Meet Clarissa Alpert. She is twenty-eight (thirty-one) years old, single, driven, and accustomed to getting everything she wants. So when she decides its time for her to abandon the dating scene and get married, she sets her eyes on wealthy, high-profile producer Aaron Mason, manipulates him into a first date, and begins to plan the wedding. As she books the catering hall, selects the flowers and agonizes over the event details, she is unfazed by the fact that even her second date is unconfirmed.
Her impeccable planning and flawless execution of the wedding come as no surprise to those who know her best. What is surprising, however, is that the event marks the last significant event in Clarissa’s life over which she exercises control. After becoming Mrs. Aaron Mason, Clarissa works to implement the remainder of her life plans. Through a string of humorous and unexpected events, Clarissa realizes that, although her life with Aaron may not look anything like what she had once expected, it may be turn out to be wonderful and fulfilling just the same.
A recurring and dominating force that serves as an amusing backdrop to each of Clarissa’s choices is the group of close-knit girlfriends who bear a strong resemblance the confab of Sex in the City girls who have garnered national attention. Their brutal honesty about sex, love and relationships can be informative, biting and crude all at the same time. The girls provide a steady stream of down-and-dirty advice, and then continue to fully support one another as their guidance is predictably ignored.
Author Gigi Levangie Grazer’s Maneater can best be described as a spoiled and confused socialite’s journey into adulthood. While the story offers little in the way of substantive reading material, this is no matter since it was never intended to do so. Instead, it effortlessly tells a light-hearted story aimed to entertain. Since the characters virtually leap off the page, it’s no wonder the rights to this novel have already been purchased by a major move studio.