The author’s publisher, Notting Hill Press, sent me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.


“The Expat Diaries: Single in the City” shares a spirit with the Bridget Jones Diaries and the Shopaholic series. There is a lightness and warmth to Gorman’s style of writing. Hannah’s decision, however hastily made, is a commitment and one she’s determined to see through. She doesn’t anticipate something as simple as ordering a sandwich to be so different but she values the experiences and learns from them teaching readers along for the ride.

At her party planning job, Hannah meets a fellow American named Sam. He’s working on his degree and has a few jobs and they have an instant connection but Hannah didn’t fly across the ocean to date a boy from Wyoming. Gorman’s handling of the plot as it pertains to these characters is perfection. Sam is comfortable in his environment and situation. He’s looking to the bigger and better eventually.

Though we see the background and supplementary characters through Hannah’s eyes, Gorman manages to give them an individual voice. As much as Hannah assumed things about the English, the assumed about her and both perspectives are proven wrong. If you want an idea of the ex-pat experience for a single woman looking for excitement, pick up “The Expat Diaries: Single in the City” and take the ride with Hannah. You will not be disappointed.

“The Expat Diaries: Single in the City” is a smoothly written masterpiece of chick lit. Despite a sameness of spirit, Gorman’s novel has a unique voice and will engage readers of all generations. ( )

Single in the City is the debut novel of author Michele Gorman. I was first drawn to this book by its cute cover, and its description definitely made it sound like the fun, light reads I love to devour. Needless to say, I was happy when I saw this sitting on the library shelf and was intrigued enough to check it out.

I'm going to get the negatives out of the way first, as I really can't ignore them. The footnotes! I have never come across anything more annoying in a book than the footnotes this novel. Scattered throughout this book are footnotes explaining American terms and pop culture references. They are so annoying! I may not be American but I certainly do not live under a rock, and I assume neither do most Europeans. I do not need footnotes explaining mundane things like ''dust bunnies'' (really, who couldn't figure that one out?), ''Oodles of Noodles'' or, obviously, ''Dr Seuss.'' Why the author felt the need to use these footnotes is beyond me. Most people have plenty of exposure to American culture (be it from books, movies, TV, music, magazines, friends, news, the internet) and most of the references were things or people which are famous all over the world. I read books with characters from far more exotic places than the US and get on just fine without footnotes. All these did was interrupt my reading every few pages and make me feel like I was being talked down to. Apparently the author has taken the footnotes out for the US edition but she could have done it for the European edition as well!

Okay, that aside, I actually did quite enjoy this book. It follows the life of a young woman, Hannah, who has decided on a whim to move to England- without having a place to stay or a way to earn money. A bit of a whacky premise but the sort of crazy thing you expect from books of this sort so I didn't mind that at all. Hannah has a lot of trouble fitting into England and messes up quite a bit in the first few weeks. It was amusing to watch her stumble her way through each day, confused by everyone and everything. She does start to slot in quite nicely though, once she starts meeting people (I was certainly impressed by how outgoing and upfront she was!) and making connections.

She gets herself a job and a place to live and starts to thrive in the city. The rest of the book follows her antics with men and friends, clients and parents. I did enjoy reading about all this and I was certainly interested enough to keep reading and see where everything was going to go. Hannah struck me as slightly narrowminded and naive at times and was unreasonable about perfectly reasonable cultural differences but I guess there is no law saying you have to like the protagonist! She was well written and believable, even if she was annoying at times. Sometimes I felt sorry for her and sometimes I wanted to shake her and tell her stop being so silly!

The writing itself is great and I was very impressed. It flows incredibly well and the voices of all the characters were strong and individual. This author certainly has talent and I am interested to see what else she has to offer. This was quite an unpolished novel but could have been made SO much more enjoyable with just a few adjustments (i.e take out the footnotes and stop treating the reader like they're clueless!). There is going to be a sequel to Single in the City and I know for certain I will be checking it out.

Would I recommend this novel? Yes- but go for the US version without the footnotes unless for some bizarre reason you've never even heard of America and really need to be told who Dr. Seuss is.
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I was honored to recieve a Kindle version via the author Michele Gorman. This was a pretty funny fast paced read. Some of the humor reminded me of Chelsea Handler's humor. Single in the City had great writing and fun characters. This was a good debut and I can't wait to see what else Michele has in store! ( )

First Line:

"Every other storefront is a sandwich shop without a low-carb advertisement in sight. Are Londoners really willing to embrace the doughy delights of an Atkins-free world? It’s a thrilling prospect for a girl raised in a culture plagued by cellulite bogey-men.”

Favorite Quote:

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate her obvious talent, but I take issue with breast implants the same way I take issue with a mother who does her adult son’s laundry. Both unrealistically raise men’s expectations about the women they date."

My thoughts:

One drunken evening Hannah decides it is time for a change. Not a little change either, we’re talking big changes. She is leaving Connecticut and moving to London. Settling into her new environment proves to be harder than she ever expected.

I’m a huge fan of books that take place in London. When asked to review a copy of Single in the City of course I said yes, and I’m so glad I did! This book was so much fun! It starts with Hannah trying to order a sandwich in London, and realizing even though they speak English it isn’t the same English she is used to. I felt a little guilty laughing at her hardships, but couldn’t help myself.

Hannah seems to straddle the fence of sanity at times, but I feel this actually added to her charm. Some of her behavior might also be considered a little stalker like. She’s flawed, no question, and not a character everyone will love. Luckily, I like flawed and found Hannah thoroughly entertaining. Some of the situations she managed to find her way into caused my jaw to drop. Thanks to one very descriptive scene, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at a sausage the same way again. Hannah’s dating record is on the frightening side, but had it not been this book wouldn’t have been nearly as fun.

I loved the authors writing style, and how it made me actually giggle many times while reading. She has quick-witted one-liners down pat. The secondary characters were also a great asset to the story. I especially loved the half naked Aussies. I’m not sure if there are more romantic disasters adventures planned for Hannah, but I would love to see this turned into a series. Not for readers who desire a HEA. This is a book about a twenty-something who isn’t sure of herself, or where she is headed. I really liked how the author wrapped up everything at the end, and think it is open enough that we may see more of Hannah at some point.

Looking for a quick, lighthearted, and fun read? Give Single in the City a try. ( )