Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

Released: January 2008

Chasing Harry Winston is best-selling chick-lit author Lauren Weisberger's third novel and tells the story of three women on the brink of turning thirty who make a pact to change their lives for the better.

Although these women are successful, rich and beautiful, for some reason they feel the need to experience some life-changing, epiphanal (I know that's not a word, but I like the sound of it) moments while in the midst of their apparent pathetic and lowest moments.

We have Adriana -- a Brazilian goddess and debutante who is so inhumanly beautiful she can get any man she wants, Emmy -- a successful chef who gets dumped by her boyfriend for a younger cheerleader-type, and Leigh -- a publisher and editor with the perfect fiance but instead pines for her new client, a handsome best-selling author.


Adriana tries to focus on settling down with one man as opposed to several being the whore she is, while Emmy trades in her innocent, virginal persona for a slutty one after being dumped by her boyfriend and begins to sleep with every man in sight. Leigh faces her immediate future as she deals with preparing for a marriage to the man she doesn't truly love.

Of all three women, Leigh is the person I relate to the most because her story is the most realistic. The characters Adriana and Emmy are so comically written; not in a funny way, but in a ridiculous, fake, far-fetched fictional way. Yes, yes, I know Chasing Harry Winston is a work of fiction, but the characters were too silly to truly enjoy reading about.

Usually chick-lit novels are so incredibly fun that I fly through them, but this particular novel took me two weeks to drudge through! I seemed irritated with it each time I picked it up -- not good any time you read a book. However, my dedication and satisfaction with The Devil Wears Prada (2003) and Everyone Worth Knowing (2005) kept me going on to the end.

High points:
1) Adriana's flirting tips
2) Leigh's thoughts on being repulsed by her boyfriend
3) Chemistry between Jesse Chapman and Leigh

Low points:
1) Reading about Emmy
2) Reading about Emmy's obsession with her ex-boyfriend
3) Reading about Emmy's slutty adventures
4) Seeing the word "querida" in all of Adriana's sentences

Not every book by an amazing author can always be perfect, so I forgive Lauren Weisberger for Chasing Harry Winston. I've already got Last Night at Chateau Marmont (2010) on my wish list.