Dedication | 
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Product Description
What if your ex was famous and adored by millions? What would you do if you had one chance to make him regret his entire existence? How much would you risk? Kate Hollis's ex-boyfriend's face plasters newsstands and TV, the Internet, and the multiplex. Jake Sharpe is one of the biggest recording stars on the planet, and every song he's famous for is about Kate. For over a decade his soundtrack has chased her -- from the gym to the supermarket, from the dentist's office to the bars. Now thirty-year-old Kate gets the call that Jake has finally landed back in their Vermont hometown for an MTV special. The moment she has been waiting for has arrived. On the eve of their prom, Jake Sharpe vanished, resurfacing when his song "Losing" -- about his and Kate's first sexual experience -- shot to the top of the Billboard charts. And the hits kept coming, each more personal than the one before. Now Kate gets her chance to confront Jake and reclaim her past. But after eleven years of enduring protracted and far-from-private heartbreak, everyone in Kate's life has a stake in how this plays out. Kate must risk betraying the friends Jake abandoned, the bandmates whose songs he plundered, and her own parents, who fear this will dredge up a shared past more painful than any of them want to acknowledge. But after getting the call in the dead of night and jumping on a plane, can she turn back now? Newsweek dubbed The Nanny Diaries "a national phenomenon" and the New Republic proclaimed, "Thank God for Citizen Girl." Now McLaughlin and Kraus have written a poignant, humorous tale about modern celebrity obsession and coming of age during the divorce boom. With flawless depictions of the 1980s, a charismatic heroine, and their signature biting wit, the authors offer up another lively and hilarious tale of a smart young woman looking for satisfaction in the chaos of contemporary culture.
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Customer Reviews:
• It's Better Than These Authors Last Effort!!! 01 December, 2008
After Citizen Girl, I vowed never to read another book by these authors but I think they have redeemed themselves with this book.
I was hooked on this from the start - maybe because I was from the same era as the main character, and the references to the 80s/90s were so familiar to me. And the story itself is a good one! The flashbacks to Katie (main character) as a schoolgirl were entertaining and well written and her quest as an adult, to confront the boy who dumped her, believable and not over the top. Each chapter is devoted to the past or the present (2005) and other reviewers have not liked this style of writing - it did not pose a problem for me; I enjoyed reading about the past as much as I did present day.
Reason why I did not give this book 5 stars was the ending; it was a little too abrupt. I felt that one more chapter could have finished it off so much better.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A22YGMYGHQJV4O
• Entertaining Chic Lit 27 September, 2008
The writers of The Nanny Diaries and Citizen Girl have brought us another delightful book--Dedication. It about what it's like to be pushing 30 but finally getting a chance to make your high school revenge fantasy come true. And Kate Hollis has more than the typical reasons for wanting revenge--not only did her boyfriend inexplicably abandon her and the whole town the day of senior prom, he went on to be a huge rock star writing about HER and her family's dirty laundry. And then there's the lack of royalty checks to his former band members--and her dear friends. And every social occasion that was ruined for her by one of his songs showing up at it. Who can blame her for hopping the first plane available--in her pajamas--when she gets the call that Jake has turned up in his home town for Christmas. At times hilarious and painful (sometimes at the same time) this book is a wonderful read for anyone who has ever dreamed of getting even with the past or has wondered "what if" about someone who has disappeared from their lives.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A2H0M7IAITM3C1
• Beyond Formulaic 15 October, 2008
McLaughlin and Kraus seem to be plauged by the same curse that is affecting Weisberger. Their novels just keep getting worse and worse. The Nanny Diaries was an enjoyable and engaging tale, Citizen Girl was only barely tolerable, and Dedication is painful. The plot is one long cliche about a woman scorned who reunites with her old flame only to discover he's not good enough for her. She stands up for herself and emerges from the other side stronger and with a stronger knowledge of self.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A278KWZ6FSE0S7
• Not Really Sure What I Think... 22 September, 2008
Well... I'm not exactly sure what to say about this one. I liked the way that the book was laid out -- the chapters jumping to a different period in the past, and then back to the present setting, back and forth. The authors are pretty good at writing novels that don't involve a lot of thinking, that are east to get through, compelling, make you want to keep going & find out what happens next. Basically, it's entertaining enough, but it's nothing special.
Unfortunately, I had a really hard time relating to the main character, Kate. I'm younger (24) than she is (30), but I've been able to relate to older protagonists going through that 'what the hell do I do with my life' phase before. Kate struck me as whiny and, to be honest, completely obsessed with her first love, a young man who wound up betraying her, her best friend and his bandmates by stealing the bandmates' music and claiming it as his own... and by writing about their relationship, so when he took off, it haunted her from the radio. Okay, sure, that's gotta be tough, but something like ten years had passed between the break-up and when the novel was set. You'd THINK that Kate would have gotten over it by NOW, especially since Jake is shallow and manipulative, and a liar. He's completely unappealing, unless all you want out of him is a one-night stand. He's the sort of man who will suck you in with charm and sweet words he doesn't mean, and then leave in the morning, or a week later. Unreliable. A teenager might fall for it. And yet grown-up Kate is still stuck on him. I'm not big on revenge, and maybe that's because I've never been through it myself, but I found it hard to relate and understand why she would even bother with this loser.
My favorite parts involved the minor characters - particularly her best friend, Laura (I wonder why - that's my name too, haha), her husband Sam, Kate's parents. Their stories were more interesting than Kate's, who despite having a good life, a job she enjoys, etc etc, is stuck in a rut over a boy.
The end was probably the best part, but I won't spoil it for other readers. Didn't really redeem the rest of the book, because I'd lost any sympathy I had for Kate by that point
- Reviewed by customer ID: A7TKMYZLS4WHV
• Just Ok... 10 November, 2008
I got this at the library and quite honestly and glad I didn't spend any money on it.
I know this will not result in my review getting many "helpful" votes, but to me there was just something off about this book. I kept waiting for something to really draw me in, but it never came. I also got the impression that the authors had more of the story in their minds that they didn't put in, yet referenced. As one other reviewer said, I am overall just not sure what to think.
I can certainly recognize the need for closure and the whole concept of the book was appealing- the fact that Kate's ex had become this huge star yet he wrote about her and so on is certainly a kind of warped fantasy, but I just never got to the point of the book really drawing me in. I pushed to finish it up because I can't stand not finishing books, but there are many better "Chick Lit" options out there...
- Reviewed by customer ID: A928HCGAQTU6X
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