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The Importance of Being Married: A Novel (Jessica Wild #1)
Jessica Wild isn’t big on commitment. But after inheriting millions from Grace, a sweet old lady she met in her grandmother’s nursing home, the situation seems to have changed. To put an end to the many questions about her nonexistent love life, Jess had led Grace to believe she had a boyfriend-turned-fiancé-turned-husband: her glamorous boss, Anthony Milton. But Jess’s fa...more
Paperback, 337 pages
Published
June 10th 2008
by Ballantine Books
(first published January 1st 2008)
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The Importance of Being Married by Gemma Townley is the first in a 2-part series about Jessica Wild, a British advertising executive. While visiting her grandmother in the nursing home, Jessica meets Grace, an old lady who just needs someone to talk to. After Jessica’s grandmother passes, Jessica still visits Grace quite often and tells her stories of her fabulous life…..her fabulous pretend life, that is. Jessica can’t bear to disappoint Grace with stories from her mundane life, so she creates...more
I've heard a lot about Gemma Townley (mainly because she's Sophie Kinsella's sister), but this is the first book of hers I've read. At first I really enjoyed it - probably to about halfway - but then it started to become too farcical, too laboured and I was also tired of the main character, Jessica Wild, letting everyone push her around. (Rather like a Sophie Kinsella book, in fact. But Kinsella's books are much funnier and that's what keeps you reading.) There was also, I thought, a massive plo...more
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I read this book because I enjoyed another book I read recently by Townely, Little White Lies. I was worried when I started this book that it would be a little slow, like Little White Lies was. I was pleasantly surprised by this book though, once it got going it was like a freight train and couldn't be stopped even when the main character wants to.
The story is about Jessica Wild, an independent women who is not big on commitment or romance. She makes friends with an old lady in h...more
The story is about Jessica Wild, an independent women who is not big on commitment or romance. She makes friends with an old lady in h...more
Light-hearted and witty modern fiction. The plot, while fun to follow and make sure you are right, is transparent and you know the end before you actually get there.
The fun is in the characters. Watching Jessica try to transform herself into someone else, while she knows what is most important all along. And the characters the author uses to help/hinder her protagonist, while again shallow, make the book fun to read.
While I greatly enjoyed this book it was somewhat lack...more
The fun is in the characters. Watching Jessica try to transform herself into someone else, while she knows what is most important all along. And the characters the author uses to help/hinder her protagonist, while again shallow, make the book fun to read.
While I greatly enjoyed this book it was somewhat lack...more
Jessica Wild was always perfectly content being single; she never really believed in marriage, anyway. But, during visits to her friend Grace in a London nursing home, Jessica entertains the elderly lady with a series of made up stories about her courtship and marriage to the sexy and thoroughly unattainable Anthony Milton - her boss. At first, Jess's stories seem like nothing more than a harmless way to entertain a lonely old lady; but when Grace dies and leaves Jessica a fortune - 4 million po...more
Cute book, quick read. As predictable as possible, but sometimes that can be okay if you're looking for an light, entertaining read.
I've read several of Gemma Townley's books, and while I think the dialog is always very amateur and plots predictable and far-fetched, I always enjoy the characters she creates and the situations they get into. As with the rest of her books, this could never, ever actually happen, but it's a fun escape from reality nonetheless.
I've read several of Gemma Townley's books, and while I think the dialog is always very amateur and plots predictable and far-fetched, I always enjoy the characters she creates and the situations they get into. As with the rest of her books, this could never, ever actually happen, but it's a fun escape from reality nonetheless.
A novel about a young woman who makes a promise to a dying friend to make her friend happy and then finds herself in somewhat of a bind when the friend passes away. Now she must keep the promise in order to qualify for a huge inheritance and not let her best friend down. Pretty good writing. A bit slow at first but then it picks up and gets more enjoyable as you move through the book.
Picked up this book because it has obvious reference to "The Importance of Being Earnest." The character's name was Jessica Wild. Um... Okay. So I was excited for a nice parody of said play. Well, I didn't find that parody. It started out okay, but steadily got worse until I put it down. Well, I read the end to see what happened and it was the lamest ending ever. Just take my word for it.
Jessica Wild doesn't need a man, and she certainly doesn't need to get married. Her grandmother raised her to be independent, and she's pretty happy on her own. Nobody can convince her otherwise, until she meets Grace.
Grace lives at the same retirement home as Jess's grandmother. But after her grandmother dies, Jess continues to visit Sunnymead because she has found a friend in Grace. Grace is romantic, and Jessica feels pressured to exaggerate her love life in order to please Gr...more
Grace lives at the same retirement home as Jess's grandmother. But after her grandmother dies, Jess continues to visit Sunnymead because she has found a friend in Grace. Grace is romantic, and Jessica feels pressured to exaggerate her love life in order to please Gr...more
An entertaining quick read, Jessica Wild is rather endearing and most of the characters seem so real..like you've already met them somewhere.
