Rating: 
Summary: The Story of the Average Woman's Life, with a Twist
Review: I keep seeing people say this is a Bridget Jone's knock-off, but it is not. I thoroughly enjoyed Bridget's story, but this one is different. I love the character development, and the way they play in and out through the story. Jane Green is a very smart author. This story goes through the life of an average Londerner wanting one man that she could never get, settling for something else, and then finding true love. This book is not a sex read so if that is what you're looking for, this is not the book! But if your looking for a colourful slice of real life with a romantic flair, this is the book!
Rating:
Summary: Lovely tale of woman who dreams to be perfect!
Review: Jemima J was the first novel I read by Jane Green. I loved it! I had to read and re-read the ending so many times. Some of these other reviewers hit at Ms. Green for not writing a more realistic novel. Some even compare this to Bridget Jones (which it is nothing like). Okay yes, both the female leads search for a perfect life with that perfect mate, blah, blah. But isn't that real life? Aren't we all trying to do just that? Find our own 'ideal' life. While reading Jemima J, I truly believed she could be a real person. Why? Because I know many women like her. The ending may be a 'story-book ending', but you still get to see Jemima struggle to get there, plus, there is a moral to the story.I really enjoyed Mr. Maybe as well. Bookends was a little different, and I didn't like it as much as I did Jemima J and Mr. Maybe, but I would still by anything from Jane Green.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Good but Might Work if You Must Have A Bridget Stand-in
Review: I picked up this book because I was missing a good book on sex and the single life. However, that is not what I got. The author and publisher are feverishly exploiting the Bridget Jones inspired Sex and the Single London life craze. The book doesn't pass muster on any level -- story-telling, narrative, characters, etc. Its not horrible and I got through it but I want to agree with some of the other reviews here, it could have been much better. Most annoying was the switching randomly back and forth between first and third person. And the final plots twists were so nonsensical as to defy even the wildest imagination. A good Cinderella story it is not--but if nothing else is around and you have to read about a young woman living in London--it might do.
Rating: 
Summary: A lame Cinderella story
Review: I plodded through this book in the hopes that it would eventually become interesting. It never did. The author tries to knock-off "Bridget Jones," but the title character, Jemima J, never develops enough charm to make her somebody you'd want to root for. In fact, she's a rather dull and very unrealistic character...the woman lacks basic common sense, yet the author wants us to believe she's above average intelligence. Nothing about the story makes sense, and it's far too unexciting to ever be considered a fairy tale.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Unrealistic
Review: Even if this story is supposed to resemble the Cinderella fairy tale, the plot is still overly exaggerated. First off, there is no way Jemima could have lost that much weight in such a short amount of time. Second, the prince charming parallels are rather rediculous. I understand the point that Green was trying to convey through this story- that good things can happen to anyone, no matter who or what they look like- but the story does not support this idea. Green is telling her readers that essentially they have to become the picture of perfection first before dreams start to come true. It is books/movies/images like this that help give woman such low self esteems. Writers should be focusing on characters that are real, and who stay real. NOt ones that submerge themselves into crash diets, and then find that life suddenly turns perfect.
Rating:
Summary: HORRIBLE!!! HORRIBLE!!! HORRIBLE!!!
