book data
283 ratings, 3.25 average rating, 85 reviews
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published
January 23rd 2007
by St. Martin's Griffin
binding
Paperback, 304 pages
isbn
0312366574
(isbn13: 9780312366575)
description
Anne Ehrlich is a lovely and dedicated guidance counselor who has never been married; she let the love of her life slip away when her snobbish Scarsda...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 373)
Modeling itself after Austen's Persuasion, this is a nice novel and a somewhat sobering look at the crazy world of the college admissions process. Really, my kid is just three and I am seriously freaking fright now. Anyway, that seems to be the problem . . . too much of that and not enough about the main relationship of the book. And the book, via the blurb, presents itself as a love story first, so I feel somewhat compelled to correct the marketing team's misrepresentation. If it is a great ...more
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A delightful funny book with an astute social commentary on parental anxiety and privileged insularity. This is a variant of Persuasion but is not slavish. Ms Cohen takes a look at current social foibles in a narrow slice of affluent suburban America. The story setting is among high school seniors and their wildly ambitious parents during the college application process when the students are often persuaded by their parents goals rather than their own needs. This Anne is their guidance counselor...more
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Read in May, 2007
recommends it for:
women
This is a fun book--not very taxing mentally, but it was a fun and quick read based loosely on Jane Austen (Persuasion, I think).
A guidance counselor at a moneyed school meets a man she once loved but threw over because of money and family. Their situations are reversed now, he is engaged, her job is demanding, and her family causes conflict. Romantic and financial mayhem ensues. The ending is predictable, but fun.
I loved the humor, the mild satire of helicopter parents...more
A guidance counselor at a moneyed school meets a man she once loved but threw over because of money and family. Their situations are reversed now, he is engaged, her job is demanding, and her family causes conflict. Romantic and financial mayhem ensues. The ending is predictable, but fun.
I loved the humor, the mild satire of helicopter parents...more
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Read in December, 2007
The book istelf is a light-hearted bit of chick lit, so it's not necessarily as bad as the 1 star rating would suggest. I've given the 1 star rating because this book seems to be on the marketingbandwagon of all things Jane Austen--and honestly, I can't see any parallels between Austen and this book.
Cohen's book also took some time to get into, as the whole first 10 chapters or so are portraying the stressed, formerly riche heroine. It doesn't get one intrigued--it just makes you...more
Cohen's book also took some time to get into, as the whole first 10 chapters or so are portraying the stressed, formerly riche heroine. It doesn't get one intrigued--it just makes you...more
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Cute. Fun. A fascinating look at life as a high school guidance counselor. The plot - rich girl (Anne) meets great guy (Ben) but dumps him because he's not appropriate according to her family. He ends up doing well for himself while her former well to do family is in bankruptcy and forced to sell the family house. And of course she never stopped loving him. Ben comes back into the picture, swoops in to save the day, but has a fiance in the picture. It kills Anne to watch him with another ...more
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3 comments
Read in October, 2007
What a fun read! Coincidentally, I just watched a film version of Persuasion a couple of weeks ago so this was an excellent pairing. This novel, set in the current ultra-competitive world of getting-into-college in the New York City suburbs, does a great job satirizing this society while sticking with Austen's main plot. It is great to read this smart, put-together heroine who knows just what to say to parents who have spun out of control.
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Read in March, 2007
Generally based on Austen's Persuasion, a book I had, to that date, not read. This book is a wonderful, pleasant read, with mostly likeable characters. Yes, it's about beautiful people with fairly decent lives and thus is a bit escapist - but the people are real and the situations too.
Prompted me to read Persuasion and compare the two. An intelligent retelling of Austen, brings it up to date without undermining the purity of her original work.
Prompted me to read Persuasion and compare the two. An intelligent retelling of Austen, brings it up to date without undermining the purity of her original work.
