I will marry George Clooney(by Christmas) - Tracy Bloom

I Will Marry George Clooney by Tracy Bloom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Slogging her guts out in a chicken factory, whilst single-handedly bringing up a teenager who hates her, is far from the life that 36-year-old Michelle had planned.

But marrying the most eligible man on the planet by Christmas could change all that, couldn’t it? 

Sometimes your only option is to dream the impossible - because you never know where it might take you…

Motored through this book, it actually only took me two days to finish it. Incredibly unlikely story line but with Tracy Bloom's natural gift at comedy writing it was a really easy read which had good laugh aloud moments.

The story is about Michelle a single mother with a teenage daughter who has long since given up her dreams and ambitions and who works in a dead end job in a chicken factory. During an argument with her daughter Josie she foolishly says that if she manages to marry George Clooney by Christmas then her daughter has to agree to give up her no hoper of a boyfriend Sean and ideas of quitting school and make something of her life. Josie readily agrees assuming her mother has lost the plot and since there is no chance she can make this happen Josie believes she has already won the bet.

Although we know it is a stupid story line its told in such an engaging and funny way that you almost want it to happen for her and you're driven on to the end to see how this can possibly end happily for Michelle.

Michelle is an endearing character, she's hard working with a daughter who appears self centered and unappreciative and she has made sacrifices to give her a good life and the chance to make something of herself. When she sees her daughter ready to throw away everything for a boy Michelle has to do something to stop her hence this wacky idea of marrying George Clooney. Once having made the statement she confides in her work friends Gina and Daz who join together to help her make it happen (or not).

We also learn a lot more about Michelle and her relationship with her own mother as well as her relationship with Josie her daughter, they have a strange parallel. Michelle can't quite match up to her sister Jane (who tragically died) in her mother Kathleen's eyes, and she can't quite be the mother that Josie wants her to be either. Josie is frustrated that her mother has never revealed who her father is and Michelle is constantly being compared to her dead sister and reminded what a failure she is. The appearance of a face from the past also spurs Michelle on to prove to her daughter that you are in charge of your own destiny and following your dreams is always worth while.

Good laugh out loud moments, identifiable characters and a satisfactory ending - all you can ask from a read. Would rate this one 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for good reads and Amazon.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.