Review: After reading the first few pages of the book, I was amazed at how Jane Green was able to describe the life and feelings of an overweight person. All that disappeared when I bought the book and had a chance to read a few more chapters. I'd have to agree with many points that were brought up in previous reviews: the fact that Jemima coult NOT lose so much weight it such a short time, and the fact that her skin wouldn't remain so smooth after such a quick diet. The fact that Jemima 'suddenly' became amazingly gorgeous once she lost the weight (a pretty face is noticeable even if it's fat!), so amazing that her close friend Ben Williams wouldn't recognize her from close up. The fact that airlines don't upgrade people based on looks (but based on miles or on a first come basis). The fact that the cravings don't just go away (even if you're in a good mood). The fact that Jane Green has exaggerated Jemima's weight and proportions so badly. The fact that Jane Green sees Americans (especially of the "Californian" breed) as shallow, stupid, and all the other stereotypes about Americans shw could find. Many reviewers defended this book by saying it is basically a fairy tale. But if so - it's a dangerous one. Modern research discovered that overweight isn't caused by just overeating and lack of exercise - which is the way Jemima describes how fat people gain weight. Yes, Jemima (or rather - Jane Green), it HAS a lot to do with glands and other metabolic processes, which make some people gain weight relatively easily, while others manage to remain thin even if they pig out on food. The ease in which Jemima lost weight in a very unhealthy way (without any consequences, ranging from loose skin to severe health problems) might mislead people who wish these dreams to come true in real life to try this method of dieting. The goal Jemima sets for herself is also unrealistic, and so is the ease she has in keeping it by maintaining a 'fat free' diet (which is also unhealthy, by the way). Jemima's 'bad eating' habbits both as an overweight person and as a thinning pesron are EATING DISORDERS, which are severe psychological problems, which need A LOT more than a crush on a guy and a few healthy doses of amateur psychology Jemima applies on herself to resolve. And yes, there are overweight people out there that are in peace with their body size, and there are people who like them. These people are not freaks! Not only is this book insulting to overweight people and misleading in its handling of thie problem, I shudder to think the impression thin people would get out of it. Yes, it's fun to read, but how many wrong 'facts' would they take out of it into the world? How would this alter their image of overweight people? The equasion that weight loss equals a small amount of self control in a diet has long ago been disproved by scientists to the relief of all of the people struggling to lose some for years. I hope JJ's "assurance" about it doesn't take us back 10 - 15 years in time... I was really bothered by the way Jane Green made Jemima look like a 'blob' and a 'monster'. Someone who weighs 217 pounds and is 5'7" would be far from thin, but definitelly won't have wouldn't have 3 chins, or would look as half as monsterous as Jane Green describes her to be. The only monsters I discovered in this book are people with Jane Green's way of thinking about the weight issue, which is about 10 - 15 years out of date (just as much as her fashion sense and technological knowledge).
Rating: 
Summary: slightly disappointed
Review: I started reading this story last summer and had to put it down because the main character was, what I thought, [sad]. Just recently I picked the book up and decided to give it another shot. The main character, Jemima, is overweight and lacks self confidence. She is in love with a coworker but she realizes that he would never love her as the fat girl she is. So what does she do? She meets a man online, lies about her life and appearance, then goes on an exercising binge to lose 80 pounds and suddenly become a goddess. With her new looks slowly comes the confidence she has been lacking most of her life but a whole new set of problems. ... The book has a good theme that beauty is only skin deep, I will give it that much, but I still found it a bit shallow. Green did a much more realistic job writing Mr. Maybe than Jemima J. If you want a good Jane Green book to read, I suggest you bypass this one.
Rating:
Summary: Before and after
Review: Jemima J, a young woman who overweight, has little to no self esteem, wants love, friendship, and in her heart a change of life. The transformation for Jemima is incredible, she loses 82 pounds, changes her eating habits, and finds true friends. She has found an internet love and takes the adventure to meet him, thinks it's love but finds out it isn't, finds out that her true love is and has always been the man in her hometown that she dreamed of every night. She learns that it's not about what you look like that finds love, happiness with yourself, or how to get ahead, it's you making a chnage for yourself and go after what you, yourself want, not what others what or think they want. You can change for others but if you truly want to change you have to want to do it
Rating:
Summary: this book should be taken lightly
Review: its entertaining, all in all a good read. i enjoyed it, but it shouldn't be taken seriously. the whole los angeles part is extremely fake, trust me, L.A. isn't like that at all. (i live in a suburb of L.A.) but it was a good read, and i enjoyed the jokes and if anyone wants to be inspired to lose weight, i'd suggest it. hmmm the writing is pretty good, but the way the author switches between 3rd and 1st person is mediocre. her voice and style stay the same.. yet she is switching between 1st and 3rd person? she should have tried to switch her tone depending on which point of view she was using. all in all, an inspiring, make-believe book. hehe!
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular
Review: I LOVED this book! Jemima was a great character. She had issues but she was smart and got over her hangups. It was really an inspiration the manner in which she tackled her problems and improved her life. Despite moments of denial, eventually she always dealt with her problems. She was kind of naive and oblivious but not stupid and definitely not emotionally immature as a lot of other characters are. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
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