*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
Blurb~
Marin Johns is San Francisco’s Pollyanna couples therapist. She’s months away from wedded bliss when she discovers her fiancé is having an affair. After nursing her broken heart with Kleenex and break-up songs, she adopts a new brand of thinking when she uncovers a tell-all book that proves all men are liars and cheaters who will do and say anything so they’re not found out. No exceptions.
In an attempt to convince her friends of her newfound truth, she begins a fictitious relationship with James, a do-gooder from Montana. Marin seeks any means necessary to catch him cheating from hiring a PI to enlisting the help of a fidelity tester. Will her new "boyfriend" beat the statistic or will Marin regret the satisfaction of being right?
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My Review~
Have you ever read one of those books that made you feel like you were living inside one of your favorite romantic comedies? No? Well then you have to read The Man Test. Hang on for a minute and allow me to explain. One of my favorite movies of all times is How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, you know the one where the girl sabotages her own relationship to make a point? This book was like watching that movie for the first time. I know what you are thinking, if I've seen the movie why read the book? Well let me tell you.
First, The Man Test is refreshing. Yes, it was a bit predictable at times, but it is the way that Amanda Aksel presents the story that makes it a must read. You know something is going to happen just by reading the synopsis and will greedily read the pages as it does. It's a train wreck, you see it coming, she does too, but like a train wreck you can't stop it. And it's fabulous.
Second, this book makes you think. Although sometimes it may make you think things you don't want to think or evaluate things you don't want to evaluate. Life is hard, love is hard, and being single can really suck. But just because you think you've found mister right doesn't mean everything will end happily ever after. That's what The Man Test reminds us of. Life is hard and sometimes you have to put on your big girl panties and just get over it.
Third, the characters are great. I loved Marin, her friends and her determined and stubborn mentality. Life wasn't fair to her and she was determined to prove that life just sucked for everyone. I fell for Marin, Telly and Holly. They had an easy going friendship that anyone who has had a best friend can imagine. It was real and it was fun to be a visitor in their lives for a day.
I rooted for Marin. I rooted for her to be wrong. I'm a happily ever after kind of girl. I wanted her to be wrong so much that I wanted to cry. But that doesn't mean that I didn't have some laughs along the way.
I rooted for Marin. I rooted for her to be wrong. I'm a happily ever after kind of girl. I wanted her to be wrong so much that I wanted to cry. But that doesn't mean that I didn't have some laughs along the way.
I'm not going to lie, The Man Test is predictable, but it is a fun story that will allow you to escape the pains and stresses of the day. It will help you escape to your favorite romantic comedy just when life needs that run away moment. It is a great fun read that will have you laughing, cringing, ahhing, and shaking your head no, but overall it will have you thoroughly enjoying it! If you are a fan of romantic comedies then you have to give The Man Test a try.
About the Author~
AMANDA (ah-MAHN-dah)- Latin- Meaning lovable or worthy of love. Fitting. I've always had an affinity for love. Being born in sunny San Diego in the mid 80’s to a young military couple gave me plenty of insight into the dynamics of a romantic relationship. Somewhere between moving coasts every three years, I found myself engrossed in fairytale romances and dressing up like a bride. My first real love was writing. By my sophomore year in a new high school in Virginia, I had a slew of short stories, songs, poems, and articles to my name. Writing was fun. It was a way to get the emotions, dialogue, and pictures out of my head, and create a destiny for my characters. I had no intention of making a career in writing, because it wasn’t what I did, it was who I was. In reality, I wanted to be an actress. Ah, to be the face of someone else’s authored story. The plan was to move in with my aunt in L.A. after graduation, but had a change of heart. Instead, I stayed with my high school sweetheart (now husband) and attended a film school in Norfolk, VA. It was at this school that I discovered my love for writing screenplays and felt compelled to follow that path. But…as the practical girl I was brought up to be, I decided to go to a real university. While working full time, I completed my BA in Psychology in four and a half years. Becoming a couple’s therapist had always been my “backup” career and there I was on my way to solving love's most complicated quandaries one couple at a time. With all my new free time after graduation, I decided to turn my full-length screenplay into a novel in hopes it would help my screenplay sell. I think I was in the middle of writing chapter two when I realized that everything I had ever written was to prepare me for that moment when I knew I was a novelist. Talk about the affirmation of my life. Now my plan is to solve love's most complicated quandaries one novel at a time.
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