"Interesting, entertaining writing style in this new chick-lit novel."
Meet Amber Fleece (foreveramber): career woman working at
Millennia Marketing, single and fabulous, looking for Mr.
Right. Through a high school reunion web site, she contacts
her old flame, Gray McDermott, and is dismayed to find out
he's a struggling songwriter and house painter. Yet his
poetic, erotic e-mails attract her more strongly than any
real-life man she's been around lately. Meet Stephanie Hilliard (wonderwoman): Amber's best friend,
who left the marketing firm for the "mommy track," moving
from Boston to Florida. When her former lover and coworker,
Tom Markoff, rejoins the firm, he contacts Stephanie with
an offer to become an outside consultant. She's glad for
the work at first, but Tom's communications become more and
more intimate, forcing her to take a long, hard look at her
troubled marriage. Meet Julie Desmond (juliedes): a 40-something divorcee
who's raised her son and has now entered the job world as
Amber's administrative assistant. She also discovers an old
crush while learning the ins and outs of the computer
world, and begins to wonder if she can fall in love again
at her age. And if she does, will it cost her a
relationship with her son? The three women's paths intersect and intertwine as they
deal with boyfriends and spouses, triumphs and tragedies at
work and home, and the blessings and curses of modern
technology. This book is written entirely in e-mails and IMs (instant
messages). At first I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the format, but
after a few pages, it was almost like sitting down at my
own computer and catching up with friends. I feel that I
really got to know not only the three main characters, but
others in the book as well. Each person has an individual
style that makes it easy to tell one communication from
another. Obviously, if you like a book with a more poetic
style, lush descriptions or explicit love scenes (that is,
actual physical contact), this probably isn't for you, but
I found it entertaining and romantic, with surprising
emotional depth. If you've ever found comfort in an e-mail
from a friend or thought about "googling" that cute guy
from high school, you'll enjoy this book.
Reviewed by Lenore Howard
Posted November 17, 2004
What's worse than spam, more dangerous than cyber sex, and
scarier than a computer virus. An email from the one that
got away...What happens when a randomly accessed memory
changes from a harmless Google into rekindled love? Slip
into something comfortable, pour a glass of wine, and take
a peek into the hysterical and heart-wrenching hard drives
of three unforgettable women and the men who are...and
aren't....in their lives. HIT REPLY by Rocki St. Claire is
available in December from Downtown Press.
SummaryThe story of three women who turn to former lovers online
for the inspiration, the adulation and the stimulation
they need to conquer life's most fundamental challenges:
the will to survive, the need for security, the longing to
be desirable...the quest for a guy who looks like Brad
Pitt.
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