Asking for Trouble

by Elizabeth Young

Unmarried, thirty-year-old Sophy Metcalfe told a little white lie to soothe her nagging mother. The white lies name was "Dominic," the ideal boyfriend: charming, successful, the kind of prospective son-in-law that would make any mother proud. But now that Sophy's thin and beautiful sister, Belinda, is getting married, Dominic is going to have to make an appearance in the flesh -- which should be a pretty neat trick ... since the genuine article vanished from Sophy's life after a single, singularly unmemorable evening. So she resorts to a very drastic measure -- aka Josh Carmichael, the escort she hires at the very last minute, sight unseen.

But the trouble with white lies is that they tend to multiply. The trouble with rugged, too-sexy, and independent Josh is ... well, that Sophy's actually beginning to like him! Even if they make it through the Wedding Day from Hell together -- with its new intrigues, old flames, and all-too-familiar faces -- there's the night that follows... and, of course, the morning after. And that could end up being the biggest trouble of all!

A hip, witty, and freshly fantastic delight, Asking for Trouble is the most hilarious and knowing novel to make the scene since Bridget Jones first set pen to paper to record her most intimate innermost thoughts.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Humor

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Librarian note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
This author also writes under Liz Young.
Elizabeth Young started writing after holding a variety of jobs that included modeling for TV commercials in Cyprus and working for the Sultan's Armed Forces in Oman. She has two daughters and lives in Surrey with her husband who never once told her to forget writing and get a "proper" job.

Elizabeth Young is a Chick lit and contemporary romance writer. Her novel Asking for Trouble was the basis for the movie The Wedding Date, directed by Clare Kilner, starring Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney.

Reviews

[Inge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reasons why The Wedding Date is better than Asking for Trouble

















Unfortunately, this is another case of Movie Is Better Than Book. In this case, I know The Wedding Date is not perfect, but it is my favourite movie and it makes me smile every single time I watch it, no matter how unrealistic or predictable it is. I watch it whenever I have a really bad day and it never fails to cheer me up. Asking for Trouble did not make me smile once. The main character pissed me off, the story was too long-winded, and the whole thing just felt cumbersome.

Overall, the book fell flat when it tried to be funny and it was disappointing.

My inner Wedding Date fangirl is sad.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dear friend Heather lent me this book and told me that I had to read it. The novel Asking for Trouble is what the movie The Wedding Date was based on. The movie was completely disappointing because the book is hundreds of miles better. The book is filled with innocent misunderstandings and such depth of emotional plot between the characters that it is hard not to get wrapped up with them. I had to go out and buy it before I returned my friend's copy and have since re-read it countless times.

Set in England the main character, Sophy, creates a fictional boyfriend to make her mother worry less about her while her sister gets engaged. When the wedding comes around Sophy has yet to dump said boyfriend and must now produce him for various family gatherings. What began as a simple lie turns into a huge masquerade when Sophy decides to hire an escort to play the part. Lies pile up and Sophy becomes even more entangles as she discovers that she is attracted to Josh, the man she hired. Hilarity ensues and in the tradition of good chick-lit everything turns out gloriously.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a pick-me-up!

[Lix Hewett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright written, would be fine if not for all the rampant internalized misogyny, boy delirium and weight obsession. I couldn't like or relate to the main character, no matter how hard I tried, because she was so horrible to other women and hard on herself in a way that came across as insignificant and self-righteous. The writer also insists on having every single female character have broken up with their exes because the guys cheated on them -- which comes across as a case of "women become unlikable if they break up with men unless they've done something unforgivable." Which they are not. The love interest is appealing enough, though at one point I started feeling bad for him because Sophy was so full of hatred, even if he wasn't aware of it. The book also walked around the potential taboo-ness of the premise by [SPOILER] having it turn out Josh was only working as an escort as a favor to a friend who ran the company Sophy called up, and didn't actually work as an escort at all [/SPOILER], which I get, I do, but which is also an enormous cop-out. (And I thought The Wedding Date, which is very loosely based on this, pulled it off, so clearly it's not an impossible plot point to handle.) Anyway, really don't recommend this book. Would go as far as to anti-recommending it, even.

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

So sometimes a girl graduates from her great books school and says to herself, "I want to read trash! I want to read mush! I want to read the kind of book that I can speed through without missing anything and I want to love it."

So I got "Asking for Trouble" for 99 cents at a thrift store and tucked into what turned out to be an awful, awful book. The protagonist spends half of the book talking about how fat she is and the other half of her time is spent lying to everyone...including herself. It was a super obnoxious read, which was only made worse by the fact that it ended with a billion completely unnecessary twists that had me rolling my eyes constantly.

I guess I will have to limit my trashy fiction to a different genre. Like quirk classics. I just know that I can't suffer through another 400 pages of "He thinks I'm desperate! I am such a fat cowwwww!"

