Star Audio Book Review - If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster, Read by Jaime Heinlein

Jen Lancaster is the reining queen of chick lit comedy in my book and she’s back again, this time tackling fiction in her latest novel, If You Were Here. I love listening to Jen Lancaster’s books so much more so than reading them, and I was not disappointed with this one. Teaming up with veteran narrator of Bitter in Black, Pretty in Plaid and My Fair Lazy, Jaime Heinlein packs a punch in this audio book with the trademark bitter humor and sarcastic wit, I’ve come to expect from all of Jen Lancaster’s works.

If You Were Here reads like an HGTV special with a blast back to the 80s, specifically, in the times of John Hughes’ movie madness. Mia and Mac (Jen and Fletch?) look forward to buying a home of their own in the suburbs of Chicago. Tiresome days of house hunting seem to lead nowhere until they walk into a familiar looking home. Sure enough, the gorgeous mini-McMansion is none other than the fictional home of High School Hunk, Jake Ryan, the object of Molly Ringwald’s affection in the John Hughes hit, Sixteen Candles. Mia cannot turn down the opportunity to tell all her friends about her famous abode, and she and Mac make a substantial offer. Little do they know upon signing, however, the glamorous house requires more than a little TLC and so begins their adventures in contracts and construction.

Jake Ryan's house in the suburbs of Chicago
from the 80s John Hughes movie, Sixteen Candles

If You Were Here is one hilarious vignette after another, with crazy neighbors, colorful carpenters and laborers, a farm-ful of pets and of course, the wacky couple themselves, Mia and Mac. Listeners get a front row seat to Mia and Mac’s dreams of owning their own home. If you’ve listened to (or read) Jen Lancaster’s previous autobiographies, you may find, like I did, that it can be difficult to separate the fictional couple from that of real-world hubby and wife, Jen and Fletch; but regardless, with Jaime Heinlein’s vociferous voiceover and Jen Lancaster’s signature sarcasm, Mia’s personality and humor is difficult to separate from that of the queen of sarcasm herself but still I was kept laughing out loud all the way through.

3 STARS

          

For more Jen Lancaster, visit her hilarious blog at http://www.jennsylvania.com/

If You Were Here brought up memories of the Brat Pack and 80’s movies like Sixteen Candles so I thought I’d continue reminiscing about some of my favorite 80’s flicks:

 Favorite 80s Chick Flicks

1.                  Dirty Dancing

2.                 16 Candles

3.                 The Breakfast Club

4.                 Pretty in Pink

5.                 The Princess Bride

6.                 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

7.                 Heathers

8.                 Adventures in Babysitting

9.                 St. Elmo’s Fire

10.             Say Anything

What was your favorite 80s Chick Flick??