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A review by jscarpa14
Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie
3.0
So this story was no Dempseys but I liked it. She lost me at the resolution to the big conflict. Yes they both had issues to get through but I don't feel she should have been the one who had to come back and fix it while he cowered downstairs with his brother waiting for her to come to her senses. She had issues sure, but his were bigger and more obvious.
I hated how after she walked away every character acted like she was the one who screwed up their relationship. She wasn't because he stopped seeing her. And if he'd actually seen her they would have worked through her issues much faster. She shouldn't have been the one made out to be the bad guy and she shouldn't have been the one to make the grand gesture. And the fact that she was the one who had to do all that and his initial response when she did completely ruined this book for me.
I liked it until the conflict and resolution and then I just wanted the book to be done because I was really disgusted by how this resolved and I didn't like Alex as a hero anymore. He was more childish and immature in those final scenes than he was at any other point in the book and I didn't feel like he deserved her.
Had it not been for that resolution my biggest issue would have been the way being 40 is portrayed in this novel. I'm almost 40 and while in 1996 I was only 16 and that probably makes a difference in my viewpoint this reads like 40 is ancient. This reads like most of the world stops seeing women as desirable at 40. And even back then I don't think this was the case. My Mom was in her 50s when my Dad passed and our garbage man hit on her for a good decade fawning all over her every chance he got. And he wasn't the only gentleman that hit on her. And I mention this because my Mom never wore makeup or dresses. She would never be described as girly, yet older gentlemen never stopped finding her attractive. Granted some of them might have been younger than her but they were all older than me and I never actually asked. She's not the only woman I know well past 40 that regularly catches eyes but she's the one I knew best. And now on the verge of 40 myself I don't like my age range being painted like they're past the age of being attractive even if it's only done from her viewpoint.
The book was okay but I felt like the ending went seriously wrong and kind of ruined it.
I hated how after she walked away every character acted like she was the one who screwed up their relationship. She wasn't because he stopped seeing her. And if he'd actually seen her they would have worked through her issues much faster. She shouldn't have been the one made out to be the bad guy and she shouldn't have been the one to make the grand gesture. And the fact that she was the one who had to do all that and his initial response when she did completely ruined this book for me.
I liked it until the conflict and resolution and then I just wanted the book to be done because I was really disgusted by how this resolved and I didn't like Alex as a hero anymore. He was more childish and immature in those final scenes than he was at any other point in the book and I didn't feel like he deserved her.
Had it not been for that resolution my biggest issue would have been the way being 40 is portrayed in this novel. I'm almost 40 and while in 1996 I was only 16 and that probably makes a difference in my viewpoint this reads like 40 is ancient. This reads like most of the world stops seeing women as desirable at 40. And even back then I don't think this was the case. My Mom was in her 50s when my Dad passed and our garbage man hit on her for a good decade fawning all over her every chance he got. And he wasn't the only gentleman that hit on her. And I mention this because my Mom never wore makeup or dresses. She would never be described as girly, yet older gentlemen never stopped finding her attractive. Granted some of them might have been younger than her but they were all older than me and I never actually asked. She's not the only woman I know well past 40 that regularly catches eyes but she's the one I knew best. And now on the verge of 40 myself I don't like my age range being painted like they're past the age of being attractive even if it's only done from her viewpoint.
The book was okay but I felt like the ending went seriously wrong and kind of ruined it.