Review: five things i can't live without

Author: Holly Shumas
Genre: Women's Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Grade: D - 18 and up (sexual content and some language)

Description from the publisher:

"On paper, Nora's life looks perfect. She's moving in with her boyfriend Dan, she has a stable job and a great group of friends. But she's stuck in what she refers to as "meta-life," the plight of over thinking and second guessing to the point of self-sabotage. One day at work, Nora decides to thwart her meta-life by following her instincts. In what feels like a moment of revelation, she quits her job. Immediately, her meta-life goes into overdrive: What on earth was she thinking--and what is she going to do now? Fortunately, when a friend asks Nora to rewrite her Internet dating profile, she realizes that not only is she good at it, but she really enjoys it. Billing herself as a Cyrano de Bergerac for the lovelorn, Nora finally begins to find professional success. But soon, Nora's meta-life has latched onto the question she's asked so many clients: What are the five things she can't live without? Is her flourishing business one of them? Is Dan? With each new client and each step she takes in her own relationship, she must confront her biggest demon--her self-sabotaging "meta-life." But will she be able to slay it forever?"

My Thoughts:

Just as with the other books I have read published by 5-Spot, this book was a great blend of a fun, girly read, and serious and relevant insight into being a woman. Holly Shumas really delves into relationships in her books, and in a very two-sided manner. The slight neurosis of Nora was not unpleasant to read, I actually found it encouraging. Don't we all have our own special variety of slightly crazy? Even when I wanted to hit Nora over the head with a brick to get her to stop over analyzing everything and making stupid decisions, I couldn't dislike her. Some interesting conclusions were drawn in this book, especially as the writer, Holly Shumas, is a therapist. Basically, don't rely on other people to fix you, and live life in the moment.

Vistit the author's website: http://www.hollyshumas.com/