Author: Alicia Renee Kline
Genre: Chicklit, Romance, Drama, Humour
Book Rating: 8
Personal Rating: 8
This second installment in the intoxicated series doesn't fail to disappoint. It picks up right where the last one left of. Jumps straight into the throes of drama, and takes you for a ride, quite literally, as our protagonist is on the road to begin her new life. She has a decision to make that will shatter this love triangle and ultimately dictate the course of her future. This choice has left all her friends floating in limbo unsure of exactly what it is that she will do. Oh, the anticipation of the drama about to ensue. So lets talk about what I loved.
I had a few high hopes for this particular installment. Namely the fact that the Lauren pretty much voiced every irritant I had in the last book proving that even though she acted rash, she was indeed not the stupid woman I left the last book feeling that she was. She did what she should've done all along and then celebrated with her first alcohol. You've got to love friends like Gracie. I'm secretly hoping she influences her again. Sometimes a good hangover is just what the doctor ordered.
Starting of on a good note I was ready to go into this novel with good vibes. I read, I don't know what happened to the author inbetween one book but this novel was HILARIOUS. I laughed out loud so many times I lost count. The humor was infinitely better. The timing was impeccable. And everyone got a good joke which made it all the more fun that no one person was comic relief. It gave it a much more organic flow like in real life. You never know when the joke will come and it's always in the form of something that isn't supposed to be funny. As such it is with this book. And the things that seemed intentionally funny, well, they were great as well. I haven't smiled this much reading a book in a long time.
The evil idiot who shall not be named (Eric) got what he deserved. Unfortunately Gracie did not take of one of her heels and give him a public beat down. Sigh. She came very close though. All in all this was a rather good novel. It was almost a 10. But, sadly my biggest issue from the first novel is oozing throughout the pages of this one so much that I would've vaulted my computer, had it been a book, at the wall and screamed 'no one is that effin stupid.'
The amount of annoying effort that Lauren goes to make herself believe that Matthew doesn't like her is insane. She even still has the christmas card where he professed his love, in ink, permanently so it can never be taken back. Lauren had it in her bag on the way to see that dumbass Eric. She could not stop thinking about him the whole drive down to do what she had to do. And to top that off, she says herself, that it was indeed her fault that Matthew pulled out of the kiss she should've never initiated in the first place. I just can't buy her opening internal monologue and then also be expected to believe that she's smart enough to understand he was right and she was wrong, but not smart enough to know that this decision had nothing to do with how much he wanted her. It gets better though.
Gracie, who I love love LOVE, told her the exact same thing she told herself the two hour drive down to Eric. Her dad, Doug, also said very eloquently, I paraphrase, 'she was dating, and then engaged. No real man would swoop in and take you when you are not actually available.' Also the exact same things she had told herself during the drive. Then of course his sister pretty much says the same thing and Chris, Matthew's best friend who at this point I have no real opinion of. He's an idiot. Not in an Eric kind of way, but in the same way I feel that sometimes Blake, is also a bit of an idiot. But even Chris admits the same thoughts she already had.
With all this evidence leading to the fact that, Lauren was dating longterm, and engaged, and herself agreeing under said circumstances that any sane person would respect the love she professed at nauseam for Eric the asshole and not swoop in to try and steal her, with all of that, it makes no sense that she would jump to the conclusion that that obviously he doesn't want her. Not when she already admitted he was right to pull away and not sleep with her. And she noted that there was dynamic passion in both kisses. So if the connection was there did it just magically disappear because he did the right thing? As Lauren has more than enough evidence including her own to back up, I still, just like in the last book, can't go along for the ride that she would be that stupid.
Then there's all the conversations about being shattered. I get it. This entire novel is about how people are broken. The only problem is it got repetitive. She pretty much reworded the same stuff of why she did what she did in every conversation. Everyone else pretty much gave her the same advice or they rehashed how much she hurt Matthew. Sigh. Every time another serious convo popped up it was like here we go again. The conversation with Gracie, and then the other one with Matthew himself provided more than enough detail. LIttle snippets of how depressed he was through the months would've been enough. The conversation between her and Blake, well it should've been about them. Lauren had already given her stance to both Gracie and Matthew, I really didn't need or desire to hear it again. I was more interested in what she had to say about their relationship, seeing as she already talked about her and Matthew twice in, if I may say so, rather excellent detail.
It dragged on, in my opinion, finding new and ever present ways to explain how overly distraught the two of them were. I get it. I got it. Now lets get on to the good stuff. What of Chris and Blake, what of the stalker angle, which was a nice touch in the beginning of the third act of the novel. Who is this new police officer drawn into the mix. There where so much things I knew before getting half way through the book, that were it not for Gracie, bless her heart, and all the other amazingly quirky things about this novel, I would've felt like I read the same thing twice. To much exposition of the same situation. Which, thankfully didn't happen enough to take away entirely from the joy of this novel.
I was a little disappointed at the big thanksgiving ending, well, because it wasn't big. It just kind of went, 'oh, okay.' I guess since when the final act played out in the last novel, it lead to the big kiss i keep talking about and then ultimately Lauren driving off after a mild argument. It was a big ending. With a rather, albeit predictable, excellent cliffhanger. In this book, even though it was happy, the happy wasn't big enough for me. I was like yaaaaay when it happened then turned the page and I was in the epilogue. Where was the big meeting up with the friends party, after the surprise to talk about how they had all planned this course of action. Conspired would be a better word, and I like it cause it sounds so much more fun. The characters in this book tend to have fun so it's fitting that they conspired against Lauren. In any event after pouring over details in such clever and witty ways, this particular detail was the only thing in the book, good or bad, I found didn't have enough.
Now that that's all out of the way. Did i enjoy this book. Yes. More than the first. Is Matthew a tall blonde blue eyed slice of sexy man beast, Yes! I liked this book. Is Gracie the most hilarious yet perceptive besty a girl could have. Well obviously. I liked this book. This book was just too many slabs of delicious with a side of mystery burnt dinner, if we're talking in Blake terms. But don't worry about all that. Even with indescribable meals in crockpots, there will always be pizza to save the day. Oh and of course steamy sexcapades with tall unnaturally hot Mathews. I have to say, now that I've mentioned him twice, this book just oozes all the right forms of steamy, nature, pic me up and carry me to the bedroom i've never been in, kind of sex. And all of that without being graphic. Now that's enough to make any girl (or guy ashamed to admit he likes chick lit.) Sweat and ruin their laptop. And it's hilarious. I know I've said it before, but it's not good chick lit with out a healthy dose of humor, especially sarcastic and sex humor. Is there any other way to make people laugh. If there is this book doesn't need them.
And one more teeny bad thing. Too much crying. In the first novel when someone cried, I cried. I was there, I felt the pain. Felt the joy. It was just brilliant. In this one, unfortunately, after a while I became numb. There was just so much crying going on. The pointedness of such displays that was found in the first book, were drowned out in this one. Which is to bad because some of the moments actually did require a good cry. Laughter and crying go well together but I found the balance slightly off in the crying department.
Ups and downs, In's and outs, orgasms and lots more of Gracie, can you tell she's my fave, I really couldn't get enough of this book. I reread so many pages just based on the jokes alone because i laughed through paragraphs and forgot them. And without the parts that dragged for me, the book flew on a pace I like and kept it steady to the end. If you're looking for a nice, light, fun, steamy, hilarious and drama infused piece of fiction, then this book will fit perfectly with you like chocolate and marshmallows inbetween gram crackers. A sinfully delicious read that you can read guilt free because laughter is very efficient at burning of calories.
Side note.....
This book made me smile lots :)
Author-Graham Downs 
