Book Review: Wedlocked

By Melissa Amster

Have you ever wondered if you made the wrong choice? What if this happened on your wedding day? And what if your belief was confirmed even after that day? That is what happens to the heroine of Bonnie Trachtenberg's debut novel, "Wedlocked," when she realizes she spent more time planning her wedding than choosing who to spend her life with.

Rebecca Ross wants nothing more than to be an actress. However, she learns that acting may not be the career for her after facing multiple rejections. When she is spurned by a Hollywood director, in more than one way, she puts her tail between her legs and goes back home to live with her parents. In doing so, she meets Craig Jacobs, a so-called "nice Jewish boy," and promptly marries him. Only after the rings and vows are exchanged does she realize that she may have made the biggest mistake of her life.

When I started reading this novel, I didn't know what to expect, but soon I found myself completely drawn in and captivated. "Wedlocked" is Iris Rainer Dart meets Jennifer Weiner with a few zany plot twists added in. It was such a compelling story with well-developed characters and plot and fun Jewish humor. It had the feel of a chick flick without even being on the big screen. I felt like I really knew Rebecca and developed a kinship with her throughout the story. She had a lot of moxie, even during her really low moments. There's even an "armchair adventure" in this story, so to speak. The descriptions Ms. Trachtenberg uses makes it even more enjoyable! I also rarely have moments when I laugh and cry at the same time while reading a story, but I can guarantee that I did for this novel!

I tend to get hung up on certain pet peeves when I read a novel and this one contained two of them. The first was having an adult call her parents "Mommy and Daddy." It's enough that she had to live with them in her 30's, but why add insult to injury by making her sound like a five year-old? There were also some time inconsistencies which had me confused on Rebecca's age or the actual year events were taking place. (For example, aging her 13 years in the span of 10 years, unless I read something wrong?) There were also a bunch of spelling errors that should have been caught by an editor before going to print. Finally, like a bunch of books I read, this one tied up a bit too neatly. However, I wanted good things to happen for Rebecca and was glad when they did.

Overall, I really enjoyed "Wedlocked" and can't stop thinking about it. I've been recommending it to all my friends and want to recommend it here, as well! I think Ms. Trachtenberg has a real winner on her hands and I wish her tons of success with it.

Bonnie Trachtenberg will be visiting CLC in November and we can't wait to chat with her about this novel! In the meantime, she'll be selling it on Amazon at 99 cents for Kindle, from November 1st through 3rd, along with 35 other novels. Visit WoMen's Literary Café for more details!

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