Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Regan Books /HarperCollins
Release Date: 2004
ISBN: 0-06-009669-1
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Hardcover
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Genre:   Fiction/Chick Lit
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Shannon I. Bigham
Reviewer Notes:  
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Being Committed: A Novel
By Anna Maxted

      London author Anna Maxted already has three international bestsellers under her belt: Getting Over It, Running in Heels, and Behaving Like Adults. Once again, Maxted combines a saucy mix of wit, hilarity, and female quirkiness and nuances in her latest release, Being Committed.

     The heroine in Being Committed is Hannah, who married at the young age of twenty to Jack. Their marriage quickly dissolved when Jack made some rash assumptions about a “guy” named Guy that Hannah dated, before Hannah and Jack married. Now at thirty-one years of age, Hannah works as a private investigator, and her marriage with Jack is well behind her – or so she thinks.

     The past comes back and creeps up on Hannah when her boyfriend, Jason, of five years proposes marriage in what was intended to be a romantic weekend getaway – which actually ended up being a trip to lodge at a “faux castle” with Jason proffering his grandmother’s ring and asks Hannah to marry him. Unfortunately, marriage is the farthest thing from Hannah’s mind and the ring Jason presents reminds her of a repulsive insect. Jason is crushed and Hannah is mildly nauseated from the experience.

    Clearly, Jason’s proposal of marriage did not go well. Hannah is a blunt woman and she does not beat around the bush and informs Jason that marriage is not in their future – despite their five-year relationship. This turn of events spirals into several unprecedented turn of events in Hannah’s life in the coming weeks. Hannah’s coveted relationship with her doting father, Roger, is questioned and Hannah begins to view her distant mother, Angela, in a new light. Further, while Hannah’s brother, Oliver and his wife, Gabrielle, appear to have the picture-perfect family life complete with their adorable baby son, Jude, things are not always what they seem on the exterior.

     Hannah takes a closer look at her life and the lives around her and begins to see things from a new perspective. When Hannah begins pining for Jason and regretting her rejection of his offer of marriage, Hannah’s prerogatives and desires in life take a clearer focus – until her ex-husband, Jack, enters the picture after ten, long years. Author Anna Maxted treats us to a breezy, funny, and at times an in-depth look at love, family relationships – and the real meaning of “being committed.” Fans of chick lit should not miss Maxted’s latest novel, which is sure to be another one of Maxted’s bestsellers.