SOLVED. Literary fiction, romantic plot, has the word "Greek" in the title (used ironically), published about 2008? Opens with scene on an airplane and character reading Magic Mountain. [s]

[Jay]

Driving me crazy. I read this book -- it was a new release, reviewed in the New York Times. It was a funny romance, reviewed as surprisingly sweet by contemporary standards. The male lead character was sort of hapless, and there were misunderstandings and screwball things, but it had a very sentimental heart and a traditional ending where man and woman end up together. Seems like it opens with a scene on an airplane where one of them is reading Magic Mountain, and it's the other one's favorite book.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Beginner's Greek

"Peter Russell is a deeply romantic guy who believes the woman of his dreams is destined to sit next to him on an airplane. Holly is a pretty, strawberry blonde woman who reads Thomas Mann for pleasure. As Pete sits next to her, he falls deeply in love, and asks for her telephone number. Later that night in his hotel room, he discovers that the page from her book that contained her telephone number is gone."

Search:
Advanced search in worldcat.org: Search results for 'kw:greek' > '2006..2010' > 'Book' > 'Fiction' > 'English' > 'Non-Juvenile'

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

(Why would you read Thomas Mann, except for pleasure?)

[Jay]

Boom. That was awesome. That's what it was. Looks like it was that author's first and only novel. Hmm.