novel
no more hassle
Jessica Deitman
HarperCollins, $32.99
Love doesn’t make the world go round. It’s romance. What is the heart of romance? Jessica Dettmann gives it a clear and solid definition in her third novel, no more hassleShakespeare’s plays much ado about nothing, Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 film is our protagonist’s North Star.
Jessica Dettmann knows what it takes to make a successful rom-com.Credit:
Willa, 36, is a publisher of romance novels. Ironically, she was “the least romantic person ever,” according to her friends.Vera reads in private anne of green gables Calm yourself down when she’s anxious.
She stays away from people, preferring to keep watch all night much ado about nothing For the millionth time, nothing could make her breasts “flutter with passion and excitement.” (If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll agree when you see Keanu Reeves in slow motion, riding his horse toward the screen with the wind in his hair.)
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Five years after her last long-term relationship, Willa remains “very proud of her record of avoiding emotional pain”. She’s driven by her fantasies, and she’s lucky that her emotional and intellectual pursuits have blended so conveniently throughout her career.This woman packed up her life and moved to Seattle at 22 because she was ‘obsessed with twin peaks“.
At work, as in life, she has been chasing the “unspeakable groin excitement and breathless hope” she feels every time she watches a Branagh film. “Readers love being reminded that excitement and desire exist,” she insists. “Don’t you think it would be nice for them to experience that feeling through a book instead? My books do that. They lift themselves up.”
She’s chasing the “feeling” – the spark – the mysterious, elusive, unobtainable fantasy that is clearly a woman’s desire. I often think women need romantic comedies because the world is too bad for us. We need a dream place. Feel safe and good.
Detman’s novels feel safe and good. It’s a comforting spectacle, made up of solid, compelling, believable characters who tell the story with tenderness and wit. They strike the right balance between the familiar and the outrageous. Most importantly, they are often attractive. Women are always “pretty” and men are always “handsome”.