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Read in June, 2008
My name is Amber and I’m addicted to Jane Austen fan fiction. Well the author was at it again when she penned this novel, this time taking her inspiration from Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
Anne Ehrlich is a guidance counselor at Fenimore High School. Anne’s former love Ben Cutler comes to town wanting his nephew to attend Fenimore for his senior year. 13 years have passed since Anne broke up with Ben because of her family deemed Anne too good for him. Anne came from an upper-class...more
Anne Ehrlich is a guidance counselor at Fenimore High School. Anne’s former love Ben Cutler comes to town wanting his nephew to attend Fenimore for his senior year. 13 years have passed since Anne broke up with Ben because of her family deemed Anne too good for him. Anne came from an upper-class...more
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Read in May, 2008
This was a fun, quick-read for both those that love Austen and those that enjoy quick to read chick-lit. The author does a nice job creating a modern version of Austen's Persuasion. (If you haven't already, read Persuasion. Along with all Austen works, it is a wonderful read!)
The main drawback I had for JA in Scarsdale, was the amount of time the author spent describing the lead character's job as a high school guidance counselor and the plights of the high school senior applying fo...more
The main drawback I had for JA in Scarsdale, was the amount of time the author spent describing the lead character's job as a high school guidance counselor and the plights of the high school senior applying fo...more
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Read in December, 2008
This is a good book. I skimmed over the high school/ college aspect of the book because I was mainly interested in the story about ben.However, I really liked the book and being a jane austen fan I loved reading a modern version of persuasion.
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Read in September, 2008
I was actually pleasantly surprised by this modern re-telling of Jane Austen's persuasion. I mean, it isn't going to win any awards, but it is a good way to spend a couple of days. Perfect for reading on a trip or at the beach.
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Read in January, 2009
I checked this out to read before Christmas. It was a clean, romantic/comedy chick flick type book. Very light reading. Also, very scary about how intense applying for college can be. I worry for the poor average kids like me!
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Read in October, 2007
recommended to Debbie by:
Leslie Wilsonrecommends it for: Romance lovers
Good book! Nice romance, though nothing like Jane Austen. I have to admit, romance is not necessarily my thing, but I enjoyed the story anyway.
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Easy style to read, although not really a romance - more of what the heroine is doing now, and what she should have done. Also, learned a lot about high-school applications to college and diplomacy with parents - but it was handled in a way that kept your interest and with a sense of humor. Would have liked more about the actual relationship of her long lost love, and more interaction with him once he comes back on the scene, but again, it was written in a style that was easy to read and kept ...more
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
jane austen fans, romantics
First off, nothing can beat Jane Austen, but Ms. Cohen is fantastic at relaying the same sort of social sentiments and observations Austen made in her books. Not only is it a great story, as a someone who works closely with students and parents (albeit on the college level), it really hits a cord with how fanatical people can be about lives that aren't their own. The characterization of everyone, even people that hardly play a role, resonate with pretty much everyone. It's high school so charact...more
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Read in December, 2008
This was a fun book to read---and I learned alot about getting kids into college!
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Enjoyable enough, but it was fluff literature. Nothing memorable about it afterwards.
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Read in June, 2008
ok, could have been better.
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Read in August, 2008
This is a "modern update" of one of my favorite Jane Austen novels, Persuasion. It was cute and fun, although I thought that the characterization was a little underdeveloped. Instead I learned too much about lots of the students who played background roles. Also, I thought the main characters had too little interaction. But it was light fiction, and it had an interesting setting for a chick lit novel (the frenzied and cutthroat applications for college in a rich suburban high schoo
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While this book certainly horrified me less than the Jane Austen Book Club, attempting to recreate Austen's brilliance seems to be just generally a losing battle. If you've just finished all six novels and are panicking over whether you'll ever find a novel you'll like again, I wouldn't recommend choosing this one. If you're looking for a light-hearted tribute to Austen (and aren't in the middle of the college admissions process), this might be a good choice!
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