'Another one bites the dust is something I always say to my Friends.......

To signify that there wont be another one....

39 plus one introduces us to Rachel Collins who embarks on a year long journey and before she hits the big 40, she is determined to meet 'the one' in this Rom-Com true story from Ragh Bir.

At 39 and single Rachel is changing up her dating game by starting the quest in which all bachelors are deemed eligible. Opening herself up to new men and experiences she is hoping to find her imperfect, perfect soulmate, diamond in the rough or frog prince but this however doesn't always lead to the right man. With her two best friends by her side for support wine and gossip she starts navigating through the weird, wacky and the waste men to hopefully find someone before the milestone birthday.

This was such a fun read by Ragh and what made the book that much more enjoyable was knowing that the quest was a real life event for the author. The experiences that Rachel went through in the book were similar if not the same as what Ragh experienced. I do not know whether to laugh, cry or feel horrified as some of Rachel's dates had me cringing and equaling angry.

One of the things I liked about the story was that it was written in first person present and from Rachel's point of view. The great thing about this was the reader moved through the story with the protagonist, experiencing everything as they did which included revelations and plot twists. We were in the action with Rachel, there was a lot of description around what she wore on her dates, how she looked emphasizing those were the important parts to the story and Rachel.

Another thing I liked was Rachel's relationship with her parents, from what we know of them. They seem quite supportive and understanding of their daughter not to mention protective. Her friends were a great addition too and due to the narrative of the story only got to know them in relation to Rachel's quest. There were times I was annoyed with their characters but proved to be loyal good friends in the end.

Finally I really liked how the story had ended with a bit of an open end. As the reader our journey ends with Rachel as she is re-acquainted with that stranger from the alley in Windsor. This signifies the end of the quest as story ends here but does not guarantee the relationship was successful. I think the true message was how Rachel changed over the course of the year, and how everything that had happened would have been to help her grow and face her fears even when she did not want to.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book, Rachel's trials and tribulations bought her full circle and and I hope this was the start of her happy ending.