| Title | : | The Frog Prince |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0446694495 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780446694490 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 371 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2005 |
The Frog Prince Reviews
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Much like Devo, Road House, and dipping a Hershey's bar into a jar of peanut butter and then eating it, this book is so bad..it's good.
Making sure Betty Frieden rolls over in her grave, this book is exactly what feminist have been bitching about for years. Not only is the main character whiny, co-dependent and as deep as a puddle, but she also goes on for 3/4 of the book droning on and on about how she's not worthy unless she has a man's love. Yeah, cause that's why.
Well, that is until she goes to the gym, loses a few pounds, recites Oprah quotes, piles on the make-up and dates guys that remind her that - while she may not be the best thing since sliced bread - at least there are people out there more screwed up than she is.
I mean, come on, she mourns the loss of a marriage that was formed simply because the guy was so attractive and suave, it made her feel like she was suavely attractive. (And yes, suavely is a word. I checked.)
But, with all that in mind, I still could not put this book down. It's like watching a really horrible train wreck or that kid who skateboards down a railing for the first time. You just have to watch.
So,whenever you feel like your life can't be any worse or you writing couldn't suck more, all you need to do is read this book...and just like that,you will instantly feel better. -
DNF at 46 percent.
Wait can I say. My patience is at the low end right now. I have no idea how I even got to 46 percent and not one damn thing has gone on in this book besides the main character whining about her life and being single.
I am all for romance novels where the good girl after breaking up with the guy who is not the one, meets the one. Instead we have the main character of Holly still mourning the end of her marriage and being angry that her now ex Jean-Marc didn't love her. I stopped at 46 percent because nothing is happening at this point.
Holly as a character is boring. If the first 1/4 of it was about her getting her life together and then the remaining book being all about how she changes her life for the better I would be totally in for that book. Instead she's a very weak character who keeps getting bossed around by her boss and is afraid to tell her mother no. This is where we are at 46 percent. That means that we have a little more than half way for the book to go for her to somehow get past what has happened? I am doubtful that she's going to get there or at least that it will be written in a coherent manner at this point.
It seems the only goal in Holly's life was to be married to an attractive man, have babies, and be a wife and mother. She has no damn personality at all. I can't even tell you what her favorite color, book, outfit, etc. is because she's still crying in the bathroom at work about her ex.
Holly's job as an event planner seems totally uninteresting. We just have Holly's boss Olivia being super inappropriate and getting all up in Holly's personal life and commenting about her clothes and weight. I am still flabbergasted that Holly would not have pushed back or at least told her freaking boss she is out of line. But of course not, Holly let's people walk all over her.
So besides the lack of an interesting main character and a not too clear plot line, this book really is just stuck. There is nothing happening and I don't care to continue.
I stopped after Holly's mother came to visit and got angry about her leaving her husband. Because yes, she has somehow not told her mother why she got divorced from her husband because she has no damn sense.
Why in the world would you just not be upfront with your family and friends. I get that she would feel embarrassed by the whole thing, but why would you make it seem like your fault? I am not a fan of romance novels where the main character doesn't either speak up to their love interest or others. It drives me crazy.
So that's that. A romance novel with at this point no romance at all besides Holly starring at some guy she called Gorgeous Guy in her head and imagining a life with him. And her railing at the wedding industry and her friends and family for not telling her how marriage really is. Yup, totally everyone else's fault her marriage cashed and burned.
Well I hope in the end that Holly does change, that she realizes she doesn't need a man to be happy, and she stops allowing her boss to dictate what she does outside of work. -
I love Jane Porter. This is my 3rd time reading this book. Great twist on classic girl discovers her own strength story after getting a divorce. The main character is very likable.
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Everyone loves the story of the poor little waif who's swept from obscurity and poverty into the lap of luxury. This book tells what happens after the rice from the wedding is swept away -- and Prince Charming turns back into a frog.