[Pam Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Wedding Date Stars

Not like the movie...AT ALL..
I loved the movie so much I have watched it more times than I care to say without looking like a crazy person.

so when I had a few hours to kill I thought I would grab this book. It was not anything like I was expecting.

It's an OK book not one I would've seek out on my own. Not really memorable if I'm being honest.

it was just a good book to pass the time and that's OK not every book is going to be heart stopping or jaw-dropping right?

*You don't have to like my review but it's 100% my opinion, and I'm allowed to have it.*

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned about this book after watching The Wedding Date. The movie is very (and I do mean very) loosely based upon this book. So if you've seen the movie and don't think you want to read the book because you're expecting the same story, you're wrong. The only thing the two have in common is that the main character hires a man to be her boyfriend for her sister's wedding. Apart from that, the plot is completely different.

Sophy is pretty funny even if she talks about her "wobbly bits" a bit too often. She is the queen of digging herself into holes she can't quite get herself out of, such as creating a boyfriend to keep her mother off her back. I really enjoyed reading this and seeing how everything would turn out in the end. Elizabeth Young kept me guessing, and I had a hard time putting this one down.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always liked "Will and Grace" so I watched Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney in the romantic comedy called "The Wedding Date." The movie is based on this book -- or so the credits said. The book bears as much resemblance to the movie and F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story does to Brad Pitt's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Uh, not at all!

I say skip the book and watch the movie...something I RARELY say.

[Miriam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book fell flat and maybe that's my fault. After having watched 'The Wedding Date', I had high expectations for this and was really looking forward to reading it.

Sadly, it wasn't up to standards. The only reason I'm giving this two stars and not one is because the banter between Sophy and Josh was actually quite lovely.

Other than that, I didn't feel much chemistry between them. Josh felt more like a good friend than someone who you just couldn't wait to rip his clothes off.

[Ann Mat · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If you ask me, it's all these skinny models that make girls anorexic," she went on, to Auntie Barbara. "I can't think why they don't use real girls with a few curves."

[Susana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Presenting Sophy....




If you're in the mood for some british chick lit, then this book is for you. Have you read "Bridget Jones"?
Did you like it? If so, you're accostumed to female characters who are slightly neurotic, who see themselves as fat "cows"(her words, not mine)....and who see other women also as "cows", or "bitches". This book is of the same kind.
If you're expecting something along the lines (americanized ) of the movie, in that case, don't bother with this.

You know what i kept remembering throughout the book?
That character "bloke"(this word is used a lot along with taking a fag(smoking), loo(bathroom) and shagging...you know..) that appears on the movie Notting Hill. I think is name was Spike. And i kept remembering him, and Bridget Jones....him with his voice and his traits and her with her...many issues. So no, i really didn't enjoy this book's voice.
For me, the author tried too much to be funny, and failed completely.
I wanted to read this, because i really liked the movie, and i thought that it would be interesting "seeing the story" in a detailed fashion. Or so i was hoping.
Instead i got a bunch of characters who were just annoying as hell, bitching about their love lifes _or lack thereof _ while they drank, smoked and told an awfull pile of lies.
The writing was fluid, so if you like Jill Mansell, and like i mentioned earlier Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones" you'll probably gonna enjoy this.

[Anne Osterlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie has one of THOSE mothers.

The kind that want the best for you. As long as you want what they want. And as long they can brag about you to the competition. And the competition is fierce. Especially when your younger sister is getting married. And you don’t even have a date to the wedding.

So Sophie hires one.

Josh. Who she intends to break up with immediately after the wedding.

But it turns out it can be even more difficult to break up with someone you aren’t really dating than with someone you are.

I’ve wanted to read The Wedding Date—originally titled Asking For Trouble—ever since I saw the movie. The two share a concept rather than characters or storyline. But that actually made the book quite a bit of fun, because I had no idea what would happen. The London slang threw me for about fifty pages, but I found myself really enjoying Sophie and her hopeless knack for constantly digging herself in deeper. And deeper. And deeper. Trouble.

[coinppa ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Ponte una sonrisa en la cara. Adopta cierto aire de confianza. Ten aplomo, vaya.."

