Kissing Mr Wrong by Sarah Duncan

Kissing Mr Wrong by Sarah Duncan
Buy Kissing Mr Wrong by Sarah Duncan at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Women's Fiction
Reviewer: Jo Heffer
Summary: Lu Edwards is sure that she knows exactly what she is looking for in her search for Mr Right - some one who is successful, dynamic and totally gorgeous. So what is she doing spending time with Nick then? He may be lovely but he really isn't any of these things. Worst of all though he has two young sons and a ready made family is definitely not on Lu's agenda. He is definitely Mr Wrong so why does being with him feel so right?
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 352	Date: May 2010
Publisher: Headline Review
ISBN: 978-0755345953
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Kissing Mr Wrong is the first book I have read by Sarah Duncan and it has definitely given me an appetite to read more. It tells an absorbing tale with many different threads that bind together well and with a main character that I loved. Indeed, it has all of the ingredients for a riveting read – one that I didn't want to put down.

The main character is Lu Edwards who thinks she knows exactly what she wants in a relationship which is possibly why she is still searching for Mr Right. When she meets Marcus he seems to tick all the boxes on her list as he is successful, dynamic and gorgeous (if maybe a little bit boring). The only problem is that he is just about to leave the country in order to go and work in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, she also meets Nick who, if she is going to go on the criteria on her list, is definitely not Mr Right. In fact he has to be Mr Wrong particularly as he is separated and has children and the one thing that Lu knows for sure is that she does not want to be a mum! Therefore what is she doing spending so much time with him and his sons as it can only end in heartbreak? That is unless Lu comes to realise that Mr Wrong could just possibly be her Mr Right.

This absorbing tale really hits the mark as far as relationships are concerned especially when it comes to the role of step mothering. Sarah Duncan explores quite poignantly what it is like to enter into a relationship knowing that you have to share that special person with others. At times Lu feels completely excluded leading to jealous tensions whereas at other moments she feels quite loved. Other relationships are touched upon too such as Lu's difficult relationship with her mother and the fact that she hardly knew her father who left when she was only a small child. Most moving though, is Lu's tender and loving relationship with her ninety-one year old grandmother for whom she would do anything. It's lovely to read of such a strong powerful bond spanning the generations.

I loved the character of Lu. At first she might have appeared a bit shallow and concerned only with material things. However, before long, one realises just how complex a character she really is and that she is not that materialistic at all. I agonised alongside her as she tried to sort out her confusing feelings for both Marcus and Nick. You can't help wanting things to turn out well for her in her relationships, in her work and in her quest to uncover more about her long lost great grandfather.

This leads me to another strand of the story that is most thought provoking and poignant. Lu's grandmother Delia knows that she was adopted as a child and asks Lu to help her find out more about her real father who was a soldier in the Great War. Nick helps her in her quest and they spend some time in France visiting the war graves and finding out more about life in the trenches. This is handled most sensitively and the descriptions of the graves and their inscriptions is quite heart breaking. Like Lu, I was moved to tears as I was reading about all the young men who lost their lives in this war.

Overall, Kissing Mr Wrong is an excellent read. It is well paced with wonderful characters and absorbing story lines. What more could I want?

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

If this book appeals to you, why not take a look at All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Kissing Mr Wrong by Sarah Duncan at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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