Take A Look At Me Now by Miranda Dickinson

I was just complaining on here the other day that people don't seem to know what women's fiction is supposed to be anymore...that books nowadays--wrongly labeled women's fiction--feature heroines whose only goal in life is to either get laid or land a billionaire or get laid by a billionaire and have his baby.

This is women's fiction. In this book, we have a woman who is facing a huge life change: she's lost her job.

She takes action in the form of a vacation, to San Fran.

I've been to San Fran and didn't need the travel commentary, but those who haven't been there will probably appreciate it. However, I really liked this heroine. Is she perfect? No... but who is? She has her doubts, she has moments when she doesn't listen, use common sense, etc, but she has a good heart and what I loved the most about her is....she doesn't need a man. I totally dug her attitude as she traveled to the U.S. from England and when a holiday romance presents itself, she doesn't start planning a wedding, but instead takes it as it comes, one day at a time.

Her life and her decisions do not revolve around men. This is a heroine who stands on her own two feet. If she finds love, it's just a bonus, but she's going to achieve her dream first and foremost: that of running a diner, HER diner.

I really enjoyed the after-school program she participates in, the friendly banter among San Franciscoans (though I must say, I don't find Americans are this friendly and I've lived here my whole life), the details of her "internship", and her fun cousin. I wanted to step into the book and live it myself.

There was a plot twist or two I didn't see coming and for a while there I honestly thought the story was going to another way than it did. It ended up going the way I expected, but I had enough doubts it would get there that I didn't feel it was overly predictable.

I did grow bored a few times. As I said above, I've been to San Fran already. Some things also felt unnecessary, like the birthday hunt. I was bored with that and wondered why it was in the story. Some characters didn't seem relevant either (the juggler). That has to be my only quibble. I was like, "Why did we meet that dude? He never appeared again. Why bother having him in it at all?"

But it was a good read and it's what women's fiction should be: a woman facing a life change, learning to deal with it, living for herself, working toward a goal, and while she finds love, it isn't her main purpose in life.

I received this from a publicist.