The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I wish I could give this book 3.5 stars. I liked this book a lot......However, there were just too many issues with the family to make this a true winner for me.


1. Family curse says that husbands will die young. So when Lucy's husband dies after eight months of marriage, she is destined to be a lifelong widow. Her sister Corrine is so obsessed with the curse that she drives her husband crazy. Lucy's worship at her dead husband's altar was getting on my nerves. At some point I just wanted her to stop and smell the red roses and yellow chrysanthemums (you'll understand) and get over herself.


2. Lucy's notion that she find a new man whom she would not love but be able to have a family with. Really? I am a lover of all things romantic but this was a bit much, even for me. The whole martyr thing was wearing on my nerve (I only have the one) half way through this book. And the whole time, Ethan (dead husband’s brother is right there waiting for her to notice is feelings for her. Which leads to issue #3…


3. Ethan. Ethan. Ethan. Ethan. Usually when there is a weaker heroine, the hero is there to counter her. Not so with Ethan; he was worse than Lucy with the whole martyr thing. Only this time, he is the martyr. The second son thing was getting old as well. JUST GET OVER IT ALREADY! Now, I know this does not move the literary vehicle along, but Ethan and Lucy were killing me. I thought that maybe he should just move on, find a new love, and establish a life out from the shadow of his brother and HEA.


The redeeming factor in this book was the supporting cast of characters: The Black Widows, Parker and Nicky and Ethan’s parents. They made this story into something enjoyable because without them, I would have stopped reading a long time ago. The idea of the story was good, it just took too much floundering? to get to the good part. Very entertaining and humorous, as is Higgans trademark, but not the best one I have read by her.






View all my reviews