Her description of the more minor characters is hilarious, as Jessica sees through their superficiality and boring sameness.
It's not a 'classic;, but good for a lazy Sunday afternoon's entertainment.
Her description of the more minor characters is hilarious, as Jessica sees through their superficiality and boring sameness.
It's not a 'classic;, but good for a lazy Sunday afternoon's entertainment.
I did enjoy the premise of this book but grew tired of it about half way through. Jessica became more fun as the story unfolded but I found her and her friend Helen irritating at times. I'm sorry to say that I thought I knew what the "twist" was going to be early on but I didn't completely figure out the "twist" until it neared the end. Jessica ultimately needed to realize that being true to herself would be the way to find real love. This is a fun, quick beach read for any...more
As I look at beginning to teach grade 2 for the first time, I wanted some light fiction so I could turn my brain off. This is it! It's cute and fairly harmless, although not the best chick lit I've read. But I wasn't feeling too choosy at the time...
I'm totally loving this! While the ending was predictable and the plot a tad fluffy, the entire scheme of things was so endearing that I couldn't help but embrace all of it. A perfect accompaniment on the sofa with some hot milo and marshmallows. :)
I liked the characters a lot, but found the plot very predictable... so predictable that I skimmed through the last 1/3 of the book, just to confirm my predictions, because I really did not want to waste all that time reading something when I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen. Still a good fluffy read.
I like Townley's style of writing. It's so effusive, sunny, and full of joy. Granted, there were parts that were boring, but I think this is the kind of chicklit I can get into. I am not a chicklit reader, thinking of the genre as no-brainer. But once I got into this, it just flowed. Nice experience.
This was a fun, fluffy chick-lit novel. I liked the characters and I found the main character witty and fun. It was nice to have a bit of a moral to this book, and I look forward to reading more of her work!
A very, very light read. Almost completely weightless. A girl is left a pile of money, but only if she marries a specific guy. Lots of silliness ensues and then a very predictable happy ending. It was OK.
I loved this book! Jessica is somewhat weak like all Townley's characters, but it's a fun book! The second book in the trilogy did not disappoint, but I still think this one was better.
I give it a PG-13 rating for language. It receives only 3 stars due to predictability. It was a quick fun read but like most chick lit it wraps up too fast and too easy.
I found this book to be quite cute and enjoyable, lighthearted reading. I found myself laughing out loud during several parts and really rooting for the ending I wanted.
Although this wasn't my favorite Gemma Townley book, I did enjoy it. I had a hard time rating it because, for me, it fell between 'liked it' and 'really liked it'. I probably went with just 'liked it' because there were times in the book that Jess, the main character, seemed just too namby-pamby, especially since she was supposed to be this independent, cynical person. It became a bit annoying how wimpy she was with Marcia and Fenella. While the final twist in the story wasn't bad, some of it...more
Very cute. I figured out some of the plot twists early on but still different from other chick lit. Great enjoyable read. Can't wait to read the others in the series.
Fun and light hearted. A stereotypical book of a smart and hardworking woman thinking she doesn't need anyone but realizing that love matters by the end of the book.
I was looking for a funny quick read book and this delivered just that. I laughed. I cried. It is similar to Bridget Jones Diaries, but with a twist.
Judy Molloy
added it
Cute, and just right for something light and an easy read. Sometimes a book like this is just what you need to read after a serious book.
Always a fan of books that offer a moment, however brief, of surprise and awe. Gemma Townley's "The Importance of Being Married" is such a book. If you're looking for an amazing work of literary genius, that will exercise your brain cells to the point of fatigue, then this book is definitely not for you. A light-hearted, funny, and easy read, it is absolutely a sunny spot for a weekend of gray.
Fun and easy to read! A great diversion for my 6 hour plane ride. Not at all intellectual...just what a girl needs on vacation :)
Brilliant book however make sure you read this book before a wild affair, as a wild affair is a follow on book from this story.
Fun book, cute plot, great characters but some nasty language thrown in. I thought that was too bad.
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Gemma Townley launched her writing career at the age of sixteen with a book review in Harpers & Queen. At Reading University, unimpressed with the official university paper, Spark, she launched a satirical rival, Spank, which she edited for a year before taking over as deputy editor on Spark and features editor on South-East Student.
Gemma is currently head of communications at the Char...more
More about Gemma Townley...
Gemma is currently head of communications at the Char...more
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