Book Review: Last Chance Saloon

Author: Marian Keyes
Title: Last Chance Saloon
Publisher: Avon Books
Publish Date: May 2, 2002
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Ever since legwarmers were cool, best friends Tara, Katherine, and Fintan have survived small-town ennui, big-city heartbreak, and endless giddy nights out on the town. But now that they've graduated to their slightly more serious thirties, only Fintan has what can honestly be called a "love life." With Tara struggling daily with her eternal diet—and her dreadful, penny-pinching boyfriend—and Katherine keeping her single existence as organized as her drawer full of matching bra and panty sets, it seems they'll never locate the exit door out of the "last chance saloon."

But it's always when you are least ready for change that fate insists on one. And when catastrophe inevitably follows crisis, the lives of three best friends are sure to change in unexpected ways . . . and not necessarily for the worse.

Review:  I had wanted to read a book by Marian Keyes for ages. I love chick lit and I love it when those stories are set in the UK.

This book however was a trial to read.

Seriously, chick lit should not top 500 pages, unless the plot is super exciting and fun.

This one wasn't.

Here's why this book was such a hard read.

90% of the characters were unlikable.

Tara, a miserable woman who has to have a man, even one that is totally nasty, who treats here and all her friends like crap. Lady, there was no reason to stay in this relationship.

Katherine, who seems to have it together, but is really scared to get involved.

Liv, who was having an affair with a married man, who is barely there in this story.

Then their's Fintan, their token gay friend. He's the one you like, until plot twist, he gets deathly ill and his personality undergoes a complete change.

Most of the time I was frustrated with all of the characters. It was only when Fintan got sick that they showed any real emotions that were close to kindness and loyalty

I give Tara some credit at the end for trying to get her life together. Katherine...my mind boggles at the plot twist at the end of the book that made no sense at all.

I thought this was going to be a somewhat fun book about friends, but it was often depressing and it angered me more often then not.

I can deal with stories where you have characters you don't necessarily like or identify with, but this went beyond that.

If it weren't for Fintan and his boyfriend and family I probably would have given up on this book, and that's something I hate to do.

Rating: 3 flowers