Who ever thought a book of emails could be so good?

It was a boring Thursday afternoon, I was all alone in the office, and I was thinking about what I would read that night (yes, this is the big thrill of my days, lately). My mind wandered to the huge stack of books I had waiting for me, one of them already started. However, visions of Chick-lit and Barnes and Noble danced in my head and, before I knew it, I was abandoning the office and making a mad dash to the book store. I had one thing on my mind: buy some books and make damn sure they're fluffy! So that's exactly what I did.

The Boy Next Door by Meggin Cabot was my third choice of the day. I'd never heard a word about the book, but the cover looked cute and it mentioned a Great Dane, which I love. However, I then saw that it was a 'Reading with Ripa' pick (ditzy Kelly Ripa's poor response to Oprah's book club). Not only do I harbor a dislike for Ms. Ripa, but I also remember picking up another 'Reading with Ripa' selection (Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber) which was so astoundingly bad that I couldn't get past page 20. That's bad. I was also put off by the format of the book--which was written entirely in e-mails. However, I threw caution to the wind and made my purchase. Little did I know that I was in for a very nice surprise.

The Plot

Melissa Fuller, a gossip columnist for New York newspaper, is a single 20-something gal who has just dumped her reporter boyfriend for sleeping with another reporter during an assignment. Her life is further complicated when she finds her neighbor, a rich elderly lady, unconscious in her apartment. When the woman is taken to the hospital and slips into a coma, Mel finds herself caring for the woman's Great Dane Paco and her two cats.

Mel discovers that her neighbor's only living relative is a photographer named Max. Mel tracks down Max and tells him of his Aunt's unfortunate condition and that he needs to come and care for the pets. Unfortunately, Max is a total insensitive playboy who just happens to be vacationing with a Victoria's Secret model. Instead of coming home, he blackmails his friend, crime reporter John Trent, to pretend to be him and take care of his aunt's pets and report to him if his aunt wakes up (Max stands to inherit a fortune from her and wants her to think he rushed to her side).

John and Mel meet and almost instantly fall in love. It seems like the perfect relationship--except that Mel thinks John is Max. Will he be able to reveal the truth? Will she be able to forgive him?

What I Really Liked

Meggin Cabot has pulled off a feat that I never thought was possible. She has created fabulous characters that I really got attached to--and she did it exclusively through e-mails. We never see interactions between characters. We never watch situations develop. We only know what gets emailed between the different characters. It's amazing how well you get to know these people--and not just Mel and John. There's Mel's best friend Nadine, an engaged food critic. There's Mel's mother, Nadine's fiancee, Mel's co-workers, John's brother and sister-in-law and many more. Each of the characters has a unique personality that comes through beautifully in the emails. I was astonished by how well I knew these characters (and either loved or hated them) by the end of the book.

The plot is also a good one. It's the classic boy-meets-girl plot with a nice little twist. I was also very satisfied with the setting. Most of the emails take place while Mel is at work at the newspaper and the atmosphere of a busy news agency comes across well.

Anything I'd Like to See Done Differently?

The ending is the only part of this book that could have been altered slightly to make this book better. When Mel figures out that John has lied to her, she really overreacts and pulls something that should have incurred a big lawsuit. However, no lawsuit materializes and she doesn't even get fired. This was a bit unbelievable. Also, when the pair finally get together (I'm not giving away anything here--you know they're going to get together--it's Chick-lit!!), you don't get to see much of it because we only get to read two emails. I almost think it would be appropriate to go to real time (instead of emails) for the last couple of pages to show them getting together. It was a little anti-climactic.

The Verdict

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes good chick-lit. The characters are fabulously done, the plot great and the unconventional style works wonderfully. This was a near-perfect read that I'll keep in my bookcase to enjoy again or loan out to friends.

**Meggin Cabot is also the author of The Princess Diaries, which was recently made into a movie. This is her first adult contemporary book.