Porter's book starts out well as Holly tries to come to terms with her divorce from the Prince, reinventing herself as a single woman-about-town in San Francisco. But about two-thirds of the way through the book, Porter seems to lose interest, summing up months of time in a paragraph or two. She never regains momentum, and the book lapses into diatribe after diatribe on the need for women to love themselves, the need for mothers to let their children go, and the need for men to see the "real" woman, not just the perfect makeup.
What started out with a bang ended in a whimper. -
Not surprised at all that I couldn't put the book down. I very much relate to Holly. Most of my life I always put other people's needs before mine, had to make sure everyone was happy, and god forbid I disappointed anyone. It took a long time (still not 100% there) to realize that I need to take care of myself. Like many girls, I have always wanted the fairy tale happy ending. I love Disney princesses. Every now and then either a scene from Alladin or a picture of Ariel from Little Mermaid is my wallpaper on my computer. I know I do have the fairy tale happy ending with my husband. He's wonderful and loves me so much. But I still have some soul searching to do about who I am. Who is this person that I've become. I believe, right now, as I "just" finished this book, that I'm taking charge of my life.
I recommend this book. Heck I love all of Jane Porter's books -
Self-discovery and coming-of-age
Holly gets married and four days into their honeymoon, is told that her husband never loved her. Ten months after walking down the aisle, Holly is in the middle of a divorce, in a new city, working a new job, and is stuck as she tries to figure out why life doesn't have the happy endings that are in all the fairytales her mother read to her constantly when she was a kid.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I like that Holly overcomes her insecurities. I like that she finds a happy medium in her tumultuous relationship with her mom. I love that she realizes her husband is the loser, not her. I don't love that it seems to take forever for her to realize any of this. Some of the chapters are a bit too long for my personal taste. The ending is great though! -
There’s a sense that we know what we’re getting here, and Porter delivers everything we’re expecting.
Holly is 26, recently divorced and has moved to San Francisco where she’s not doing much. She wastes her weekends eating and watching rubbish tv. She pines for her fairytale ending and is well and truly stuck in the past. Her job is so-so...but, guess what, after a swift talking to, some disastrous dates, a few gym visits and a couple of ‘nice’ work scenarios Holly’s life is sorted.
If only life were so simple!
Holly was so fixated on what everyone else thought of her that she infuriated me. Her long-lost friend, Katie, was one of the few who made sense when she told her to stop being a doormat.
This reminds me of one of those freebie books you used to get on a magazine. There wasn’t anything new here, and it all felt too twee for comfort. -
My take on this book: it's about a girl who figures out it's time to pull on the big-girl panties. She grows up, figures some things out, and becomes self-confidant in the process. I'm a huge Jane Porter fan. This one is a little different than others, but I enjoyed the different.
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Holly Bishop had grown up on fairytales, and in the small Central California town where she lived, she definitely had learned to believe in happily-ever-after.
But when her gorgeous Cinderella-type wedding to handsome Frenchman Jean-Marc comes to a shocking end shortly afterwards, she is stunned. What happened? How did the fairytale betray her?
As she starts over in San Francisco as an event planner, and finds a cute single-girl apartment in a nice neighborhood, the answers elude her, even as she struggles to understand.
She really hates even telling people about the divorce, though. I like this excerpt in her voice:
“So now I don’t say anything about the divorce to anyone, and I just smile. Even though on the insides my eyes are stinging and my jaw aches because, honest to God, I don’t want my own apartment. I had a house—a home—with Jean-Marc. I had a squashy down-filled sofa and bookcases filled with books, yellow climbing roses on the trellis, flagstone pavers from the patio to the pool, and a perfect little gated side yard with lush green grass that would have been perfect for a child’s swing set.”
Before long, however, there is the push from others for her to start dating. Being set up on horrific dates with men who are boorish, self-centered, and just plain unappealing were situations that made me smile.
Her boss Olivia is a nightmare. Sometimes the critical tone she always seems to take is like that voice in your head when you don’t feel you are good enough. Will Holly be able to tune her out, and find her own thoughts?
