Ms. Taken Identity

What would you do if you kept getting "rejection" letters in the mail? Rejection letters about the book you were trying to publish. Would you give up? Keep on trying? Half-heartedly attempt it? Would you try a new genre with a pseydonym?

Well that's exactly what Mitch does. He tries of all the "rejection" letters he keeps receiving on his 700 page masterpiece. He even went to a former student in hopes of getting his book published, but when he receives a rejection letter from his former student he losses it. He tears the rejection letter into little tiny pieces and then moves to his neighbor's magazines that happen to be in the right spot at the wrong time.

The next day he goes to the book store to purchase new magazines for his neighbor. A book display catches his eye - it's the new book from Katherine Longwell. She is a writer of chick-lit and to Mitch, that means she writes crap. He steals one of her books and goes to a coffee shop to read it and laugh at the horrible writing. It's there he meets Katherine and tells her that his cousin is writing a chick-lit book. She's thrilled and would love to help a fellow sister out! He doesn't say he will be writing the book. The one problem he has is he knows nothing of the woman's world. His research will lead him into a new path of life, one he never imagined would be available to him. He will endure heart-breaks and new love, friendship and loneliness, success and failure.

Funny, witty, well-written book, and I liked the ending of the book. It's not your typical "and they live happily ever-after" endings. I wish I could tell you it - but then I'd ruin it. As I was reading this book, I read certain parts to Vince (my fiance) and he likes the book. That only makes sense since a guy did write it after all. It was fun seeing a POV from a guy. I noticed at some points you didn't get the description of clothes, or why so-and-so was a total bitch; you got cold hard facts and feelings. As Vince's puts it - guys are less drama and that was the over all feel of the book. That's not to say it's stale (far from it!)

One thing that got my attention in the book is that Mitch "cheats" on his girlfriend. I put cheat in quotation marks because at the time, Mitch and Marie were apart. I asked Vince if we were apart and he has sex with another girl, and then we got back together would he tell me? He said yes, because it would weigh on his mind. But why? Clearly we would've been apart so the rules would not apply to us. The same goes for Mitch and Marie. He tells her about his one-night stand and she freaks. Personally I would've been upset but since we would've been apart, there wouldn't be much I could do and would move on from there.

How about you guys? If you were say on "pause" with your significant other and he/she or you have a one night stand with someone would you tell them and why? Would it matter? You guys are on pause - so are you still a true "couple"? I still don't know if I would. I can see both sides of the argument.

And please check out Nikola's review!!! :)

Ms. Taken Identity by Dan Begley. New York (c) 2009