Member Reviews

I was disappointed by this. Although it had some good moments, on the whole I felt frustrated by Bushnell's conviction through the book that she is lacking in money. She really, clearly isn't. Even whilst claiming she doesn't have the thousands required for weird magical face creams, and then buying some anyway. That grated on me, and rather put me off I'm afraid.
There were some moments with interesting thoughts about getting older, as a woman, and dating when you're older. But I kept hoping there would be characters from the TV show appearing, and I was disappointed when that didn't happen.
In the book's favour, it's a quick read.

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This is an honest review for the arc I received.

This book was a challenge for me because I was expecting it to be some what connected to the series and to me it wasn’t.

It was a lot of man bashing and a lot of moaning about life and how it’s unfair as you get old.

There wasn’t a lot of character development and I would have liked to have more back story to them. You just seemed to get parts of stories and events going on and you have to put it all together.

It’s an ok light hearted read which would be good when your in between books.

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I abso-fricken-lutely love Candace Bushnell and of course was a HUGE fan of the series. I was so excited to receive an advance copy of this but was sadly very let down by it. Maybe I had too high of expectations but I can’t lie in a review, and I’m sorry this book wasn’t for me!

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This is a refreshing take on what happens to women over 50 who are looking for love. The cast of characters in Candace Bushnell's newest read are smart, sassy and confident as they navigate the world of divorce and dating. Some topics covered include bicycle boys, dating on Tinder - young "twenty" somethings that are romantically interested in older women- and the Mona Lisa treatment. Is There Still Sex in the City? was a quick read, filled with funny stories of mishaps of the everyday women that centered around marriage, children, divorce and death. Any woman that loved Sex and the City will love the newest version as they may relate to the stories found in this must read.

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In Is There Still Sex in The City, we are brought once again, into the lives of Carrie and her friends to get a candid, person look at the the relationships, sex lives, and emotional lives of these characters we grew to love in her first novel with these same characters, Sex in the City, However, in this novel, the characters have reached middle age, and are living new and different lives, not always in the heart of the city, and not as rich and care free as they previously were.
Candace provides short vignettes to explain different aspects about dating in middle age in the 21st century. In one section of the book, Carrie accepts a writing assignment about Tinder dating. She meets with a number of young women who are familiar with Tinder who walk her through how the app works, and how they feel about on-line dating, before she attempts this type of dating for herself. The young women where right on the money, as Carrie quickly finds out. She discusses the different types of bicycle boys (now all grown up), the world of cub dating (much younger men with middle aged women), and purchasing $15,000.00 face cream. These are just some of the topics covered in this satirical look at middle age dating, sex and life.
Personally, I have been a fan of Bushnell's work for a long time. I was not as big of fan of this book as I have been of many of her previous works. It was a fun read, but I found I struggled to stay interested in the lives of the characters this time around. Still, the book was fun, and well worth taking a look at, especially if you enjoyed Sex in the City.

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Fast paced, quick read about women who are starting over after divorce. The women in the story are mostly in the 45 to 60 range who are struggling with their new circumstances and finding hope in friendship and the fact that no matter your age, you still matter. Excellent, fast paced read.

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I so wanted to like this book. I was a huge fan of Sex in the City and I was so excited about reading any early copy of this book by Candance Bushnell. Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations. The characters were not well defined, and the storyline rambled from topic to topic with very little depth. I started and stopped this book so often, but I was determined to finish it, in the hopes that it would turn around. Unfortunately that didn’t occur and right up until the final page it read more like a teenage diary, than a novel written by an established author. I will continue to be a Candace Bushnell fan, just not a fan of this particular book.

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CARRIE BRADSHAW HAS GROWN UP!

I have read nearly everything Candace Bushnell has written, and have oddly disliked most of her female characters who (unlike the HBO series and movies based on Sex in the City) frequently appear to be one dimensional hardened sexual schemers. Not so here.. In “Is There Still Sex in the City?” Bushnell does a good job exploring the complexities of what it means to be a single woman in her fifties, dealing with real uncertainty and losses. Using a connected essay format,, Bushnell’s single female characters are more concerned with how they will financially survive in the future and cope with losses such as death and divorce in a world where older men and women are subjected to a double standard than they are with a new pair of shoes or their boyfriends. In the end — as ever — the female characters still have their friendships and even find men who value them for who they are. My only complaint is the format of short essay/chapters which only really allow the author to skim the surface of the characters. I would have liked to spend more time with these women, which a novel format would have allowed. This is only a minor complaint, however, as I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the new TV series based on the book.

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Candace writes in her signature style and tone here, the one made famous by the TV adaptation of her column for The New York Observer. That style allows for the stories to flow quickly and made for a fast, enjoyable read. Not all chapters are as entertaining and interesting as the next, but she covers the standard topics of dating in middle life. The most fun I had while reading this book was my surprise in discovering some of her topics laced with references to that which we've seen play out on a certain Real Housewives franchise, with whom she is friendly. I quickly realized her friend "Queenie" is one of the major RH players, and whom is aptly named. I think this book has at least one chapter for everyone; whether it be dating on Tinder, dating younger men, dating older men, middle-age crisis, etc. As a SATC devotee, this book was a necessary read, if for no other reason than to keep the legacy going. With that, I had to ask myself, could there ever be enough Sex and the City? (Read: No.)