When does starting over begin to feel like a new beginning? Was it the friendship with a really nice couple of work colleagues? Or the connection she feels with Brian, the newspaper journalist? Or perhaps it is the new voice clamoring to be heard. The one that reminds her that she deserves to be happy. What happens to finally turn things around for Holly? And how will she uncover the deceptive sabotage of someone out to derail her life?
Great and realistic characters grabbed my interest in The Frog Prince, and even the snarky ones, like Olivia, or Tessa, who felt as though they were real people, made me keep reading. This was a book that resonated with me for several reasons, including the familiarity of the settings, places I have lived in my life. 4.5 stars. -
What a fun book, and do you not love the cover? The cover is as fun as the book was. This was another book I could not put down. The way the author portrays Holly makes you feel like you are her. The divorcee with nothing but yourself and your thighs that seem to be getting bigger by the day, the girl who has no friends and can not believe that her life is practically over after only being married a year. And we all can relate to the hot stuck up woman who wants to be your friend but in the end they get jealous of you coming out of your shell and making something of yourself and being happy.
I just really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and kept you entertained. I know the book was long-371 pages- but I feel like it could have been more on her relationship at the end. The book teases you, especially with Brian. Then at the end it doesn't say what happened or what is going on. This book could have been another 100+ pages and it still would have held my interest. I think more pages would have completed the book and said where she stood guy wise. It was still a great read though! -
An entertaining and deep look at a young woman recovering from a divorce and the fairy tale life she thought she would have. Porter works in her fairy-tale motif without cramming it down our throats. The transformation of our heroine happens pretty quickly, and Porter manages to make the girl sympathetic even though she could have easily been whiny (a neat feat, one I have trouble with myself). All the characters are fully-fleshed, even the ones who appear briefly. My favorite is the date who needs special assistance at a restaurant-- it's pretty darn funny, so I won't spoil it. There's also a lot about mother and daughter relationships. I found myself thinking, in particular, about Deborah Tannen's book YOU'RE WEARING THAT? about mothers and daughters and their fraught language and communications.
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saw some negative reviews here in goodreads about this book. was not expecting much . Therefore not disappointed.
what I like about this book is Holly have a good heart. Despite knowing that she would get in trouble, she still help Tessa.
there are also some humorous moments when Holly goes on a date.
as many have mentioned before, this book can do with a little less whining. I buy the book because i want something light to read. i don't want too much whining or self pity. if i wanted those, i would've bought other genre.
it would also be nicer if the author can rein in the plot more. as it is, I find the story rather scattered .
despite all grouses, I still liked the story. love the courage she shown in the end. don't like Tessa as I felt she could have done better by Holly as Holly had helped her before. in this instant, I liked Sara more for telling the truth to David. -
Holly Bishop believed in the fairy tales. And, that old cliché about kissing a lot of frogs to find your prince. But life smacks her in the face with her husband telling her on the honeymoon he doesn't want to be married. She tried everything before giving up and filing for divorce. Getting on with her life isn't easy despite starting over in a new town. Finally with a lot of kicking, screaming, cajoling from work and friends, plus a lot of hard work and determination, she finds her life and her bliss. She discovers that you don't need a man to complete you, you make your own happiness, and in the end you don't have to be a good girl to be a GOOD GIRL. Just be the best self you can be--shouldn't we all find this in ourselves?
I loved this journey! It's a great book! Read it--and stop kissing toads! -
I read one of Jane Porter's modern chick lit novels (read: NOT her others with the bodices being ripped off on the book covers) each year we go down to Mexico. Note to Jane: you need to write a new one b/c this was the last one on that list! :) It's a perfect beach read - easy to pick up and put down, easy to follow after a margarita or two, and entertaining. The protagonist was SUCH a freakin' whiner in this book though . . . I understand the necessity of a small pity party on occasion, but Holly Bishop took it to a whole new level. I much prefer the stronger female leads in her other books . . . even though Holly, thankfully, got some gumption at the end.
