jggiggle's review against another edition
5.0
A fabulous summer chick-lit read. Which likely leads to a Nora Efron movie marathon.
jaime_fiction_fangirl's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun, light-hearted book. It was definitely reminiscent of a Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail type of movie. I really enjoyed the witty banter between Molly and Cameron. If you don't enjoy chick-lit and/or romantic comedies then this book isn't for you.
*I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
*I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
shelfimprovement's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not the kind of person who can drop movie quotes into every day conversation. I don’t know why, but those kinds of things don’t seem to stick in my brain.
The exception to this rule is When Harry Met Sally. To say that it’s one of my favorite movies would be an understatement. I love every scene, every line of dialogue in that movie and I can pretty much recite the whole thing from beginning to end. I’m not even much of a rom-com fan, but Billy Crystal running to meet Meg Ryan at the New Year’s Eve party gets me every damn time.
So the reason that I picked this book up at all was that it claimed to be an homage to Nora Ephron’s signature style. It’s pretty standard fare for “chick lit”: You’ve got Molly, a 39 year-old writer who has all but given up on the idea of love following her divorce. You’ve got her safe and comfortable chiropractor boyfriend Russell – Molly doesn’t let herself mind that he’s not exciting or romantic. You’ve got the best friends to guide Molly through dating and career hijinks, and you’ve got the guy you know she’s going to end up with.
I kept thinking of the scene in the bookstore where Sally and Marie are discussing “the most contemptible man I’ve ever met” line from The Lady Vanishes.
This book is really more of a three and a half star read – Yellin doesn’t really offer anything new to the genre and she has a tendency to lay out in writing exactly how she’s paying homage (her narrator will tell you exactly how this scene corresponds to something from Ephron’s oeuvre). But it’s still an easy fun read. It doesn’t quite measure up to Ephron at her best, but I still think most any fan will appreciate this book.
The exception to this rule is When Harry Met Sally. To say that it’s one of my favorite movies would be an understatement. I love every scene, every line of dialogue in that movie and I can pretty much recite the whole thing from beginning to end. I’m not even much of a rom-com fan, but Billy Crystal running to meet Meg Ryan at the New Year’s Eve party gets me every damn time.
So the reason that I picked this book up at all was that it claimed to be an homage to Nora Ephron’s signature style. It’s pretty standard fare for “chick lit”: You’ve got Molly, a 39 year-old writer who has all but given up on the idea of love following her divorce. You’ve got her safe and comfortable chiropractor boyfriend Russell – Molly doesn’t let herself mind that he’s not exciting or romantic. You’ve got the best friends to guide Molly through dating and career hijinks, and you’ve got the guy you know she’s going to end up with.
I kept thinking of the scene in the bookstore where Sally and Marie are discussing “the most contemptible man I’ve ever met” line from The Lady Vanishes.
This book is really more of a three and a half star read – Yellin doesn’t really offer anything new to the genre and she has a tendency to lay out in writing exactly how she’s paying homage (her narrator will tell you exactly how this scene corresponds to something from Ephron’s oeuvre). But it’s still an easy fun read. It doesn’t quite measure up to Ephron at her best, but I still think most any fan will appreciate this book.
msthienkim's review against another edition
4.0
Over the weekend, I snuggled in bed with What Nora Knew by Linda Yellin. Reading the novel was like settling down with a good friend. All I needed was a glass of wine to make it a girl’s night in. If you’ve ever seen any of Nora Ephron’s movies, you’ll love this book.
Thirty-nine year old Molly Hallberg is a divorced writer living in New York City. Thanks to the Gawker-type website that she works for, she’s sent out on wacky assignments (vibrator testing, anyone?). Her editor assigns Molly a seemingly impossible article: write about romance and true love in the style of Nora Ephron. Due to her divorce from a divorce lawyer, Molly is a cynic when it comes to such matters. This obviously makes it hard to research a story about love. However, will Molly allow herself to see the blossoming love right in front of her? Or will she miss her chance at true love?
Read full review here: http://www.fromlefttowrite.com/book-review-nora-knew/
Thirty-nine year old Molly Hallberg is a divorced writer living in New York City. Thanks to the Gawker-type website that she works for, she’s sent out on wacky assignments (vibrator testing, anyone?). Her editor assigns Molly a seemingly impossible article: write about romance and true love in the style of Nora Ephron. Due to her divorce from a divorce lawyer, Molly is a cynic when it comes to such matters. This obviously makes it hard to research a story about love. However, will Molly allow herself to see the blossoming love right in front of her? Or will she miss her chance at true love?
