Getting Over Jack Wagner

In this wonderful debut, Eliza, a woman in her late twenties has spent her life trying to find a deep, passionate relationship and has been consistently disappointed. A child of the 80's, she assumes early in life that rock stars are the answer to a deep boyfriend. (Of course, she uses the term 'rock stars' loosely since none of her boyfriends are actually stars nor have they all played rock.) The story begins with Eliza being disappointed again by her newest boyfriend (the bass guitarist) and frustrated by her day job writing copy for the too-cheery travel agency, Dreams Come True. After a disastrous blind date, the shocking news of her best friend's engagement, and her sister and brother-in-law's pregnancy announcement at the monthly family dinner, Eliza is emotionally overwhelmed. Retreating to her apartment, she goes into hibernation for two weeks and seeks comfort in John Cusack movies, forbidden food, and Leroy, her fair-weather cat. With the help of her mother and her friends, Eliza revaluates her aspirations for love in life. In the end, she realizes that in her search for a 'deep' relationship, she has lost sight of herself and that, once realized, is much easier to find.