Review: Mad Love

Mad Love

By Suzanne Selfors

Publication date: January 4, 2011

My review:

Alice Amorous is having a stressful summer. Her mother Belinda Amorous is a famous romance novelist who is secretly being treated at a mental hospital. To keep the public from finding out, Alice tells everyone that Belinda is overseas researching her next book. Meanwhile Alice finds out that her mother has a book due to the publisher by the end of the summer or she will have to repay the $100,000 advance money. Now Alice has come up with a last ditch attempt to save them: she will write the book herself. After years of reading her mom's books, how hard can it be to write her own? Of course things aren't that easy and life is made more complicated when she meets Errol, a young man who wants her to write his love story. At first Alice refuses but then strange things start to happen. Could Errol really be Cupid, like he says he is or is she losing her mind too?

Mad Love is a  funny and at times touching story filled with quirky characters and just a dash of romance. Alice is a likeable protagonist. She doesn't always make the best decisions but she has had to deal with some difficult circumstances. Her neighbors are lovable, especially Mrs. Bobot and Archibald. It is the side characters and their relationship with Alice that make this book so enjoyable. Even Realm, Mrs. Bobot's sullen teenage granddaughter, has something positive to contribute. The romance with Tony is sweet but does not take over the emphasis of the book. The title may suggest this is a romance-laden book but it is not. Instead the love that takes center stage is that of Alice, her mom, and her makeshift family.

Errol's story about his relationship with Psyche is sad but because of the way it is told, there is a sense of detachment that lessens the impact. I thought the magical aspect detracted from the plot in a way. It was funny at first to see how characters reacted to being hit by Cupid's dart but then it quickly became annoying. For those who choose to look past the cheesy factor however, there is a moving story here about the importance of being open to love in all its forms. I would suggest Mad Love to those who enjoy YA chick lit. It would make a fun beach read.

Readalikes: The Espressologist by Kristina Springer, Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs, The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper, My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day, A Field Guide for Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy, For Keeps by Natasha Friend, Wish by Alexandra Bullen 

Note: Special thanks to Amelia at Imagination in Focus for the opportunity to read and review this book!