Book Review for “Good In Bed”
“Good In Bed,” by Jennifer Weiner
“Good In Bed” was Jennifer Weiner’s first book. I picked it just for that reason, hoping that she would motivate me to keep on working on trying to get my first book published.
The beginning seemed to drag on so badly that I had to stop reading for a week, before I finally forcedmyself to push through the book, only because I was tired of way too much back story. Cannie (Candice) Shapiro, but my eyes read as Connie, was a big (as in overweight) woman, who was in a relationship with Bruce, a “looser” claimed she wanted “time off” from him, but he called it more if a break up. His job is a writer for a high society magazine and when she stumbles upon an article about her and their sex life, she becomes livid, though it’s easy to tell (not see) that she still loves him. She loved much that she’d sit by the phone, waiting for his call, and yes, she was desperate. Honestly, I was bored with this part of the book. When she played her poor pitiful me character. (“I’m fat,” “Nobody loves me,” “My daddy left when I was a kid,” “Bruce won’t call me back,”), and from that, the list could go on and on, I could’ve cared less about her.
When Cannie goes to “fat class,” she meets Dr. K (my second favorite character). They stir up a friendship and he’s the one to tell her that she can’t be involved in the losing weight program, only because of something they found in the blood tests. Dr. K’s character was very helpful to Cannie and seemed to go above and beyond what a normal doctor should do. (I had a feeling from the moment I met Dr. K that they would begin a relationship). After she emailed Bruce, telling him that she’s pregnant, she moves to California to spend time with Maxi, who pampers her like crazy! (Maxi seems to be Cannie’s “Fairy Godmother” who pampered her to the nines — with hairdo, jewelry, massages, fancy hotel rooms…the list could go on forever).
After I got through the beginning of the book, and things began to move along, I quickly began to be interested in the book and the characters, Connie (oops, I mean Cannie), her lesbian mother, her veryundevoted father, Maxi (my favorite character), the famous actress/turned best friend and of course, there’s Bruce, the man of her dreams…until she winds up pregnant, only by way of consoling him through his father’s death.
When she became pregnant, I was surprised in her behavior, only because she changed herself, completely — and for the better! I liked Cannie’s caring actions and the ways she stood up to her lesbian mother and her girlfriend, Tayna, who were all about them. I liked how she became more confidant and protective of her baby girl.
In the end, I can appreciate the book, only because she did lose weight because she walked…walked her way to a new life, and when she did, she helped herself and her baby become beautiful, though just as she was the whole time.
Jennifer Weiner’s book made a great impression upon me. Though the book wasn’t great, I can understand the characters and “feel” the way they do. (She wrote a great “show don’t tell” book).
I will recommend this book to anyone who is down in the dumps and wanting to bring themselves out of wherever the place they are. The reader will relate to anything that Cannie experiences.
I give this book 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.
In The Queue:
“The Guy Not Taken,” by Jennifer Weiner
“The Overnight Socialite,” by Bridie Clark
“Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin
“Something Blue,” by Emily Giffin
“Love The One You’re With,” by Emily Giffin
“Heart Of The Matter,” by Emily Giffin
“The First Husband,” by Laura Dave
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