Reviewer: Rowena
See Jane Date by Melissa Senate
Series: See Jane Date #1
Also in this series: Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: November 1st 2001
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 283
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Series Rating:

A Fancy Affair Bridal Salon Forest Hills, Queens

"Did you know that one of your hips is higher than the other?" the seamstress asked me in a totally conversational tone. The bridesmaid to my left eyed me in the mirror, then her gaze dropped to my hips.

"I didn't," I said. "I never knew that. But I'm glad you told me." The seamstress had the decency to look embarrassed. She ducked her head back down and continued pinning. Perhaps that had been the reason why Blind Dates One, Two and Three hadn't been interested. it wasn't the smoking, after all. it was my Hip Issue. And just my luck that Blind Date Four was with a doctor, whose business it was to notice such deformaties.

See Jane Date will speak to singles everywhere. At once warm and witty, this look into the life of twenty-eight-year-old assistant editor Jane Gregg, screams, "You are not alone!"

Case in point: See Jane . . .

--Endure two months of bridesmaid hell for her younger cousin's wedding --Brilliantly dodge being fixed up with Grammy's next door neighbor by fibbing that she, um, already has a boyfriend --Date . . . like crazy to find one suitable guy to bring to said wedding

Okay, find one suitable guy to love. Was that so much to ask?

I liked this story, I really did. I thought it was funny to see Jane lie about who she was dating to that horrible nitwit Natasha Nutley, I thought it was hilarious how she was speed dating all these men to try to hurry up and get her fabulous boyfriend she lied to her family and Natasha about before Dana’s wedding. I loved the friendship between Jane and Eloise, and even Amanda. There was an inherent kindness to Eloise and I thought she was the best person to have backing your corner, no matter how many lies you told and how stupid you looked after the last disastrous date you went on. Talk about unconditional love, I really like Eloise’s character and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she has her own book out already and even more surprised that I already own the book, yahoo for me!

But as much as I loved the story, there were plenty things that I bugged the ever living life out of me.

1) Jane’s constant smoking.

I can’t stand when my brother’s smoke around me because as a non smoker I hate people polluting the air around me. Second hand smoke kills, hello??? And smoking is such a turn off for me, more power to you if you smoke, I won’t go on and on about how smoking is really bad for you because you’re an adult, you know this already, so do what you do if you must, but I won’t date a smoker because smoking is a turn off for me and nothing is unattractive to me then a guy lighting a cigarette up, and it’s even more unattractive when a woman does it, but hey, that’s just me. Jane’s constant cigarette smoking, sitting in the cloud of cigarette smoke in her apartment was just something I found disgusting and I was more than happy that she quit.

2) Jane’s more than annoying Aunt Ina.

Oh gosh, I wanted to pound this bitches face in. I mean seriously, she was always yelling at Jane for the stupidest thing, Jane is a grown ass woman, living on her own, doing her own thing, she doesn’t need to be scolded because she was a bit harsh to the Maid of Honor, I mean seriously??? Who the hell has meetings to discuss the progress on the Bridal Shower Preperations? Why the hell would Jane, who’s just a bridesmaid have to attend such an idiotic meeting. Jane has a job, she’s working on getting a promotion, she shouldn’t have to be stuck attending some lame ass meeting to please her Aunt. Aunt Ina would have took one to the chin if I was her niece. Scold me, my ass.

3) Jane’s superficial flighty cousin, Dana.

Oh gosh, this daughter of a bitch is someone I seriously wanted to murder, the way she was all high and mighty because she was getting married at The Plaza, to a millionaire internet tycoon, who the flip cares? The way she was just always short with Jane made me want to bury my first in her pretty little petite face. Had I been Jane I would have said more than once for Dana to kiss my ass!

I really didn’t expect to like this book, nearly as much as I did but I really did. I even cried, maybe I’m single and at one point or another have thought the same things that Jane thought, have gone on the same kind of dates that Jane went on, fell in love with the wrong kind of guy like Jane did and connected with her. This book has a happy ending, which I was glad for and I totally recommend this book to those single gals out there who want to read about someone who understands what you’re going through….trust me, Jane knows how you feel! =)

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Red Dress Ink. You can buy it here.