Lindsey Paley book review, The Crazy Pursuit of Love

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From the Publisher:

Or ‘Lydia’s Lessons in Love’ - a round-the-world jaunt to find the secrets of love.

Ditched by her husband and her boss, desolate at her impending divorce, Lydia Chambers is challenged by her friend, Professor Rachel Denton, to travel the world in search of answers to the age-old question - ‘What is love, anyway?’- for a research project.

Her friends, Hollie and Jasper, demand that she sends home regular bulletins for them to put into practice in their ailing love lives. And so, Lydia’s crazy global pursuit of ‘Lessons in Love’ is born.

First up is Malta, the golden-hued museum of the Mediterranean, where she meets gorgeous Niko. Does she fall it love? She sends home her first ‘lessons in love’ for her friends’ delectation.

Next is a trip to the tropical paradise of Hawai’i, where surfer and firefighter, Steve, sends her heart soaring amongst the surf-boards of Waikiki Beach. More ‘lessons in love’ follow for Hollie and Jasper to mull over.

Then on to Singapore, Gateway to the Orient, where Lydia samples the delights of south east Asian cuisine with her friend Elliot, head chef at a luxury hotel, and she discovers more bulletins to dispatch home.

Denmark tops the Happiness Index in Europe - so why does it boast the highest divorce rate? Does divorce make people happy? Perhaps Prof. Peter Andersen can help Lydia unravel the mystery.

Finally, the capital city of love and romance, Paris. What will she learn amongst the palaces and bridges of the City of Light?

Find out what Lydia learned from her ‘lessons in love’ in 'The Crazy Pursuit of Love’. 

My review:

Paley's story of marriage gone awry is a master sentiment of the institution in the 21st century. Witty, absolutely charming, breath-taking and delicious, Paley's fiction may read like a tongue in cheek whirlwind tour of what makes marriage work in the modern world, and what makes it unwind, but I think she's scored a major truth.

Empathetic to a fault divorce attorney Lydia is way too good at what she does. The only really surprised by her husband's petition for divorce is...no one. Not even Lydia. Saved by the deep love of a friend from going insane during a forced six-month sabbatical, Lydia jets off, extremely reluctantly, to help Rachel on a research project about what makes marriage work in different environments around the world. Met and nurtured by carefully placed chums in exotic locations, Lydia is forced to examine marriage in all kinds of situations, the good, the bad, and the ugly, to realize and heal from her mistakes, and reevaluate her priorities. Taking a good look at the life she was hiding from, including a fancy apartment she was never home long enough to enjoy, is a good start.

What makes a perfect mate? Why and how to stay together for life? Is it possible, and who can do that? With her reputation shredding at the hands of a back-stabbing partner, and no support from the company she gave herself to for a decade, Lydia challenges herself and her friends to answer those questions. Lydia's always had what she needed within her grasp, as she applies her specific lessons to the success stories to test her theories. Is it too late to use the lessons she's uncovered for herself?

Told in third person mostly from Lydia’s point of view with a few scenes from her husband and occasional friends, Paley’s very British style of story-telling is a virtual tour of romantic places. Filled with food and cultural details, the reader sits next to Lydia as she begins to break down the rigid layer of “busy-useful” she built around herself. An excellent read for those who enjoy travel and intellectual characters in situations of self-examination.

Meet Lindsey Paley, author of Stiletto Heels or Bicycle Wheels? and Recipe

About the Book

Stiletto Heels or Bicycle Wheels?

When stressed out New York executive Rosie Hamilton inherits her Aunt Bernice’s run-down cottage, it couldn’t have come at a better time. With her love life, if she could call it that, exploded in her face and suspension from her job swinging through the corporate jungle, she reckons a couple weeks in Devon could be just the escape she needs from the glamorous, yet trauma-strewn landscape of her life in Manhattan.

But life hidden away in the thatched lodge is dull and how can she contemplate tackling the jungle of a garden in her Louboutins and Armani skirt suit? Rosie, uncomfortable with the invasion of privacy masquerading as community spirit, yearns to return to her old life of social indifference, until she stumbles upon her aunt’s old, hand-illustrated recipe book .With no other activity to occupy her time, she bakes, bakes, bakes as if her life depends on it. With no form of transport either, Rosie takes to the road on Bernice’s ancient bicycle, warm Devonshire scones in the wicket basket up front.

