Product Description

It's uncanny! Within six months of breaking up with her, Peg Silver's ex-lovers always meet and marry the women of their dreams. Even worse than being the eternal bridesmaid, she's the last girlfriend, the one who awakens in a guy theknowledge of what he's always wanted in a relationship ... and it's never with Peg. Obviously, a major lifestyle change is seriously called for, which is why the distraught interior landscape designer says good-bye to Manhattan and late-night lattes with pal Nina, and hello to a farmhouse on ten acres in tiny, backwater Manshire, Vermont, hoping to meet the ultimate, all-organic country man (without too much facial hair) to keep her warm in those frosty New England winters.

Instead, Peg finds herself at Inward Bound -- a proactive adult-education retreat for the hapless and hopelessly lovelorn -- to try to lift her dreaded "girlfriend curse." A steamy (and expressly forbidden) dalliance with gorgeous woman-eater Ray probably isn't going to help cure her. But some romantic insight could arise from her attraction to Linus, Inward Bound's sexy, scruffy, smart and still-single founder. Perhaps there is a secret to be unearthed in the crunchy Green Mountains, one that will magically transform Peg Silver from the Perpetual Also Ran to the Big Winner in love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #627763 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-01
• Released on: 2005-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Booklist
When Peg's ex-boyfriend Paul calls her up, she thinks he is hoping for a reunion. But when she meets up with him, he thanks her for helping him get over his commitment issues and introduces her to his new fiancee! With the help of her best friend, Peg tracks six ex-boyfriends and learns that all the men moved on from her to the women they married. Disillusioned with the New York dating scene, Peg sells her condo and heads to Vermont. On the train to her new home, she meets sexy Ray Quick, who has similar relationship problems and is headed to a retreat called Inward Bound that helps singles get their lives and relationship problems straightened out. When Peg's new house proves unlivable, she heads up to Inward Bound and enrolls on a whim, hoping to connect with Ray. What she finds is a quirky group of singles and one very enticing program leader in the form of Linus Bester. Frankel delivers another humorous, crowd-pleasing romp. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Valerie Frankel has finally created a website for herself. She certainly took her time about it, but now proudly displays her thoughts, reviews and pictures at www.valeriefrankel.com. Besides writing and getting good use out of her new digital camera, Frankel plays Snood, stares at the wall, goes running and prepares healthy yet satisfying meals for the whole family. She has eight novels to her credit (including Smart vs. Pretty, The Accidental Virgin, and The Not-So-Perfect Man), and four non-fiction books, including 2004's co-authored sex guide, The Best You'll Ever Have: What Every Woman Should Know for Getting and Giving Knock-Your-Socks-Off Sex. Her magazine articles appear in O, Parenting, Self, Glamour, Allure and the New York Times, among others. She continues to live in Brooklyn with her two daughters and two cats, and was recently married to devilishly handsome opera singer Stephen Quint.

Customer Reviews

Great New Offering - From a Great Author
I'm a huge fan of Valerie Frankel's work. Have been for a long time. I think her recent novel - "The Girlfriend Curse" is one of her best yet. I completely fell in love with Peg Silver and the story and adventures that she got herself into. Peg's life as a interior landscape designer is ordered, safe and well ---- just what she wants. However, the biggest problem she faces is how truly unlucky in love she is. She can meet men ok - she can date men ok - she can even deal with the break-ups ok - but, the problem is she seems to have a pattern attached to her. She is the last girlfriend before all the men in her life, go and get married. And, if that isn't bad enough --- they all say the same thing. They owe it all to Peg. Yikes.....

Peg's decision to completely overhaul her life and move from NYC to Vermont is just the first step in a hilarious and delightful book about love, life and a guy named Linus.

Valerie Frankel is a talented writer who knows her own style and what she does best. I always enjoy her stuff and look forward to the next.

Cheers!

Fun summer reading
My daughter (16) and I both read this book in less than a week. We had many laughs while reading it. I would like to buy more books by Valerie Frankel. Neither of us could put it down and we stayed up way too late everynight until we finished. A nice ending, we hate when books don't end happily ever after.

Funny and thoughtful tale of romance and growth
When Peg Silver's ex-boyfriend asks her to join him for a drink, she expects a night of wild sex--not a sincere thanks for helping him get to the point where he was ready to get married--to another woman. Worse, when Peg looks into her history, she discovers that every one of the last seven men she dated ended up married--to the next woman they met. Peg is cursed to be the ultimate girlfriend--the one before her men turn into charming and married princes. Rather than continue, Peg decides to make radical changes. She sells her Manhatten apartment and buys a small farm in Vermont.

Vermont starts with a bang. On the train, she meets a handsome man with the same problem she's had. All of his girlfriends marry the man after him. Could Peg have found the antidote to her curse so easily. It certainly seems so when a plague of mice drive her from her new home and into the 'Inward Bound' retreat where Ray is learning to deal with his issues. Peg signs up for Inward Bound, resolving to spend the time her home is being de-pested doing Ray.

To her surprise, Inward Bound holds some surprises--and learning. Peg enjoys the yoga, hates the female co-counselor, and has mixed feelings about the director, Linus. Fortunately, Ray is there--ready for hot sex. Only, is Ray really the answer to her problem, or might he be just another symptom of the difficulties she's been having?

Author Valerie Frankel mixes chick-lit with pure romance in an intriguing and very funny tale of growth. Peg makes an interesting character. She's strong, determined, intelligent, yet willing to settle for just about any attractive male who comes her way. Even when she knows she's been chasing men away by her determined behavior, she has a hard time breaking old patterns. And handsome Ray only wants to perpetuate those old patterns.

If you're looking for some good laughs, accompanied by a really thoughtful look at romance and moving toward romantic success, THE GIRLFRIEND CURSE is a great place to start. I recommend it highly.