About That Night

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This book was selected to be a romantic escape for the month of February - and it sure hits the mark! The lady who chose this book usually chooses edgy books, like Angelology. This book was edgy but in a different way. This is the kind of book you wanted to find as a young girl in your mother's nightstand and smuggle it to a sleep over so you could read all the juicy parts. (That would be Chapters 20, 21 & 25 if you're curious.)

On a scale of 1-5

Sex: 5

Religion: 1

Gruesome: 1

Suspense: 2

Morality: 2

Sex - It starts early with a kiss described in detail, continues with casual references to the male anatomy and the objectification of a female's chest, and then really hits full throttle in Chapter 25. Not much is left to the imagination! But it is believable and tasteful; nothing seedy or sordid.

Religion - No mention of it at all.

Gruesome - Nothing gruesome. There is a minor reference to a prison fight but it doesn't have much detail.

Suspense - Towards the end Ms. James tries to make us wonder if the couple is really going to get together. But we've known all along they would so it is really just an expected ploy and not a worrisome plot twist. Certainly nothing you would lose any sleep over.

Morality - There are a few references to people doing the right thing. But there is also a lot of casual sex which, while it may be the cultural norm, is not traditionally a mark of high morals.

Many years ago I used to read only romance novels but I'd gotten away from them. I'd almost forgotten how fun they can be. It was nice to visit the genre, but it's not somewhere I want to take up residence. Definitely a fun pick for February! But I'm looking forward to getting back to the semi-thought provoking books. I'll stick with Chick Flicks instead. Which, by the way, the author has another novel called "Alot Like Love" but it is not to be confused with the 2005 Ashton Kutcher flick with a totally different plot. The novel is related to this one because the main character is Kyle's twin sister Jordan. It actually came before "About That Night" both in plot and publishing.

The story is a tried and true guy and girl meet in a bar, there is instant attraction but something keeps them apart. Can they overcome it? Will their love win out?

Discussion Questions

At what point should Rylann have told her boss, Cameron, that she had a past with Kyle?

Did you find Rylann's initial toughness in the bar with Kyle believable?

Didn't it seem like all the people in the book were beautiful? Does that add to the escape?

What did you think about the author's use of pop-culture (The Good Wife, The Hunger Games, match.com)? Does it make the book more realistic or will it cause it to be dated?

Would Kyle have remembered the date he met Rylann without the connection to his mom's accident?

Kyle says now he has a good answer to why he hacked into Twitter, "I didn't know it at the time...but I did it to find [Rylann] again." (p. 275) Do you think this is really a good answer?

Rylann thought Kyle was, "simple, a good person, and a confident, intelligent man to boot..." and that he "deserved the best damn girlfriend out there". (p. 248-249) Do you agree?

What does the future hold for Rylann and Kyle?

Theme Ideas

Serve Chicken Wings and beer like Kyle and Rylann would have had on their first date.

Serve Shrimp Pad Tai like Kyle ate when his dad rejoined life.

Serve any kind of wine since Kyle's twin sister Jordan owns a wine shop.

Set up a bar. Serve martinis like Rae & Rylann after work. Or serve the drinks in the first bar scene: Amstel light, Rum & Diet Coke, Gin & Tonic, Corona with lime

Play jazz music, especially Norah Jones "Come Away With Me"