Linda Yellin

This is the first novel I have read by Linda Yellin and after finishing it quickly snatched up The Last Blind Date. Yellin has a way with words and I quickly find myself identifying and loving the character of Molly Hallberg.

Molly is 39 years old with one divorce under her belt and is in a relationship with a bland (but nice) guy. Writing about all of the crazy things she has done in New York she is thrown for a loop when her latest writing assignment is to write about romance in the style of Nora Ephron. Molly goes about it in a haphazard way and meets an up and coming writer and despite his attentions is sure that he is just a sham and really doesn't believe in love conquers all.

I have to say that Molly's voice in this novel is outstanding. She is definitely someone I want to hang out with. Her inability to see that she is Meg Ryan and her boyfriend is Bill Pullman (Paxton, whomever) and that she herself needs that great big love to wake her life up is great. We get to see her slowly starting to see what Nora Ephron's movies mean to women and to herself.

This book caused me to also go and re-watch Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and When Harry Met Sally all over again.

There is honestly nothing I can critique in this novel and would definitely recommend it!… (más)

4.5 stars.

Linda Yellin's What Nora Knew is a fresh, funny romantic comedy that is full of engaging characters. A bit of a madcap adventure, a touch of quirkiness and a distintive storyline are a winning combination in this fast-paced and compelling story.

Writer Molly Hallberg handles all of the zany writing assignments thrown her way with lots of enthusiasm. But her latest human interest story presents a big challenge for her-she is tasked with writing an article about finding your soul mate and living happily ever after. Divorced, romantically challenged and in a comfortable (but sparkless) relationship with chiropractor Russell Edley, Molly sets off on her latest venture to uncover the truth about romance and happily ever after.

I absolutely adored Molly. She is jaded and cynical about love and relationships but she never quite gives up on finding Mr. Right. She closely guards her heart and settles for perfectly nice, safe boyfriends. As she researches her true love article, Molly is quite contemplative of her own love life and she discovers some uncomfortable truths about herself. But it is her introduction to bestselling mystery writer Cameron Duncan that really tests some of her long held beliefs and she has to decide if she is willing to risk her heart.

Molly's approach to her approach to her career is anything but safe. She throws herself wholeheartedly into whatever goofy assignment comes her way no matter how outlandish or dangerous. Of course she does so in hopes of finally getting her own column (complete with headshot) and despite her requests being shot down time and again, Molly never gives up trying to convince her boss to give her chance.

For much of the story, Molly is enmeshed in a lackluster relationship with Russell. She become less and less enchanted with him as she works on her story but she finds it difficult to leave someone who really has nothing wrong with him. All of her friends and family keep telling her he isn't the man for her, but Molly is not yet ready to concede their assessment might be valid.

Keeping Russell in her life is a pretty handy excuse for Molly not to get involved with Cameron. Although she is pretty disdainful of Cameron in general she cannot help being drawn to him. Their paths continue to cross at fairly regular intervals and their exchanges are flirty and full of witty banter but Molly remains suspicious of his motives.

Molly is full of self-deprecating humor and she is an easy heroine to root for. She has an excellent support system and her scenes with her family and friends provide many of the novel's laugh out loud moments. Interspersed with the snarky and sarcastic comments are some very poignant observations that are thought-provoking. The romance part of the storyline is very understated and in true movie fashion, the biggest and most touching scene occurs late in the story.

What Nora Knew is a light-hearted breezy story and the overall plotline plays out like a romantic comedy movie. Linda Yellin relies heavily on Nora Ephron movie references, but they never overshadow the main story. This wonderfully written story is warm, witty and an all around fabulous read that is unique and different. I loved everything about it and heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary romances.
… (más)

I thought that this was a good read. I have had a copy of this book for years but for one reason or another just never got started with it. I decided that it was time to dust it off and give it a try and found it rather amusing. I do have to say that I am probably not the target audience for this book. I am the right age to have seen quite a few of Nora Ephron's movies, which I have, but with the exception of When Harry Met Sally I found them to be only mildly entertaining and not something I would feel the need to revisit. There are a lot of Nora Ephron references in this book which really didn't do anything for me. I still found this to be a very pleasant way to spend a few hours.

The book opens with Molly meeting her eventual ex-husband. After a quick introduction, the book picks up with divorced Molly working at an online magazine. Molly is in a relationship with Russell who might be slightly boring but they are comfortable with each other. Her friends really wish that Molly would give up on Russell and look for someone who will bring some passion to her life and really be the one. When Molly is given an assignment at work to write about love as Nora Ephron would, she has to examine her own life.

I liked Molly and found her to be funny at times. A lot of the book is spent in Molly's head as she thinks through her assignment and her life. It really made sense that she wasn't eager to take a big risk in regards to romance since her former husband really took advantage of her trust. Molly wanted to find a passionate relationship but she found herself making choices with lower risks instead.

Unfortunately, not a whole lot happens in this book. The romance in the story doesn't get going until the very end of the book. I understand that this was really more about Molly's journey but I would have loved to see just a bit more of her life as she takes some risks. I found this book to be only mildly funny. It was amusing but there was nothing that brought on actual laughter or stayed with me.

I found this to be a nice quick read that I am glad I finally decided to pick up. Fans of Nora Ephron's work will enjoy all of the references to her books and movies worked into the story. I would not hesitate to read more from Linda Yellin in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via NetGalley.… (más)