Review: Good in Bed

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner is one of those books that you hear about for years and say, “I'll get around to it.” I finally did, and for the most part, it was entertaining and enlightening.

Cannie is a smart, self-sufficient woman in Philly. She's just requested a break from her boyfriend Bruce when her life starts to turn upside down. Add on to that, she knows that she's considered a larger woman (which, in today's standards, is probably more average than large). If she gives up Bruce for good, will she ever find love again?

What I immediately noticed about this book is that it feels dated—and not in a classic sense, but more in a “that was really 15 years ago?!” sense. Some of the dated references in the book made me giggle (such as “poking away at one of those hand-held e-mail readers” ; “sparkling butterfly clips” and “watching a rerun of Total Request Live on MTV”). But I also think this book is a little dated when it comes to attitudes about body image and size. As a woman, I know that body image is a constant worry (especially for us single gals) but with this more connected world we have fifteen years later, it is much less of a concern for finding love, but still has the same urgency and concern when it comes to comparing ourselves to other women.

This novel touches on a wide range of subjects, but even towards the end when things start to come together for Cannie, she sort of ruins the feel-good moments by still bringing up her body. There's more to life than what you look like, and although this book tried to bridge that gap, the idea of an imperfect body was always front and center.

Overall, this book didn't disappoint—although it took me a long time to get around to it, it was worth the wait.

*Received a copy of this book from NetGalley


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