Read full review here: http://www.fromlefttowrite.com/book-review-nora-knew/
verityw's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a while to get into this, but once I had I raced along. It's nearly but not quite 4* for me - I didn't quite get the warm and fuzzies early enough - and in the same way - that I do in the Nora Ephron movies this is referencing and paying tribute to. But by the end, it was all coming together nicely. Fun, sweet and romantic - mostly.
hlford22's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jaimereadsromance's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun, light-hearted book. It was definitely reminiscent of a Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail type of movie. I really enjoyed the witty banter between Molly and Cameron. If you don't enjoy chick-lit and/or romantic comedies then this book isn't for you.
*I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
*I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
cheeseolive's review against another edition
4.0
Let me start by saying I love Nora Ephron. I love her books, her movies, her essays...everything. I was sad to hear of her passing away in 2012, and I was also selfishly sad that she wouldn't be creating anything else for me to enjoy. So when I found out someone [Linda Yellin] wrote a book that largely revolved around Nora's work, I was both excited and skeptical. I expected to be let down, because really, no one can compare with Nora, but I also had to read the book so I could defend my cynicism if interrogated.
'What Nora Knew' was a wonderful surprise! Like Ephron's typical storylines, the book focuses on a female character who is in a not-so-fulfilling relationship. It's not terrible, but it's not terribly exciting. Molly [main character] is a self-admitted cynic, and she's not apologizing. Without giving much away [because I want you to read this book yourself!], Yellin demonstrates what can happen when you've had your heart broken, how one relationship can affect your approach to everything, that breakups hurt even if you're not in love, that you can become physically attracted to someone over time, and that Nora Ephron knew her stuff. I really liked Yellin's writing style, and it quite reminded me of Nora's. At times, the story would seemingly go into an emotional rant, and other times it would simply stop unexpectedly and pick up the next day. I found that to be one of the main parallels between Yellin and Ephron. There are multiple referrals to Ephron's movies, so I'd suggest you watch You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and When Harry Met Sally before reading 'What Nora Knew.' I appreciated it because they're some of my favorites. While it's a somewhat predictable book, Yellin is also super clever. It's a nice balance of 'I know what's gonna happen' and 'wait, what?' Overall, I was very happy with this book! I read it in one evening. [In case you care about these things, there are no sex scenes, but there are a few things mentioned in passing. There's not a terrible amount of bad language, but there are a few instances throughout the book.]
If you are a fan or Nora Ephron or any of her work, I think this book is for you. If you're not sure who Nora Ephron is but you like romantic comedies and a female lead, give this book a chance. I'm so glad I did! I give it four stars, and I'll be keeping an eye out for Yellin's work in the future.
'What Nora Knew' was a wonderful surprise! Like Ephron's typical storylines, the book focuses on a female character who is in a not-so-fulfilling relationship. It's not terrible, but it's not terribly exciting. Molly [main character] is a self-admitted cynic, and she's not apologizing. Without giving much away [because I want you to read this book yourself!], Yellin demonstrates what can happen when you've had your heart broken, how one relationship can affect your approach to everything, that breakups hurt even if you're not in love, that you can become physically attracted to someone over time, and that Nora Ephron knew her stuff. I really liked Yellin's writing style, and it quite reminded me of Nora's. At times, the story would seemingly go into an emotional rant, and other times it would simply stop unexpectedly and pick up the next day. I found that to be one of the main parallels between Yellin and Ephron. There are multiple referrals to Ephron's movies, so I'd suggest you watch You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and When Harry Met Sally before reading 'What Nora Knew.' I appreciated it because they're some of my favorites. While it's a somewhat predictable book, Yellin is also super clever. It's a nice balance of 'I know what's gonna happen' and 'wait, what?' Overall, I was very happy with this book! I read it in one evening. [In case you care about these things, there are no sex scenes, but there are a few things mentioned in passing. There's not a terrible amount of bad language, but there are a few instances throughout the book.]
If you are a fan or Nora Ephron or any of her work, I think this book is for you. If you're not sure who Nora Ephron is but you like romantic comedies and a female lead, give this book a chance. I'm so glad I did! I give it four stars, and I'll be keeping an eye out for Yellin's work in the future.
sunshine608's review against another edition
3.0
Cute, chick lit book that was perfect timing after I read a not so happy book. I'm not a fan of Sleepless in Seattle not did many of the movie, Nora references make much since to me, but I still enjoyed the book.