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This book was just adorable! I was hesitant to read it at first after a lot of reviewers torched Holly's character for being whiny (she is) and a doormat (most definitely) and typically a very weak female lead leaves me screaming with fury, but I could see the potential for growth in her so I tried not to focus too much on her character flaws and just enjoy the story. It was a mixed emotional bag--funny at times (some of her dates, oy!) and sad at others, especially looking at her mother's life and their relationship.
The book is a fairly quick read, and I really enjoyed the way things turned out. Not the most predictable way, but definitely the right one, in my opinion anyway. -
I loved this book much more than I expected to. I'd never heard of the book but wanted a chick lit paperback that I could easily read on the beach so I picked it up for 1.99 at an Independent Bookstore. It took me a few chapters to get into it. At first, it seemed like it could be another book where everyone in the big city, especially at work, is nasty and uncaring but I actually teared up toward the end. I was so moved by Holly's difficulties in maintaining a comfortable relationship with her mom and the cattiness of the women that she works with because I could relate.
4 Stars -
This book had me laughing out aloud through out the book. Holly a small town girl wanting to live a fairy tale life like most girls do. She is always putting others first. This is the journey of Holly after her fairy tale marriage fails and her self discovery in the next year living on her own in San Fransisco, meeting the many toads (men). This book had me rooting for Holly. Highly recommend for a fun chick lit read.
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I loved this book and if you like intelligent, well-written women's fiction, so will you! I can't tell you how many times I laughed aloud while reading it. There is a booster seat scene in the book that is one of the funniest things I have ever read. I could go on and on but seriously, just do yourself a favor a read it. You won't be sorry.
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This was a cute read. There were times I laughed out loud and times i wanted to smack Holly. But you can relate to some of what she's going through.
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Written by Jane Porter, The Frog Prince follows Holly as she moves to San Francisco to work for a PR firm and try to get over her recent divorce.
I honestly have a lot of feelings about this book. This isn't a fantasy book. This is a novel about a woman who is having to learn how to be happy with herself, and what that looks like.
She wants to feel something for these handsome men in her life, but she is just going through the motions. She enjoys being around people, but feels frozen inside.
This story was deep. And, honestly, it wasn't a happy story. The ending wasn't sad, just, the novel isn't a happy one. Because Holly isn't happy. She is trying to figure out what will make her happy again.
This is a great book for someone who is feeling lonely. Or who knows someone who is. Who has changed. Who seems different. This might give you a look into what it is like to live by yourself, want other people, but know that isn't what you need right now.
After I finished this book, I bothered all of my friends until I could find someone to watch the Frankenstein Chronicles with me. I needed to feel connected.
Now, for the bad.
This character, Holly, is terribly one dimensional. This is the kind of book that you sympathize with when you find some similarities between what she is feeling and what you are. But the fact that her rhetoric doesn't change until THE LAST 3 CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK is annoying and not good.
This was a free book on Nook one day, that is how I ended up with it. And for free, I am not unhappy.
But, there are spelling errors, and the characters, other than Olivia, don't change at all. A good person is a good person and a bad person is a bad person. There are really no grey areas. She has grey areas of feelings, but not people.
There, good and bad.
Also, while I enjoy the cover, it is not accurate to the story. -
It wasn't what I thought it would be. There was a lot of thinking and philosophizing and this got in the way of the story. It is the story of Holly who married the man of her dreams, had the wedding and then on the honeymoon finds that he doesn't love her the way that she needs to be loved. She moves from her home in Fresno to San Francisco, where she gets a job as an event planner. She is sinking. She's in a city where she doesn't know anyone and she is drowning, it is her witchy boss that gets her on the path of finding herself. It just so happens that the person that she finds that she is, is not the person her boss wants her to be. Holly believes in doing things right and Olivia just wants devotion. On the way we go with Holly as she goes on some unfortunate dates. She if finding out that she doesn't need a prince to save her, she can save herself.
