Every Boy's Got One

November 8, 2004
A day-by-day travel journal intended as a first anniversary present for Jane Harris's best friend, Holly, turns into Jane's rollicking private diary account of the madcap events leading up to Holly and Mark's Italian countryside elopement. Cabot (Boy Meets Girl
), who pens the bestselling young adult series the Princess Diaries, presents an engaging topsy-turvy tale pitting maid of honor Jane, renowned for her Garfield-like Wonder Cat cartoons, against Mark's best friend and best man, international journalist Cal Langdon (who, to Jane's astonishment, has never heard of Wonder Cat). The author garners extra points for cleverly bringing the novel to life via Jane's diary, Cal's PDA journal and the hilarious e-mails that whiz through cyberspace between the main characters, their respective family members and one diehard Wonder Cat fan. Cabot captures the rustic charm of Castelfidardo, a small Italian town in the region of Le Marche, which happens to be the accordion-making capital of the world and is replete with unpredictable electricity, dubious public restrooms and bureaucratic snafus that nearly derail the wedding plans. The jaded, bitterly divorced Cal makes a worthy opponent to Jane, whose notions of marriage are much more romantic than his. Cabot's personal epilogue about her own elopement in the Italian countryside—marked by much of the mayhem her main characters encounter—adds spice to this frothy concoction of love, friendship and true romance. Agent, Laura J. Langlie. 8-city author tour.

April 1, 2005
Adult/High School -This charming urban fairy tale about an elopement pits maid-of-honor Jane, famous for her "Wonder Cat" cartoons, against best man Cal, an international journalist who has never heard of her work. The author captures the rustic charm of Castelfidardo, a small Italian town that happens to be the accordion-making capital of the world and is full of unpredictable electricity, dubious public restrooms, and bureaucratic snafus that nearly derail the nuptials. The clever story is told via e-mail, text messaging, Weblogs, and Jane's entries in a travel journal. After writing a few pages, she realizes that the trip is a chance for her to discover that every boy has one: a heart, that is. Romance fans looking for a fast read, enriching details about Italy, and a good laugh will not be disappointed." -Erin Dennington, Fairfax County Public Library, VA"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2004
In her signature mode, Cabot uses e-mails, journal entries, PDA logs, sales receipts, and boarding passes to tell an over-the-top tale of an elopement to Italy. Maid-of-honor Jane scribbles furiously in her travel diary about the heartless and unromantic best man, Cal. Cal punches the keys of his Blackberry, sending e-mail to groom Mark about madcap Jane. Bride Holly tosses notes to Jane about Mark's cute friend, and everyone is in a luggage-stuffed Toyota on the way to a picturesque Italian villa (not in tenth-grade study hall, as assumed).When the lack of one legal document prevents Holly and Mark from holy matrimony, it's Jane and Cal to the rescue as they race to the U.S. consulate in Rome, eight hours away, while Holly and Mark share their first bout of food poisoning from oysters. All the while everyone is scribbling, typing, e-mailing, and doodling. The plot is as thin as prosciutto, but fans of Cabot's previous novels will still want a taste. Purchase for large collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)