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This book wasn’t quite what I expected. I love Candace Bushnell and the original Sex In The City and this book lacked the same charisma and entertainment. I think Sex in the City was such a phenomenon that my expectations were too high. Overall it was an entertaining read.

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I loved and identified Sex and The City and Candace Bushnell’s books 4 Blonds, Trading Up and One Fifth Avenue where loads of fun so when I saw this on NetGalley I was really excited. And while it wasn’t dreadful it wasn’t what I was hoping for. I really disliked that Candace Bushnell keep making it seem like she was lacking money when that is just not the case she is wealthy. It also seemed like she forgot all her Sex and the City days and spent to much time rehashing men think with their dicks and can be pigs - no new or interesting ground covered here. Her friendships where fun to explore but thought it was funny that she was trying to make it seem like they were better then real housewives when they came accross the same to me.

When I could block out my negative thoughts from the stuff I mention above it was kind of amusing. Ms. Bushnell has a way of writing that is enjoyable and it was easy to get through the book. There were some pretty funny and even sweet moments and I also thought there were a few good insights into aging. I actually thought that last 4% of the book was pretty darn good, it was touching and felt raw and real; I wish it had been like that throughout.

This was an ARC so perhaps it will get more editing before being published so that it has a wider appeal but I think at this point it could be a disappointment for many with high hopes like mine.

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me a copy of this book for my honest review.

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I mistakenly thought this book was a novel, but it is non-fiction, closer to a memoir. I had ambivalent feelings about the book. On one hand, I found the writing to be very different from what I had expected, but then again, that was probably linked to the genre. On the other hand, the book offers some insightful social commentary that I wasn't expecting either.

This book isn't a romance novel, but neither exactly is it like a regular memoir. It started out with a lot of facts told without emotion, and in general I think the first few chapters were weak. I was tempted to stop reading, but kept going. And I am glad for the most part, because the book improved. The second half of the book was more insightful, and I especially found the description of older women and couples in Manhattan and love after 50 interesting.

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Let me preface this by saying I have been a fan of Sex and the City and Lipstick Jungle, the two series for which Candace Bushnell is best known. I loved how her characters were so relatable that you either saw yourself or someone you know in each of them.

Unfortunately, overall this book just didn’t have that same pull. For starters, I didn’t realize this book was non-fiction until nearly 20% of the way into reading it. I thought it was similar to how Bushnell created Carrie Bradshaw–semi-autobiographical but still fiction. I didn’t realize the story was purely autobiographical. As other reviewers noted, the way her divorce and the death of her dog are described was so distant that it felt emotionless. Without revealing any spoilers, the end of the book was the only portion where I felt true emotion and felt that it was honest, candid writing.

Overall, the book was easy to read and I enjoyed reading it, which is why I’m giving it 3 Cosmopolitans out of 5. However, I felt the book was directionless and it didn’t pack the same punchy humour and witticisms of her past work.

Thank you to Net Galley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed. It had an interesting plot. I would be interested in reading more

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I never could get the book to download, very disappointed. I followed the instructions as directed, attempted multiple times, and still to no avail was unable ticket to read a book I was so looking forward to reading.

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!am a massive Sex And The City fan so couldn't not read this one! The book literally continues where the story left off... this time Candace and her friends are single, divorced and in their fifties - just how you may imagine the original SATC girls now.

! loved that her books have moved with the times and now we see the introduction of Tinder for example. There were some more serious parts to the book - suicide and mental health plays a big part in one story line (a trigger warning).

!This book inn't going to win any awards but is an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend to any SATC fans who, if anything like me, will read the story in their head as if Carrie Bradshaw herself was narrating!

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Absolutely loved this book! As a woman of a similar age it is spot on and I was laughing my head off as well as identifying 100% with all the many dilemmas and challenges Candice described. Thank you for letting me read it.. please make a film next

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As an avid Sex and the City fan, and a fan of Candace Bushnell's other works, I wanted to read this book even though I knew the topic wasn't related to Sex and the City. A true life book about dating in your 50s, this book is humorous and heartfelt. I think women of all ages can relate to a lot of what Candace and her friends go through in this book, and it was eye-opening to see things from a perspective different than my own as a married 30 something. I could even see this book turning into a show and I'm sure it would be quite successful.

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I wanted to like this book, being a huge Sex and the City fan, but it just wasn’t for me. It seemed to be all over the place, and I couldn’t really care about the characters having no frame of reference for who they are.

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Another successful book by Candace Bushnell on what life is really like for single men and women in. this current dating climate. Personally I don't live in the city where some of these scenarios tend to be most prevalent, but I do know many women who do and this is dead on! Tinder and the world of online dating are a hectic and ever evolving door of people putting on a great face then ending in utter disappointment or being let down.

Continuing to grow her 21st dating commentary is astonishing because everyone of her books with similar subject matter all feel so fresh and relevant and right in line with the times.

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