Now, the writing does not call to you. I didn't like the book. I couldn't be in the story because there were messages all over the place and they didn't quite gel together. It was like someone was telling you what the book is suppose to make you think about instead of coming to those conclusions through the clever writing. It's unfortunate. However, Porter has some great messages to deliver and I hope it helps those who need to hear it. -
The Frog Prince by Jane Porter
Story starts out being about Holly and we find out about her upbringing and her past.
She's in San Francisco and I love the descriptions of the places I've yet to visit although we did drive through the city once.
She's getting over her loss of love for her spouse and they are heading to divorce. She relocated to the city and is in charge of events and planning them.
She ends up dating a bit but finds a long ago friend Katie and she enjoys the time she spends with her and her buddies. She's had a few dates and they are just disasters.
Holly feels she gets along with others at work but Olivia, her boss is out to get her and she does.
Love how she comes up to the plate and good things happen to her. the princess. Not a typical Jane Porter book it's so indepth character building, real deep down thoughts with her Mom and sister.
Like how she comes out on top. Other works by the author are highlighted and excerpted at the end.
Free on Amazon and this is my honest opinion. -
Redundant
I really wanted to like the story. I liked the concept and I love the moral, but too many times I found myself putting the book down in frustration, boredom or irritation. The first half of the book was nothing but the negative inner dialogue of someone fairly pathetic and the second half was pieces of an actual story interrupted by (again) negative inner dialogue. Conversations between 2 characters would stretch for a whole chapter because a character would say one line and the inner dialogue started up for 2 pages, then another conversation line or 2 and then 2-3 more pages of rambling inner dialogue. I think I skipped pages at a time just to try and get back to the actual storyline. -
If I could give this book half a star I would. This isn't to say I don't like books about women who fall in love and have the fairy tale. I enjoy a good trashy novel as much as the next person, my issue is with the fact that NOTHING HAPPENED. There is supposed character growth but it's not displayed. There is a fabricated villain for literally no reason. Why would anyone sabotage a fundraiser for children!? The resolution is too easy, nothing feels earned, it feels like natural progression.
The story was easy enough to read and thankfully well written, I enjoyed the premise and feel like a lot could have been achieved from the story. It just never lived up to the potential. -
Moms
Who knew that the fairy tales our mom's told us would mess us up as we get older. Be the good girl. Holly Bishop fell for the fairy tale and when her marriage fell apart, she was devastated. How was she going to survive. She gets a job working for events planning company. Her boss is mean. In the months to come she slowly climbs out of the rut. She makes friends, goes out on a date and gets fired. Through all of this, she couldn't go to her mom for anything. They fight about everything. In the end, she makes peace with her mom. -
Great story. The only critique I would have would be that the author find a reliable editor for her next work. There were several out-of-place punctuation marks and spelling errors. For example in one place the word should have been "him" and was replaced with "Kim", which made no sense. Periods were misplaced or missing in several areas, as well. A couple of runs through by an editor would have found and fixed the mistakes.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the story very much and would enjoy seeing a sequel. -
I LOVED the woman empowerment depicted in this novel! The theme of learning that women are not just put on this earth to be rescued by some "Prince," but can support themselves and be happy with THEMSELVES! Women do not need a partner to be happy--they can provide for their own happiness with the added bonus of having someone to spend their life with--if they choose. I'd recommend this cute novel to ANYONE looking for an uplifting book...or just wants to feel a connection with an amazing character like Holly
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This girl is me.
She was a princess. Then she wasn’t all of a sudden. Then she hurt. She got depressed and over-ate and hid. She tried to get out of her slump. Tried to give her life purpose again. She regained her dignity and her self-respect and begin to see all the blessings in her life. She stood back up and realized it was pretty damn awesome to be herself. Period. End of hopelessness story. -
2 disappointing stars.
I don't think I'd remember the main character's name tomorrow. She was that bland.
Even Bella Swan got over her slump (aka Edward Cullen) faster than Holly did! Geez. And there were too many internal monologues going on that it became so boring and preachy after a few chapters.
So, it was just ok.
