Authors beginning with K (number 2)

I love New York

Lindsay Kelk

Kelk rapidly became one of my favourite writers, from the moment that I met her lead character in this series, Angela.  She possesses a number of the classic characteristics needed in a ‘chick lit’ heroine, she’s funny, clumsy, not quite content with her life, and in a relationship with the wrong man.

However, the moment that Angela finds out, just how wrong her partner is for her, and her reaction were the main reasons I came to adore her. Her thought processes during the moment that she finds her boyfriend in the car with another woman, are hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure. I liked the lines ‘the beautiful pair of silver Gina sandals clamped around my boyfriend’s waist told me that I really should have spotted her earlier. I did love a nicely turned shoe,’ in particular.

She doesn’t burst into tears, she instead confronts her best friend Louisa and Louisa’s new husband, who both knew about the affair, and in a memorable scene, in the middle of the wedding. Then she takes revenge on her boyfriend, in a very funny albeit revolting way, involving his shaving bag.

The action mainly revolves around what she does, once she gets to New York, as you probably could have guessed from the title. I was impressed by the character of Jenny, she’s a lot of fun, but Kelk doesn’t try to make her too perfect. All of the characters are well drawn, possessing negative and positive qualities.

Angela has a meet cute with Alex, one of the two men that she dates while in New York. The two first meet in a cafe, and he checks through her Ipod, before asking her out. He’s a musician, a little bohemian and less well put together than the other man.

Tyler is the archetypal ‘prince’ he takes her to expensive restaurants and buys things from Tiffany’s, but has another side to him. The thing I like most about Kelk’s characterisation throughout the series, and particularly this book, is that she doesn’t fall into the usual ‘chick lit’ trap of making some characters perfect, and others a mass of negative qualities, so that the reader sees clearly who is perfect for the heroine.

The two male leads both are imperfect, making them more realistic. Tyler turns out to be just looking for a bit of fun, and turns rather aggressive during the final fight. Alex is open about the fact that he has had sex with a lot of women, after a messy break up, and is laid back to the point of being horizontal. Neither seem to be clear cut front runners for who Angela should choose to be with.

If you’re looking for a ‘chick lit’ book, which includes characters with a bit more depth and shade to them than the weaker members of the genre, and lines such as ‘our complimentary all men are shits break up service’, then I heart New York is the one to pick up.