What Nora Knew by Linda Yellin

320 Pages
Publisher: Gallery, Threshold Pocket Books, Gallery Books
Release Date: January 14, 2014

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Women’s Fiction, Romance

Molly is a divorced journalist nearing 40. She is in a comfortable relationship with her boyfriend Russell, a chiropractor. She writes for a rag magazine with crazy antic assignments like skydiving and training to be a Rockette. She aspires of being a published author and having an exciting romantic relationship. She is given an assignment to write about romance which makes her realize she does not know what it is. The piece she turns in is pathetic and sarcastic. What will it take for Molly find real romance?

The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. I love Molly and her snarky self. She is quirky and creative, knows what she wants, but not how to get there. This was a great read and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Pretty basic chick lit that pays homage to Nora Ephron as a woman wishes for her romantic big gesture while slaving away at an online magazine piece about romance.

I had this book downloaded from Netgalley for a few years and somehow forgot about it. What a fun surprise! I loved the characters, the humor, and the Nora references. A cute, fun summer read.

I thought that this was a good read. I have had a copy of this book for years but for one reason or another just never got started with it. I decided that it was time to dust it off and give it a try and found it rather amusing. I do have to say that I am probably not the target audience for this book. I am the right age to have seen quite a few of Nora Ephron's movies, which I have, but with the exception of When Harry Met Sally I found them to be only mildly entertaining and not something I would feel the need to revisit. There are a lot of Nora Ephron references in this book which really didn't do anything for me. I still found this to be a very pleasant way to spend a few hours.

The book opens with Molly meeting her eventual ex-husband. After a quick introduction, the book picks up with divorced Molly working at an online magazine. Molly is in a relationship with Russell who might be slightly boring but they are comfortable with each other. Her friends really wish that Molly would give up on Russell and look for someone who will bring some passion to her life and really be the one. When Molly is given an assignment at work to write about love as Nora Ephron would, she has to examine her own life.

I liked Molly and found her to be funny at times. A lot of the book is spent in Molly's head as she thinks through her assignment and her life. It really made sense that she wasn't eager to take a big risk in regards to romance since her former husband really took advantage of her trust. Molly wanted to find a passionate relationship but she found herself making choices with lower risks instead.

Unfortunately, not a whole lot happens in this book. The romance in the story doesn't get going until the very end of the book. I understand that this was really more about Molly's journey but I would have loved to see just a bit more of her life as she takes some risks. I found this book to be only mildly funny. It was amusing but there was nothing that brought on actual laughter or stayed with me.

I found this to be a nice quick read that I am glad I finally decided to pick up. Fans of Nora Ephron's work will enjoy all of the references to her books and movies worked into the story. I would not hesitate to read more from Linda Yellin in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via NetGalley.

What a fun surprising read. I didn’t realize that Nora Ephron had written romantic comedies like Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You’ve Got Mail. These are some of my favorite movies. The story is filled with many Nora Ephron references, and quotes

Molly Hallbberg is smart, lively, witty and been burned by love – her ex that is cheated on her and it’s colored everything she does. She works hard to advance her journalistic career and find true love if it really did exist. Along the way we meet everyone that comes in contact with Molly. The cast of characters are fun, quirky and relatable.

I couldn’t help but laugh out-loud in parts! This is a fun to read romantic comedy.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
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True chick-lit. Could be turned into a Lifetime movie. I found this kind of hard to get into, but I'm so completely opposite of her that I couldn't tolerate it. There are cute parts, but just fluff. If you want a kind of believable mindless read, go for it. I, more of a thinker and it just didn't work for me.

This didn't feel right to me to read. I didn't get to grips with the story.