four children, including teenager Caspar and twin babies Bobby and Tommy, she gets to play then hand them back. While her friends are envious that she can be a free spirit, Tessa finds herself brooding for their settled-down lives. Then her wish for domestic bliss is granted - motherhood could be hers if she wants it.
7/10
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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Shane Bolks (2005)
When Rory Egglehoff's high school crush, Hunter Chase, turns up as a client at her firm, the Star Wars fan puts the Ultimate Jedi Plan into action to get him to notice her and take her to their school reunion. Trouble is she also has a boyfriend, Tedious Tom, who she just can't seem to break up with.
6/10
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The Guy Next Door - Meg Cabot (2002)
Also known as The Boy Next Door
In this prequel to Boy Meets Girl, with the story told in email format, Melissa Fuller, social writer at the New York Journal, is almost on the brink of losing her job. One day she is late to work again (her 37th time this year) because she finds her elderly neighbour has been the victim of a violent intruder. She contacts the woman's nephew, Max Friedlander, to tell him to look after the cats and dog. Since Max doesn't want to end his vacation with a supermodel nor be written out of his aunt's will if she comes out of her coma, he asks a friend, John Trent, a crime reporter on a different New York newspaper, to pretend to be him and live at the apartment. What will happen when Mel finds out that the cute nephew isn't who she thinks he is?
7/10
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The Interruption of Everything - Terry McMillan (2005)
Marilyn Grimes' three kids have left home, her husband Leon needs to escape to Costa Rica to find himself and her live-in mother-in-law has found love. At 44, maybe now she finally has time to go to art college. But a trip to the doctor's to determine if she is going through menopause reveals that she's actually pregnant. As her concerns about her foster sister's children and her own mother's health escalate, it seems Marilyn still doesn't have a life to call her own.
6/10
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The Jane Austen Book Club - Karen Joy Fowler (2004)
In California's Sacramento Valley, six people meet every month to discuss Jane Austen's novels. The book club was Jocelyn's idea and she has hand-picked its members. There's best friend Sylvia, whose husband of 32 years has just asked for a divorce; Sylvia's daughter Allegra, who's just broken up with her girlfriend. At 67, Bernadette is the oldest but she shows there's still lots of life left in the old girl. Prudie, at 28, is the youngest member and seems the most together with her French classes and lovely husband. Then there's Grigg, the only man who would seem more at home at a sci-fi gathering.
7/10
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The Journal of Mortifying Moments - Robyn Harding (2004)
Advertising account manager Kerry Spence is unsuccessfully trying to break up with gorgeous boyfriend Sam, who has demoted her to late-night hook-up status. So her therapist gets her to write a journal about past encounters with men to trace her problems with relationships. Starting with a school day kissing game turned sour, through a broken engagement and French-kissing the wrong man, Kerry relives her past romances and humiliating experiences. She's still determined to find her soulmate, which tarot card reader Ramona swears is a man named D, who'll she meet through a work function. Just as long as that doesn't prove to be slimy creative director Dave.
8/10
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The Last Anniversary - Liane Moriarty (2005)
HR officer Sophie Honeywell breaks up with Thomas Gordon on the day he planned to propose on a trip to Hawaii. He goes on to marry his travel agent and have a baby. He later tells Sophie that she has inherited his Aunt Connie's house on Scribbly Gum Island. The house is the site of the Munro Baby mystery where Connie and her sister, Rose, found an abandoned baby at their tenants' home. The Doughty family have made a tourism business out of the “untouched” house and each year celebrate the anniversary when baby Engima was found.
8/10
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The Last of the Great Romantics - Claudia Carroll (2005)
In this sequel to He Loves Me Not . . . He Loves Me, Portia, newly married to Andrew, is turning her ancestral home Davenport Hall into a country hotel. With the Irish president on hand to open the hotel and his daughter, Eleanor, deciding to hold her society wedding to a soccer star there, the new venture's success seems assured. But then a death, the arrival of a stranger, a job transfer and a flirtatious groom combine to throw a spanner in the works.
6/10
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The Last Summer (of You and Me) - Ann Brashares (2007)
Sisters Riley and Alice have grown up spending their summers on Fire Island. Now in their 20s, tomboy Riley still works there as a lifeguard and Alice is having one last summer before heading off to law school. Their neighbour Paul has returned to the island for the first time in a few years. He's Riley's best friend but a real intimacy is growing between himself and Alice. Then something happens to Riley that could end their romance and carefree summers forever. Like life on the island, it's all paced a bit too slow for me.
5/10
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The Learning Curve - Melissa Nathan (2006)
Teacher Nicky Hobbs and her former boyfriend Rob Pattison (he ended it with her years before when she said she wanted to get married and start a family) have both been made Deputy Head. Then Headmistress Miss James announces she's retiring and encourages both to apply for her post. Meanwhile, Nicky is worried about one of her students, Oscar Samuels, whose father is the only one not coming to parents' evening. He's a workaholic single dad, who thinks she's an interfering busybody.
6/10
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The Love Resort - Faith Bleasdale (2005)
Romance author and owner of the Love Resort Anne-Marie Langdale is struggling with writer's block. So she runs a competition to get three good-looking couples to the Caribbean island to help inspire her creative juices. Who are the lucky couples? Thea and Tim - she's a wannabe actress, he's a struggling actor - are actually best friends in a platonic relationship; Jimmy is intending to propose to Emily but she's not so keen on him; and Carla is trying to get Lee to commit. With newlywed celebrities Todd and Katie added to the mix, Anne-Marie finds that the path to true love and romantic novels just doesn't run smoothly.
