Review: Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison

Pub. Date: July 9^th, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Hardcover

384 pages

With a title as funny, direct and entertaining, as this, how could a Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit reader resist? The best part, the entertaining title, perfectly represents the novel. When we are first introduced to Quinn Barton she is in a wedding dress, ready to walk down the aisle. Ten years later, Quinn is a professional success, designing one of a kind dresses and owning her own shop Talk of the Gown, but she has been in a romantic rut since leaving her fiancé Burke Morrison at the altar. She has never been able to get over Burke’s infidelity, and she has never been able to understand why his brother Frank waited until the morning of her wedding to bring her into the loop. When Dottie, the Morrison’s Grandmother asks Quinn to design her a wedding dress, all sorts of shenanigans begins to ensue.

Faced with running into the Morrison brothers for the first time in ten years, Quinn’s friend Glenn takes it upon himself assign Quinn daily tasks like underwear free day and speed dating day, in hopes of getting her out of her romantic rut, and over the Morrison brothers. While Glenn is trying to get Quinn over Burke and Frank, Dottie does her best to push Quinn and her grandson together – which grandson Dottie’s pushing for, Quinn can’t be sure.

Filled with Harbison’s signature humour and calamity, Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger does not disappoint. Glenn is the shinning star of the novel. He is by far the funniest character,

and not just because of the funny and sometimes outrageous tasks that he assigns Quinn. Through his character the flashback aspects that Harbison frequently utilizes is really organic. I also loved that until very close to the end, you can’t really be sure who Quinn will end up with, because of how human and flawed Harbison makes every character.

One thing that bugged me was the sudden appearance of a few characters. Quinn’s mom for instance is around for a few pages near the end of the novel, but is barely referenced anywhere else. I would have liked more of a flushing out of people from her life versus primarily focusing on people from the Morrison’s life. The second little complaint I have (which for the most part is a compliment) is how quickly everything wraps up. I always feel like it is the mark of a good book when you want to know what happens next to the characters. While I feel that way about this book – without giving anything away - in this case I really felt like there was more that could have been told to make the ending more satisfying. The last chapter felt overly rushed.  

Overall, this novel is everything Harbison readers have come to love. Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong finger is as exactly what you want it to be: funny, romantic, light with just enough seriousness to not be fluffy, and pure entertainment. If you’ve never read a Harbison novel, after this introduction, I have no doubt you’ll become just as addicted I have. Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong is the perfect summer read.

Rating: 8/10

** I received a copy of this novel from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was in no way compensated.