[Isabel Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

No ha estado tan mal como para darle solo 2 estrellas, pero como no me gustan las medias notas, le doy 3 de regalo, q vea q soy buena gente, especialmente un viernes en la tarde. Se supone q el argumento es de comedia, y sí, realmente hay algunos momentos q dan risa, pero no resultó taaan divertido como el libro anterior q leí de esta autora: "Este hombre promete, ya era hora".
En primer lugar, no me ha gustado demasiado el personaje femenino, xq Sophy plantea una joven con los peores vicios de una mujer ...de 16 años; y teniendo en cuenta q tiene casi 30, no la deja en un buen lugar. El peor defecto es definitivamente su mitomanía galopante, q pareciera ser la verdadera protagonista de la historia solo q en plan cómico, pero por alguna razón no le he encontrado tanta gracia el ir tirando mentiras a diestra y siniestra. Puedes plantear todas las justificaciones q quieras, pero incluso x hacer feliz a tu madre, una mentira es una mentira y daña más de lo q ayuda.
Luego viene la relación con Josh, tejida a partir de la mentira más grande, y q obviamente es bastante peliaguda solo x eso. Q ambos se gustan es obvio y q son una pareja hecha en el cielo, también; pero debido a las mentiras de Sophy y a las circunstancias en q se conocen, ambos están en terreno minado durante 3/4 partes de la trama; lo q hace q prácticamente toda su relación suene a falsa, cuando debería ser otra cosa. Pero además, es q esta chica tiene una baja moral de campeonato y se pasa haciéndose la película de terror cada 2x3 y encima armando barullos innecesarios solo para salvar la cara. Y se entiende xq carga toda una vida de ser la hermana fea, y luego resulta q la deja el novio x otra y justo la hermanita divina se viene a casar con el sueño húmedo de toda madre de clase media, obviamente la Sophy va a sentirse desplazada, y cierto grado de neurosis es entendible y disculplable; pero si ya llegaste al extremo de contratar algo q en muchas latitudes esta considerado el equivalente a un gigoló, al menos trata de mantener cierto grado de ecuanidad, pero no hubo y una se termina preguntando q clase de masoquista es Josh q le ha aguantado todas las q le ha aguantado.
Y para terminar, viene a salir la cuestión del triangulo amoroso q debió haber sido el clímax de la historia, pero q realmente ha resultado más bien soso; no ha tenido la verdadera fuerza q debió tener. Y es q no te puedes pasar siendo una neurótica mentirosa durante 3/4 de libro para luego terminar totalmente tibia con la historia q se montaron tu hermanita y el novio q te plantó.
Si pusiste a parir a Josh x mucho menos, tu hermana y los padres desconsiderados q la han criado se mercían mínimamente un tercer grado y no te digo q se merecía el novio q te plantó xq la instigación al homicidio esta penalizado en varios países.
Cuestión q el libro prometía mucho, y ha cumplido pero solo a medias. Entretiene, q no divierte. Y gusta, pero no encanta. Si le doy 3 estrellas es solo xq lo único rescatable de toda la novela es Josh, simplemente xq se portó como un señor durante toda la trama...y xq resultó ser un ex SAS y me pueden los de las fuerzas especiales de cualquier país.

[JillRock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A million times better than the movie (The Wedding Date)! This book is hilarious! I love how Elizabeth Young's characters are always getting themselves into impossible situations -- too funny. The movie changed quite a bit, and in my opinion was not good.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did eventually get into this book but it took a long time. I never got to the point where I liked the protaganist, she was kind of a spineless neurotic, guilt-driven compulsive liar. Plus I thought the plot was kind of crowded, too many unnecessary characters and the dialogue was overdone. Meaning the author was clever with dialogue but a little too clever, some of it came across as forced.

Good book though, well written. Just not one of my favorites. Ah, but if you're really into British chick lit, I'd say have a go at this one.

[yare · Rating 4 out of 5]

sophy feels like such a real person, and i've never felt this way really for any character i've read about. like yeah half of her antics were cringe-worthy to all hell and she jumped to conclusions and was delusional but it was also so fun to watch how she navigated those things.

there are little things that i didn't like, but overall this was such a good book to get back into reading and i kinda love josh and sophy now

[Julia Dolinish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aggressively British at some points and you can tell it’s of the time with all the weight talk BUT it also gives me Bridget Jones Diary Vibes so it was a fun time. The twist at the end was worth it.

[Vevine Goldson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've started this book three times but it was after the third time I decided that I was going to carry on reading, and was glad that I did. Asking for trouble is deserving of its title,it's exactly that(asking for trouble). There's light humour as you begin to mesh with the characters and little twists when the lead person in the story tries to comfort her nosy mother with white lies that Sophy never imagined would become reality,when she hired a male escort to play the part of a devout boyfriend. Definitely a summer novel,cheeky and full of little giggles.

