Over Easy by Pamela Ford: A Review

BOOK TITLE: Over Easy

AUTHOR: Pamela Ford

ISBN/ASIN: B01CYV27I0

GENRE: Romantic comedy

NUMBER OF PAGES: 260

FORMAT: Digital

SERIES / STANDALONE: The Continental Breakfast Club, Book One

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I thank iRead Book Tours for this review copy

SUMMARY:

Allie Parker's had enough. Just because she's a dog groomer, her overachieving family of doctors and lawyers treats her like a child. She's convinced that a successful husband is all she needs to change their attitudes. So when she and her friends come up with a brilliant new way to meet eligible men, Allie squeezes into her sister's stylish clothes and sneaks into continental breakfast at an upscale hotel to find herself the perfect guy.

Before Allie has taken her last bite of syrup-laden waffle, she's met the man of her dreams. But what she doesn't know is that he's a jewel thief who mistakenly thinks she's his contact—and so does everyone else who's after his stash of diamonds.

Suddenly Allie's world is crazily upended. And as she scrambles to prove her innocence and get back to her old life, she discovers happily ever after sneaks up when you least expect it.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

The cover was simple, clearly covering (pun unintended) everything the summary hinted at. It drew me in, as it promised something more than the obvious romantic comedy this book was supposed to be. The summary held my interest because I really had prepared myself to sit and enjoy this genre and not look for logic faults or loopholes or expect any adrenaline rush. The book was a short read. 

REVIEW:

What sort of man would make my parents— I mean, me— happy? “I’ve narrowed it down,” I said. “What I want is an S man. Single, straight, sober, solvent, stable, successful.”

The single sentence that actually begins a wild chase, that went wild beyond all expectations and was a complete laugh riot.

Allie is a dog groomer, from a family of successful people (surgeons and lawyers). She's mostly happy and content with what she has but is sick of being treated like a child with her nearest sibling 14 years elder. Allie is the baby of the family, last to know any shocking news, always getting constant reminders for stuff she ought not to forget (like flossing and wearing sunscreen) and the one who gets to sit at the kids' table year after year during family get togethers. She is desperate to prove to her over-achieving family members that she is an adult - a difficult task. She decides to go about this with bringing a 'keeper' home for her parents' 45th anniversary.

Once she had set herself this goal, Allie, along with Bree and Megan embark on the quest to find the right man. A lawyer and a high school teacher, Megan and Bree are the perfect mix for the 'girl gang' - funny, goofy, occasional brilliant ideas, a sisterhood spirit and the sense of adventure. They arrive at the erroneous conclusion that a continental breakfast club is the best place to find eligible single men. And with a mistaken identity, all hell breaks loose. What happens after that forms the rest of the story. Does Allie find the man she wanted? Does the search end well for the other two women?

A romantic comedy is hard to pull off (or at least according to me) because of two things. Firstly, it seems easy but is actually hard to get the tone of the book right. It has to be breezy, yet not mushy. It has to hold the interest of the reader with other events that are focused on the central theme of romance. Secondly, most often, even the books that begin great veer towards either being tear jerkers with emotional moments (and losing the 'comedy' part of it) or become a continuous series of pathetic gaffes. But Over Easy is the perfect book as far as Rom-Coms go. Light, entertaining, intriguing and the happy ending.

The author has managed to keep the tone of the book light, mostly with witty one-liners and self deprecating humour. What could go wrong in a story with three friends on a mission to find the perfect man? Apparently everything. From the word Go, the book is funny, light hearted and while it has some groan worthy moments, is mostly entertaining. The adventures of Allie, Megan and Bree (with something telling the reader that one of them will get their own book, a story with them as the central character, very soon) as they go in search of the men who are best suited to their requirements are written down engagingly. The words though, often have a deeper meaning.

Allie has got all the checkboxes for the perfect man - only, the list is something that would satisfy her parents, and not her. While the book clearly outlines that being successful does not only mean dating a good man, it also shows how many young men and women of today have got it all muddled up. The book is, under the surface, a journey of self realisation and has valid lessons for those who want to listen to them. It probably was doubly harder to pull it off with the humour intact, and not sounding preachy. Go pick this one up if you want a light summer read. I finished it in one sitting, but I would of course, remember some words and dialogues from it for some time to come. 

WHAT I LIKED:

• The overall tone of the book was humorous, with each disaster eliciting a good laugh.
• The one liners were catchy
• The book had some underlying message for those who wanted to actually look for them

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• The climax fell flat
• At times,  Allie's rambling takes the focus away from the story
• The end is a bit too predictable - not really a fault, especially for this genre.

VERDICT:

A must read for fans of this genre. Those who haven't tried Rom-Coms could start with this book for a good impression and beginning.

RATING: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pamela Ford is the award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance. She grew up watching old movies, blissfully sighing over the romance; and reading sci-fi and adventure novels, vicariously living the action. The combination probably explains why the books she writes are romantic, happily-ever-afters with plenty of plot - and often lots of laughter.

After graduating from college with a degree in Advertising, Pam merrily set off to earn a living, searching for that perfect career as she became a graphic designer, print buyer, pantyhose sales rep, public relations specialist, copywriter, freelance writer - and finally author. Pam has won numerous awards including the Booksellers Best, the Laurel Wreath, and a gold medal IPPY in the Independent Book Publisher Awards. She is a Kindle Book Awards finalist and a two-time Golden Heart Finalist. She lives in Wisconsin where she is working on her next novel.

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle, Paperback

PRICE $4.01 for Kindle, $12.99 for Paperback

BOOK LINKS: Amazon