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A young woman is forced to decide for herself just who she wants to be--and who she wants, period--in this "high-spirited and inventive" witty romance (The Daily Telegraph). Poppy Carew is at a crossroads. Her longtime boyfriend, Edmund Platt, has just left her. Her father has just passed away, leaving her a substantial sum of money he made betting on the ponies. And the undertaker for the funeral is showing an alarming amount of interest in her, as is a local farmer and a would-be author. In all, Poppy is having a strange time of it. When her father's funeral ends with Poppy being whisked off to North Africa by Edmund--who wants her back--Poppy realizes that she must finally take charge of her life and sort through the inheritance, the suitors, and her own flighty feelings, or risk being adrift for good. Wesley's winking look at female independence, family ties, infatuation, and love is a "fast and surprising" ride peopled with remarkable characters and unforgettably hilarious situations, proving that Wesley is a genius when it comes to smart romantic comedy (The Times Literary Supplement).… (more)
User reviews
He leaves her more money than she expected and a note:
"Poppy love,
1. Never lend, give.
2. Never marry unless you are certain sure you cannot live without the
3. Don't be afraid to back outsiders.
Love, Dad"
Edmund, Poppy's abusive boyfriend has just broken up with her, because he has found someone with more money. When her father finds out, he dies laughing---literally. Poppy soon meets Fergus of Furnival's Fun Funerals---her father saw their ad and likes the name (which was a typo---it should have been "fine" not "fun"); Victor, Fergus' cousin, who saves a trout in a fish store by relocating it to Fergus' stream and has written a tragedy about his marriage which a publisher thinks it is very funny; and Willy, who falls in love at first sight of Poppy. Edmund is reminiscent of Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility, only meaner and probably dumber. Poppy also discovers that he is not a great, or even good, lover. There is a disturbing scene in an unnamed North African country; in fact that part of the story threatens to be much dangerous than it is. There is also a lucky coincidence, but I figure a story is entitled to one of these.
A romance novel about how much easier it is to fall in love/lust with someone unknown, who it's easier to project onto, than maintain love with someone known.
"When you saw me in church you did not know me, we had not spoken, you could not know you loved me. It
The four couples pair off in a predictable manner, with the primary female character remaining a cipher to the end.
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incorrect cover