Book Review: In the Bag

Here is another chick-lit novel, though I found it very different from I've Got Your Number.

Title/Author:  In the Bag by Kate Klise

Genre:  Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, Travel, Romance

Published:  May 1st 2012 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Paperback, 306 pages

How I Got This Book:  Checked It Out from the library

Why I Picked It Up?:  I stumbled upon this book on Goodreads and it sounded really cute and What's Up Doc?-esque, so I put it on hold and got it immediately.

Book Jacket Blurb:  "Meet two single parents who find themselves too busy to date.  And two teenagers who can't stop writing flirty emails.  This is a tale of connections--missed and made--in a universe that seems to have its heart set on reuniting Ms. 6B and Mr. 13C.

Webb:  I can't believe I picked up the wrong bag at the airport.  My dad is never going to let me hear the end of it.

Coco:  I don't understand why Mom told me to pack my worse underwear.  And now I've lost my bad? Ack!

Andrew:  I cannot stop thinking about that woman in seat 6B on the flight to Paris.

Daisy:  I don't have time to worry about the creep sitting in 13C who slipped a note in  my purse.  I have to find my daughter's missing bag before this ruins our vacation.

In the Bag is a smart and stylish story that explores the old-fashioned art of romance in a modern world, where falling in love can be risky as checking a bag on an international flight.  Buckle your seat belt--it's going to be a bumpy vacation!

My Review of this Work: 

When I read the blurb for the first time, I immediately thought of an old movie called What's Up Doc?  that my dad made me watch when I was younger.  I really enjoyed the story of the mixed up suitcases and the comedy that ensued because of it!  So when I read the synopsis of this novel, I was really excited!  Of course I would read a suitcase-swap double romance!

This story is definitely what I would classify as a fluffy story, but I found myself slightly disengaged from time to time.  I think it had to do with the fact that every [very short] chapter switched perspective between our four main characters.  While I understand the author decided to keep changing perspectives to let us get an inside look at each of our main four characters, I found this story-telling strategy to actually create a disjointed feel to the overall story. 

There is nothing surprising in this novel.  The story follows the outline of the book jacket blurb exactly.  There is a problem (teenage boy and teenage girl grab the wrong bags at the airport. boy ends up with underwear, girl ends up with wrinkled t-shirts), there is some tension (boy and girl meet but fight, boy's dad leaves stalker-ish note in girl's mom's purse, she goes on a date with him and finds out he is her stalker, then they fight), and then there is a happy ending (they fly home together!).  That's it, really.  Nothing too exciting, just a bunch of predictable chick-lit moments.  Now, I am not saying I don't like predictable chick-lit moments (I am all about a good chick-lit novel!); I just feel like this book fell short in its development to make it something with a little more depth. 

While we kept switching perspectives to gain introspective, I still found the four main characters to be very surface.  We don't really get to know them all that well, and I feel no connection with them.  And I never really started caring for these characters, which is a definite turn-off for me.  I like to be able to relate to and care for the characters I invest my time into reading, and to me, the characters of In The Bag just fell short.

Honestly, I wouldn't expect a great story from the little book.  It was not a bad read, but it was nothing special.  I finished it, I liked it okay, and then I picked up something else.  This is one of those fluff reads that just didn't grab me like I was hoping it would.  Oh well.  Try it for yourself, especially if you are a fan of all things chick-lit!

My Bookshelf Rating: 

A Second Shelf Book.

This book was light, contemporary romance, but it wasn't anything special.  It was a quick read, but the changing of perspective every chapter made the story more choppy than it needed to be.  I think this novel was a good concept that could have been executed a little better for me.  But if you are a fan of chick lit, then I would still give this book a try.  It wasn't horrible by any means, just not one of my favorites.  But you may like it more! 

Love and The Quilted Quicker Picker-Upper,

Jennifer