Review: Loved This Take on the Classic Pygmalion Story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 4, 2014
I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading this book. ISN’T SHE LOVELY is a modern day take on Pygmalion. Flat out – this book was fun and sweet and a bit surprising at the same time. The plot seems simple – boy meets girl, boy propositions girl to “fake” a relationship in hopes of saving face in front of his family, girl goes through makeover to fit “fake” relationship and feelings get involved. However, the author was able to take the classic story and add her own twist on it. I just really enjoyed this one!Told in alternating perspectives, you meet Stephanie and Ethan. On the outside they couldn’t be more opposite. She wears black and combat boots, has multiple ear piercings and wears tons of black makeup that fits her goth persona. He is the epitome of a country club boy – polo shirts and khakis, clean cut and a “I’m perfect” smile that seems to get him anything he wants. However, underneath all the external factors they have a lot in common – specifically the fact that they are harboring secrets about themselves and are just playing a role in this thing they call life.Stephanie has baggage. She wasn’t always this goth girl that screamed “DO NOT APPROACH” when you looked at her. She used to be a cheerleader, a girly-girl, a typical girl that probably would’ve joined a sorority while in college. Instead she became a recluse and stuck to herself. She distanced herself from her family and keeps everyone at a distance. I was actually surprised by how well she adjusted to being Ethan’s “fake” girlfriend, especially after keeping everyone out for so long. But, she jumped right back into the girl who everyone liked. I liked her. She had her wall up but she wasn’t overly stubborn or hard headed. She recognized that she had feelings for Ethan and although she may not have known what to do about them, she didn’t deny them either.Ethan had to grow on me. I liked him, but I questioned his intentions half the time. Even though I was in his head, it was hard for me to determine what his real motivations were for asking Stephanie to be his “fake” girlfriend. Was it to save face in front of his family? Was it to make his ex-girlfriend jealous? Was it because he was interested in Stephanie? The interesting thing is that I think the answer is YES to all of those questions. I don’t think Ethan really knew what he was doing. For his whole life he had been groomed to date and eventually marry Olivia. But, after their breakup, he seemed a little lost. But, I could tell Stephanie was a great influence on him and I hoped that he wasn’t going to be a jerk when Olivia eventually came back to him (which is what I expected).When it was time for Stephanie and Ethan to put on their show of a romance, I was pleasantly surprised by it all. I thought it was going to go one way – jealous, bitchy ex-girlfriend, overbearing and over-involved mother, mixed feelings – but I was wrong. I actually loved how the author played the interactions. Instead of the conflict being from external factors, the conflicts came from the characters themselves. Just when I thought they were going to make it, they both fell back into their old ways. I loved this – it eliminated all the BS and the forced conflicts that some books have. It kept the story about Ethan and Stephanie.In following past examples of the Pygmalion story, Ethan had a grand gesture at the end that rivaled Richard Gere driving up in a white limo and red rose. Although it had me laughing at loud, it was sweet and necessary considering the mess he caused.I really enjoyed this book – it was funny and a quick read. I found myself saying I would only read a few chapters, but that turned into the entire book! If you like this Pygmalion-inspired stories (Pretty Woman, She’s All That, My Fair Lady), then this is the book for you!