[Ice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going to say anything like how it pleased be in the literary sense or whatnot, because really, for books like these, it's all about how they make you feel and whether you laughed and cried in the moments when the author intended for you to. This book delivered on that front, but beyond that, I really liked how, despite the ridiculous set-up and frustratingly inane characters, they still managed to feel so real. The overbearing mother hurrying her children off to marriage (not unlike Mrs. Bennett whom we all know and love to hate), the perfect beautiful sibling who can't do wrong (or can't seem to incur wrath when she does wrong), sympathetic, well-meaning but crazy friends all leading a woman at the end of her wits to compulsively lie and pass off fantasy as reality. What, for me, grounded the story and made it feel real the most was frustration, the teeth-grinding behind every silence and spaces between the words that are all coming out wrong and not at all what you mean to say but wouldn't be caught dead saying, all the pretending to not give a damn so you can maintain your bravado among your friends when you're crumbling inside. And when all goes to hell, it's the loosening of the cork and rushing out of all those little truths caught between and behind all the lies.
This will probably not set the best example for children and other women out there (despite the compulsive lying lies her happy ending--I mean, I wonder how many guys can actually stand a girl that crazy and obsessed with her weight), but as all fiction are, this tells us there is hope for us despite all our crazy moments. :)

[Ryann Uden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny British romp (ala Bridget Jones) this novel stars Sophy Metcalfe, a thirty-something woman who invents the perfect boyfriend to keep her mother off her back. Unfortunately, when her sister's wedding comes along her mother forces her hand and Sophy decides to hire an escort to help her get through the wedding weekend (instead of telling the truth, of course). When she begins to fancy the escort, she tells herself to curb her feelings...but what if he feels the same?

Sound familiar? This is the novel the movie "Wedding Date" was based on (starring Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney).

I really enjoyed this book and laughed out loud several times. The outlandish predicaments Sophy would get herself into cracked me up. The story wasn't predictable, even after seeing the movie. This one is well worth tracking down.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The film The Wedding Date is one of my favourite rom-coms, and I've seen it a few times. I'd been meaning to check out the book it was based on for some time, and finally got around to it recently - so glad I did! It was a very fun, smart, satisfying chick-lit; Liz Young is now on par with Sophie Kinsella in my library. :) I like how Sophy was actually pretty and confident about herself - it IS possible to know you're pretty enough to turn heads, and still be terribly self-conscious and insecure about your extra "bits", people!

Recommended for the Janet Evanovich and Sophie Kinsella fans. :)

[Dalimar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Siempre he tenido quejas de las peliculas que fillman inspiradas de alguna manera en un libro. Digo inspiradas ya que en la mayor parte de las ocasiones la historia es parecida al libro,mas no resulta tal cual la historia.Siempre hay algunos cambios.En este caso es igual,con la diferencia de que The wedding date protagonizada por Debra Messing y Dermont Mulroney es por mucho mejor que el libro. Un caso rarisimo por mi nunca antes ni visto,ni leído.

Este libro es demacido soso,lento y aburrido. Eso sin mencionar lo fastidiosa que se me hacia Sophie de estarse quejandose cada 2 párrafos de su peso y figura. Con toda honestidad,éste libro no se lo recomiendo a nadie.

[Manne Necker · Rating 4 out of 5]

¡Oh, Dios! Si, vi The Wedding date hace muuuucho tiempo, y a pesar que me apunté este libro de inmediato, lo olvidé hasta ahora. ¡Me ha encantado! Aunque la película no se parece mucho al libro, el libro me cautivó, es que Josh es extremadamente adorable, exquisito, divertido, simplemente perfecto. Y por supuesto Sophy no se queda atrás, está de remate y me hizo mucho reír. Excelentes personajes, divertida trama y me dejó con gusto a poco... a muy poco...

[Mary Pessaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the comments that said this book was so much better than the movie "The Wedding Date," and I heartily agree. Josh, the hired escort, was truly one of my favorite male characters in chick literature. Funny, sarcastic, nice but not too over the top for Sophie. The book has quite a bit of English slang, so sometimes, I had to stop and think about the meanings.

A fun read.

[Brittany Linman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this because The Wedding Date was one of my favorite rom-coms when I was growing up (I was 10 when it came out). Would not recommend this book to anyone, especially those who enjoy the movie that is VERY loosely based on this.

[Jacqueline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Me pareció muy malo, llegué como a la mitad y realmente ya no puede más

[LR 135 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would give it a zero but since that's not possible I'll give it 1

[Myndee Albers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed the movie, “Wedding Date” every time I watched it.
However, the novel, far exceeds the onscreen version. It is much funnier and the character development is much richer than the movie version. The British vernacular is spot on. Some of which I had to bring out the dictionary.
I laughed with trembling shoulders through most of it while keeping in mind that a poor self image can have crippling effects on people.
This original work is by far more engaging than the American movie version.
Definitely worth a read!

[Plum-crazy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun...good honest chick-lit!

I've watched "The Wedding Date" - which is based on this book - countless times. The only thing they really have in common is a girl hiring an escort for a wedding...nevertheless both are well worth a look.

[Cintya Larasinta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cih, tokoh utamanya menyebalkan! adiknya juga lebih menyebalkan lagi.