Last Call

Rating:
Summary: GREAT SUMMER READ
Review: It will only take two or three days to read LAST CALL. The chapters are short and it moves very fast. However almost every page contains something humorous, the characters are terrific, and the storyline is engaging. If you're getting bored with chick lit by now then this is the answer. Well-written and highly original. Somehow it contains a great love story, a coming of age story, and a few spirited (and funny) debates on religion and euthanasia. If you've ever dealt with being a single mother or taken care of aging parents you'll find a lot to identify with.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT SUMMER READ
Review: It will only take two or three days to read LAST CALL. The chapters are short and it moves very fast. However almost every page contains something humorous, the characters are terrific, and the storyline is engaging. If you're getting bored with chick lit by now then this is the answer. Well-written and highly original. Somehow it contains a great love story, a coming of age story, and a few spirited (and funny) debates on religion and euthanasia. If you've ever dealt with being a single mother or taken care of aging parents you'll find a lot to identify with.

Rating:
Summary: Escape Into A Great Story
Review: Just sit back with a snack and enjoy some wonderful characters and a great romp through Brooklyn and Manhattan. No, there isn't much chance of all these events happening in real life, but it's a wonderfully absorbing and romantic tale. And Pedersen has managed to incorporate lots of things that we do deal with in daily life -- single motherhood, religious differences, aging parents, and of course the search for love and meaning. As with BEGINNER'S LUCK she does a terrific job presenting all these dilemmas with action, humor, and great dialogue, but there they are nonetheless. For me the book was particularly relevant when it came to the difficulty of a woman trying to be both mother and father to a son and also the questions surrounding assisted suicide. Just don't read the end first, or the epilogue (an amazing piece of writing!!). This has to become a movie, but I hope they don't ruin it.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific read!
Review: Love the way Pedersen's characters all help (or aggravate) one another in all sorts of ways that move the story forward and result in growth and new beginnings. This book was very different from BEGINNER'S LUCK, in that the plotline is much more serious, but humor and wonderful characters abound and so I enjoyed it equally, if not more. Pedersen's most outrageous characters (Olivia in BEGINNER'S LUCK and Hayden in LAST CALL) always remind me of someone I have known (or been related too!). I haven't read many comic novels that take on death and religion with such rigor, but I must admit that it made me think and created good discussion with two friends who are reading the book. A must read if you have parents or children!

Rating:
Summary: Double WOW!
Review: Original, well-crafted, and hilarious. A romance that has everything and yet surprises at every possible turn. A valentine to Brooklyn and Manhattan. Lots of interesting Scottish and Catholic references. The main character of Hayden is priceless. You oftentimes want to kill him but even from the page he charms a woman to death. The epilogue is beautifully written, like a poem.

Rating:
Summary: Double WOW!
Review: Original, well-crafted, and hilarious. A romance that has everything and yet surprises at every possible turn. A valentine to Brooklyn and Manhattan. Lots of interesting Scottish and Catholic references. The main character of Hayden is priceless. You oftentimes want to kill him but even from the page he charms a woman to death. The epilogue is beautifully written, like a poem.

Rating:
Summary: Loved every minute of it
Review: Pedersen includes the problems we all face at one time or another -- inappropriate love affairs, taking care of sick parents, religious differences, kids growing up in a perilous world, difficulties of working moms to make a decent wage. Only in her hands it's hilarious and bittersweet. Also a wonderful depiction of Brooklyn as a place of romance. Between big screen romantic comedies and sitcoms, Manhattan is getting a little tired. BEST ENDING OF ALL TIME.

Rating:
Summary: FIRST RATE and ORIGINAL
Review: Read this after seeing a terrific review in my local paper. This story is a winning combination of love and laughter on every page in an incredibly original story. Loved the characters, especially the strong-willed Hayden MacBride, who drives all the women in his life crazy while it actually turns out he's cared for them better than anyone else. Full of surprises and humor, this book is truly a magical tale. Also, I loved the descriptions of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Rating:
Summary: FIRST RATE and ORIGINAL
Review: Read this after seeing a terrific review in my local paper. This story is a winning combination of love and laughter on every page in an incredibly original story. Loved the characters, especially the strong-willed Hayden MacBride, who drives all the women in his life crazy while it actually turns out he's cared for them better than anyone else. Full of surprises and humor, this book is truly a magical tale. Also, I loved the descriptions of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Rating:
Summary: Funny & Original
Review: Terrific characters, great dialogue, original story. I read this book in two days and didn't want it to end, though the last few chapters were excellent. It's rare that you come across a new plotline in fiction, but this definitely succeeds in originality. Could it happen in real life? Maybe, but probably not. However that's why I read fiction and go to movies. My guess is that this book will remain on the favorites shelf at the bookstore for a long time. If you're a staunch Catholic then some of it may seem offensive, but by the time you reach the end you realize it's not at all, just questioning our faith the way most people do in real life.