Ready or Not?

Heidi has been planning her wedding to Ed for months. Lately second thoughts have been intruding into the supposed to be happiest time of her life. She is taking a second look at her life and at Ed. Ed who fell asleep first at a party with his rugby buddies and came home with a “fine layer of sticky black treacle and feathers.” Ed whose same buddies just a few months before the wedding shaved off all his hair, eyebrows included. Just how will the wedding photos turn out now? Of course, it doesn’t help that Heidi’s sexy ex-boyfriend shows up at the radio station where she works, to remind her of her life before Ed. Heidi has to ask herself if she is READY OR NOT?

Originally released in 2005 by Hodder and Stoughton Ltd in Great Britain, READY OR NOT? is now available in trade paperback from Berkley in both America and Canada. Chris Manby is a best-selling internationally known author who has given us an insightful and humorous look into pre-wedding jitters. And jitters that this reader might well have felt herself. After all, Ed seems to be a big kid, with his and his rugby buddies antics. But before long Ed will endear himself to the reader. He is after all a good-hearted man who just likes a bit of fun with the boys; boys will be boys. Perhaps it is Ed who should be having second thoughts about marrying Heidi. After all, she is the one who doesn’t tell the ex-boyfriend that she is engaged to be married. Heidi might just be a little too high-strung or perhaps it is just pre-wedding jitters. Whatever the case may be, Heidi and Ed’s story will make the reader laugh, sigh, and think.

READY OR NOT? is a well written tale that this reader enjoyed. Author Chris Manby’s prose has a highly English flavour that this reviewer found enchanting. The reader can fairly hear the English accent while reading READY OR NOT? The characters are well thought out and endearing, the storyline is unique and fresh. Sit back and enjoy this page-turner.

January 2007