7/10
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The Make-Up Girl - Andrea Semple (2004)
Faith Wishart's family think she has a great job for a top PR company and the perfect boyfriend, Adam. Actually Faith is a make-up girl at Keats Cosmetics and is without a man. But when her sister returns from Australia engaged, Faith desperately needs to find an “Adam” to show off to her family at the wedding. And as luck would have it a handsome man named Adam walks right up to her make-up counter.
5/10
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The Man From Perfect - Andrea Semple (2005)
Teacher Ella Holt ends her relationship with Rob the Slob after he forgets her birthday. So best friend Maddie sends off a magazine questionnaire about Ella's perfect man and she is selected to be matched by Dr Lara Stein's Perfect Agency. It seems that the agency has scored a perfect match with handsome James Masters. Or has it?
6/10
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The Manny - Holly Peterson (2007)
TV producer Jamie Whitfield is worried about how her husband's work-related absences are affecting her sensitive son, Dylan. So she decides to appoint a manny to help out - in addition to her nanny and cleaner. As Jamie's work life gets more hectic chasing a sex scandal story involving a right-wing politician, she finds Peter Bailey teaching kids to play chess in the park - the perfect guy to be a male role model for her son. Despite her husband's demands that she get rid of him, Peter develops a close bond with Dylan - and Jamie.
7/10
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The Matzo Ball Heiress - Laurie Gwen Shapiro (2004)
Documentary producer Heather Greenblotz, the heiress to the world's greatest matzo company, doesn't actually celebrate Passover. Her mother is usually on some adventure holiday and her gay father was last heard of heading for Australia. But when The Food Channel decides it wants to film the family seder, her cousin - company boss Jake - decides they need the publicity and they start enlisting people to act as family members. But are a postman, a German called Amy Hitler and an Egyptian diplomat going to be able to pull it off?
6/10
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The Matchbreaker - Chris Manby (2006)
Spoilt only child Lindsey Parker is well used to getting rid of her widowed father's fiancées. Potential stepmum No. 4, Karen, a personal trainer, is all set to put Lindsey into a tacky gold bridesmaid dress until Lindsey pushes her overboard a yacht during a hen's weekend in Ibiza. In the aftermath Lindsey's father basically disowns her. Having to stand on her own two feet for the first time, Lindsey tries to make things right again, including working as a honeytrapper to reunite her dad with his love.
7/10
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The Men's Guide to the Women's Bathroom - Jo Barrett (2007)
When Claire St John realises the women's bathroom is the place where she always gets the best advice, she decides to write a guide about them - like why women go in pairs and what really goes on behind closed doors. The newly divorced Claire has quit her New York law firm and moved back to Austin to dabble in writing. This seems to be the perfect project, as she begins dating the seemingly perfect guy, Jake. But then an ill-timed confession in a bathroom threatens to bring her good fortune to an end.
7/10
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The Nanny Diaries - Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin (2002)
Nan is working as a nanny while studying child development at NYU. She is hired by Mrs X, a woman who neither works nor mothers her four-year-old son Grayer. The father, Mr X, is an investment banker who is so absent from G's life that he carries around his business card like a cuddly rug. As Nan's duties expand - organising a dinner party for Mr X's colleagues; heading to an office party as a Teletubby, sleeping over when G's parents are nowhere to be found - she desperately wants to quit but finds she can't abandon G.
8/10
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The Next Big Thing - Johanna Edwards (2005)
Overweight PR agent Kat Larson tries out for reality TV show From Fat to Fabulous, where the women contest to see who earns the most money by losing weight. Nick, the British journalist she's been dating online (and who thinks she's a size 4 - she's a 16), is a surprise guest on the show. But Kat, who has been branded by the media as Kat the Brat, falls instead for the show's host Jagger.
6/10
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The Next Thing on My List - Jill Smolinski (2007)
Make this book the next one on your list - it has one of the freshest plot concepts of the year and a heroine worth rooting for. June Parker works for a LA carpooling agency. On the way home from a Weight Watchers meeting, she offers a lift to a woman who has just lost over 100 pounds, taking pity on her walking for the bus in stiletto shoes. As Marissa unbuckles her seatbelt to reach into the backseat to pull out a taco soup recipe from her bag, June swerves to avoid a dresser falling off the back of a truck. Marissa is flung through the windscreen and dies. June finds a list that Marissa has written - 20 Things to Do Before my 25th Birthday. Six months later, she runs into Marissa's brother, Troy, at the cemetery and still feeling guilt-ridden is compelled to finish off the list. The tasks range from running a 5km race, going on a blind date and changing someone's life. As she races through the list to beat the birthday deadline, it looks like it might be her own life that she's set the change.
8/10
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The Not-So-Perfect Man - Valerie Frankel (2004)
As far as her family are concerned, Frieda Schast has been the grieving widow for too long. Her older sister Ilene, whose marriage to Peter is suffering as his waistband expands, thinks her gorgeous and successful colleague David would be the perfect match. But Frieda can't help her attraction to the often-unemployed actor Sam Hall. Does Frieda really need the perfect man or is the not-so-perfect one just right for her?
6/10