Book Review : I Never Fancied Him Anyway by Claudia Carroll

Title : I Never Fancied Him Anyway
Author : Claudia Carroll
Publication date : 22nd September 2009 (Originally published in 2007 in the UK)
Publisher : Avon (Harper)
Source : Purchased

Cassandra can see the future with 100% accuracy . . . for everybody except herself.
Ever since Cassandra was a little girl, she's had a remarkable psychic gift. Now a successful columnist for a weekly magazine, she predicts the future with uncanny precision. And thanks to her stunning co-worker Charlene—and the latest love of Charlene's life, hot television producer Jack—Cassandra's moving up . . . to daytime TV!

The trouble is, whenever Jack's around, the hapless seer's second sight goes dim—something that always seems to happen when a desirable single male is around. But despite a truly abysmal dating record, she believes Jack is the one for her . . . though Charlene might strongly disagree. Is true love or outrageous catastrophe right around the corner? Cassandra doesn't have a clue. But it seems even being able to foretell the future can't protect her from what destiny has in store . . . and sometimes fate won't allow you to look before you love.

Delightfully warm, odd, and unforgettable, Claudia Carroll's I Never Fancied Him Anyway is a quirky and hilarious story of seeing . . . and believing.

I've heard of Claudia Carroll years ago, not that she's terribly old and very good, like Maeve Binchy (God bless her soul, the talent the lady has), but I don't know. Maybe it was my obsession for Sophie Kinsella at the time that there were any other chick lit authors out there.. Or maybe her books are available in my shitty country. Either way, I blame the latter.

Anyway, 2 weeks ago, my best friend and I went for BookFest, an absolutely amazing book convention in KL, and I got 8 books (mostly hardbacks!) for only RM120. Blimey, eh? And amidst the throngs of book lovers and aficionados, I spotted Claudia's I Never Fancied Him Anyway, and I knew I had to have it. I started on it immediately after finishing Destined to Play. And trust me, I loved it.

Have you ever read a book so good that it constantly reminds you of good times? A book so good it stays in your mind after reading it for days, weeks, months even years? Well, those were the things I experienced from reading Claudia Carroll's I Never Fancied Him Anyway. I loved every page and it was very entertaining and light. I found it immensely captivating and the thought of reading it again makes me giddy!

The book follows Cassandra or Cassie, a psychic with the ability to predict the future, but it's not something she can do easily. Her ability to predict love lives and wedding bells isn't something she can control. Let's say, they come "naturally". Cassie is a columnist for Tattle magazine, advising her readers on their problems and solving them with "flashes" she gets. I have to say, I really adored Cassie. She was such a sweet, darling character. Soft spoken, kind and polite, I guess she's the image of the author herself, as Claudia is a very lovely person. Back to the book, I really enjoyed the book as the narration of the story by Cassie was really exciting as I was keen on discovering the flashes! The being for her being a psychic was.. her predictions are ALWAYS right and she'll have flashes of her unsuccessful relationships. And I loved most about her was the phrase she used to brush off the heartbreak, "I never fancied him anyway".

The characters in the book were fantastic! The gang of very different single people in the book - Cassie, Jo, Charlene and Marc with a C, were an absolute joy to read about. There was Jo, Cassie's best friend with strong principles in life and very straightforward. But when a problem arises, you can count on Jo! Charlene on the other hand is your typical drama queen/spoilt princess, also known as the Tipsy Queen (fabulous nickname by Jo!). Charlene was a really hilarious character, what with her disastrous love life and rather shallow insights in life. And lastly, Marc with a C. Unique name and out of this world personality, well of course because he's gay and totally lovable! And behold sexy in the form of Jack Hamilton, ah.. This delicious Irish hunk could give Luke Brandon a run for his money!

For me, the book had a really good pace, with every chapter with something worth reading about, worth laughing and it kept me on my toes, knowing very well the flow of the book was building up for the climax and then a few unexpected twists which boded well with the plot. The other thing I loved most about the book - the flashes or Cassie's predictions. Oh, loved them.

Overall, I really think this book is worth reading, with a super sweet character with a cool, calm and collected attitude, I never got frustrated with Cassie. I found the way she carried herself throughout the book very well and credits to Claudia to come up with loads of unusual dilemmas and fan letters for Cassie to predict. Kudos!

I am thanking my lucky stars for stumbling upon this fascinating book and really glad I read it. No regrets. Claudia is such a sweetheart, really lovely, warm person. And I can hardly wait for Avon to send me a copy of her new book, A Very Accidental Story which has a FABULOUS cover and absolutely amazing story, which will be out in the UK on September 27th. You can pre-order here! Follow the author on Twitter for some fun, exciting dose of Irish wisdom! (@carrollclaudia)

Rating : 5/5

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