I found myself liking this bittersweet little tale to a much greater extent than I had initially anticipated. It truly came as a pleasant surprise.

This experience has taught me a valuable lesson. I should not be so much of a book snob in the future. Just because a book may not seem like it's going to be my cup of tea at first glance doesn't mean it won't turn out to be a hidden gem.

I now realize that I need to approach each book with an open mind and a willingness to explore its contents without preconceived notions. This little tale has shown me that there is beauty and charm to be found in unexpected places within the literary world.

It has broadened my perspective and made me more receptive to the diverse range of stories that are out there waiting to be discovered. I look forward to the next book that might surprise me in the same way.

I really enjoyed this book. It is concise yet full of profound insights. At times, it seems a bit clinical to me. However, I suppose that's to be expected if one is accustomed to the more sentimental and romantic style of other chick-lit. It offers interesting perspectives!

I have a great admiration for Steve Martin's film work, and now I'm also a fan of his writing. I will definitely watch the movie based on this book.

The book can be summarized in one sentence: Twenty-something Mirabelle, a disillusioned salesgirl and aspiring artist, has to choose between wealthy (and much older) divorcee Ray Porter and struggling musician Jeremy in a journey about making life choices and dealing with the consequences.

I would recommend this book to those who like chick lit but don't want the overly sappy stuff. It presents very interesting perspectives (both male and female) on relationships. I didn't find anything particularly boring in it. Steve Martin has a tendency to be rather clinical in some of his psychoanalyzing, but at least it's not as sappy and sentimental. I'm not sure how some feminists would respond to the stereotype of this May-December romance.

In conclusion, read it! It's a short but engaging read. I don't know why I've been reading a lot of chick lit lately. I never thought to classify this Steve Martin book as chick lit (maybe because it's written by a man?). And yes, it's Steve Martin, the famous comedian, who wrote it.

Also, check out the review at http://januarymagazine.com/fiction/sh...

N.B. This review has been sitting unpublished for months now.

There are a select few writers that I have encountered who have managed to successfully break the "show, don't tell" rule that every writer is taught. Kurt Vonnegut was one such writer, and Steve Martin is another. For instance, it would be extremely difficult to envision Vonnegut in "Breakfast of Champions" providing the reader with all the information he desires to convey about Kilgore Trout, Dwayne Hoover, and Eliot Rosewater solely through action and dialogue. Similarly, in "Shopgirl," which is nearly devoid of dialogue, Martin spends the majority of the novella telling us about Ray Porter, Mirabelle, and Jeremy, scarcely ever showing us who they are through their words or actions. Yet, miraculously, the book functions just fine. In fact, it functions even better than the film version, which, being a film, was compelled to transform much of the telling into showing.

However, one of the book's few shortcomings lies in some of its descriptions of Los Angeles. Martin fares well when adhering to the Los Angeles he is familiar with - such as art galleries and celebrity shopping excursions. But when he ventures too far afield, his presumably sheltered experience (owing to being a wealthy and successful celebrity) becomes evident. For example, he claims that the only restaurant in Los Angeles open on Thanksgiving Day is a diner in downtown L.A. What restaurant could he possibly be referring to? The Pantry? I can assure Mr. Martin that numerous L.A. restaurants are open on Thanksgiving.

Nevertheless, who in the 1970s would have predicted that the wild and crazy guy with the fake arrow through his head from "Saturday Night Live" would one day pen such a direct and unflinching novel about contemporary male-female sexual relationships?

The experience I had really made me feel slutty, but it was not in a fun way at all.

It was a rather uncomfortable and demeaning feeling that lingered within me.

I couldn't help but wonder how I had ended up in such a situation where I was made to feel this way.

It made me question my own actions and decisions, and I started to second-guess myself.

I felt as if my dignity and self-respect had been somewhat compromised.

This feeling of being slutty, in a negative sense, really took a toll on my emotions and made me feel quite down.

I hope that in the future, I can avoid such experiences and always maintain a sense of self-worth and respect for myself.

I don't ever want to feel this way again, as it is truly an unpleasant and unwanted emotion.

It serves as a reminder to be more cautious and discerning in my interactions with others.