39 Plus One by Ragh Bir
Published: November 24, 2022
Grosvenor House Publishing
Pages: 434
Genre: Chick Lit/Romance
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Ragh Bir is the author of romcom chick lit. When she isn’t at her day job, you can find her running at Windsor Great Park, drinking wine, and eating dark chocolate.
On her 39th birthday, she decides to embark on a quest, for a year, to date anyone who is bold enough to show interest, regardless of how he looks, in a bid to find her perfect imperfect soulmate.
She brushes aside her high standards and actively pursues her dream of finding ‘the one’, before she turns 40. Her quest takes her on a roller-coaster ride into situations she never imagined she would find herself in; and the sometimes hilarious and weird world of dating becomes her life.
Her best friends, Harriet and Naomi, enjoy their weekly get-togethers, listening to Rachel’s latest dating disaster; and Vince and Harry also lend an ear, sharing in the frivolity.
The quest comes to an end on her 40th birthday. After a holiday to Ibiza, where after a day of mishaps, she discovers the truth – that her perfect imperfect soulmate is not quite what he seems.
While she sits on the beach, contemplating whether the last year has been worthwhile, she realises that the quest has been more of a journey of self discovery than anything else. Then serendipity steps in and pays her a visit…
“Another one bites the dust.”
Rachel decides on her 39th birthday to use this last year of her 30s to find her soulmate. She decides to accept all date offers and try out all avenues of finding a partner. For better or worse, she is giving her quest solid commitment.
I was not too fond of the main character, Rachel, at all. She is not as charming as the author intended her to be, and she comes across as snobbish.
While the concept of spending the last year of your 30s searching for your imperfect perfect soulmate seems like it would be filled with shenanigans, I wasn’t overly amused.
I found Rachel to be shallow. She was judgmental and not very nice. Some of her dating moments were comical, and I did enjoy her dynamic with her friends, but I wasn’t invested in the storyline at all.
For as long as the book is, the ending abruptly left me with questions. I don’t think I was a target reader for this story. I don’t believe in soulmates, and I think when we find our person, it takes effort, work, and understanding to support the relationship.
This was chick lit with bits of humor tossed in. I did enjoy the friendships, and I liked Rachel’s parents. I would have loved reading more about Harry and Vince- they were hilarious and fantastic. The whole friend group was really special.