She even has time to date! Austin, her aunt’s handsome, sharp-suited solicitor, is straight from her New York wish list of boyfriend material; and Charlie, the local luxury Spa Hotel’s general maintenance guy, definitely not her type, irritatingly chirpy and lacking in life’s ambition.

With recipes from Aunt Bernice’s own baking book for you to try at home; Corporate Manhattan or rural Devon? Austin or Charlie? Stiletto Heels or Bicycles Wheels? Which would you choose?

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3.99 ebook

Lindsey says:

What I most love about the story is that love and romance can be found when, where and with whom you least expect it. Rosie's life in NYC is so hectic that she has no time for love or relationships, but even when there is an enforced change of pace, it takes her some time to realise that happiness can be found in the most unexpected of places. 

I have always had a herb garden in my back garden. Every recipe in the novel has been tried and tested and, like Rosie in the novel, they didn't always work out first time. But if at first you don't succeed......! And I think that adage can be a writer's resolution, that despite the hurtful rejections and criticisms of our work we all encounter, we must keep on trying, again and again.

I hope every reader of Stiletto Heels will feel an affinity with the character of Rosie, maybe see a little of themselves in her, particularly her desire to make everyone happy, sometimes at her own expense. Of course, I also hope they thoroughly enjoy the heart-warming story with an uplifting message and happy ending

One of the fun things about the novel is that Rosie delves into her Aunt Bernice's illustrated recipe book and attempts to recreate her recipes with varying degrees of success. My favourite recipe is for Lavender Shortbread. It has a deliciously subtle aroma of lavender. Here it is - if you decide to try it out - it would be awesome if you posted a photo of the finished product to my author page. 

(NOTE FROM LISA: While Lindsey is DELIGHTFULLY British, I've Americanized some of her terms, and added the equivalents to the recipe in case you want to try it---WHICH I WILL because I have Lavender Sugar from Canada I bought last summer!!!)

RECIPE

Aunt Bernice’s Lavender Shortbread

Ingredients

(1 cup) 200g softened, unsalted butter

(1/2 cup) 100g lavender sugar

(1 1/2 cup) 200g plain flour, sieved

(3/4 cup) 100g semolina (flour)

Instructions

Beat the butter until smooth, then add the lavender sugar and mix until incorporated. Mix in the flour and the semolina until a dough is formed. Knead very lightly. Try not to overwork. Roll gently and cut out 5 cm (2 inch) rounds. Place on a greased baking tray and chill for an hour. Bake in a preheated oven, Gas Mark 4 for 25-30 mins, taking care not to overbake, like Rosie did. Leave to cool before transferring to a wire rack. Sprinkle with lavender sugar, or if you wish, lavender petals.

Home-made lavender sugar is easy to make. Wrap a tablespoon of fresh lavender flowers in muslin and tie securely. Place into a sealed jar with 500g of caster sugar (Lisa says: 2 1/2 cups - we talked about this in the group: caster sugar is ground granulated sugar-not quite powdered sugar quality. I make mine in a little coffee grinder; others in a food processor or grinder). Shake daily and after a week the lavender aroma will have permeated the sugar. Discard the muslin bag and the sugar is ready for use.

About Lindsey Paley

Lindsey Paley grew up in Yorkshire, UK. She relocated to Newcastle Upon Tyne in the North East of England where she lives with her husband and young son and as many books as she can cram into the four corners of her spare bedroom.

An avid baker, with a willing family and neighbours as tasters, when she is not scrutinising her fellow human beings for ideas for her next novel, she is to be found perfecting her swing on the golf course – a hopelessly over-optimistic ambition.

Stiletto Heels or Bicycle Wheels? – which would you choose? is Lindsey’s latest romantic comedy. Her first two – The Wish List Addiction and Ugly Paradise are under contract with Prism Book Group and due to be published in 2014. She is currently hard at work on her next novel – The Wedding Yarn.